Some things to keep in mind: I was having a terrible day, Mike Leach had just gotten fired and it was the last day before New Year's Eve. I did not feel like being at work and I did not feel like dealing with the Texas Department of Public Safety. Enjoy...
Items of note from my day today:
- I went to Kroger to get some lunch from their deli. The guy in front of me ordered buffalo wings. He gets up to the counter and they ask him if he wants "barbeque" or "buffalo" sauce. I'm assuming they meant bleu cheese or ranch but were too dumb to know anything and were just saying words. The guy got confused and said, "both?" The woman said "you said buffalo?". He said, "no I want both." She clarifies again, "Buffalo?" He says louder "CAN I HAVE BOTH?" She says "NO!" and looked at him like he was a rapist. He said "buffalo then". I told him, "that's ridiculous" and kind of laughed. He didn't respond to me. He just looked at me like I was a rapist. He had no problem with what just happened. Couldn't they just charge him for the extra cup? This thought instigated my fajita situation...
- First, they weren't even going to give me tortillas. I order the fajita plate, assuming tortillas were involved (actually knowing from previous trips that they are stingy with their tortillas and that you have to ask at the counter... though, on a side note, they are more than generous with their King rolls, which essentially pound-for-pound cost 2-3 times more than tortillas). I get up to the deli counter, get rung up, don't get handed tortillas, and then ask "wait, can I get tortillas with this". Cashier sighs and yells toward the back, "I need tortillas". I actually hear someone say "how many?". I yell back "3", thinking I'm going to be a little conservative. I honestly wanted at least one extra tortilla. Cashier stares at me and yells back "They only get 2!" So, naturally, I start raising a big fuss because they only hand out 2 tortillas for an amount of food that would honestly normally require 4 tortillas (maybe 5). I understand they were trying to be cheap. That's their prerogative. But when I offered to buy 2 extra tortillas for the price of an entire bag of tortillas, they should be more than happy to make this deal. But, no. I went as far as to say I would go back into the store and take a bag of tortillas from the bread aisle, bring it to the deli counter, ring it up, take 2 tortillas out of the bag, put the 2 tortillas on top of my plate, and then give them the bag of tortillas. Just to quantify: Pay for the meal + Pay for the entire bag of tortillas + Give them a free bag of tortillas - 2 tortillas IN EXCHANGE FOR them letting me have 4 total tortillas on my plate. Answer was no. I'm not kidding. There was a line of 6 people behind me by the time I got done arguing.
I could even break this down as a trade a la ESPN:
Team Kroger Would Gain*
$7.40 (Cash value of Fajita Meal** and bag of 36 tortillas)
34 tortillas
Team Texas Tom Would Gain
Fajita Meal**
2 tortillas
*Would also gain any labor cost associated with restocking 34 fresh tortillas in the deli section (as Tom offers to walk to the bread aisle himself)
**Standard fajita meal includes 2 complementary tortillas
- Next order of business is figuring out why my driver's license was never sent to me. I ordered it on September 26th, 2009 with every intention of never receiving it. I'm fully aware that my apartment # is not on the address line. Why? Because it wouldn't fit. There is no box for an Apt. # and my apt. number wouldn't fit in the address box, there is not enough space (this was online and only allowed so many characters). What was my response from Texas DPS after calling them? "Your apartment number was not on the form." "I know this. The form doesn't have any box for apartment number." "I'm so sorry sir, but you have to include all information in the boxes." "There's not a box... nevermind. Thank you." This comes within weeks of the following e-mail exchange after waiting months for my driver's record (completely separate incident, however, their instructions on the form are also very clear about having all information within the boxes. Again, not enough space. I knew this would happen, so I accompanied my form with a note at the bottom and did not request it online, but instead on a hard copy (the real reason I could not request my driver record online was because they require a Texas DL audit number, which is listed on your license but changes with each renewal. Of course, I haven't received my license yet). Note my first e-mail at the bottom is sent with high importance):
From: Texas Tom
Sent: Wednesday, December 30, 2009 1:20 PM
To: 'customerservicedl@txdps.state.tx.us'
Subject: FW: Driver's Record
Sent: Wednesday, December 30, 2009 1:20 PM
To: 'customerservicedl@txdps.state.tx.us'
Subject: FW: Driver's Record
Address:
Texas Tom
XXXX Parklane Park Drive
Apt. X420
Houston, TX Please send.
Texas Tom
From: Texas Tom
Sent: Wednesday, December 30, 2009 1:19 PM
To: 'customerservicedl@txdps.state.tx.us'
Subject: FW: Driver's Record
Sent: Wednesday, December 30, 2009 1:19 PM
To: 'customerservicedl@txdps.state.tx.us'
Subject: FW: Driver's Record
I still have not received this in the mail. I really do not want a warrant out for my arrest. The department has already cashed my check. Please send ASAP.
Texas Tom
From: Texas Tom
Sent: Wednesday, December 09, 2009 4:14 PM
To: 'customerservicedl@txdps.state.tx.us'
Subject: FW: Driver's Record
Sent: Wednesday, December 09, 2009 4:14 PM
To: 'customerservicedl@txdps.state.tx.us'
Subject: FW: Driver's Record
To whom it may concern,
Your customer service representatives were very quick to respond to my inquiry concerning my driver's record. However, I would like to make a suggestion that the boxes in your DR-1 (Rev. 5/04) form be modified to provide apartment renter's with a means by which they can obtain their driver records. Perhaps loosening the restrictions on keeping all correspondence within the boxes would help (Solution 1). However, it may be best to add an "APT NAME" line of boxes with 8-10 total boxes (Solution 2A). You could also name it "STREET ADDRESS 2" (Solution 2B). Extending the Street address line to 25-30 boxes would also suffice (Solution 3). Yes, I've noticed there is not enough horizontal space to do such a thing. Perhaps decreasing the width of the respective "STREET ADDRESS" boxes would allow an increase in total boxes on this line (Solution 3 - Addendum 1).
To clarify, the current form has 24 total boxes dedicated to "STREET ADDRESS". My street address, shown below (which is where you can send my driver's record after reading this), has a 34-box requirement. Taking out all spaces, periods and commas, I could cut this down to as little as 25 characters, still exceeding the 24 character street address requirement imposed by your department.
34 boxes: XXXX Parklane Park Dr., Apt. X420
25 boxes: XXXXPARKLANEPARKDRAPTX420
As for my additional question(s):
(1) Granted that I don't buy a house before my next speeding ticket, how should I go about obtaining a driver record in the future so that I will not have to wait three months and then e-mail customer service with the correct address, assuming that the rules on adding notes to the bottom of the sheet are not relaxed, nor that any of the other solutions stated above are accepted and have taken affect (be sure to read Addendum 1 attached to solution 3)?
(2) Granted that I don't move to an apartment with 24 characters or less in the address before my next speeding ticket, how should I go about obtaining a driver record in the future so that I will not have to wait three months and then e-mail customer service with the correct address, assuming that the rules on adding notes to the bottom of the sheet are not relaxed, nor that any of the other solutions stated above are accepted and have taken affect (be sure to read Addendum 1 attached to solution 3)?
Thanks,
Texas Tom
PS Feel free to call and discuss via phone @ 555-555-5555 (cell) or 69X-544-X420 (work)
PPS I do not have a home phone, please do not send an e-mail months from now in response to me asking where my drivers record is (again) and say that it is because you could not reach me because I did not include a home phone number in my original e-mail. Either of the above numbers will work and are only added as a convenience. As none of this is within the boxes provided and is merely added as a note at the bottom of the e-mail, I could probably safely assume that no one is reading it.
From: Lisa
Sent: Wednesday, December 09, 2009 3:44 PM
To: Texas Tom
Subject: RE: Driver's Record
Sent: Wednesday, December 09, 2009 3:44 PM
To: Texas Tom
Subject: RE: Driver's Record
December 9, 2009
Dear Mr. Tom:
Thank you for giving the Department the opportunity to respond to your email regarding your Texas driver record.
A review of our records indicates that your driver record was mailed on 10/20/2009. However, your apartment number was not on the request, therefore, the record will be returned by the post office.
Since you have verified your complete mailing address, another driver record will be mailed out tomorrow morning to your address in Houston, TX. Please allow mailing time for the delivery of the driver record. Also, you may want to make sure the postman has your name in your mailbox.
I hope this information is helpful. Please do not hesitate to contact Customer Service at customerservicedl@txdps.state.tx.us or (512)424-2600 should you have additional questions or need further assistance.
Sincerely,
Lisa XXXXXXXXXXXX
UNIMPORTANT ADMINISTRATIVE JOB TITLE
Driver License Division
UNIMPORTANT ADMINISTRATIVE JOB TITLE
Driver License Division
From: Texas Tom
Sent: Wednesday, December 09, 2009 10:24 AM
To: Customer Service
Subject: Driver's Record
Importance: High
Sent: Wednesday, December 09, 2009 10:24 AM
To: Customer Service
Subject: Driver's Record
Importance: High
I requested my driver's record a couple months ago, sometime between 10/14/2009 and 10/21/2009. My check has been cashed by your department on 10/21/2009. Please give me the status of this and/or resend my record. I must show my driver's record to Austin County courthouse to be allowed to complete defensive driving. This is now overdue and I may have a warrant out for my arrest. My name is Texas Tom and my Texas Driver's License number is 69X9420.
Please send my driver's record to:
XXXX Parklane Park Drive
Apt. X420
Houston, TX
Thanks,
Texas Tom
Texas Tom
From: Frosty
Sent: Wednesday, December 30, 2009 1:38 PM
To: Texas Tom
Subject: RE:
Sent: Wednesday, December 30, 2009 1:38 PM
To: Texas Tom
Subject: RE:
Yeah, they were just looking for an excuse. They probably weren’t bringing in as much new revenue to counteract that size contract. They haven’t ever been a football school before him, so it’s not as if their athletic dept. is flush with cash.
From: Texas Tom
Sent: Wednesday, December 30, 2009 12:44 PM
To: Frosty
Subject:
Sent: Wednesday, December 30, 2009 12:44 PM
To: Frosty
Subject:
Leach fired short of Tech's bowl game
ESPN.com news services
LUBBOCK, Texas -- Texas Tech fired coach Mike Leach on Wednesday, just two days after he was suspended by the school as it investigated his treatment of a player with a concussion.
Leach
The school handed a termination letter to Leach's attorney, Ted Liggett, just minutes before the two sides were to appear in a Lubbock courtroom for a hearing on the coach's suspension.Liggett said the letter said Leach was "terminated with cause effective immediately."
In February, Leach and the school agreed to a five-year, $12.7 million contract. According to terms of the deal, Leach was due an $800,000 bonus on Dec. 31 if he were still the head coach at Texas Tech.
Leach was suspended by the university on Monday after receiver Adam James alleged the coach twice confined him to small, dark spaces while the practiced.
.......
No comments:
Post a Comment