A week or so ago, I had been pulled over by a very rude highway patrolmen.
Believe me when I say that my delinquent days are over. I like the police, (not just the band either), but this cop was downright mean. He came up to the door yelling at me. I mean I guess I understand why he was mad, I was driving faster than the speed limit, endangering myself and others by my recklessness. Yelling however was not necessary.
In Wiggins, a little city in between hattisburg and Duftport, there was a police officer who approached me while I was sitting in another reps car. He distrusted me and the rest of the reps because he saw one of us going into a "strictly black" neighborhood. As the officer put it: "There's only two reasons why white folks go across that bridge. That is to buy dope or sell dope. They don't like white people there. Cops don't even go in there, they shoot at us." I immediately had my coworker on the line, telling him we were coming to get him. after talking with us though, he didnt mind us, and agreed that we needed to be there.
One of my favorite coworkers seems to be a cop magnet. Poor guy. One night in Purvis he had the cops called on him twice, I found out later. It was just an unfortunate misunderstanding, really. He sold to a family and they were all finished with the paperwork when someones mother came over and believed my coworker to be a conman. My coworker went ahead and canceled the sale based on her assumption and gave back the paperwork so he wouldn't have any written record. That still didn't seem to be enough for this woman and soon, the cops tracked him down, further up the street still knocking on doors. The cops didn't give him too many problems or anything. He explained himself and the cops left him alone. I later ran into those same cops at a gas station. They carried on with me for a while and told me they had spoken "to a friend of yours." We all knew who it was, and that made it that much funnier.
When we were in Columbia, a cop pulled one of my managers over. Apparently someone had reported seeing a stranger in the neighborhood, He asked my manager if he was working with security systems, and he said yes and the cop simply said: "good, this city need it." Before the cop just drove off. He told them they had to kick out some other Alarm salesmen. Get this, the officer said: "a couple of weeks ago, there were a couple of break-ins in this neighborhood, people reported seeing white guys in white ski masks breaking into homes. The next day ADT was here." It was just too coincidental, so the cops had to kick them out of the city. The worst part of that story is that if those white guys in white ski masks breaking into homes was an alarm company, than it was just a waste of their time, and good reputation. Columbia already has break ins and druggies and shootings, they already need security systems.
When I called to complain about the cop that pulled me over (yes, i complained about him). The ticket is enough punishment, I don't need someone demoralize me for speeding, along with a gigantic financial burden.... Like he's never sped before. Anyway, I spoke to the master Sargent. The difference was night and day between them. The Sargent was everything the south is known for: hospitality. He made me like cops again. I wondered about Utah cops and if they would be as pleasant. Maybe he knew the cop personally and knew he had an attitude, either way, he made me want to forgive and forget.
I'm positive there is more on this. Its just yet to come. As long as there are countless sales, there will also be countless paranoia. More power to us!
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Friday, May 27, 2011
I used to think Bloggers were lame.
I used to think Bloggers were lame. I still do in a way. Even though I've joined their ranks. I believe I am lame in certain ways or on occasion and therefore haven't changed my opinion about blogging completely.
Since there are only so many times that I can write up notes and paste them on my friends facebook walls without them starting to "de-friend" me that I figured, if they wanted to look. They could look.
I decided that the best way to start this would be simply to begin with today. Today will be called "day one", since I cant think of anything better. Yesterday there had been a Tornado warning all along the greater Mississippi area, including but not limited to Hattisburg. I live on the top floor of an apartment building that has surprisingly good air-conditioning, and is much appreciated on hot southern nights. However dangerous this supposed Tornado warning was supposed to be, the storm blew itself out by Morning, and I was left with a beautiful crisp blue day and an uber-silent apartment.
My roommates, whom I shall name Bert and Ernie, are away for the weekend with their families and loved ones to New Orleans. They couldn't have picked a prettier weekend. In celebration of an empty apartment, I spent most of it deep cleaning my bathroom... yes, yes, I know that there were probably more appropriate ways to spend a morning without boys, like say: dancing around my kitchen, or singing in the shower, or maybe, just maybe, pushing all of the furniture to one end of our 10x10 living room and doing tai chi with the balcony doors open. Instead, I decided that it was high time I finally splurged, so I hiked up to best buy (which is about "three Utah blocks" up the road) and bought myself a laptop.
Why the sudden increase to my technological palette? For those who know me, know that I recently and finally finished my computer class last semester. B+ and a huge head ache out of the way. I had an amazing teacher though, and that makes all the difference. I walked right up to the very exclusive, big spenders table full of all the new MacBook novelties, and listened into the conversation between a salesman or "friendly tech" and undoubtedly a future consumer. Since that's all I do, from three thirty to about dusk I enjoyed listening to someone else pitch for a change. the context was different of course, but the subject was the same. example: you are in the market for something we may be offering and my job is to make sure that I make what I have appealing enough, that you buy it.
I had on reflection realized that the reason I decided to buy today, was not because I was in the mood to spend a ton of money that I could have put to good use elsewhere, but because as soon as this same savvy college kid made his way over and asked me what book I was reading, it took the pressure off of the obvious: I was there to buy. We were on a completely different level of entertainment. Books are not Laptops. Where's the link? By reverting the conversation to something he cant sell me, since they dont sell books at best buy, he is instead creating a common bond, which is book reading.
Had I been in a hurry I might have told him bluntly what it was called and then asked how many gigabytes the mac I was looking at held. This salesman, (ill give him the benefit of the doubt) would've probably picked up on my tone and changed to the appropriate subject matter. However, I was still undecided. I knew what I wanted, that's why I was in that best buy, but I wanted him to convince me that I wouldn't regret buying this product. He talked about a book he had read and then asked me which computer i was most interested in. He continued switching back and forth between information on the mac's and about things we had in common. We became friends, an instant friendship, superficial and powerful all at the same time. I wanted to buy from him, you know, help him out - like a good friend would.
MacBook in one hand, and an ownership receipt in the other. The conversation ran long though and the water and watermelon from earlier began weighing down on me. I thought of the three more blocks I would need to walk, or possibly run to get home and use the bathroom. Suddenly our conversation on tagging began to droll on and on in my mind as I thought about where the bathroom might be. I shifted my weight and tried to control my urge to suddenly run for a bathroom. I laughed appropriately, and then excused myself. We will most likely never meet each other again and so even if I had told him that I needed to go and then have cut him off short, it really wouldn't have mattered, but then again, it could have, since we were technically "friends".
I walked back three blocks, pausing appropriately to maintain composure, and after using the long needed restroom, sat down in my apartment and plugged in my new and very white macbook. (don't ask why i didn't just use the best buy bathroom, i like things hard and look for ways to make my life harder, doesn't everyone?) The laptop, however, looked beautiful on our faux-mahogany coffee table. the afternoon sun set in and began glowing through our porch double doors. It looked angelic. My open mouthed awe was cut short by a one o'clock meeting.
The Baron's made us lunch, and I was out on the streets by four thirty. I was determined to get a sale, actually "TWO SALES!" I told myself. I needed to make every day count. I was walking in a neighborhood where there had been a recent burglary/double homicide. It was supposed to be a safe neighborhood, and yet, this unfortunate event.
I walked right onto the street that this crime had occurred and knocked on the first house on that street that had plenty of cars I could see. A man in his late twenties peered at me through the blinds of one of the windows and after I waved, he let me in and I was soon sitting across from a woman in her 80's. I gave my pitch and was glad to be out of the heat. The whole time I assumed she was a widow until she told me that she would have to talk to her husband about the system. I asked if he was home and if I could talk to him. She went to get him and he and I got along very well. In the end they did opt into becoming one of our advertising homes, but this is where that very awkward moment took place. A girl from a different security company came knocking on the door, she had been there the day of the murder report, an "ambulance chaser" I called them. I had actually been knocking some time in that area, getting the same response: "its a very safe neighborhood" and overnight, swarms of other reps from various regions come imposing on their fears. Silly me, I had stayed away in respect of the event. i also thought that if the if I strike while the iron is too hot, I will be the one to get burned. In any case, there we were, knocking on the same house, at the same time. Me inside. Her outside. She had spoken to them last week. I was speaking to them now. As soon as the woman mentioned me, and the woman didn't understand, i decided that i should just go talk to her. I stood up and walked to the door, smiled and said, "hey elite". her response? "oh....shield."
I'm sure those sort of awkward encounters don't happen very often, but in this case it made for a very rival type feeling. As if she had just broken up with her boyfriend, and when she was coming back to apologize finds her ex with a rival school girl. I felt like it was bad karma and worried about it for another two hours or so. Finally, I decided that I worked with a reputable company and if nothing else I knew at least that I would actually take care of these two people who were now suddenly - even more so than before - in my care. I did, too. I suffered a lot of points with that install, I could have done less but I really wanted them to be taken care of.
I went to frozen yogurt nearby with some co-workers, and I began to realize that I needed to give away two more systems to pay for this mac book.
5/27/2011
Since there are only so many times that I can write up notes and paste them on my friends facebook walls without them starting to "de-friend" me that I figured, if they wanted to look. They could look.
I decided that the best way to start this would be simply to begin with today. Today will be called "day one", since I cant think of anything better. Yesterday there had been a Tornado warning all along the greater Mississippi area, including but not limited to Hattisburg. I live on the top floor of an apartment building that has surprisingly good air-conditioning, and is much appreciated on hot southern nights. However dangerous this supposed Tornado warning was supposed to be, the storm blew itself out by Morning, and I was left with a beautiful crisp blue day and an uber-silent apartment.
My roommates, whom I shall name Bert and Ernie, are away for the weekend with their families and loved ones to New Orleans. They couldn't have picked a prettier weekend. In celebration of an empty apartment, I spent most of it deep cleaning my bathroom... yes, yes, I know that there were probably more appropriate ways to spend a morning without boys, like say: dancing around my kitchen, or singing in the shower, or maybe, just maybe, pushing all of the furniture to one end of our 10x10 living room and doing tai chi with the balcony doors open. Instead, I decided that it was high time I finally splurged, so I hiked up to best buy (which is about "three Utah blocks" up the road) and bought myself a laptop.
Why the sudden increase to my technological palette? For those who know me, know that I recently and finally finished my computer class last semester. B+ and a huge head ache out of the way. I had an amazing teacher though, and that makes all the difference. I walked right up to the very exclusive, big spenders table full of all the new MacBook novelties, and listened into the conversation between a salesman or "friendly tech" and undoubtedly a future consumer. Since that's all I do, from three thirty to about dusk I enjoyed listening to someone else pitch for a change. the context was different of course, but the subject was the same. example: you are in the market for something we may be offering and my job is to make sure that I make what I have appealing enough, that you buy it.
I had on reflection realized that the reason I decided to buy today, was not because I was in the mood to spend a ton of money that I could have put to good use elsewhere, but because as soon as this same savvy college kid made his way over and asked me what book I was reading, it took the pressure off of the obvious: I was there to buy. We were on a completely different level of entertainment. Books are not Laptops. Where's the link? By reverting the conversation to something he cant sell me, since they dont sell books at best buy, he is instead creating a common bond, which is book reading.
Had I been in a hurry I might have told him bluntly what it was called and then asked how many gigabytes the mac I was looking at held. This salesman, (ill give him the benefit of the doubt) would've probably picked up on my tone and changed to the appropriate subject matter. However, I was still undecided. I knew what I wanted, that's why I was in that best buy, but I wanted him to convince me that I wouldn't regret buying this product. He talked about a book he had read and then asked me which computer i was most interested in. He continued switching back and forth between information on the mac's and about things we had in common. We became friends, an instant friendship, superficial and powerful all at the same time. I wanted to buy from him, you know, help him out - like a good friend would.
MacBook in one hand, and an ownership receipt in the other. The conversation ran long though and the water and watermelon from earlier began weighing down on me. I thought of the three more blocks I would need to walk, or possibly run to get home and use the bathroom. Suddenly our conversation on tagging began to droll on and on in my mind as I thought about where the bathroom might be. I shifted my weight and tried to control my urge to suddenly run for a bathroom. I laughed appropriately, and then excused myself. We will most likely never meet each other again and so even if I had told him that I needed to go and then have cut him off short, it really wouldn't have mattered, but then again, it could have, since we were technically "friends".
I walked back three blocks, pausing appropriately to maintain composure, and after using the long needed restroom, sat down in my apartment and plugged in my new and very white macbook. (don't ask why i didn't just use the best buy bathroom, i like things hard and look for ways to make my life harder, doesn't everyone?) The laptop, however, looked beautiful on our faux-mahogany coffee table. the afternoon sun set in and began glowing through our porch double doors. It looked angelic. My open mouthed awe was cut short by a one o'clock meeting.
The Baron's made us lunch, and I was out on the streets by four thirty. I was determined to get a sale, actually "TWO SALES!" I told myself. I needed to make every day count. I was walking in a neighborhood where there had been a recent burglary/double homicide. It was supposed to be a safe neighborhood, and yet, this unfortunate event.
I walked right onto the street that this crime had occurred and knocked on the first house on that street that had plenty of cars I could see. A man in his late twenties peered at me through the blinds of one of the windows and after I waved, he let me in and I was soon sitting across from a woman in her 80's. I gave my pitch and was glad to be out of the heat. The whole time I assumed she was a widow until she told me that she would have to talk to her husband about the system. I asked if he was home and if I could talk to him. She went to get him and he and I got along very well. In the end they did opt into becoming one of our advertising homes, but this is where that very awkward moment took place. A girl from a different security company came knocking on the door, she had been there the day of the murder report, an "ambulance chaser" I called them. I had actually been knocking some time in that area, getting the same response: "its a very safe neighborhood" and overnight, swarms of other reps from various regions come imposing on their fears. Silly me, I had stayed away in respect of the event. i also thought that if the if I strike while the iron is too hot, I will be the one to get burned. In any case, there we were, knocking on the same house, at the same time. Me inside. Her outside. She had spoken to them last week. I was speaking to them now. As soon as the woman mentioned me, and the woman didn't understand, i decided that i should just go talk to her. I stood up and walked to the door, smiled and said, "hey elite". her response? "oh....shield."
I'm sure those sort of awkward encounters don't happen very often, but in this case it made for a very rival type feeling. As if she had just broken up with her boyfriend, and when she was coming back to apologize finds her ex with a rival school girl. I felt like it was bad karma and worried about it for another two hours or so. Finally, I decided that I worked with a reputable company and if nothing else I knew at least that I would actually take care of these two people who were now suddenly - even more so than before - in my care. I did, too. I suffered a lot of points with that install, I could have done less but I really wanted them to be taken care of.
I went to frozen yogurt nearby with some co-workers, and I began to realize that I needed to give away two more systems to pay for this mac book.
5/27/2011
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