This is another story about my colleague Peter, the staff member with learning differences. 

Senior management asked for a volunteer to work as a courier for a few months. The job was easy; the driver had to collect, deliver, and sort internal mail to several police stations. It is also boring and unpopular. The only person to volunteer was Peter.

We were a little concerned. We didn’t even think he could drive. Well, Peter took a police officer on a test run and drove like an angel. He drove to each station and produced his police ID to get entry. When somebody asked him something, he pulled out his phone, called his boss, and had them deal with it.  

We gave Peter the job. As we expected, Peter was very happy and motivated, but we expected to get a complaint at some point. Three weeks later, we did — from a contracted security officer. Remember, Peter understands everything, but he strongly prefers sign language, or as a last resort, simple English.

Security Officer: “I found your new letter carrier climbing a fence into my station. He didn’t say very much; he just took the post and drove off.”

Me: “Do you know why he climbed the fence? Am I missing any information here?”

Security Officer: “Not that I know of.”

I didn’t believe that complaint. Peter is unusual, but he understands not to breach the security of a police station. No sign language interpreter was available, so I spoke to him in English. As he gets upset in these situations, I asked him to come to coffee in the canteen.

Me: “Hey, Peter. The security man at [Town] said you climbed over the fence. Is that true?”

Peter: “Yes.”

Me: “Why did you climb the fence?”

Peter: “No answer.”

Me: “From the security man? What do you mean?”

Peter: “I wait. Four minutes. No answer.”

Me: “You waited at the gate? In your car?”

Peter: “Not four minutes. Four minutes twelve seconds. Yes, at gate in car.”

Me: “Did you have ID?”

Peter: “Police ID. Point to security man. He is gone.”

Me: “Was he at the toilet?”

Peter: “Probably beerhall in Munich, ladyfriend.”

Me: *Laughing* “Okay, we don’t know where he was. Then what did you do?”

Peter: “Engine off, slam door loud. I press call button, DING DING.”

Me: “And?”

Peter: “Already said, went to Munich. No answer.”

Me: “When did you jump the fence?”

Peter: “DING DING, two minutes. No heard door car slam. Climb fence.”

Me: “Why did you climb the fence?”

Peter: “Security gone, public want service. Get help inside.”

Me: “You needed to speak to a police officer inside? Why?”

Peter: “Letters, no security. Security, bigger problem. Help.”

Me: “Okay, so there didn’t seem to be any security, and that was a priority. Then what happened?”

Peter: “Priority. Climb fence. Security man see me. Why climb fence? B*****d.”

This was the first time I ever heard Peter swear.

Me: “Don’t swear; say [Security Man]. Did he say why he didn’t see you or open the barrier?”

Peter: “He profanity security man. Said phone call. Window was open. I hear no phone.”

Me: “All right… So, when you didn’t get a response, you climbed the fence to investigate. That’s when the security man confronted you. What would you have done if there was no security man?”

Peter: “No security, big problem. Find policeman. Get help. Tell, no security man. Drunk in Munich, probably.”

Me: *Laughing* “Thanks for your help, Peter. I enjoyed our coffee.”

Peter: “No security next time, same?”

Me: “…yes. Go and get help. Next time, go into the station and tell someone why you climbed the fence.”

I replied to the security officer’s manager. I said that Peter had waited for five minutes at the gate, doing everything he could to get the security man’s attention. I advised him to check the CCTV inside and outside and asked whether this was acceptable. I received no more complaints from that location. The security man was moved to another office.  

Peter is still doing courier work. We still get some reports of odd behaviour. On investigation, we always find that it is something he has not been trained or prepared for. He always deals with it in a professional way.

Related:
No Neglected Post On His Watch!
No Accident K’Boom Explode On His Watch!

I have seen many of the disabled parking stories and thought I would add my own. I do not have a disabled parking plate, but my dad does, as does my husband; both have some serious health issues.

I drive both vehicles on occasion. Now, I will state that I have NEVER parked in a disabled spot unless my dad and/or husband were with me. I have had the following happen to me twice in two different states when I was driving alone.

I parked at a store and was out of the vehicle walking in when a security guard stopped me.

Guard: “Ma’am, you can’t park there with that disabled plate.”

I checked out the parking space with dread that I might have parked in a marked spot.

Me: “Umm, no, this is not a disabled spot.”

Guard: “I know. You need to park in the disabled spot. The parking lot is full, and we need the spaces.”

Me: “Ummm, sir, that plate is for my father or my husband, not me. I am not disabled. I can’t park in that spot unless one of them is with me.”

Guard: “Ma’am, you have a disabled plate; you need to park in the disabled spot.” 

Me: “Is this a joke? It is illegal for me to park in a disabled spot unless the person for whom the plate was issued is in the vehicle. I am not disabled.”

The first time, the guard just let out a sigh of frustration and drove off. The second time, the guard continued to argue with me. I finally told him to just call the police, then, because I was not going to argue; I refused to break the law, but more importantly, I refused to take a spot from someone who needed it. He drove off cursing.

I really don’t get it. I don’t think I did anything wrong.

I got stuck in the giant plane mess-up in December of 2022. The airline did not inform us of the delays or the cancelation until an hour or so before the flight even though they KNEW way before that. We could have just stayed at our hotel for a day or two, but instead, we were stuck at the airport.

More recently at the airport, an [Airline] flight attendant decided she worked for Border Control and denied my spouse — a legal permanent resident — entry on a flight because his green card had been broken in half (long story). We showed her the paperwork stating that it was legal and the paperwork stating that we were in the process of replacing the card and that we had traveled with it before.

The flight attendant refused to listen and canceled the ticket at the gate, but she did not for the connecting flights, so we appeared as a no-show on said flights.

We left and went back to my in-laws’ house where we’d been visiting, and we ended up booking a flight on a different airline. We’re still fighting to get [Airline] to give us a refund and take accountability.

This story reminded me of a time I had a similar issue with the DMV. They wanted two forms of proof of my residence. I had the lease, but nothing else. All my mail goes to a post office box, so when I move I don’t have to change my address at thirty places and worry that mail will still go to the old address. My rent includes utilities, so no bill comes to me for those, either.

Clerk: “Do you have a bank statement that lists your residence?”

Off I went to the bank. I asked them to change the address on the account, for which they requested no proof or validation. I then had them print a current statement showing that address on their letterhead. Then, I had them change the address on file back to my mailing address.

The DMV accepted this document as authoritative and issued my license.

Related:
Your First Mistake Was Expecting The DMV To Make Sense

I visited Las Vegas and decided to gamble for the first time in my life. I went to see what craps was because I’d seen it in movies. It’s… not actually as fun as it looks.

I played it safe the whole time and lowballed my bets, but this other guy was matching my bets with larger, outrageous amounts of money. By the time I walked away, I was about a hundred up, which I later wound up spending on fancy meals

The guy who had been matching my bets was something like a hundred thousand up.

Later that night, when I was crossing the same casino floor, the guy confronted me and accused me of spoiling his luck by leaving early. After I left he’d kept betting for a while, and he ended up losing his hundred thousand and then some.

He was pissed and shouted at me about this. Security showed up fairly quickly, and when the guy tried to step closer to me — whether to hit me, to scream in my face, or what, I’m not sure — they grabbed him and escorted him away.

I decided that I was done gambling for the rest of my trip and went on to enjoy the shows, scenery, snacks, and sex of Las Vegas instead.