And then the threats come...

So it seems that things here at this limo company - who we'll call "Guys in Grey Transportation" have took an unexpected turn.  Yesterday, one of the partners, who'll we'll call "Sluggo" threatened to pursue me outside of work with some of his friends.  Sluggo told me that now we have a "personal vendetta".  I explained to him that this could be construed as a threat.

This situation arose out of the request that they pay me for all of my required back wages and overtime pay.  They have been trying to smooth talk me for weeks on how everything they were doing was by the book and a commonly accepted practice within the industry.  Well, apparently it's not so common since every single person that I have spoken with has instantly determined this to be illegal.  What the company is attempting to do is clock my hours only when I am physically driving to or from a destination, along with some arbitrary additions here and there, instead of paying me for every hour that I have the limo - as I believe they should.

I explained to Sluggo that I would need to be paid for all of my hours according to my accounting methods.  He began to talk in circles and blame me for continuing to work with the company even though I didn't agree with how they were paying me.  By this rationale, it was ok for them to break the law as long as I didn't have any issues with it.

Things got tense when I further explained to Sluggo that they could pay me what I was asking, or just to be sure that no one gets short changed, we could have an attorney or the labor board investigate the case.  Sluggo believed that this amounted to blackmail, and called it such.  I'm not quite sure how they came to that assumption.  Where I'm from, regulatory boards/commissions/agencies are there to protect the public.  If there was any blackmail involved, Sluggo's actions would have more closely resembled such.  I'll tell you one thing - if this does make it to an attorney or the labor board, there may not be many more posts to write about the company...

Until next time...

Further Disappointment

Yesterday I threw this sign under the floor mat.  It's simply not true, and discourages tipping.  I've caught the dispatcher persuading the prospective clients that the tip is included too.  Hence, I probably only get tipped about 10% of the time.

I got this for parking in the cell phone lot of the airport with my limo yesterday.  There was no airport permit on the car - something that seems rather important.  It's ok, the company has to foot the bill for this.

I've been drinking these recently.  They only cost 0.50 each.  They are pretty similar to Monster brand energy drinks.  These make you piss yellow.  Probably all of the Vitamin B.

I also seem to have trouble recouping my overtime pay.  I've already asked several times.  I think one more request will be sufficient.  If not we'll see what the labor board has to say about this...

My Fancy Limo...

270,000 miles, A/C that has a high pitched squeal and smells funny.  Right rear door doesn't open from the inside.  I'm beginning to believe that all of the jobs within the transportation field are like this.  I'm tired.

I spoke briefly with another limo driver at the airport today, seems like he is dealing with the same thing more or less.  He said that they don't like to pay their drivers.  He's been waiting 5 weeks for his paycheck.  I'd like to believe that crooked foreigners haven't tainted the entire industry, but I have little evidence to prove otherwise.

Limo Driver

I've been busy lately...

After working an office job for the last few years I decided to give the transportation industry another shot.  Currently a prospective employer is scouting me out for a limo gig.  Sounds ok.

It's a flat rate for the ride, and the company takes care of all of the gas.  Doesn't seem like the money will be as good as the taxi, but there will surely be less headaches.  I don't envision undomesticated turd-worlders constantly taking my rides (which they won't be able to since I will be receiving calls on my phone giving me the details of the fare), or doors, hoods, or wheels falling off of the limo's.  Oh, how things will be different.

They use computers here as well.

However, I saw something somewhat disturbing the other day.  I came in to do an orientation and noticed that there were many parallels to Cortez Cab Company.  There was a receptionist, a woman  who was perhaps even bigger than all of of the ones at the cab co.  She was dressed pretty fancy - sweats and a tee shirt.  There was a cockroach that scurried across the floor as I was in the waiting area.  It sought refuge near the sink and the large pile of dirty dishes.

The receptionist, "Lupe" didn't seem terrible bright.  She made several phone calls to her supervisor seeking help on the operation of a Windows based computer.  There was considerable difficulty in playing the training videos.  If she had a dollar for every one of her chins, she could retire a rich woman.  There was a Parakeet there as well, squawking away, in a birdcage the size of a large shoe box.  This is not the life that that bird had imagined...

Prior to coming here, I had spoken with Catherine about returning to Cortez to drive.  The office were enthusiastic to see me, even that sassy fruitcake of a dispatcher - who I can't stand.  Catherine was short on the phone - she didn't seem to want to talk.  Perhaps I should try her at another time, more like 3 a.m.  I've learned that there are two types of calls that you receive at 3 a.m.  Calls from drunk people, and important/urgent calls.  Who knows, the latter may be true, it may even be Jesus reaching out to her.  Does Jesus leave voicemails?  I heard that he uses Cricket?

In Absentia

I haven't had the time to write much lately, life calls.

It appears though that something or another still drives some here to my writings.