Driving Responsibly - A Request

Ok, everybody knows the rules.  Everybody knows they should do this, not do that, etc.  So I'm not going to say anything about the safe/legal responsibilities.  Rather, I'm going to make a single, simple request to try and remember that there is one time and place above all others where you need to be paying very close attention.

Stopped at a light in position #1.

When you are at the front of the line, you have a sacred responsibility to everybody behind you to pay attention to the light.

If you're in position 2, 3, or further back, you can get away with paying just enough attention to notice if the car in front of you is moving.  But if you find yourself in the honored front of the line position, then you are saddled with added responsibility.  A trust. A duty.

This duty becomes even more important in construction zones and at left-turn arrows where traffic becomes backed up and the length of time you have to make it through the intersection is extremely precious.  When both of these added factors combine, you are at the pinnacle of driving responsibility.  You hold the fates of many in your hands.

Becoming distracted in such a situation can mean the difference between 1 car or 5 getting through the light.  And if you're so far out of it that you don't notice the light has changed until it's yellow again, you are not only asking for a hefty helping of angry honking, but you might also be in for a negligence-induced beating.

Of course, I'm not condoning vigilante justice, or even violence as a means to solve issues of road-rage.  But I am making a desperate plea for all responsible people everywhere to please take this duty seriously.  If you were unable to make it through the green/yellow/orangish light, then you have taken a great yoke upon your shoulders.  They yoke of responsibly watching for the next green.

An otherwise furious follower will thank you.

Customer Service - Shouldn't It Extend to Job Applicants?

For a little over a year, now, I’ve been casually looking for a new, better-paying, better-benefits-offering, better-hours-giving job. Due to some very specific circumstances that job search has become less-casual and more frantic over the past month.

Tammy has also been on the prowl for better employment for a little over a year.

During this period of job-hunting we’ve made some observations that I want to share: Potential employers don’t care. The people handling applications need to receive some training from the company Public Relations and/or Marketing Departments.

Here’s what they are forgetting: As a prospective employee, I am also a potential customer. This doesn’t mean you have to hire me, it doesn’t mean you even have to interview me. But in today’s hi-tech world of online job applications, it does mean that you, as a business, should at least have the customer-friendly courtesy to provide a minimal response to applicants. An automated email stating “Thank you for your application, it will be reviewed within [a given amount of time], at which point we will contact you. If we feel that your application meets our needs, and if the position is still open at that time, we will schedule an interview.”

And then, once the application has been processed, if they aren’t interested it is not a difficult process to set up an automated email that says nothing more than: “Thank you for your interest in [such and such a position] with our company. Unfortunately, we are unable to schedule you for an interview at this time due to the position having already been filled, your qualifications are not exactly what we are looking for, or due to unforeseen circumstances, we are no longer able to fill the position as expected.”

Of course, this last option would need to be written better, but it could say basically the same thing. Maybe tack on a “We apologize for the form letter, however we hope you can imagine the necessity as we receive hundreds of applications every month, and to keep our costs low for our customers, we need to stream-line our services wherever possible.” And yes, this is probably not the best wording for the apology, either, but you get the point.

Having applied for dozens of jobs over the past 12-18 months, I believe that between the two of us, Tammy and I have received exactly four responses from potential employers letting us know that they were not interested. In Tammy’s case, she even had interviews (sometimes multiple interviews with the same employer) where the employer didn’t bother following up, in the end, to let her know they decided to go with somebody else.

In her case, as a math teacher, she’s not really a potential customer, since few (if any) of her applications were within our school district; however, in my case, all of my applications have been to businesses that I could potentially patronize. With very limited exceptions, I do have choices as to whether or not to use their services. Example: I’ve applied for jobs at Comcast, Dish Network, and DirecTV. Two of them responded to my applications. One of the responses was better than the other. Now, if we ever decide to get more than broadcast TV, I know which one of these companies will be my first choice, which will be my second. And that I’m least likely to consider Comcast.

< /soapbox >

2 in 1 - What a Fantastic Concept!

This is me.

I’d show you a picture of my shoulders, but nobody wants to see the flakes.  That’s right: I have dandruff.  Big deal.  The problem isn’t that I get  a little flakey at times, I mean really it’s not an uncommon condition.  The problem is that the only shampoo that actually works for me is Denorex.  Smells funky, but it really does the trick.

And the only Denorex I can ever find in any of the grocery stores that I frequent on anywhere near a regular basis carry only these:

 

2 in 1.   Shampoo Plus Conditioner.  Does it look like I need conditioner?   Do the inventory clerks in charge of stocking shelves think that bald people don’t get dandruff, too?  If only that were the case!  I am not ashamed of my baldness, but even if I were, I  would welcome it gladly if it meant I would never have to worry about wearing dark shirts ever again!

Honestly, I could buy the 2 in 1 and use it, and it would work for me.  The problem is, I would be paying for 50% shampoo and 50% conditioner.  Half of my money would be wasted on a product I just don’t need and cannot benefit from in any way.  I’d like 100% of my purchase go towards a good cause (the same reason I don’t plan to donate to the United Way, despite my company’s campaign to get 100% participation this year… but that’s another rant and would belong on my political blog rather than this one).

Please, anybody who lives anywhere in the Salt Lake Valley (or even within reasonable distance outside of SLC), if you see Denorex, just plain old non-conditioner Denorex, let me know! (Please note, the color of the label indicates "Regular versus Extra Strength", not "Shampoo vs. 2 in 1")

How ridiculous would it be to have to order a non-prescription shampoo over the internet?  That's about where I am.