So, I'm stuck in a company vehicle with a freeper VP this morning.

[SCRUBDASHRUB]

We had a business trip (fortunately, it was only an hour and a half each way), and he was driving.

I don't talk about my politics with him (try not to do it in general at work); he is a super freeper (born-again, home schools the kids, the whole deal). In fact, I'm finding (based on the the comments I'm hearing around the office and the bumper stickers at work) a lot of the people at work share his Repuke views.

On the drive to the event we were going to, he put in a Beatles CD, as he knows I'm a big fan of their music. I was psyched (hey, cool music...that works!). Wouldn't you know, as soon as the CD is done, he puts on a Christian music station (I'm Jewish, and he's aware of it (we're in the same dept. (there are only three of us, and I had just taken off for the Jewish holidays)). In between songs, the DJ starts talking about the importance of voting for the "right" candidate, the one who would appoint the "right" judges, etc., and to "pray" for the right election result.

I'm thinking to myself, "Are you shitting me?"

After the event was over, he puts on talk radio, specifically the Glenn Beck show. I thought I was going to puke. Marxist this, socialist that, Barack wants to kill your babies....I couldn't believe the bullshit that I was hearing?!

I brought a book with me (I'm thinking maybe I should have brought my Obama book I'm reading...), so I did my best to tune the crap out.

I was so relieved when I got back to work, I practically ran out of the car.

Perhaps I should have told him to turn that shit off, but I think he was trying to piss me off. Didn't want to give him the satisfaction.

Please let Obama win. That will be the best revenge.

[Santro]

1. nice story

Obama 08'

[NC_Nurse]

2. Wow. What an asshole. You have my sympathies.

[Gregorian]

3. It's hard to believe just how unconscious some people are.

They don't know what they're missing. It goes for more than just politics. Music is my other big one. How can anyone listen to the same crap over and over and over. And with commercials! YUCK. But the outright bs that is being slung over the airwaves just ought to not be there.

Yeah, an Obama win would be nice. The alternative for me is to just dig a big hole in the ground. I'd like an extended stay in Europe. But that's a bit difficult to arrange.

Yes, it will be revenge, of sorts.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

4. I would have snorted and laughed at Beck comments.

and if VP would have asked, I would have explained how Beck was famous for being wrong so often, that people started an opposite drinking game with beck. (Of course, you should make "drinking game" sound really mysterious, secret, and strange)

[CoffeeCat]

12. Now that would be interesting...

Keep making comments, "Can you believe that Beck thinks that Obama is Socialist? Who's this guy
playing to--ingrate rednecks who believe the Earth is flat?"

Now that would really make the car ride interesting.

[theoldman]

5. If he is your boss or in just a higher position

there is nothing you can do except keep your mouth shut. I went through the same shit when I was still working. Now that I am retired, I can say whatever I want.

[SCRUBDASHRUB]

8. I was wearing sun glasses, and was rolling my eyes all over the place.

If we'd hit a bump, they'd probably have become frozen in place!

:eyes:

[Motown_Johnny]

6. Ear Phones... Earphones..... those things that play music directly into your ears...

[bluerum]

18. Bose QC2 or QC3 noise cancelling earphones and an ipod. eom

[Clovis Sangrail]

7. you should have said something

diplomatically but still said something

something like "I've always found that talking religion or politics in a work environment is a bad idea.. that's why I don't do it"

[SCRUBDASHRUB]

13. Come to think of it, I actually have mentioned that in the past (to our boss and others

when they have tried to bring it up).

This same VP (don't know why he's still there, frankly; guess they're protecting him...lawsuit waiting to happen if you ask me...) got into trouble when he used a slur to describe a homosexual male, and I called him on it.

He's not the smartest crayon in the box.

[CoffeeCat]

9. How rude...

...and unprofessional

I would never force ANY talk radio on a friend, relative or acquaintance--let alone a co-worker!

Anyone with any manners or common sense would not pick radical talk radio and expect that everyone
would be ok with that.

It would be similar to you bringing a boom box and playing tapes of "Countdown with Keith Olberman"
the entire way.

That's just rude to do to someone, especially when you don't know how the other person feels.

Your co-worker is a social bull in a china shop.

[codjh9]

10. I worked around so many shitheads like that. They always ASSUME you think the same; either

that, or it's their duty to 'convert' you. Fuck 'em all, especially in SEVEN DAYS, baby!

[msongs]

11. he is using his authority to attack your religious views - discrimination disallowed by law nt

[SCRUBDASHRUB]

17. I hear ya', and I agree.

It's a sticky situation with this particular asshole, too (see my comment above).

I told Chimpy McSmirkers, "What, did ____ think I'd say, 'Hey! Thank you so much for showing me way... I've seen the light! I'll convert and vote McCain! Thank you for showing me the error of my ways!'"

:sarcasm:

[Clovis Sangrail]

29. hey... that's good

next time that *is* what you should say... then smile like a lunatic.
If he ever brings anything like that up again just say "oh man... you are SOO persuasive you already *completely convinced me about that... I only listen to god about ___ now so you can stop talking"
:rofl:

[minnesota_liberal]

14. iPod + earbuds

Don't leave home without them!

[RainDog]

27. seconded, below.

[blue sky at night]

someone could sooner make me smoke cigarettes and hold a gun to my wife's head...

man, I would have politely asked to turn it off, that I find that kind of talk offensive....end of subject. I couldn't work in that kind of atmosphere either, I would explode, so I hope they are paying you well.





CHange, HOpe, OBama/BIden.......!

[Bobbie Jo]

15. Whatever they're paying you, it's not enough.

Talk about beyond the call of duty. O8)

[OnceUponTimeOnTheNet]

16. I would have hit the OFF button every time he tried to turn it on. OFF. OFF. OFF....

Easy to do my point of view, as a housewife. Hang in there, it's almost over!

[SCRUBDASHRUB]

19. The radio controls were on his steering wheel.

They are definitely not paying me enough (in fact, I consider myself lucky to have a job; even so, I'm way underpaid for my level of experience and am still waiting for that "promised" raise).

If/when the economy begins to improve, I'm probably going to start looking.

[OnceUponTimeOnTheNet]

22. I'da been in the ditch then, with him. Good Luck to you and us too!

[firedupdem]

20. My husband and I got into a bad situation in a car with his boss

and his wife. I almost had an anxiety attack! I really got sick! I didn't want to say anything as we are 2 paychecks from the street but I was thinking of ways to grab his fucking neck from the backseat! He had on some asshole going nuts about illegals and welfare and other bullshit! I truly understand what you were dealing with.

[SCRUBDASHRUB]

21. Thanks; I totally wanted to strangle him.

Oh, and when Glenn was talking about Sarah Palin, he naturally turned the sound up. Guess he gets off on her. Ick!

Oh, a rock did come up and nick the windshield. That was something, I guess. LOL!

[MercutioATC]

23. Tell him that the talk radio is making you carsick.

If he doesn't turn it off, vomit in his car.

[renate]

49. that made me laugh! n/t

[Liberalboy]

24. What an asshole, talk about a hostile work environment.

Hopefully, you can see him after election day and let him know how happy you are the "right" candidate won :-)

[gardenista]

25. Repukes can't handle power.

They use it to punish people who disagree with them, and who have less power. It's the only thing that makes them feel intelligent and in control.

You handled it just right. Don't give him the satisfaction.

Obama is going to deliver your revenge by winning gracefully and rebuilding from the mess created in the last eight years.

Obama will offer a real look at real leadership, and will be a man we can look up to, that our children admire and aspire to.

That will be worth the three hours you had to spend with that idiot without blowing your cool.

Good work. Well done. Your day is coming!

[RainDog]

26. bring an ipod w/ earphones

you don't have to turn it on - just put the earphones in your ears... just say you're not a fan of talk radio, but since he is, you'll listen to music.

be really, really nice about it.

what the shit did, btw, was manipulative. he put on music he knew you liked. then he put on stuff he wanted to force you to listen to.

make no mistake. he wanted to force you to listen to this stuff. he probably went home and told his wife about how he "witnessed" to a Jewish person in the car by playing the radio. At the least, I'm sure he drove home with the smug satisfaction that he had "done his part" to help you.

He used his position to do this as well because he knew full well that, as your boss, you could not overrule him on this.

I lived with (and live with still, from time to time) this crap all my life. It's one reason I will never live in the south unless I am forced to do so (I'm not remarking on where you're from, just my own experience.) It's also why I cannot spend much time with my family of origin.

[nomorewhopper]

28. is his name bob and does he live in virginia?

i know the type

BAD EXPERIENCE WITH BOB

in a nutshell, bob was a jesus freak crackpot who also happened to bring in the best sales numbers one year and got a promotion. Thus began the cleansing of the department of the non-believers. including me.

[SCRUBDASHRUB]

36. He lives in VA, but he name isn't Bob.

Doesn't even bring in good sales numbers.

Where's my raise? Where's my promotion? Seems like the harder you work, the more you get shit on.

Story of the middle class.

[knixphan]

30. Obama win = BEST REVENGE EVER!

[SCRUBDASHRUB]

37. Obama win? Priceless!

[susanwy]

31. My old boss was a republican.

But, not religious zealot. I think that is what adds the self-righteousness of some of these people. My old boss and I would argue politics all the time, we got into some real drag out fights in 2000 (always over beer or wine and never at work). Then we would laugh and toast to "may the best man win"! When I quit, due to in part having a real problem with how where I worked really pushed IMHO irresponsible energy development in my state, I told him exactly why. He was mad, but impressed that I was following my convictions. He wasn't pissed because of my political view on the environment, but pissed because he was losing a damn fine IT director, and he knew it! We keep in touch, he is still a republican (in Texas now, probably feels more at home there), but he wrote me a glowing recommendation letter to get into grad school, I mean a really nice letter.

My point, many republicans I know can argue without degrading, and they tend to be more libertarian leaning republicans. That is why I'm agnostic, I think religion just makes people more rigid and judgmental. Sometimes DU gets a little nuts on our side too, but I still have republican friends and they still will be after the election. Only I get to smile for eight years now! And of course, there are those people for whom I've discovered their true nature and will never talk to again, unless I have to in a professional capacity.

:toast:

[janx]

32. You're funny!

:rofl: RUNNING from the car!

You did the right thing. Of course he was trying to piss you off. What a rube. But the fact that you didn't knee-jerk react must have really amazed him.

[eshfemme]

33. Wow... that sounds like a lame attempt at brainwashing

If I were extra cynical about your VP, I'd have thought that his blasting the Beatles, which he knew you liked, was to get you into a better mood that could lead you with a more susceptible mind to other sorts of things. But of course, it didn't work since it was so lame. But yeah, that sounds a lot like an almost subliminal bribery there.

EDIT: I hope I'm not being crazy in thinking like this but dealing with my dad who has freeper-ish tendencies while I was growing up, it just seems like the MO.

[yardwork]

34. What a bad situation. I'd start looking for another job.

It never hurts to look. Your office sounds like a hostile work environment. Lots of places have rules against that kind of harassment.

[SCRUBDASHRUB]

35. He was totally being an asswipe. Today, he started in with me first thing, too.

I practically had just taken my coat off when he came up to my desk.

I called him on some bullshit he was trying to lay on me (long story, but he was basically trying to pin blame on me for a poor quality proposal that was submitted (we had six weeks to do it, I bugged the shit out of him for weeks, he waited until the day before to start (when I was on vacation (I'd gotten approval months before, reminded him and our boss that I'd be gone), and he got super hostile with me.

I told our boss what happened, and he tore the guy a new asshole. Our boss came to me afterwards, and said the dude had no reason to go off on me. He said it was the VP's fault completely. I told our boss I appreciated him "having my back."

Incidentally, I've updated the resume recently. I haven't seen a whole lot out there lately (I've done a little bit of "looking"); sounds like they may try to get rid of the asshole. I just hope he doesn't go "postal." Apparently, he's going through a divorce (not to be cold, but not my problem (in other words, hey dude, I'm not your soon-to-be-ex-wife. Don't "project" onto me, buddy).

[yardwork]

38. Sounds like a typical Republican. His life's a mess so he takes it out on coworkers.

[rniel]

47. wouldn't it be nice

Put in large letters at the top of our resume "don't want to work with wingnuts"

[QueenOfCalifornia]

39. When the car slowed

at the destination did you jump out and roll before the car came to a stop?

Because that's what I am imagining... I would have been fired because I would have spouted off... I would have to tell him that the gibberish coming from the speakers was pure fiction and insanity.

I feel sick just from reading your OP.... Poor guy.

[SCRUBDASHRUB]

40. Didn't mean to sicken y'all.

I wanted to jump out, trust me. I didn't want to give the fucker the satisfaction.

[genna]

41. I feel your pain. I was visiting my Mom and her neighbor had RW radio blaring

It took me two seconds of Limbaugh before I was yelling at that guy. I can handle bluegrass country or folk music, but hell no to these lying pieces of crap.

I could only iamgine a 90 minute infestation of RW talking points rooted in fears.

[SCRUBDASHRUB]

42. "Infestation" is about what it was. Like roaches.

[southern_dem]

43. I appreciate your patience

I'm not sure if I could listen to that junk more than 2 seconds. However, I'm making an exception for Wednesday. I want to hear their crying and teeth-gnashing after an Obama win.

[otohara]

44. If You Have An IPOD

that would send a message.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

45. What an asshole!

Sounds like harassment to me!

Ick.

He was assaulting you.

:nuke: :nuke:

[rniel]

46. exactly my situation

Surrounded by a bunch of nutballs reichwingers. I go on trips with my boss sometimes and he always wants to listen to the wingnut channels on the radio and when he discusses politics I craftfully change the subject.

I've really had it and have been searching for another job all year but haven't gotten a break yet.

[SCRUBDASHRUB]

48. At least I'm not alone in my situation. Notice how it's the freepers who do this,

and not people like us. I think it's because we're tolerant and wouldn't think of imposing our views on others, especially in the workplace.