Have you ever come across anyone who oversteps their authority because they wear a uniform, and what did you do about it?
I had one occassion when we owned the kennels to put a flea in the ear of an RSPCA inspector. What happened was our boarding licence was due for renewal which was done by the South Staffs Council environmental dept, usually by one particular person who we looked on more as a friend
One day an RSPCA guy in full uniform turned up demanding (yes demanding) to inspect the kennels before issuing a licence. Well this really got my back up straight aware with his attitude, so I told him to clear off.
He said as our postal address was Walsall the law allowed him to carry out the licence inspection.
I told him we didn’t come under the Walsall council and he was exceeding his authority. Needless to say it got a bit heated this bumptous official who didn’t know his area was told by me to leave my premises. His parting remark was I would not get a licence for next year then.
So I rang our inspector and told him about it and he was none to pleased and lodeged a complaint to Walsall Council and the RSPCA.
I hasten to add that if he had turned up without this authoritian attitude and demanding I would have willingly let him look around as I did with prospective clients.
just to carry on the South staff inspector was brilliant his name was Phil Davis and he could not have been more helpful
When we took over the kennels from the previous owner we had to apply for a boarding licence in our own name obviously. So I rang S.S council and they sent down Phil to look the place over. Now it was it a pretty bad state and worried if we would be licenced or not so asked him for his advice. What a nice guy. He said no problems but he would like to see a year by year improvement . So each year for the next 7 years or so things were made better such as replacing iron rotted through bars in all the kennels to new mesh so dogs could not put their noses through- rewired the whole complex to make it safe- knocked down the old cattery and replaced with new purpose built one- added alarms and CCTV’ also added an isolation room and grooming parlour. New roof on one block -replace concrete floor with tiled to make cleaning easy. that was some of the things needed doing
So each year we built up the kennels and cattery to what we considered a reasonable standard. Phil came each year to check and passed us, sometimes he just popped in for a cuppa. One of these times I was putting a new plasterboard roof in the kennel kitchen when he turned up and actually helped holding it up whils I fixed it.
everything was great until SSCC decided on new bylaws impossible to comply with. Phil was not happy so left for another job and then the idiots with tick sheets turned up to inspect. They had not go a clue about our industry and things started to go downhill as to getting a licence
My pal with another local kennels has just closed down his for the same reason
I had a work mate who was a “special”.He was affable enough until he put the uniform on and then he was a changed man.He mainly seemed to be used for directing traffic and that sort of thing but he was quite officious about it.
going back to the heading. When I worked for BT installing switchboards and extns office floor managers were a pain in the backside. Often told “you can’t” by them when wanting to run cables in underfloor ducts etc
I had the perfect answer. All I did was ask where the managering director office was so I could tell him BT can’t carry out the installation because of this floor manager. You should see how quickly they backed down.
I found if you let people push you around once you will always be pushed around. Stand up and say no and things quickly change.
I wanted to buy a brand new Volve 245 estate many years ago and the salesman ,to cut a long story sort, Said to me “sonny when you have the money then come back”. I think the car cost around £7,000 at the time. Nobody calls me sonny and I did have inheritance money to pay in cash. So as I have a very loud voice when I want. I told him in no uncertain terms loud enough for the manager to leave is office. the manager asked what was the matter so i told him i had cash to buy this car but the salesman didn’t want to know and told me to leave the showroom.
He apologised but i said to him if that is the attitude towards someone wanting to spend for cash on a new car costing ÂŁ7000, what the hell is the annual service going to be like. needless to say I got one from another dealership and they lost the sale. I can imagine what the manager said to the salesmans
Oh yes…dog wardens! I was told that my dog had done her business (she hadn’t at that point) and I didn’t pick it up. I argued the case and was told to "drop the attitude, missus, you are on bodycam " and he revealed his bodycam with a veritable flourish of his jacket like it was something otherworldly.
I stared right into his bodycam and said “My dog hasn’t done anything to warrant this harassment and I will go to court to prove it!!” and walked off. Nothing happened obviously because he was obviously trying to justify his job and tickboxes.
When we lived in Beddington, right opposite the River Wandle…no barrier back then but people were use to not falling in…it was not deep but…leave that story…haha
They decided after many many years that half parking on the pavement was Not Allowed any more…
That was not the car we had at the time …We had moved on to a Green Turquoise coloured Ford Transit Van…but the parking was the same half on half off the pavement…otherwise the Road was just over I and a half cars in width…It was one way at this point, but still a rat run…
One day a Police Car pulled up behind the Transit…he came over and said you can’t park like that anymore…So got my Camera out and took a Photo of his Police Car…he had to park half on the pavement…end of…
Then the Parking Attendants started arriving…after we were all asleep time…except I was awake and saw we got a ticket…I followed him up the hill and he gave only commercial type vehicles tickets…
As soon as next morning came I phoned in a complaint about this…and although we did receive a ticket that we refused to pay…We heard no more…I was fuming…steaming at the unfairness…But what I stated was so true…I have no idea why only some commercial types got tickets… for the amount around our road parked half on and half off which was Guy Road they could have made a killing… then up and around to Church Lane that was even narrower than ours where the whole of that area was parked half and half…maybe only one or two had garages…
Just stopped though…people have a parking need and so what else can you do…
I realised that local Councils make the rules about parking…so you will get some areas that you can legally park partly on the pavement…
We have it here and they are white lined so at least you do know for sure…
Yes with the police way back in the 70s when we lived in a council maisonette and the police car messages used to come over my TV which at that time cost extra for colour TV. They told me I could be had up for receiving them. This was a red rag to a bull and I contacted the Home Office.
They in turn sent chap to see me and while he was here a police message came over the TV.
I had been writing down any messages plus the times and dates and had three pages full.
It was all go from then and on the Sunday morning I had just come out of the bathroom when my hubby shouted up the stairs that Chief Superintendent Barker wanted to see me. I asked him what he wanted and he said he understood I had three sheets of written evidence including the times of the messages I had been getting and could he borrow them to copy them down.
I said he could BUT I wanted them back before 12 o clock because we were going out to lunch. As he was reading through them he said to me “You should have been a detective” I said " I think there are more round here getting these on their TVs but are too frightened to say so." He said “Well your not are you.?” I said " NO especially when I cant watch a programme before Bravo Bravo keeps cutting in."
I got the three sheets of evidence back before dinner time plus an invitation for hubby and I to visit the Chief of police to have tea with him and an apology for all the trouble it had caused.
I have to add here that it was a newly built police station and our maisonette was in dead line with any cars that were called out.
I said " I think there are more round here getting these on their TVs but are too frightened to say so." He said “Well your not are you.?” I said " NO especially when I cant watch a programme before Bravo Bravo keeps cutting in."