Update to my LIRR complaint

I got a response back from a editorial officer in their public affairs office this morning, and called the number they listed. Since I was half asleep at the time of the incident, I couldn’t provide a complete description of the conductor. Lack of complete description meant that no investigation could be started. Which is all fine and well by me. He might be a new guy, he might have been a fill-in.

At any rate, it was the principle of the thing… Even though it happens more often than any one of us would like to admit — those in service-based occupations should know not to treat the people/customers/consumers they deal with poorly. It’s fucking common sense.

For me, it was just to let them know that there is a conductor out there who acts like an asshole. And for the record THERE IS NO RULE THAT THEY HAVE TO TAKE AWAY YOUR EXPIRED MONTHLY TICKET. None. At all.

Yay. I win.

A complaint to the LIRR

Sent today:

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I am a regular commuter on the LIRR. I bought a December monthly ticket yesterday. I still had my November monthly ticket in my ticket holder. I was harassed by the conductor this morning to give up my November ticket.

I have never heard of any rules that the conductor has to collect the previous month’s tickets while punching the current months. I have never been asked to give up a previous month’s ticket if it was showing in my ticket holder. Other commuters had their November tickets visible in their wallet, showed the December ticket, had it punched and were not harassed the way I was.

Was it discrimination, random harassment? I don’t know. And I certainly don’t appreciate it.

I think it’s poor service to harass a commuter on their way to work.

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Comments: I paid quite a bit of money for that, I’m sure I’m allowed to do with it as I please. It’s the principle of the thing.

Just ew.

I understand that some people pretty much live at work. It’s hard not to, especially if the company is awesome, and there’s a nice little kitchenette, couches, …etc…

But. It’s still kinda gross if one is making one’s morning coffee in said kitchenette and a colleague comes over to rip a paper towel off the roll and proceed to loudly blow and clean his/her nose. Then leave said paper towel resting on the outside of the recycle bin. For METAL and PLASTIC. Garbage can is less than 6 inches away.
Just ew.

People you hate to sit next to on the train

Or across from. Or down a row from. Or behind. Or in front of (depending on which way the seats are facing). Or breathing the same air as.

I take the 704a train to work every morning. I also like to get in a good 45 min nap on my way to the city. So do the other 90% of the commuters on the train. Some people like to read. Some people catch up on work. Others like to enjoy the quiet time where they don’t need to drive. It’s gotten a great deal quieter since  school’s started up, and parents are less likely to infringe on our morning commute with their loud children (not all are loud, admittedly) for a fun family city day trip.

In short, we enjoy the QUIET.

Apparently, some arrogant self-entitled individuals enjoy the QUIET so much, they strive to ruin it for the other 99% of the people in the car by having a long, drawn-out, and loud cell phone conversation. I can understand a frantic interviewee getting last minute directions to their destination. I can understand harried tourists who are speaking to loved ones, and who have never navigated Penn Station during rush hour. I can even understand working mothers who want to talk to their kids before starting their work day. On average, these phone calls last 5 minutes — tops.

This guy, this morning… Unbelievable. Unbelievably inconsiderate, unbelievably loud, unbelievably so infuriating — that if I wasn’t so tired, I would have stood up and snapped at this guy to shut the hell up. I mean, even the conductor came by to tell him to quiet down. Which he did, for all of 30 seconds. I can’t imagine he didn’t see the faces of the people attempting to sleep around him.

When we finally pulled up to the platform, I got a better look at this guy. Faux gold watch, fancy green leather briefcase, plus a few duffels. Rather portly. An inexplicably monogrammed shirt, where the monogram was below where his pocket ought to have been. Greasy oiled back hair. Basically the kind of people who love the smell of their own farts.

Hopefully, I’ll never hear him again on the train. I should have snapped a picture with my phone, but like I said, too tired.

Allergic rhinitis

There’s nothing better to be afflicted with in the middle of July. /sarcasm

Especially when July happens to be a month ripe with torrential downpours. /dripping (har) sarcasm

I’d just like to point out that ’scattered or isolated t-storms’ do not count as ‘torrential downpours’. That was NOT 1 inch of rain. That was more like 3.

Back to my original topic. Lovely lovely allergic rhinitis (aka allergies. in the upper respiratory area) has ruined a Friday, a weekend, and a rest of work week. The weekend/Monday is the 6 month anniversary. It’s been put on hold due to a coughing, sniffly, congested something or other.

It’s not making me terribly happy. And neither are the accompanying side effects to my scrips. Nope, not at all. If it’s not the upper respiratory system, it’s the gastrointestinal area or the lower limbs. Seriously. They say the pros outweigh the cons. If you ask me, I think I just derailed my entire system. On the other hand, I no longer have a vicious evil sinus headache.

Count the tiny blessings, I guess.

Fireworks

I think it’s proper etiquette to NOT set off big fireworks in the middle of the street. Especially if it happens to be at a major intersection in a residential neighborhood. This isn’t the Philippines, where people expect things like that.

Don’t look so surprised when drivers get out of their cars to threaten you menacingly with bodily harm.

People Peeve

People (both males and females) who just cannot understand the phrase, “I have a boyfriend” or any similar phrase commenting on one’s lack of single status.

Personal Peeve

It amazes me that someone who can communicate so well, (so I’m told), who can master the regular posting to a fairly popular blog (so the stats tell me), and who can write more eloquently than she herself can give her credit for (so I’m told) — can fuck up normal conversations on a near regular basis.

The words I can control on a screen or on a piece of paper flow so easily, and encapsulate my thoughts so well… It’s absolutely astounding that my mouth can’t create the same feelings as my written words. Do I not think enough or clearly or does my brain just insert random words where it sees fit because I never see silence as a welcome thing? If you’re going to say something, it’s not going to be short and sweet — where a written piece can.

Go figure — brilliant for one and moronic for another. It just frustrates me so much that when I don’t think when I write –I can be brilliant. If I try to do the same with my speech, I’ll always inadvertently say the wrong thing.

It’s a horrible cycle.

Blogging Peeve

We all know WP.com doesn’t allow AdSense on their blogs. Fine. I can live with that. We know that Google-Blogger does. Okay, that’s all fine and well.

What’s my point? I cannot STAND bloggers who, at the end of every post, beg their readers to click on at least one ad before exiting their site. Are you so desperate for the extra pocket change that you are reduced to begging?

If you’re that desperate for cash, I suggest getting a job first. I hear those pay more.

Process issues

So, before you leave a job, especially one where you were responsible for a large amount of work, it’s reasonable to assume that you have to delegate all that work to someone else upon your departure.

There’s a process to handling these things. However, people who give notice usually have a timeframe. The last few weeks that they are still working for that company. Usually, this may not be the best time to roll out a new process. Cancel all the upcoming delegations to wait for approval on the new process. Approval might not happen till the last week. So, instead of enjoying a nice relaxing last week — reminiscent of your first week — you’re crazy stressed.

Guess what I just did?