Month: May 2013

Because I think I am hilarious…

Here is my email I sent to IESI Waste Management:

I reside at address. Each spring I sign up for yard waste service. Each spring I am told my start date, and then the debris is not collected. I then phone to remind of the pickup.  Each time I am told to phone by 7 pm that day to remind of the missed pickup.  I work full time, attend grad school, and run a non-profit.   I was not aware that I was on the payroll at IESI.  I don’t have time to phone every service I use to remind them of their part in the contract.

When I phoned today to see if the start date of my service could be adjusted to the actual date my debris was collected, I was told that if I do not phone within 48 hours of the missed pickup an adjustment will not be made.

While I am used to the level of service provided by waste companies in the area, this by far was the most offensive policy I have heard yet.  I as a customer should not be told how I need to be more diligent about reminding your company to uphold its piece of the contract.

Sincerely,

Jackie Koerner

Text Later, Save Lives

Texting and driving didn’t used to be a thing.  While inattention while driving is not something new, cell phones have added to the list of distractions one could have while driving.  Driving is a great responsibility and inattention should be limited where possible.  Sometimes fussy children and sunlight in your eyes can’t be helped, but chosen inattention can be.

This morning, being a sleepy morning, Kari missed the bus, which usually picks her up on our side of the street.  I told her we would just go out and catch it on the way back.

Kari was crossing the street to get on the bus and someone failed to stop for her. The bus driver laid on the horn to get the driver to stop. I yanked Kari out of the street.  The driver slammed on her brakes.  She stopped 2 feet from where Kari had just been.

What was the cause of her inattention? She was texting.

Too often lately have I seen people driving and texting.  Always can I tell when someone is texting and driving, because, frankly, they are driving terribly.  This includes not signaling for turns or lane changes, swerving in lane, braking at nothing, etc.

If communicating on the phone is more important than operating a large object speeding through space and time, pull over.  It’s that simple.  Pull over.  By the simple act of making a choice to not text while driving and pull over if it is something dire, you are saving lives.  I applaud you.

To those of you who think it will never happen to you, it will.  Or perhaps it has.  Maybe you have caused an accident but were too absorbed in texting to notice.  The driver this morning was too absorbed to notice a stopped school bus with flashing lights and a child in the street.  Please don’t let a text cost you your life, because this morning it nearly cost me the reason for mine.