Journal 06-02-2015
Good morning or whatever part of the day is for you. Today is Tuesday June 2, 2015. The temperature is 57.9°F and the humidity is 87% at 5:02 a.m. PST (-8 GMT). Weather Underground shows sustained winds at 0 mph with gusts of 0 mph. It was clear when I stuck my head out, with a big old fat full moon staring back at me. Weather Underground is predicting a 0% chance of precipitation and a high of 77° today.
The starvation wage job has been ignoring me for some months now. I got one call in April. There was one drive for May 29th that was scheduled some time March. I was leaving little reminders for myself to make sure I checked in and verified everything on time. The day before the drive, the company I contract with called to cancel. With that much notice, I don’t get a cancellation fee.
I got another call for a drive on Monday June 1st with a pick up time at 7:15 a.m. I left about 6—not that the place was far away, but the traffic would be miserable and I wanted to get the car washed. Got where I needed to be about 6:45 a.m., but that’s O.K. Waited to knock on the door till about 7:10. No answer. Uh-oh… Just about that time, I got a call from the company wanting to confirm that I was going to go pick up the person. I said yes, that I was actually at the site and had knocked at the front door and gotten no response.
“Oh,” he said. “Let me call the party and I’ll call you right back.”
The reader will probably not be shocked to learn that I never heard from him again.
After a while, I knocked at the front door a second time and an older woman answered. I explained who I was.
“He’s already left,” she told me.
I apologized for disturbing her. It was about 7:20 in the morning.
So, I called the company back and let them know what was going on. In the meantime, since the complex the gentleman lives in has no visitors’ parking, I got in my car and began heading home. While I was stuck on the slow freeway traffic, the company got back to me and let me know that the rider was unaware that they’d arranged transportation for him, so that I had permission to leave. This would be a “late cancellation” for me, which meant that I’d get a cancellation fee.
Boy. It’s a good thing I have a job. I’d hate to be unemployed.
Thanks for reading. Hope you and yours are all well and happy. Hope the day brings you good things.
Writing schedule:
Going to take my mother-in-law to the dentist today. Won’t get much writing done. Going to make some cookies, though.
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©2015 Denise Longrie
Image Credit » http://pixabay.com/en/books-notepad-pen-education-690219/ by Unsplash
Comments
morilla wrote on June 2, 2015, 8:41 AM
Reminds me of being a substitute teacher. Get up, get ready, wait for "the call," not knowing where or what you'll be working - or - if you will even be working. Then, having to get there "in time" (one place was a 60 mile, one-way, drive) and hope the teacher left something for them to do or that you could come up with something 'appropriate.'
msiduri wrote on June 2, 2015, 9:06 AM
Thanks! Yes, making cookies, oh twist my arm!
msiduri wrote on June 2, 2015, 9:11 AM
Last year, I didn't even make enough money to cover the costs of the car, including insurance, a major repair, gas, etc. I'd rather have the money that they did pay me than not, of course. This year, with them ignoring me, it will be even worse. I'm submitting applications, but not much has turned up, of course.
msiduri wrote on June 2, 2015, 7:43 PM
Amen, sister! And I'm happy to report that my mother-in-law was pleased with them.
Ruby3881 wrote on June 3, 2015, 2:08 AM
I've always hated working on call. I don't know how you do it!
MegL wrote on June 3, 2015, 5:16 AM
Glad you got a cancellation fee for that. At least that makes up a bit for the no show!
msiduri wrote on June 3, 2015, 9:23 AM
Since I'm ignored most of the time, it's mostly like I'm not working at all.
1msiduri wrote on June 3, 2015, 9:25 AM
Yes. It wasn't the rider's fault, as far as I can tell. It was the inefficiency of the company I drive for. Plus, I got to irritate a family member.