Just spent the afternoon evidence-gathering for my Unemployment hearing.

[NightTrain]

As some of you know, two weeks ago I was fired from my job for an infraction that on other jobs would probably have gotten me no more than a written warning. I've applied for Unemployment, but since I was fired there has to be a hearing to determine my eligibility.

Yesterday, it occurred to me: if my former employer has established a paper trail, why shouldn't I do the same? As such, I spent this afternoon driving around the towns to which I used to deliver, visting with my former customers and asking if they would provide me with a signed statement to the effect that I was a good delivery man who had always given them excellent customer service.

Several of the people on whose doors I knocked were glad to help me out. Here are two examples of the statements I collected today:

1. "Dean ***** delivered my prescriptions for five-and-one-half year, first as a driver for ******** Drugstore in East Hartford, and later for ********** in Manchester. During that time, I grew quite fond of Dean. In fact, I often invited him to sit down with me and have a snack before he went back out on his run. Dean was a friendly, courteous, and professional young man. I am sorry that he has lost his job. I will very much miss his visits."

2. "I knew Dean ***** for several years. He delivered my prescriptions first as a driver for ******** Drugstore in East Hartford and then for ********** in Manchester. I liked Dean very much. He struck me as a nice young man who was willing to help me any way that he could. I am dismayed that he has lost his job with **********. I will miss Dean a lot."

And although it didn't make it into her statement, here's a verbatim quote from an 85-year-old woman:

"They fired you for THAT?! Jesus Christ! What the hell's this world coming to you when can't even give some asshole the finger without getting fired? Goddammit, that pisses me off!"

Funny, isn't it, how people who know me in the real world are happy to come to my defense, while a bunch of nose-in-the-air types who know me only through their PCs wanted to nail me to a cross over what got me fired? Well, I sure as hell know whose opinions I value more highly!

[ashmanonar]

1. sorry, i musta missed something: but people over the comp

were bashing you for flipping someone off and getting fired? they need to get a life.

and i dont' think flipping someone off, even a superior, shbould get yhou fired. it wouldn't surprise me, bc bosses tend to be assholes, but still. wrong...

and that's a good idea, going and getting written statements. evidence is good.

[Lavender Brown]

2. I don't know what happened, but

good luck, NT. :hug:

[NightTrain]

5. Here's the link to the original thread....

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=105&topic_id=2699584

My favorite reply from one of the holier-than-thou types: "That could have been my grandmother."

Well, dude, if your grandmother screams threats and curse words at perfect strangers, then she deserves to get flipped off! :eyes:

[Misunderestimator]

15. Well, thanks, I missed that.

Have to agree with the employer here. Sorry.

[LoZoccolo]

16. Wonder if he'll tell you he'd punch you, too! n/t

[Misunderestimator]

19. Seems likely.

:shrug:

[LoZoccolo]

17. Dupe - self deleting. n/t

[NightTrain]

20. If the same thing ever happens to you, I'll rub your nose in it, too.

[Misunderestimator]

21. I won't belabor this, but some things have happened in my life

because I was not able to act in a professional manner, and I learned from it. Trust me... what you described wouldn't happen to me.

[LoZoccolo]

22. It's called the "wounded bull routine".

What you're doing, not what we're doing.

And if you're going to put me on ignore, you should keep me on it!

And logging off doesn't count, either.

[skygazer]

3. Ah, corporate America

Where the rules are made by people who will never meet you and who have probably never done your job.

I work for a large grocery chain and I am constantly hampered in my job by inane directives from the morans from the head office who might have MBAs but who have never actually worked in a store. They study spreadsheets and profit and loss statements and think they can figure out all these great ways to improve sales and increase the customer base and they only succeed in making it less and less pleasant to shop there. It's frustrating.

If they'd put any faith in their employees, they'd find they have a large pool of highly experienced people who would like nothing more than to run a quality business.

Good luck with your hearing - hope it goes your way.

[Beware the Beast Man]

4. Let the sunshine in.

Let the sunshine in. :eyes:

[NightTrain]

6. What does the 5th Dimension have to do with anything?

:shrug:

[LoZoccolo]

7. Ha ha ha ha oh shit!

I told you I was doing you a favor, pointing out that you had an anger-management problem.

[Name removed]

8. Deleted message

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[LoZoccolo]

10. Guess it'll take a while longer.

You should meet my dad, whom no one talks to more than they need to and is losing his second wife. I didn't even visit him for Christmas this year. Twenty-plus years making excuse after excuse about how he was the victim and people were making him do it, shouting down anyone who confronted him about it. Some people gotta learn the hard, hard way. I hope you find enough misery to keep you out of jail.

[LoZoccolo]

11. Don't you /ever/ threaten me again.

Don't even make it look like you are but aren't, either.

[xmas74]

9. Keep collecting those statements.

They will only help your case. You also might ask around to the lady in questions neighbors-they may have further examples of what kind of person she is (and it may help your case).

[Name removed]

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[Name removed]

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[Name removed]

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[Blue-Jay]

18. Well...

You're only responsible for your OWN behaviour, right?

[Name removed]

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