Bloo's Blues

[bloocrab]

...got side-swiped while on the Bourne rotary a few weeks ago, ..the company vehicle needed repairs. They finally make an appointment to get my vehicle repaired. I had to drop it off yesterday morning.

here's where the fun begins- story titled: Manager Cutting Costs

My extremely intelligent manager decides to cut costs and instead of legally getting me a rent-a-car, he tells me to use a spare vehicle for the time being from an employee who recently quit (from a different state). He hands me a gas card and writes down the PIN number for it.

A few hours later, I need fuel << >> ...I try the card and get the message:... "See Attendant"... ...attendant tells me, "sumting wong widd cod"...I figure it's his machine so I try another gas station... ...same results, after a 3rd attempt I call my manager and get his voicemail... no response, so I had to dig thru the lint in my pocket for some $$

Later on last night...I finish up a job in Marion. I start heading home when I get a telefone call from another field technician...he needs some assistance. I quickly pull over the vehicle to look up some information for him. I got the lap-top open, palm pilot in one hand cell phone in the other...with my car cocked into someone's driveway.......who pulls up behind me?? .............the police!

I watch him get out of his vehicle and s-l-o-w-ly approach my truck...one hand on the flash-light the other on his holster snap. He asks from the rear of my vehicle.."PLACE YOUR HANDS ON THE STEERING WHEEL - WHERE I CAN SEE THEM!!"...(meanwhile, I'm still on the phone)...I quickly get off, but he's already getting nervous. He's got the gun unsnapped, hand on the handle. I quickly place my hands on the wheel. He gets a little closer and asks what I'm doing. I tell him that I'm a service technician and I just finished running a call...he says, "In this guy's driveway?"...I start to explain myself about stopping for phone useage, but he interjects and says..."License and Registration!!"... I dig into my pocket for my license and then start ravaging the truck for the registration....I come up with nothing ...my manager had said, the info is in the glove-box. NADA!!....he asks me to exit the vehicle slowly...he wants to know what are ALL the boxes in the back of the SUV. I tell him computer parts....he asks me to sit on his hood with my hands placed on the edge.. (meanwhile, it's #@#!%@ raining!!)....after thouroughly looking thru my truck, he tells me to get back in. I enter my truck but the keys are in his hand. He goes back to his car and runs the plates. He comes back and tells me..."this vehicle is registered to someone in Texas!"...I try explaining to him that it's a company vehicle and one of their offices is located in Texas...he asks me for a number, of course I don't have any Texas numbers..only numbers from our Newton office (which is presently closed for the night). To make a long enough story shorter, and after MUCH explaining, and WAITING and WAITING and WAITING!! ...he let's me go

WHAT A f$@^%!!# NIGHT!!!