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City Worker texting while working....

City Worker texting while working....

Sashaa
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 142

Sashaa
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 142

City Worker texting while working....
9/30/2015 at 1:07 PM

I just drove thru a busy school zone intersection at 3rd and Queens Ave at Ecole Harrison. They were painting the crossing and had one lane blocked with pilon's. While one city worker was HARD at work sweeping away debris and trying not to get run over while in the blocked lane leaning up against the city truck was his co-worker, TEXTING, while traffic is at a standstill! I was stopped in the blocked lane while an oncoming minivan was stopped in the un-blocked lane, waiting to see if he should go, or if I was going to proceed....the guy doing all the work stopped and started doing traffic and let some kids cross...all the while this other "worked" didn't even look up from his stupid phone until the oldest girl crossing the road said "get off your phone!" he looked up from his phone as I passed him in my car and also said thru my open passenger window to get off his stupid phone and help your co-worker....he looked at me with this blank look of...."huh?" The guy doing all the work didn't look impressed with his co-worker either when he tossed his broom down to direct traffic and be a crossing guard.....if his lazy partner doesn't really want his job....I WILL DO IT! I actually WANT to work and NEED the extra money! I just had to rant and get this off my chest....I don't think he would be been on a coffee break either because usually if there is 2 city workers they will take their break together not stand around and text while the other does everything.....anyone else see this situation this morning while dropping off your kids at Harrison?
daisychain
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 2898

daisychain
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 2898

did not see that, but
9/30/2015 at 1:26 PM

thank god they are painting the crossing. That is such a busy street before/after school and drivers are oblivious to kids crossing. Not only that, but parking in "No Stopping" zones, and paying absolutely no attention to the 30km/hr speed limit makes it a pretty dangerous area.
Triplethreat
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 960

Triplethreat
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 960

He Wasn't Texting While Driving?...
9/30/2015 at 2:07 PM

A lot of us use texting as a reliable way to communicate with co-workers, bosses and employees.
PT1001
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 779

PT1001
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 779

Hard to say
9/30/2015 at 2:14 PM

I'm sure I get glaring looks with public texting, but my business is all about email, texts from colleagues and that is the way it is now. Do I always like communication this way? Sometimes not.

Speaking for myself, we are required to. Perhaps the fellow was communicating with his colleagues, or a family emergency or maybe he was asking his buddy to pick up a Value Meal at McD's, which would be a fail.

How are we to judge if we don't know? Unless you've stepped in the footsteps of another, a person can't make random judgements.

OP, Do you work and what are your limitations and/or personal interactions via text each day?
traveller
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 9145

traveller
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 9145

:)
9/30/2015 at 2:24 PM

while the person may have had a valid reason to be texting like suggested we all know that it is just as likely that the guy didn't and was not doing his job, hopefully the other guy will not put up with that for long but if you really want to make a difference phone the city and tell them what you saw

I know as a worker it may be a pain to always be watched by the public and complaints should be taken with a grain of salt because of the uncertainty but it will remind all public employees that people are watching
ultraguy
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 1096

ultraguy
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 1096

...
9/30/2015 at 2:29 PM

Maybe it was a work related text or e-mail.
Adam

Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 15663

Adam
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 15663

Worker
9/30/2015 at 2:47 PM

Without loading this with a ton of assumptions its impossible to know what the worker was doing and whether or not it was work related. Ton of things that are done with a phone these days that have nothing to do with texting or personal life. I see no reason not to give the benefit of the doubt that they and perhaps supervisor know how to do the job effectively that we ask them to do.
Jeeper
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 352

Jeeper
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 352

...
9/30/2015 at 3:23 PM

So he couldn't have been on break? Couldn't have been using his phone for work purposes? Couldn't have had a family emergency? I'm on my phone all day related to work, were required to answer texts and emails in a timely fashion, some of them even require us to drop everything to answer. Judging someone's job performance based on a couple of minutes that you saw him on his phone is ridiculous.
PT1001
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 779

PT1001
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 779

Yelling
9/30/2015 at 5:01 PM

Yelling at the guy to get off your stupid phone?

I just re-read this post.

This isn't the way the world works in a respectful way.

It's certain people that can't just be patient and move on. No need for anger.

This is why people need to respect others, no matter what their anger is.

At the end of the day you'll be dead and buried and I wouldn't want to be known as the person with so much fuelled up anger.
Daphne
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 986

Daphne
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 986

DON'T ASSUME
9/30/2015 at 5:40 PM

My husband works for the government. He is constantly getting texts from his boss and coworkers.

PT1001
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 779

PT1001

Joined: Dec 2013

Posts: 779

Fred

9/30/2015 at 5:57 PM

Fred said "

Kellye said "Yelling at the guy to get off your stupid phone?

I just re-read this post.

This isn't the way the world works in a respectful way.

It's certain people that can't just be patient and move on. No need for anger.

This is why people need to respect others, no matter what their anger is.

At the end of the day you'll be dead and buried and I wouldn't want to be known as the person with so much fuelled up anger.

"

I went shopping at Walmart today.After parking my car i was crossing the street right in front Walmart. I just barely happened to notice a car slowly coming at me when i was on those pedestrian-crossing lines.I stopped and looked at the driver. His head was down looking at his cellphone and texting.At that point i put my fist onto his hood and hit it as hard as i could.When he was starting to look angry i started yelling at him and told him it's either me calling the cops or stay in the car and consider yourself lucky i let you move on.It's not a perfect world we live in but i am darn happy i yelled at that stupid #$%@# rather than getting run over !!! "

I don't agree with the way you handled that pounding your fist on a car. Hopefully you're better than that.

I guess my tending to smile and forgive folks as they do crazy things in parking lots (as I have done myself) as I wave them on is working.

If I was with anyone pounding a fist on a car, I'd be walking away in embarrassment at this childish behavior.

PT1001
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 779

PT1001
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 779

Hitting a pedestrian
9/30/2015 at 6:08 PM

Fred said "The person was not aware of me crossing the street . He Would certainly have hit me if i hadn't stopped him.Are you for real???
"

I apologize, Fred. I wasn't aware by reading your post the driver was so dangerously close. I would have done the same.

The OP's post, maybe not unless my life was in serious danger would I ever have flipped.
have a nice day
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 159

have a nice day
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 159

Hmm
9/30/2015 at 9:02 PM

I work for the city and we have radios in our units..lol
don brown
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 4956

don brown
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 4956

Changing world
9/30/2015 at 10:50 PM

Just have to wonder what happened to the world that we used to have, you know, where people made plans for the day or half a day and them went out and did the job without having to be in constant contact with someone. When I think back to those days I'm amazed that people accomplished so much and with very little screw ups or distractions. Makes me also wonder if technology is actually creating a progressive society or not, ok end of rant.

Johnbisonbear
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 4183

Johnbisonbear

Joined: Mar 2010

Posts: 4183

texting

10/1/2015 at 8:44 AM

Annetta said "You barely noticed the car (your words)...did you not look both ways for traffic and even then take note if the oncoming cars (which you would notice when you looked?) Were actually going to stop for you?

Yes it is wrong for a driver to be texting but it is foolish for a pedestrian to not watch out for his or her own safety. "

while driving in front of a store in a crosswalk? wow!

Best advice I ever got? When crossing a street look at the driver of the car, if he/she is not looking at you they don't even know you are there!

Both pedestrians and drivers need to take more care out there, please!

traveller
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 9145

traveller
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 9145

:)
10/1/2015 at 9:40 AM

while the worker "may" have had a valid reason for texting i see a few things wrong according to what was reported that honestly the boss should know about

if the guy was receiving instructions form his boss his boss should be aware that it put the other worker, kids and drivers in danger because of how it was done so the boss needs to know that things need to change, these kinds of mistakes is why we are so procedure happy now

another thing i have noticed is that town worker could put a bit of forethought into the timing jobs are done, while i know sometimes things happen and jobs get later then expected i have seen dangerous work being done when school is starting or letting out more then once, for safety sake and honestly ease of work it would work better to keep school time in mind, kids are only out on the street a few times in the day but those make the street very busy and harder to deal with, really a simple fix

But if you read the ops report it doesnt really sound like it was work related texting but if it is then the crew needs to direct traffic while one gets instructions, that would be the best course of action, so again no matter what the reason was for this mistake the boss should be made aware

Stay Positive
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 413

Stay Positive

Joined: Oct 2008

Posts: 413

I don't fully agree

10/1/2015 at 10:47 AM

Even though pedestrians need to look both ways. This is one of the busiest places for pedestrian and traffic. Whoever was driving and texting there was just complete stupid and I think Fred did a good thing. What if there was little kids walking across. If this person is that close to Walmart, frickin park first!!!

Jaxon
Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 409

Jaxon
Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 409

Freds issue
10/1/2015 at 10:59 AM

While I think anyone not noticing they are about to become involved in an accident (for whatever reason)needs to be made aware of it, I never condone violence. And I agree that the behaviour sounds childish and overly aggressive. Love not war. Forgiveness not anger makes the world a better place.
CatMan
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 1144

CatMan
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 1144

Right On Fred!
10/1/2015 at 11:20 AM

Unfortunately, that is the only way some people are going to get the message that it is NOT all right to text and drive.
I think Fred may have given him a much-needed wakeup call.
As posted above, this area at Walmart is extremely busy and you need to be extra careful. Maybe he'll think twice next time.
It infuriates me that so many people think it's their god-given right to use their phones and endanger people's lives.
Brian mailto:confcod
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 557

Brian mailto:confcod
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 557

distracted while txtingTXTing
10/1/2015 at 11:21 AM

like what fred did to driver while driving and txting because not enough police to catch the drivers and txting way to go Fred way to go fred.when driving and phone with you shut phone off and put in glove compartment or ignore and pull over and check. what did we do before celphones we survived without them
Val1980

Joined: May 2015
Posts: 19

Val1980
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 19

city worker
10/1/2015 at 11:33 AM

I agree he might have been texting his boss to see what was next. Don't always judge a book by the cover!!

plus zero
Joined: This month
Posts: 1236

plus zero

Joined: This month

Posts: 1236

stupidity

10/1/2015 at 11:43 AM

Stay Positive said "

Annetta said "You barely noticed the car (your words)...did you not look both ways for traffic and even then take note if the oncoming cars (which you would notice when you looked?) Were actually going to stop for you?

Yes it is wrong for a driver to be texting but it is foolish for a pedestrian to not watch out for his or her own safety. "

Even though pedestrians need to look both ways. This is one of the busiest places for pedestrian and traffic. Whoever was driving and texting there was just complete stupid and I think Fred did a good thing. What if there was little kids walking across. If this person is that close to Walmart, frickin park first!!! "

in my opinion a pedestrian not looking both ways crossing a street or a parking lot is just as stupid than the driver. Driver should responsible and also pedestrian has responsibility.

Baylee
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 76

Baylee
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 76

texting on work time!
10/1/2015 at 1:30 PM

While there may be a valid reason sometime to text on work time , most of these posts are defending and condoning texting personally cell phones have become a way of life however relying on cell phones as a way of communication most of the time is a little out of hand. Most times it's a excuse, not justified.
That 70's guy
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 647

That 70's guy
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 647

Fight stupidity with aggression
10/1/2015 at 2:07 PM

sounds like war!