Thursday, March 11, 2010

Parking with a side of blame

Today I decided to meet a former co-worker for lunch in uptown Charlotte.

As I maneuvered around the one way and some NO way streets of Charlotte, I landed what I thought to be a perfect parking spot in a great garage locale. It was just up the street from where I was going. Seriously about a one-two minute walk!

After lunch, I head back to my (perfect) parking spot and try to exit the garage. I hand the chick my ticket and expect to pay $5 ($3 for the first half hour, then $2 for every half hour after). I handed her my debit card at the same time I handed her my ticket. She runs my ticket, card, and as I look at the sign showing how much I owed, it said $20. I ask her before she hands me the receipt to sign, how much she charged me, she reaffirmed what I saw was true, she charged me $20 (the max amount if you stay the entire day). I asked her why, she said I had been parked for 700 something minutes. I was like "WHAT"!! I have only been here an hour...TOPS! Really only 57 minutes! Anyway, apparently the machine read the ticket wrong. My ticket said I got there at 12:18, and I told her well, it's only 1:16!! No more than an hour.

Inserting side note: lots of cars are lining up to leave at this point.

She has to call someone and ask what to do, as she mentioned to me, she was new! Thanks for the vote of confidence, that you can refund the $15 extra you ran my card for. As she has figured out I only owe $5 and is still speaking with a supervisor on how to handle a refund, I see in my side mirror that a gentleman in the far east Indian nationality, steps out of his car and approach my window offering to pay or something, saying that I was going to cost him his job, and the job of the guy in the car with me. I really don't know what he expected of me because my hands were tied! The chick still had my debit card, I couldn't move my car because the gate was still closed, and I WANTED MY DAMN MONEY BACK!!

Eventually she received clearance to just give me $15 in cash back for my refund. Finally she gives me the receipt to sign, then my card and cash back. Problem solved, but I am sort of pissed at the retard behind me! Here is my message to him:

Excuse me sir, if you and your lunch buddy are going to lose your jobs because of the lady messing my parking up, then I have news for you....It's your fault. If you are in a job where you can get fired for returning to lunch late, then don't go to a place in uptown where you must park in a garage to eat!!!!! Or maybe you should have cut your lunch 5 minutes short to take into consideration for parking (it's lunch, and there MAY be a line) or traffic. So Sir, it's it your fault, and don't go blaming me because you have poor time management skills! Also yell at the lady in the parking booth! NOT ME!!!!!!

I really hate people sometimes! They act like their lives are so much more important than anyone else, and that I wanted to be the one that the lady messed up on! Seriously, I didn't expect or want to be sitting there that long either.

Mr Indian man in your silver car in the preferred parking deck near McCormick and Schmidt's, KISS MY WHITE ASS, and I kind of hope you get in trouble at your job, because you dear sir, ARE AN ASS!!!!!

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Be Professional Please

So here is my current issue with people! Professionalism!!

This is an incident that really set me off, and gasp at the same time:

Setting: The Wynn/Las Vegas/NASCAR Awards week

Issue: someone of (not mentioned agency) for (Championship) sponsor, was walking around on the casino floor with a nice dress on, BUT NO SHOES!!!

Here is the conversation I want to have with this not mentioned person: Honey, Honey, Honey, pull your shit together!! I don't give a damn how bad the shoes hurt your feet! Put them back on and suck it up. Fashion is pain! When you are attending a company event, you don't take your shoes off! Slap on some band aids and keep on trucking! There are NO exceptions to wearing shoes! Shoes...NOT OPTIONAL...MANDATORY!

There are a few other tidbits I want to share with others on professionalism in my opinion.

1. Travel attire. If you are traveling on the company dime, please wear something pulled together. I am not telling you to wear a suit, keep it in line with normal office attire. Sweatshirt, jeans and flip flops is not acceptable!! You don't know who you will come across, for God's sake take pride in yourself and the company you represent.

2. Pictures on Facebook of playing at work. Seriously, I can't believe I even have to mention this, but yes, I have come across this. For goodness sake, don't take a picture of you goofing off and playing around at the track. Being at the track is work!! Put on your big girl pants and stop taking posey pose (STUPID) High school pictures of yourself.

These things bother me mainly because I don't have a job and unprofessional people have them. I know how to handle myself at, away, and traveling for work. I don't see why others don't get this!!!

Okay...that was my soap box for today!!