BAN Ban The Box

 

As a supervisor who hires, trains and managers numerous employees, I am NOT in favour of Ban TheBox. To be perfectly honest, I’m totally against it.

There is a reason job applications ask if an applicant is a convicted felon. It’s for protection—person and property. In my 32+ years hiring employees, many felons are repeat offenders. Many others are career felons and a mere handful are those who made a mistake, paid their dues and never did it again. The latter are the ones who should be given a chance. And in my career, I have given plenty. Even though I get less and less background checks that are blank—meaning the person committed NO crime, not even a DUI. That’s just shameful.

Ban The Box eliminates the question on job applications with the hopes that you will not judge the applicant if they checked “yes” and by the time you’ve interviewed the felon you will like them so much, and think they are so qualified, you will hire them in spite of their criminal record.

I’m here to tell you, if you are a CAREER felon, I don’t give a rat’s patootie how qualified you are, I will not hire you.

Now, if you made a mistake 20+ years ago and have had a clean record since, absolutely, I will hire you, and as I said, I have.

This crap that it’s discriminatory to ask if someone is convicted of a felon is BS. Is it also discriminatory to have employees drug tested?  Or are we going to have to accept alcoholics and drug addicticts because it’s not fair and they can’t help it? Is it discriminatory to get someone’s credit report when their job duties include handling thousands and thousands of dollars? Or how about when they work with children? Are we going to stop doing criminal background checks and finger printing and eliminate the sexual predator’s list? Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if we did eliminate all that. We are a society where no one is responsible for any of their actions. And if they perpetrate a crime, we owe them something. After all, we’re all entitled now.

I’m sick of this. It’s dangerous to carry a gun, but it’s safe and acceptable to put employees and customers in danger with convicted felons. And I do know of what I speak. I’ve had people apply for jobs who committed assault and battery, robbery, identity theft, selling drugs, stalking and even rape. And many of them lied on the application by saying “no” they committed no felon. However, their arm-long criminal background shows they are career criminals. And no, many are not 20+ years ago. Many aren’t even 10 years ago. I’ve had them within one year, or less.

So, if you don’t want me to judge, DON’T COMMIT A CRIME.

 

 

Back Off Buddy

I abhor driver’s that ride my bumper. It’s dangerous and illegal. I don’t suffer from road rage; however, if a driver gets on my tail, I soon become infected. My normal response, if I’m not alone in my vehicle, is to swear, complain and drive slower than the speed limit, which will tick off the Bumper Badger and provoke him into honking his horn and flailing his arms. When those tactics don’t get me to press my accelerator, he’ll either back off or become infected with road rage and illegally pass me while honking his horn, mouthing something I can’t hear and offer me some serious sign language. All this is ever so dangerous. But it gives proof to my passengers that the driver is everything I called him. After all, what sane person would pass you on a double yellow line, screaming goodness knows what, while flipping you the bird? The driver’s a menace! Where are the cops when you need them? I don’t, however, dare mention that it's ultimately my fault the other driver was coerced into behaving that way because I dropped to 10 miles per hour in a 35 mile per hour zone--enough to try a Saint’s patience, I’ll admit.

When I’m driving alone and have a Bumper Bully, I’m a bit more assertive. I spike my brakes while looking into my rear-view mirror, so the other driver can see my face and I put my fist up to the mirror, with my thumb facing toward him, while mouthing, “Back off!” Sometimes the Tailgater will oblige (probably because he thinks I’m crazy) and put a safe distance between us. Every once in awhile I’ll get a wacko that will purposely stay on my tail end, so, I’ll hit my brakes a few more times and perform my mirror ritual. He finally realizes I’m not going to stop spiking my brakes and he’s going to end up running into the back of my vehicle. He either backs off or he gets so irate he illegally passes me, with his mouth going a mile a minute and his hand performing sign language. These guys just aren’t creative. But again, this procedure isn’t safe and since I’m always preaching safety, I’m breaking my own rules.

So, how did I eradicate Tailgate Terrorists? Up until recently, I was at a loss and alternated between my Granny Driving and Brake Spiking whenever one of these morons got too close for comfort. However, coming home from downtown the other night, with a Bumper Bully no less, I had an epiphany. Rather than risk something dangerous by inflaming the idiot behind me and have him pass me illegally, or worse, run into my back end, I decided to cautiously act like a drunk driver. How does a sober, in control driver act like a drunk driver? Well, she slowly drives toward the berm of the road, without actually driving onto the berm, then slowly from the berm to the double yellow line, without actually crossing the line and then back to the middle of the road. Looking in my rear-view mirror I saw the Bumper Bully about five car lengths behind me. It worked! He was off my tail end.

If you find yourself a victim of a Tailgate Terrorist, cautiously act like an out of control driver and he’ll back off.

The Correct Response

I suffer from migraine headaches. Thanks to my headache specialist, they’ve been reduced from twenty-four migraines per month to about nine. I take 150 mg of Topamax each day for preventative measures and an Imitrex tablet when one strikes. Sometimes I need two tablets to really break the monster, but they work and I’m so grateful.

A prescription of Imitrex comes in a package of nine pills and cost $359. Fortunately, I have insurance and can get two packages (18 tablets) for $20. My insurance will not pay for more than eighteen pills in any thirty day period. So, these little pink pills are like gold to me. On my last refill the Pharmacist told me she only had one package in stock because their shipment hadn’t come in yet and I could pick up the other package in a few days. This wasn’t a problem for me as I’ve been going to CVS for years and the Pharmacist has always treated me well.

A few days later I arrived at CVS’s drive-thru for the remainder of my Imitrex and a couple other prescriptions. Unfortunately I was waited on by the worst woman in the pharmacy department--this woman never smiles and only speaks when absolutely necessary. I figure her to be a miserable person in general or she just doesn’t like me. I politely told her I was only due one package of the Imitrex. She ignored me, never looked in the bag, handed it to me and gave me my total. I paid then bade her “good day”, which, of course, she ignored. I drove away, pulled onto the roadway then at the red light looked into the bag. Well, there were 2 packages of Imitrex, which meant that CVS was out $359 and I had nine extra precious pink pills.

I had to run some errands and while doing so I knew darn well I couldn’t, with good conscience, keep those pills. But before I went back to CVS, I rehearsed all the things I was going to say to Miss Miserable when I returned them. About two hours later I arrived at CVS, entered with Imitrex bag in hand and strode back to the pharmacy counter. Miss Miserable was there waiting on another customer. Her face never changed from its usual stiff discontent. (I think it’s safe to assume she was mad at the world and not just me). The customer left…my turn.

I stepped forward and said, “I don’t know why you chose to ignore me when I told you I was only due one package of Imitrex. It’s a good thing I’m honest or your pharmacy would be out three-hundred fifty-nine dollars.” I pulled both packages out of the bag. She grabbed the bag out of my hand and said, “Let me see who filled that!” I was flabbergasted that she tore the bag out of my hand. Yes, whoever initially filled it made the mistake; but she was wrong for not listening to me when I told her to check it! I looked at her and said, “The correct response is, Thank you.” I held out my hand for my package of Imitrex, which she handed me and I left the store.

I’m sure it didn’t sink into her bleached blonde head that it doesn’t matter to a customer where the mistake first happened. It could have been prevented had she just listened rather than worry about balancing that chip on her shoulder--and finger pointing has never solved anything. It sure wouldn’t have replaced the missing $359. People who finger point look incompetent, immature and just plain stupid, in my opinion. Figure out the quality control issue when the customer isn’t around. Until then, the correct response is--Thank you.