Working with the public

In previous posts I have said that I work in the municipality in which I live. Working with the public has been funny, interesting and frustrating. I have made many friends and enemies. Well not enemies in the worst way. These are people who want to do something with their land and I sometimes have to tell them that they cannot without board approval. They get pissed and yell at me. For the most part, I can understand, but hey I just tell you what the rules are. Some people I can calm down. Others not so much. They then make it personal. When this happens, all bets are off. I am a person first. Township employee second.


So with that said, I thought I would share a couple of stories with you.


I took a call from a woman who said she just moved into the Township. She had previously lived on Yacht Avenue. 'And you know when you think of Yacht Avenue, you think of beautiful boats.' She moved to the corner of Shore Drive and Hollywood Avenue. She had a Hollywood Avenue address and wanted to change it to a Shore Road address. 'You know when you think of Shore Drive, you think of the beautiful shore, beaches and ocean. When you think about Hollywood Avenue, you don't think of a beautiful Holly tree. You think of the ugly dirty Hollywood in California.' Uh-huh. Well then. 'Well I can't change anyone's address. You will have to contact the assessor's for the address change.'



Another time I had a guy come in, (I did not like him at all). He lives behind a self-storage facility. He wanted to put up an above ground pool. So I told him what the setbacks were. He then told me he wanted to put the pool on the self-storage property. I told him he couldn't put anything on someones elses property. The argument ensued. The more belligerent he got. The more belligerent I got. Oh. Did I forget to say he had his young son with him. I could feel myself ready to explode, so I went to get my boss. I told my boss that if he didn't come deal with this guy, I was going to fucking deck him. My boss came up and the same with him. The guy started to cuss. My boss said, 'Ah. Nice you talk like that in front of your son." This got the guy and he walked out. He never came back.




This is one of my favorites. A guy called and I answered the phone like always. "Good afternoon. Lower Township Planning & Zoning. Can I help you?" He said, 'I was wondering if it had been windy here.' Me, 'excuse me?' Him, 'has it been windy here?' Me, 'why do you ask?' Him, 'well I have been away and when I came home my driveway gate was wide open.' Me, 'and you thought to call Planning & Zoning to find out if it was windy?' He snickered and said yes. Well now I laughed. I told him that it had been windy. Winder then it has been in awhile. We chatted awhile and hung up.




These are the calls that I like best.




Now for yesterday. My boss was at an all day seminar, so I was in the office myself and went to lunch my normal time.




In the afternoon the phone rang. I answered with my norm spiel. This woman said that she was in the office to look at an application that was to be before planning board and I was at lunch. I said yes. She said that no one in the office could help her. Okay. Well what application was it you were in to see. She tells me and then proceeded to piss me off. She said 'well the notice says to come in during normal business hours. I came in during normal business hours and no one could help me. I guess you are entitled to go to lunch, but still.' I say, 'yes. I am entitled to go to lunch. This is a two person office and my boss is at a seminar. So for one hour this day, the office has no one.' She said, 'well what time do you go for lunch?' Normally 11:30 to 12:30, but sometimes I don't get out of here at that time. Her, 'well why not.' Me, 'well if I am helping someone at that time, I am not going to tell them they must go away because I have to go to lunch.' She asked what our hours were. I told her I would be in the office until 4:30 today. She said, 'well I am not coming now. I was there already and you weren't there.' Me, "well we've been through that already haven't we. Drop it. That's old new. In the past. Get my drift. I will be in the office at 7:30 Monday morning.' She said 'I won't be coming in there at that time.' Me, 'whatever. I leave at 3:30 and someone will be here until 4:30.' Her, 'well will you be going to lunch at 11:30.' Depends. If a customer is here or if I am on the phone. No.' She went back to the notice she received. She said, 'there is nothing on this notice that says when people go to lunch.' I said, 'are you saying that the notice should have the times we go to lunch. When we won't be in the office. When we have to go to a seminar. And when we are on vacation.' She actually said yes. I said, 'Now how are the people sending out the notice supposed to no when my boss and myself are not here?' Her, 'they should ask you.' Me, ' you have to be kidding. How stupid is that. Do you hear what you are saying? I have a better idea. Why don't YOU call before you come to make sure someone is in the office.' She didn't like this idea. Well to bad.

So sometimes, one must deal with people like this lady. And I have a hard time with people like this. For the most part, people are friendly and you can have fun with them. But there is the odd one.

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Just a follow-up on my previous post "CR-V vs. bollard. I checked my car this morning. There is a small dent that you really can't see.