Chalk one up for me!
The town I live in has contracted out to a firm to come around to clean out and trim the lined drainage ditches in front of all the homes. Even though Mr. Pop keeps our ditch clean and the grass on either side of it in manicured condition, the crew still works on it. (Job security?)
Last Friday, I could hear the crew coming down the street, working on the ditch in each yard. They have professional weed whackers, and professional leaf blowers, both of which make a hell of a noise. Then there are guys with shovels who scoop up any mud or gunk that has settled in the ditch.
Okay, they came and went and I forgot about them. Then about two o’clock in the afternoon I hooked up Murphy to his leash to take him outside. As we stepped out the front door, I saw something black and in globs all the hell over our driveway and on our white garage door. Upon closer inspection I discovered it was mud. The guys cleaning the ditch had somehow let their weed whackers get down in the mud in the ditch and the whacker had thrown mud all over the place. I couldn’t lead Murphy across the driveway to where he usually goes without he and I both stepping in the mess. I was livid.
I called the department at city hall that hired this company. I told them what had happened and someone must come and clean up this mess. They told me they had someone to do that but they would have to check their schedule to see what day they could come out. I explained that my schedule didn’t include having stinking mud all over my driveway and I would appreciate it if it was cleaned today. After some conversation and a face to face meeting at my front door, I was assured it would be cleaned before dark. I never became irate or ill spoken, but I stood my ground. The mess had to be cleaned up that day.
I still had my doubts but at 4:00pm a pressure cleaning company showed up and cleaned off every spot of mud. Plus they washed it into the grass at the end of the driveway so we wouldn’t track the muddy water inside the garage or the house.
So hey, I felt like I really had fought city hall, and damn it, I won. Feels good to win one once in a while. Real good!
Last Friday, I could hear the crew coming down the street, working on the ditch in each yard. They have professional weed whackers, and professional leaf blowers, both of which make a hell of a noise. Then there are guys with shovels who scoop up any mud or gunk that has settled in the ditch.
Okay, they came and went and I forgot about them. Then about two o’clock in the afternoon I hooked up Murphy to his leash to take him outside. As we stepped out the front door, I saw something black and in globs all the hell over our driveway and on our white garage door. Upon closer inspection I discovered it was mud. The guys cleaning the ditch had somehow let their weed whackers get down in the mud in the ditch and the whacker had thrown mud all over the place. I couldn’t lead Murphy across the driveway to where he usually goes without he and I both stepping in the mess. I was livid.
I called the department at city hall that hired this company. I told them what had happened and someone must come and clean up this mess. They told me they had someone to do that but they would have to check their schedule to see what day they could come out. I explained that my schedule didn’t include having stinking mud all over my driveway and I would appreciate it if it was cleaned today. After some conversation and a face to face meeting at my front door, I was assured it would be cleaned before dark. I never became irate or ill spoken, but I stood my ground. The mess had to be cleaned up that day.
I still had my doubts but at 4:00pm a pressure cleaning company showed up and cleaned off every spot of mud. Plus they washed it into the grass at the end of the driveway so we wouldn’t track the muddy water inside the garage or the house.
So hey, I felt like I really had fought city hall, and damn it, I won. Feels good to win one once in a while. Real good!
posted by pissed off patricia at 1:58 AM
20 Comments:
hate to sound cliche -- but you get more flies with honey than vinegar.
good for you for standing your ground and not resorting to name calling, shouting and cursing.......and it worked.
can i have you come fight NYC city hall now.....and if i ever get a parking ticket
8-0
Its hard to find contractors who are responsible. They just want it done fast and cheap, it doesn't matter and loud and messy it is.
Aren't they worried about all the complaints?
Great job making them fix their mess.
Good for you PoP. They probably don't pay the ditch guys that much but you have a right to expect a certain minimum of performance. Good for the city as well in responding promptly.
Good for you! And good for City Hall for recognizing that it was their incompetent crews who screwed it up in the first place. Although the, "We'll have to see when we can schedule it" was a bit absurb. That probably meant waiting for the next monsoon to come through....
Good for you! From now on, when I see "PoP," it will stand for "Power of Patricia!"
My most recent blog post also had to do with standing up for my rights. Yours had a happier outcome though...
i'm impressed. : )
You're very tough, my friend. Well done.
Great job after all we can't have Murphy tie a knot can we!
Good job!
I have an evil thought though- so these contractors go around town cleaning the ditches and showering mud everywhere. The city then must hire a second company to go clean the mud off the homes of irate homeowners, whose homes are splattered because of the poor job the first company did.
I wonder if the same guy owns both companies...
Good for you-- I wish more people would stand up for themselves in a firm but nice way!
PS --What does Evening in Paris smell like?
After what my sister did, I never knew.
Good for you! Glad you got what you needed from them! I know how hard it is to get towns to do anything, that's for sure!
I am majorly impressed, PoP! Very well done.
Hey, Pat, how come Americans don't stand up to Bush like you did with City Hall? There's a disconnect somewhere!
Cheers.
You are kicking ass and taking names, PoP. In a nice, civil sort of way, and getting results -- what a feeling!
you go, daniel!
Can you send that pressure wash company over to Dubya's place?
Good for you!
I love a good victory! Especially the bloodless kind.
I missed coming by yesterday- but glad I read this.
Good for you PoP! That is a story about government with a good ending.
It gives me hope. I am calling to see if the power washing crew can do something about the stinky mud called Bush and Cheney...
Way to go, PoP! Maybe they'll get enough complaints to actually get people to do the job RIGHT.
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