Doing the right thing isn't easy

[fondybrewfan]

I am amazed there hasnt been a single Seinfeld reference yet. Where is the angry mob?

[FVBrewerFan]

Must be the white whale

[Thurston Fluff]

I don't see why people in wheelchairs should even get to park close it's not like they have to walk really far like non handicapped people do.

 

I agree with you. When I take my sister who is in a wheelchair out I park as far away as possible and make sure it's between two other cars. The 2 foot space between the van and other car makes it so much easier to lower the ramp and wheel her out of the vehicle. I certainly would appreciate wiggling her out of that space because someone perfectly capable of walking and getting out of the car without the aid of a ramp felt he needed less excercise that day. I'm sure my 63 year old mom appreciates it even more. It really makes her day to know she can wiggle my sister out of those tight spaces bad hip and all so someone can be 15 steps closer to the door. I can't tell you how many times we petitioned the city to move those handicapped spaces to the very end of the parking lot and makes sure those diagonal lines painted on the ground as a designated area for the wheelchair ramp to come down should be narrowed to a 1 foot area so she can have an excuse to leave Nikki in the car instead of haivng to take her into restuartants and such. Thank you for your complete lack of consideration to the needs of those who can't do things you take for granted. like walking.

 

seriously though,

Milwakeesportsfan thank you for being not only considerate but also for doing something about rude people's behavior. I'm sorry you took it out on someone else. Perhaps you could apologoze to that person and explain why you did it. A sincere apology to that person may help you feel better for taking it out on the wrong person. Rest assured anyone who has ever had to deal with hadicapped people think of you as a genuine good person and that act a genuine good deed.

[mikevan1818]

"I agree with you. When I take my sister who is in a wheelchair out I park as far away as possible and make sure it's between two other cars. The 2 foot space between the van and other car makes it so much easier to lower the ramp and wheel her out of the vehicle. I certainly would appreciate wiggling her out of that space because someone perfectly capable of walking and getting out of the car without the aid of a ramp felt he needed less excercise that day. I'm sure my 63 year old mom appreciates it even more. It really makes her day to know she can wiggle my sister out of those tight spaces bad hip and all so someone can be 15 steps closer to the door. I can't tell you how many times we petitioned the city to move those handicapped spaces to the very end of the parking lot and makes sure those diagonal lines painted on the ground as a designated area for the wheelchair ramp to come down should be narrowed to a 1 foot area so she can have an excuse to leave Nikki in the car instead of haivng to take her into restuartants and such. Thank you for your complete lack of consideration to the needs of those who can't do things you take for granted. like walking."

 

I was about to write something along those lines with the names changed...but that was perfectly written. Thanks.

[Big Reed]

Doing the right thing is very unpopular.

 

I once talked to a truck with two fat guys parked in a spot for pregnant mothers. there was a perfectly good spot two slots down. I actually asked which one was expecting. one of the fat guys had no sense of humor about the situation and totally ignored my question. the other replied he was expecting his third child.

 

i've often viewed people who park in handicapped slots as truly being handicapped - they can't reed and are truly ignorant.

 

the worse offenders are those that only "plan" to spend 5-10 minutes in a store.

 

a question to think about - what do you say to people who smoke in no-smoking zones? or swear in public? or to co-workers that waste 1-4 hours a day posting on the interent during office/work hours? Do you ignore their behavior? Do you bring it to their attention? Do you inform their supervisor? or do you just accept their behavior as part of our new society?

[SoCalBrewfan]

I don't see why people in wheelchairs should even get to park close it's not like they have to walk really far like non handicapped people do.

 

You know what? There might well be people with handicapped parking stickers who don't deserve it. Oh well. That certainly doesn't justify parking in that space if you don't have the sticker. People who need those spaces really need them...they are often stopped cold by things that most people don't even see, like a curb, or a small parking barrier, or a narrow space between parked cars.

 

I've seen things posted on brewerfan before that have made me cringe, but the comment above might be the most thoughtless in recent memory.

[gypcasino]

a question to think about - what do you say to people who smoke in no-smoking zones? or swear in public? or to co-workers that waste 1-4 hours a day posting on the interent during office/work hours? Do you ignore their behavior? Do you bring it to their attention? Do you inform their supervisor? or do you just accept their behavior as part of our new society?

 

I know you probably meant this to be rhetorical but your questions are sort of vague. It all depends on the situation. People who smoke in no-smoking zones will probably continue to do so whether I speak up or not. It goes back to the original post where the guy was parked in a handicapped spot. The poster said that "he knows better." So why even try to talk sense into him. Go straight to the proper authorties and let them know.

 

And yes I'd probably be a coward if I didn't tell some boor to stop swearing in front of a daycare center when the kids are outside on recess but if I was at a bar I'd probably overlook it. Again, it might make me feel better to speak up but ultimately their behavior isn't going to change.

 

As far as co-workers wasting company resources, that's why there are managers. It's management's job to monitor that stuff. And watch out if you work in a union shop and the union gets wind that you're narc-ing on co-workers.

 

So I guess my point is if it makes you feel better have at it. People always have and will continue to be thoughtless jerks. I don't see this as anything new. And a lot of the times, confronting them is an exercise in futility.

[homer]

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People always have and will continue to be thoughtless jerks. I don't see this as anything new. And a lot of the times, confronting them is an exercise in futility.

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I dunno. I think some people continue to do stuff until someone calls them out on it. Or maybe if enough people call them out they'll start to get the picture.

 

In any event, it makes me feel better to at least question someone that parks in a handicap spot when they appear perfectly healthy. My mom really needs to park in those spaces.

[1992casey]

Way back when, we had a discussion in the "What's Bugging You? thread about this. One of the important points was that we aren't always able to recognize who has a handicap and who doesn't.

 

In this case, milwaukeesportsfan knew the person and knew he didn't belong in that spot.

[RockCoCougars]

If your job description does not include "parking enforcement", I don't know why you took this upon yourself without expecting some sort of conflict. Right or wrong, people don't like to be told what to do. If it bothered you that much, you should have just ratted him out to the cops. A ticket/fine would pretty much ensure that he won't do this again. If you didn't call the cops, my money says the first person with a h/c tag that noticed this would. They're quite observant about that kind of thing.

[milwaukeesportsfan]

I should have clarified in the original post that it is, in fact, part of my job to check on stuff like this. I work in a big hotel downtown, and part of our daily duties is to tour the parking structure connected to the hotel and check for anything out of the ordinary.

 

Being that we are the ones who ensure the safety and security of our guests and co-workers, we should be setting the example for everybody else. By doing what he did, he is dragging down the entire department.

 

But even if it wasn't part of my job, and I just happened to notice it as I was passing by, I still probably would have told somebody who was in a position to do something about it. People need to learn that they can't get with with stuff like that.

[Big Reed]

Gypcasino - my thought was meant to be rhetorical rather than specific. but it's about doing the right thing, and doing the right thing sometimes creates unwanted conflict. My thought was that you would probably handle those types of situations in a similar fashion to the violation of handicap parking.

 

Telling somebody to stop smoking involves as much conflict as telling someone they cannot park in a handicapped zone. To some people, it really does bother them physically to be in a room of smokers. So when somebody totally ignores the no smoking rules of a workplace or restaurant, it is just as bad and harmful to that person as someone violating a handicap parking place. This past month we attended a $100 Lions club charity dinner. It was in a no smoking room. A friend of ours invited us to sit with him. He must have lit up at least 15 cigarettes during that dinner/evening. We didn't say anything to him. If it had been a restaurant and we were eating privately, we would have contacted the manager and asked to be seated in a different location. But in this instance, we avoided conflict and had a miserable evening and left early.

 

I have a real big problem with people who throw their cigarette butts on the ground or out the window of their car. But I usually avoid conflict and allow people to continue to do so without complaining to them or forcing them to pick up their butts.

 

it's a tough call. Doing the right thing - or avoid conflict?

 

To me, using a seatbelt is very similar. If a person is a passenger in my car, they will wear a seatbelt at all times. It doesn't matter to me what their age is or what the law is or who they are. I will stop the car and enforce that rule and have done so on several occasions.. I don't care how rude I might seem, Wearing a seat belt is a personal thing with me.

 

It's a tough call. Doing the right thing. It's not going to make you popular.

[BraunsBoyfriend]

Gypcasino and RockCoCougars are correct.

 

If you can't see why they're correct then you might need to lean some social skills. You need tact and you need to be thoughtful.

 

Now, after reading MilwaukeeSportsFan latest post, that it is his job, I have to ask why he even got mad?

 

Why take it personally that this guy ignored you? You were nice to ask him to move. But your job is to enforce. So when he didn't move and he told you so why not just walk away and get him a ticket.

 

YOU made a professional job personal and were affected by it. It is YOUR fault you're angry by it all. You need to be more professional in your job and not take things so personally. You were a nice guy to let this jerk know what's up. But the fact his response bothered you is your fault. If it really is your job to enforce these things then act professionally and simply call the police or whoever when you judge is correct. Confronting people isn't your job. So when you make it personal, don't be surprised when the other person is put off. Your job is to enforce the parking rules. Confrontation isn't good for anyone.

 

Afterall, it's your job.

[LouisEly]

BraunsB - if you go back to the original post, the poster said that it was not the fact that this guy lipped back that was bothering him/her. What the poster was really upset about was that he/she vented on another co-worker. You are correct in that you need to handle these situations with tact (even though it is human nature to turn around and give that guy the same attitude he gave you). However, that is not what really was bugging the poster.

 

I agree that the best course of action to make you (the original poster) feel better is to apologize to the person you vented on and explain why. Be the better person. If you apologize, you will feel so much better, and it will not bother you anymore.

 

As for the guy who lipped off to you, if it is your job to monitor that, you did the right thing. If he reacts with that attitude towards you, then you have every right to call the police. The fact is that people like this, like others said, will not change their behavior until they are taught a lesson. I am a manager, and chapter one of Management 101 is that you reward good behavior and you NEVER, EVER reward bad behavior. If you reward bad behavior, or ignore it, it will only encourage them to continue that behavior.

[BraunsBoyfriend]

LouisEly, what does behavior have to do with managing people?

 

You reward good production and you don't reward bad production. People aren't dogs. You don't give treats to those that obey you just because they sit when you say. You give incentive to those that are smarter, faster and produce more.

 

I guess different jobs call for different management techniques? Where I work employees are expected to think. They are treated like people. Those that prove to be valuable are paid more to stick around. Those that aren't perceived as valuable are not offered more benefit and if they leave it's not a critical loss.

 

Maybe I took your comments too literal.

[backup catchers]

To be frank, it's none of your business. You could call a parking checker but that's about where your involvement ends.

 

We have peoples whose jobs it is to check these things and write tickets. It's not your job to tell people you're calling the police because of where they are parked. And the fact that he's a coworker...could make for a bad work environment.

 

This attitude is what allows people to continue doing bad things. If everyone felt it was none of their business to address bad behavior there would still be cross burnings and kids would beat homeless people for kicks without worry of retribution. It was a police matter why get involved? If poeple don't get involved and take a stance on issues like that the problem will just grow. If I was being mugged in a crowded street I'd like to think someone would help prevent it instead of hoping the police happened to be in the area at the time.

[PKBadger]

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LouisEly, what does behavior have to do with managing people?

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Someone must have dropped a tab of LSD in my soda....

[Chio151]

Bravo Backupcatchers.

 

Sometimes we all just need a little perspective.

[brewcrewreview]

I would have minded my own business.

[BraunsBoyfriend]

backup-catchers, you're comparing the burning of crosses to a guy peeved someone parked in a spot that wasn't "his".

 

Seriously, get some perspective on the argument. It's a red herring at best.

[gypcasino]

If I was being mugged in a crowded street I'd like to think someone would help prevent it instead of hoping the police happened to be in the area at the time.

 

So would I. I'm not sure what that has to do with an illegally parked car though.

[BraunsBoyfriend]

Gypcasino, hes using a red herring and a slippery slope to try and make a point. Of course his argument is based in fallacy and irelevent articles, but that's how it goes. At least I wasn't the only person who immediately found it humorous. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[Point Beer Is Best]

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To be frank, it's none of your business.

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But it sounds like you're just another office drone and you were bothered by someone else and leveraged power on them or something.

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Seriously, get some perspective on the argument.

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Didn't you say something about using "tact" when talking with people in a social setting? http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

 

In all seriousness, people who behave like the original poster's coworker need to be "policed" by people with a conscience. We're not talking about whistle-blowing a co-worker who took too long of a lunch, or checked their email while at work. We're talking about a guy who obviously has no sense of decency and completely disregards the needs of others. What kind of person parks in a handicap space when they aren't disabled? The original poster was even fair enough to give the guy a couple of minutes to move his car, and all he got was attitude. I'm not sure if this guy is a subordinate or not, but if he worked for me, I'd be interviewing candidates to replace him in the very near future. And I wouldn't care how "smart, fast, and productive" he was. If he can't behave like a decent human being, he'd be gone. Behavior has everything to do with managing people.

[gypcasino]

In all seriousness, people who behave like the original poster's coworker need to be "policed" by people with a conscience. We're not talking about whistle-blowing a co-worker who took too long of a lunch, or checked their email while at work. We're talking about a guy who obviously has no sense of decency and completely disregards the needs of others. What kind of person parks in a handicap space when they aren't disabled?

 

A jerk. A complete and total jerk. Who always has been a jerk and always will be a jerk. Call and report him, hope he gets a ticket and hope the hit his pocketbook takes changes his attitude a bit. Because I don't think words will do it. I don't know this particular person but I believe that the more you scold him the more defensive and jerkier he'll get IMO.

[Big Reed]

This is from my local Beardstown, ILL paper. I just saw this tonight, and couldn't believe it.

 

By Bob Flood ... At Tuesday night?s City Council meeting a complaint was heard from a resident of Welch Woods regarding people parking in handicapped spaces when not handicapped. She said she had spoken to the police and the officer talked to her as if she had done something wrong instead of the other party. The officer did not issue a ticket to the other person.

 

The resident said she had called the chief of police but he never returned her calls. She had also attempted to contact the mayor but he was not available. Mayor Walters told her that the police chief would try to straighten this situation out with her.

 

www.beardstownnewspapers.com/weekly.html

 

I guess to some people like myself, illegal parking in a handicap zone is a big thing. While to others, they would just rather look the other way and avoid the potential conflict/drama.