I Could Be Dead
Let me explain....
Friday night/Saturday morning at work, we get a call from the Sioux Falls Post Office. It seems they found a hand grenade, lying loose, on their Small Parcel/Bundle Sorting Machine (SPBSM). They weren't sure where it came from; if it was loose, or fell out of a box; if it was real or fake; where the rest of the contents might have gone. So, all offices were told to be on the lookout for a box that would have a hole in it that a grenade might slip through. About 7:30 that morning, a box was found in the Rapid City Post Office, with a hole in it large enough for a grenade to fit through. So, the supervisors were informed (I had gone home by then, but this is the story from the one who found the box). They placed the box inside the supervisor office (after the supervisor in training stuck his hand inside the box. To this, a wise-ass fellow union brother stated: "Wow! I wouldn't want MY fingerprints to be all over the inside of the box." To which the S.I.T. replied by expeditiously pulling his hand/arm out of the box). From there, they placed the box in the Plant Manager's office.
Both the Plant Manager and Post Master were called. Only after the Plant Manager arrived did they call the RCPD. All 3 officers quickly submerged their hands inside the box as well, which goes to show the intelligence of the "authorities" in this town. They all deemed it okay, and the US Postal Inspection Service was called to take it from there. So, herein lies the problem...
Today we had a Labor/Management Meeting, where I get to voice my complaints, rather boisterously at times, to my "higher-ups." I brought this situation to their attention, and asked what was wrong with the situation. They sat at the table and proudly pulled their suspenders, stating they did what they should have done in that situation. I then inquired why the building wasn't evacuated when the box was found, since it was suspected to have, and may still, contain an explosive. I told them that this was a very unsafe, and irresponsible action. Placing a potential explosive in the supervisors office really isn't going to save anyone if something detonates.
They were perplexed that I would question their actions (which I tend to do on rare occasion -read "daily").
The Postmaster stated that he "looked in the hole in the box and didn't see anything." I reminded him that no one "saw anything" with a yellow Ryder truck outside the Murrah Federal Building in OK either. I was trying to impress upon them the point that if there are suspected explosives in the building, and no one is positive that there are not, then we need to get everyone out of the building. Just a slight precaution, i suppose. They still didn't get it. At the very least, they could have taken the box outside. They were still claiming they did what was right. So, I had to play THE card... It seems that the employees retaining the current productivity levels for the day are much more important to you (management) than their very lives. I do believe there IS something wrong with that picture.
To reassure me, and give some fine lip service, they will be discussing this in their next staff meeting.
gee, thanks boys. You're the best!
In other news, the boy has Croop (or however you spell it). The poor kid sounds like a dying seal. Took him to RCRH and got him hooked up with some steroids that will help everything. Seems to be doing the job, as the Misses said he didn't cough at all last night. Still, he has no voice, and has coughed/barked a little this morning, but he's smiling and running around in his underwear. That's a good sign.
Friday night/Saturday morning at work, we get a call from the Sioux Falls Post Office. It seems they found a hand grenade, lying loose, on their Small Parcel/Bundle Sorting Machine (SPBSM). They weren't sure where it came from; if it was loose, or fell out of a box; if it was real or fake; where the rest of the contents might have gone. So, all offices were told to be on the lookout for a box that would have a hole in it that a grenade might slip through. About 7:30 that morning, a box was found in the Rapid City Post Office, with a hole in it large enough for a grenade to fit through. So, the supervisors were informed (I had gone home by then, but this is the story from the one who found the box). They placed the box inside the supervisor office (after the supervisor in training stuck his hand inside the box. To this, a wise-ass fellow union brother stated: "Wow! I wouldn't want MY fingerprints to be all over the inside of the box." To which the S.I.T. replied by expeditiously pulling his hand/arm out of the box). From there, they placed the box in the Plant Manager's office.
Both the Plant Manager and Post Master were called. Only after the Plant Manager arrived did they call the RCPD. All 3 officers quickly submerged their hands inside the box as well, which goes to show the intelligence of the "authorities" in this town. They all deemed it okay, and the US Postal Inspection Service was called to take it from there. So, herein lies the problem...
Today we had a Labor/Management Meeting, where I get to voice my complaints, rather boisterously at times, to my "higher-ups." I brought this situation to their attention, and asked what was wrong with the situation. They sat at the table and proudly pulled their suspenders, stating they did what they should have done in that situation. I then inquired why the building wasn't evacuated when the box was found, since it was suspected to have, and may still, contain an explosive. I told them that this was a very unsafe, and irresponsible action. Placing a potential explosive in the supervisors office really isn't going to save anyone if something detonates.
They were perplexed that I would question their actions (which I tend to do on rare occasion -read "daily").
The Postmaster stated that he "looked in the hole in the box and didn't see anything." I reminded him that no one "saw anything" with a yellow Ryder truck outside the Murrah Federal Building in OK either. I was trying to impress upon them the point that if there are suspected explosives in the building, and no one is positive that there are not, then we need to get everyone out of the building. Just a slight precaution, i suppose. They still didn't get it. At the very least, they could have taken the box outside. They were still claiming they did what was right. So, I had to play THE card... It seems that the employees retaining the current productivity levels for the day are much more important to you (management) than their very lives. I do believe there IS something wrong with that picture.
To reassure me, and give some fine lip service, they will be discussing this in their next staff meeting.
gee, thanks boys. You're the best!
In other news, the boy has Croop (or however you spell it). The poor kid sounds like a dying seal. Took him to RCRH and got him hooked up with some steroids that will help everything. Seems to be doing the job, as the Misses said he didn't cough at all last night. Still, he has no voice, and has coughed/barked a little this morning, but he's smiling and running around in his underwear. That's a good sign.