(no subject)
So, I'm sitting at our downtown office watching television when one of our secretaries transfers a call to me. It's this guy who wants to know the name of the woman Michael Schiavo has been living with for the last few years.
I politely tell him that I don't know the name of the woman, and suggest he call a newspaper in Florida.
He then starts this rant over why the media hasn't reported that Mr. Schiavo is an adulterer, and that Terri Schiavo could live if she just filed for divorce.
I say, "excuse me, sir. I don't think Mrs. Schiavo has filed for anything over the last 15 years. And if the media hasn't reported that Schiavo is living with another woman, where did you hear it?"
He goes: "Uhh, I heard it on TV."
I say: "Thank you for your call, and have a nice day." Click.
Sigh. I love the public.
What made me think of this? This true story from a 911 tape in California:
Dispatcher: Sheriff's department, how can I help you?
Woman: Yeah, I'm over here . . . I'm over here at Burger King right here in San Clemente.*
Dispatcher: Uh-huh.
Woman: Um, no, not San Clemente; I'm sorry, I live in San Clemente. I'm in Laguna Niguel, I think, that's where I'm at.
Dispatcher: Uh-huh.
Woman: I'm at a drive-through right now.
Dispatcher: Uh-huh.
Woman: I went . . . I ordered my food three times. They're mopping the floor inside, and I understand they're busy . . . they're not even busy, okay, I've been the only car here. I asked them four different times to make me a Western Barbeque Burger. Okay, they keep giving me a hamburger with lettuce, tomato, and cheese, onions, and I said, "I'm not leaving . . ."
Dispatcher: Uh-huh.
Woman: I want a Western Burger because I just got my kids from Tae Kwon Do, they're hungry, I'm on my way home, and I live in San Clemente.
Dispatcher: Uh-huh.
Woman: Okay . . . she said, she gave me another hamburger; it's wrong. I said four times, I said, "I want it to go. Can you go out and park in front?" I said, "No, I want my hamburger right." So then the . . . the lady came to the manager. She . . . well whoever she is, she came up and she said, um, she said, um, "Do you want your money back?" And I said, "No, I want my hamburger. My kids are hungry and I have to jump on that toll freeway." I said, "I am not leaving this spot," and I said, "I will call the police," because I want my Western Burger done right! Now is that so hard?
Dispatcher: Okay, what exactly is it you want us to do for you?
Woman: I . . . send an officer down here. I . . . I want them to make me . . .
Dispatcher: Ma'am, we're not gonna go down there and enforce your Western Bacon Cheeseburger.
Woman: What am I supposed to do?
Dispatcher: This is . . . this is between you and the manager. We're not gonna go and enforce how to make a hamburger; that's not a criminal issue. There's . . . there's nothing criminal there.
Woman: So I just stand here . . . so I just sit here and [block]?
Dispatcher: You . . . you need to calmly and rationally speak to the manager and figure out what to do between you.
Woman: She did come up, and I said, "Can I please have my Western Burger?" She . . . she said, "I'm not dealing with it," and she walked away. Because they're mopping the floor, and it's also the fact that they don't want to . . . they don't want to go through there . . . and . . . and . . .
Dispatcher: Ma'am, then I suggest you get your money back and go somewhere else. This is . . . this is not a criminal issue. We can't go out there and make them make you a cheeseburger the way you want it.
Woman: Well . . . that is . . . that . . . you're supposed to be here to protect me.
Dispatcher: Well, what are we protecting you from, a wrong cheeseburger?
Woman: No . . .
Dispatcher: Is this like . . . is this a harmful cheeseburger or something? I don't understand what you want us to do.
Woman: Just come down here. I'm not . . . I'm not leaving.
Dispatcher: No ma'am, I'm not sending the deputies down there over a cheeseburger. You need to go in there and act like an adult and either get your money back or go home.
Woman: She is not acting like an adult herself! I'm sitting here in my car; I just want them to make my kids a . . . a Western Burger.
Dispatcher: Ma'am, this is what I suggest: I suggest you get your money back from the manager and you go on your way home.
Woman: Okay.
Dispatcher: Okay? Bye-bye.
I politely tell him that I don't know the name of the woman, and suggest he call a newspaper in Florida.
He then starts this rant over why the media hasn't reported that Mr. Schiavo is an adulterer, and that Terri Schiavo could live if she just filed for divorce.
I say, "excuse me, sir. I don't think Mrs. Schiavo has filed for anything over the last 15 years. And if the media hasn't reported that Schiavo is living with another woman, where did you hear it?"
He goes: "Uhh, I heard it on TV."
I say: "Thank you for your call, and have a nice day." Click.
Sigh. I love the public.
What made me think of this? This true story from a 911 tape in California:
Dispatcher: Sheriff's department, how can I help you?
Woman: Yeah, I'm over here . . . I'm over here at Burger King right here in San Clemente.*
Dispatcher: Uh-huh.
Woman: Um, no, not San Clemente; I'm sorry, I live in San Clemente. I'm in Laguna Niguel, I think, that's where I'm at.
Dispatcher: Uh-huh.
Woman: I'm at a drive-through right now.
Dispatcher: Uh-huh.
Woman: I went . . . I ordered my food three times. They're mopping the floor inside, and I understand they're busy . . . they're not even busy, okay, I've been the only car here. I asked them four different times to make me a Western Barbeque Burger. Okay, they keep giving me a hamburger with lettuce, tomato, and cheese, onions, and I said, "I'm not leaving . . ."
Dispatcher: Uh-huh.
Woman: I want a Western Burger because I just got my kids from Tae Kwon Do, they're hungry, I'm on my way home, and I live in San Clemente.
Dispatcher: Uh-huh.
Woman: Okay . . . she said, she gave me another hamburger; it's wrong. I said four times, I said, "I want it to go. Can you go out and park in front?" I said, "No, I want my hamburger right." So then the . . . the lady came to the manager. She . . . well whoever she is, she came up and she said, um, she said, um, "Do you want your money back?" And I said, "No, I want my hamburger. My kids are hungry and I have to jump on that toll freeway." I said, "I am not leaving this spot," and I said, "I will call the police," because I want my Western Burger done right! Now is that so hard?
Dispatcher: Okay, what exactly is it you want us to do for you?
Woman: I . . . send an officer down here. I . . . I want them to make me . . .
Dispatcher: Ma'am, we're not gonna go down there and enforce your Western Bacon Cheeseburger.
Woman: What am I supposed to do?
Dispatcher: This is . . . this is between you and the manager. We're not gonna go and enforce how to make a hamburger; that's not a criminal issue. There's . . . there's nothing criminal there.
Woman: So I just stand here . . . so I just sit here and [block]?
Dispatcher: You . . . you need to calmly and rationally speak to the manager and figure out what to do between you.
Woman: She did come up, and I said, "Can I please have my Western Burger?" She . . . she said, "I'm not dealing with it," and she walked away. Because they're mopping the floor, and it's also the fact that they don't want to . . . they don't want to go through there . . . and . . . and . . .
Dispatcher: Ma'am, then I suggest you get your money back and go somewhere else. This is . . . this is not a criminal issue. We can't go out there and make them make you a cheeseburger the way you want it.
Woman: Well . . . that is . . . that . . . you're supposed to be here to protect me.
Dispatcher: Well, what are we protecting you from, a wrong cheeseburger?
Woman: No . . .
Dispatcher: Is this like . . . is this a harmful cheeseburger or something? I don't understand what you want us to do.
Woman: Just come down here. I'm not . . . I'm not leaving.
Dispatcher: No ma'am, I'm not sending the deputies down there over a cheeseburger. You need to go in there and act like an adult and either get your money back or go home.
Woman: She is not acting like an adult herself! I'm sitting here in my car; I just want them to make my kids a . . . a Western Burger.
Dispatcher: Ma'am, this is what I suggest: I suggest you get your money back from the manager and you go on your way home.
Woman: Okay.
Dispatcher: Okay? Bye-bye.