Yesterday my car was broken in to and purse stolen (I know, although it was a short time, I shouldn’t have left it in the car hidden under the other bag. Lesson learned). I had to take the bridge to get back to Halifax, the bridge with the $1 toll. Since my wallet was in my purse that was stolen, I had no money. With shattered glass on the seats I explained the situation but Mr. Bridge Toll Man wouldn’t let me pass because I did not have $1. I pointed out the remains of what use to be a car window and showed him the police file. Didn’t matter. I did not have $1. This reminded me of a ferry trip to Dartmouth around Christmas when, with arms full of bags and packages, I asked Mr. Ferry Toll Man if he would pick out the fare from my fist full of change. He told me “we don’t handle change.” I asked, “then why are you wearing the blue latex gloves?” These employees are part of the city’s transportation system. It’s incredulous that: 1. Mr. Bridge Toll Man doesn’t have the authority to grant a special pass in special circumstances; 2. that in order to get across I had to speak to another publically paid employee; 3. that in pleading my case with these employees I consumed more of tax payers money than the $1 toll; 4. that Mr. Ferry Toll Man does nothing but sit there; and, 5. that they’re paid from the public purse but lack the authority and/or intellectual ability to make independent decisions and problem solve. These are small matters. Every employee, no matter who they work for, should be able to resolve problem not only to give good service but also to make business run efficiently. Mr. Bridge and Mr. Ferry Toll Man clearly lack knowledge of the bigger picture and of the performance expectations other organizations and industry hold their employees to. I hope, however, that in those quiet reflective moments, The Toll Men realize how damn lucky they are to have bubble wrapped-publicly funded jobs given their limited abilities. —Flabergasted
This article appears in Jan 23-29, 2014.
Hello Flab,
You seem to expect a lot .. free bridge fare, help with change, etc. It’s not their fault that you can’t pay .. ever hear of driving around the basin? How about setting your parcels down to pay the ferry?
Clearly, you are the one lacking “intellectual ability.”. I know of no business that operates by giving away its goods and services to people who lost their money elsewhere.
” I hope, however, that in those quiet reflective moments, The Toll Men realize how damn lucky they are to have bubble wrapped-publicly funded jobs given their limited abilities.”
If YOU are employed, YOU should be thankful. Those guys earn their money, especially when dealing with nutbars like you.
I know that they’re classed as Public Servants, but the word Servant shouldn’t be taken literally to mean your personal flunky.
OP some companies don’t trust their employees, thus the Mr Ferry Man cannot touch your change.
Mr Bridge Dude has every right to deny you access across the bridge, yes your car was broken into etc, but you could have taken the long way around knowing you had no money.
You do a lot of running over to Dartmouth …. why would you need to take the ferry over to Dartmouth with all these packages at Christmas when you have a vehicle? Huh, don’t get you …. didn’t have a loonie but apparently ARE a loonie!
if i didn’t have fare i wouldn’t even try to cross the bridge i would of gone around…
Yeah but if Mr. Bridge Guy was to let you with the smashed-out window and police report through without paying the $1.00 toll, he would have to let everybody with smashed-out windows and police reports through without apying. People could start smashing their own car windows out just to get across the bridge for free, gotta think of these things OP.
You could’ve shown him your minge?
If I give one to you… den I gotta give one to everybody else.
I usually don’t quote cheesy movie lines, but OB this one’s for you:
stupid is as stupid does.
Next time, drive around the basin.
I agree, OB. What a bunch of dicks!!! If it was that important that the toll was paid, I would have paid it for you. Rules are rules but that doesn’t mean you can’t do something nice for someone who is genuinely upset.
did the thief steal your macpass?
Expecting the toll operator to let you pass through without paying the toll is much the same as if you had asked the police officer who filed your report to give you the dollar.
Mind you it would be nice if there was an I.O.U system for the bridge for such emergencies. But there isn’t, and you faced the results of such. Suck it up. Move on. And (god forbid) if it happens again, drive around … or get a Macpass like the rest of the world.
I’m sorry your car was broken into. That sucks, and here’s hoping karma is a bitch to the thief.
I know another poster suffers from a bipolar disorder, but you too, SHITD? I’m also shocked that you didn’t blame Wheels or his union in some way for this.
And OB, you should have gone with the minge flash! Unless it was blue, I’d have given you a free pass.
BLOCK DARTMOUTH OUT OF YOUR MIND!
Like right-thinking people everywhere, you must block Dartmouth out of your mind. Never go there again. Don’t even think of it. It is a wasteland.
A pleasure as always.
Cheerio!
Isn’t this what breasts are for?
I mean, I’m no expert at using them as a weapon but it just seems like a slam dunk.
Yes Nukka, I was very surprized that I was not mentioned. I wonder how flab would think being in those little booths at the bridge in -15c weather for hours at a time is a bubble wrapped job if she actually had to do it herself. Or just standing outside in the elements for hours on end, I can see her now.
Oh, Nukka-san, you have much learning to do when it comes to the complexities of the human psyche. I will not be pigeonholed into one category. I’m like an onion, layers brutha, many layers indeed.
Yeah Nukka. He just pigeonholes everybody else.
I agree, Wheels. He also doesn’t realize every layer of an onion is as bitter as the last.
Lookie Lookie, what do we have here? A budding bromance? Dare I ask who pitches and who catches, or do you do it “Dutch Rudder” style?
op’s rant would have merit if she was campaigning on behalf of someone else.
however….
as it stands, she is just scattering blame everywhere because she made a series of ill advised actions.
i consider this a great example of sense of entitlement.
SHE left her purse in the car despite all good sense to the contrary (that there are bad people who break into cars and steal stuff)
SHE wanted to drive across a toll bridge despite knowing she had no toll fare
SHE blamed the toll booth employee for following the rules of his job and extrapolated that he is a less than worthy human.
SHE believes someone should put his job at risk, or face discipline to make up for HER desires to cross the bridge instead of driving around. HER convenience. HER hurry. HER HER HER
SHE thinks a ferry employee should dig around her sweaty palm for correct change so SHE can avoid having to put her packages down for a second to get her fare.
I’ll extrapolate and guess that she was a jerk when she was “that in pleading my case with these employees I consumed more of tax payers money than the $1 toll” in other words, tying up that booth’s line for all the other taxpayers who needed to get across the bridge in a timely manner.
anyone recognize this behaviour? someone who is such a bloody nuisance that the clerk/whatever just caves in, pays the additional charge, gives the discount/refund. these assholes go through life doing this.
op, post another ….how about an apology. gee toll booth person, i am so sorry i was such a jerk but i was stressed out of my mind.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kNwvIEQsg0
I’ve never had an issue the two times I had trouble at the bridge. Being nice and a little contrite and not being an entitled slag goes a long way.
as a person who uses the bridge to get from halifax and burnside, do what ive seen countless people do… go crashing through the gate and save your $1. the damn things will open up wide… just hope that in the process of saving a $, you dont cost yourself the price of a windshield 😉
“Lookie Lookie, what do we have here? A budding bromance? Dare I ask who pitches and who catches”
You must think summits are raging unprotected orgy’s if you got that from my comment.
Hm. Weird. I’ve never had trouble getting a free pass the two times in my life i genuinely had trouble at the bridge. You’d be surprised how far not being an entitled bitch can go.
Sorry. I’m only assuming because you sort of sound like one.
We all have many layers.
Umm…why would I think summits are “unprotected orgy’s”? I wasn’t aware that you posted anything about summits, or the fact that you or Wheels attended said “unprotected orgy’s”, aka; summits. My comment was merely an observation that you and Wheels seem to be gargling each others nutsacks.
He’s an onion all right Nukka. He certainly is not a Valadia, I’d say he is one of those plain nasty old yellow onions, only good for stock.
Yours truly.
wtf is a ‘valadia’ onion? something spawned in transylvania? does one impale it?
i would prefer a vidalia, myself.
Good one, Wheels. Did you run that by your bus driven buddies before you posted that gem? Ya douchebag!!!
Words that should have been retired in the 90’s but people still think are cool:
Douchbag
Oh yeah, I just learned what vidalia is. My iPad spellcheck doesn’t like it though…… hmmmm.
Speaking of words that were cool in the 90’s and should be retired…
Nukka
Hahaha, Nukka is 00’s slang.
I thought you were from Spryfield, you should at least know that.
Hey shit doc, as the saying goes, it takes one to know one. So I guess you are as much of a douchebag as I am if not much more. I’m willing to guess it is the latter.
Yours truly.
“We all have many layers.”
That’s what they say at the henhouse.
<cackle cackle^^
my comment dist-appeared. ^^cackle cackle^ at crispy
A pun that bad doesn’t warrant a response >; )
Just kidding – I LOL’d