8/17/08 Captain Jack's Repossession Repo Cruise to PC thru TPC Part 13

[PBader]

It was just the opposite for me. Growing up, you never paid first -- you pumped and then went inside. It took a while when I moved to Georgia to get used to pay before pump. But I guess this was downtown Atlanta and things are a bit different than West Backwater Pennsylvania.

Most people are honest and it is hard to "penalize" all for a few. Drive offs are one of the hardest shoplifting crimes to prosecute. Most stations do not have cameras at their pumps. Most of the time they strike when cashiers are busy and just leave the nozzle laying on the ground, this way the clerk is not alerted that there is a transaction that needs attention. Rarely is a license plate gotten or even a description of the car so many stations now how 20 dispensers or more it is really hard to keep track of what is going on out on the islands. 80% of our gasoline sales are paid for with credit cards at the dispenser. Even with prepay we still are victims of gasoline theft. Sometimes we get customers who work "in teams". Someone will come in and prepay for $20 on pump 6 (actually they are on 8) and their friend is on 6. Friend on 6 pumps gas and leaves and then they come back in and say their pump won't turn on. That is something we can't prove unless clerks remember faces or cars.

 

[captaincrash]

And to close the night out, my

900th post on this thread












Not sure if that's a milestone to be proud of or a signal intervention is needed......

Congrats again....

It seems like just yesterday I was congratulating you on your 900th posting to the DIS!

​

 

[lbgraves]

Well...not going to get ketched up tonight...and my shift is over...slow night after 10:30 so I did make some progress here. Just a few things while they are still fairly topical on the past week or so.

I am scheduled for over 60 hours standby and a few priority during each week so far. Some days the jobs are steady but others I have taken a nap on the couch inbetween jobs before the kids get home from school.

I took the weekend off to spend with the family. Saturday we just relaxed & didn't do a whole lot after the initial morning cleaning. I ran to the Mall after we saw Shrek 3 and picked up a ton of the B&BW soaps for about 1.50 each. Sale was 5 for $10 and I had a 10 off 30 coupon.

Sunday we packed up the van early and headed for the beach. It was a great day...though I now have to search for our suits and coverups from the last day at CC last cruise. DD is missing a suit and princess coverup & a CC coverup and I have a suit missing. I ended up with a burn on my shoulders & upper back but DS was much worse. DH didn't put lotion on his back because he had a sleeveless shirt on and said that he wasn't going in the water. Well...guess who surfed on his boogie board for 4 hours? He broke out yesterday afternoon so I took him to the doctor today. Not sure if it is sunpoisoning or an allergic reaction to Monday's activities but he is on a strong anti-itch med now.

Monday we went to a friend's for a pool party/cookout. The kids had fun swimming with the neighbor kids. I worked that night.

The kids get out of school next Thursday. I have off Friday morning and we are going to the pool to celebrate!

 

[PBader]

Just got off the phone making dinner reservations for Sunday at Goofys Kitchen. We are going to DL this weekend to scope out the new Pirate Lair on Tom Sawyers Island. Found this map from the Orange County Regester. There is a lot of information on Mouseinfo about the interactive goodies that they added.

Roger take lots of pics to share with us. Enjoy your weekend.

 

[PBader]

Well...not going to get ketched up tonight...and my shift is over...slow night after 10:30 so I did make some progress here. Just a few things while they are still fairly topical on the past week or so.

I am scheduled for over 60 hours standby and a few priority during each week so far. Some days the jobs are steady but others I have taken a nap on the couch inbetween jobs before the kids get home from school.

I took the weekend off to spend with the family. Saturday we just relaxed & didn't do a whole lot after the initial morning cleaning. I ran to the Mall after we saw Shrek 3 and picked up a ton of the B&BW soaps for about 1.50 each. Sale was 5 for $10 and I had a 10 off 30 coupon.

Sunday we packed up the van early and headed for the beach. It was a great day...though I now have to search for our suits and coverups from the last day at CC last cruise. DD is missing a suit and princess coverup & a CC coverup and I have a suit missing. I ended up with a burn on my shoulders & upper back but DS was much worse. DH didn't put lotion on his back because he had a sleeveless shirt on and said that he wasn't going in the water. Well...guess who surfed on his boogie board for 4 hours? He broke out yesterday afternoon so I took him to the doctor today. Not sure if it is sunpoisoning or an allergic reaction to Monday's activities but he is on a strong anti-itch med now.

Monday we went to a friend's for a pool party/cookout. The kids had fun swimming with the neighbor kids. I worked that night.

The kids get out of school next Thursday. I have off Friday morning and we are going to the pool to celebrate!

Lisa, you all have been so busy. Glad that your job seems to be working out for you. Hope that William gets to feeling better soon. Itching can be the worst.

 

[captaincrash]

Most people are honest and it is hard to "penalize" all for a few. Drive offs are one of the hardest shoplifting crimes to prosecute. Most stations do not have cameras at their pumps. Most of the time they strike when cashiers are busy and just leave the nozzle laying on the ground, this way the clerk is not alerted that there is a transaction that needs attention. Rarely is a license plate gotten or even a description of the car so many stations now how 20 dispensers or more it is really hard to keep track of what is going on out on the islands. 80% of our gasoline sales are paid for with credit cards at the dispenser. Even with prepay we still are victims of gasoline theft. Sometimes we get customers who work "in teams". Someone will come in and prepay for $20 on pump 6 (actually they are on 8) and their friend is on 6. Friend on 6 pumps gas and leaves and then they come back in and say their pump won't turn on. That is something we can't prove unless clerks remember faces or cars.

I grew up in a family business - sold furniture, clothing, some food stuffs, and porcelin ware. We would get shoplifting teams come in and they would sometimes cause a distraction at one end while the others worked the store elsewhere (we had one floor with 3500' and another with about 1800'). We got to the point where we could spot them coming in and we would just declare the store was closing for lunch... and if they had been inside a while before we noticed them we could close shop and call security... then conduct a search of the store for missing goods before we let them go. Once we had security go to thier car as a few of them escaped before we could lock the doors - and at the car we found they had stolen steaks from the supermarket ... in addition to some things fromour store and other local stores. So... really the stories I have from the 25 years my family had that store are virtually endless. Including the stories of theft, gangs, and general business so on.

ON another note... while googling for images I ran across a few interesting images from Kansas. There they have a program suggesting they are stiff in punishing drivers who drive off without paying for thier fuel. I did not read through everything as I was mostly trolling for entertaining images - but here it is ... it's a bumper sticker I think...

 

[captaincrash]

Just got off the phone making dinner reservations for Sunday at Goofys Kitchen. We are going to DL this weekend to scope out the new Pirate Lair on Tom Sawyers Island. Found this map from the Orange County Regester. There is a lot of information on Mouseinfo about the interactive goodies that they added.

How fascinating! We might go too since it's been a while since we've been to DL. We had not heard of this developement til now - this should be FUN when it's completed!

 

[jonesing]

Welcome Aboard!!! And in case it hasn't already been mentioned......do join us in chat Friday nights at 9 pm! Chat always proves to be very interesting!

Yes, verrrry interesting!

Just remember what happens in chat....

Except for the saved transcripts

Transcripts available for a small ($20 minimum) donation to my OBC account!

That would take up too much bandwidth. Last cruise I set up a snapfish group account. Everyone could log on and upload their pictures & view everyone else's that they uploaded to the group account.

And photo evidence is available starting at $50 for stills and $100 for a dvd! C'mon now, you know what a bargain that will be when a certain person lets her "Freaky flag fly"!!!!

 

[Esteri]

You called....?​

You actually found one!

Sigh. My joke is now complete.

Jack, we have a stipulation no dating until they are 30 or after they are married.

You got a mail order groom catalog stashed away someplace??

That would take up too much bandwidth. Last cruise I set up a snapfish group account. Everyone could log on and upload their pictures & view everyone else's that they uploaded to the group account.

Cool! I look forward to it.

 

[jonesing]

Some retail giants (Target, KMart etc) have hired retired senior LEO types (FBI, State Police etc) to run their corporate security units. They are providing intel to other stores, malls and law enforcement because of the growing rash of ORGANIZED CRIME outfits getting into retail theft. Just as you said, a team of boosters would blow into a dept. store, sweep through and boost small/valuable items--though some are bold enough to nab big stuff like DVD players IN THE BOX--and then move on to the next store or shopping center. A Target store informed a local mall that they had been hit and sure enough, the boost team came to that outdoor mall and hit 3 stores before Security could react. This intel sharing and investigations by Target's own security service broke open the ring...they had hit all kinds of store and one of the crew admitted her personal best was boosting $8,000 worth of crap in ONE DAY!

Confronting these teams while they are in the middle of a boost is NOT a good idea! They've sent several people to the hospital. I don't even understand how Wal-Mart still allows the 90 year old man to try and stop people when the NoGo alarm goes off! You could sneeze on the man and he'd crack into little bits. Imagine if someone had a knife or a gun? Oh wait, that's right, most WM's in states that issue concealed carry permits have a sign that says "No weapons allowed" and of course the bad guys pay attention to that!

I grew up in a family business - sold furniture, clothing, some food stuffs, and porcelin ware. We would get shoplifting teams come in and they would sometimes cause a distraction at one end while the others worked the store elsewhere (we had one floor with 3500' and another with about 1800'). We got to the point where we could spot them coming in and we would just declare the store was closing for lunch... and if they had been inside a while before we noticed them we could close shop and call security... then conduct a search of the store for missing goods before we let them go. Once we had security go to thier car as a few of them escaped before we could lock the doors - and at the car we found they had stolen steaks from the supermarket ... in addition to some things fromour store and other local stores. So... really the stories I have from the 25 years my family had that store are virtually endless. Including the stories of theft, gangs, and general business so on.

ON another note... while googling for images I ran across a few interesting images from Kansas. There they have a program suggesting they are stiff in punishing drivers who drive off without paying for thier fuel. I did not read through everything as I was mostly trolling for entertaining images - but here it is ... it's a bumper sticker I think...

 

[justmestace]

Here's the new Furr Baby

He is waaaay too cute!!

 

[jonesing]

Might be fun to watch.....

How many PO'ed cabin mates does it take to hog-tie JR?

Not to worry...he might not make TOAL:

I know my wife is silently bracing for the day that is still to come, although with her, she still has a pair of grandmothers alive -- the women in her family live forever. The men die early. Her dad and I claim to understand why.

Well JR buddy, it was nice knowing you!

 

[jonesing]

Warning bad news post so please read at your own risk!


I hesitate to post this here, mainly because I hate bringing this thread down & you are all having such fun, but since I did let you all know that I had to fly down to Florida as soon as we got back from HHI, because my mother had yet another blockage in her heart & I think it's only fair I keep you updated. We since found out it she was inoperable due to her age (77), emphazema, etc. & unfortunately she passed away yesterday. I am truly okay & at peace, especially since I got to say my goodbyes a few weeks ago. The last time I spoke with her was on was fittingly on Mother's Day. She is in a way better place than she had been in a very long time & truly she kept saying she was tired & she just wanted to go. She was back & forth from a rehab hospital to a regular hospital. She was on her death bed one minute & fine the next. She went back in the hospital Sunday due to congestive heart failure. They had her sitting in the chair yesterday & she asked to lay down because she was not feeling well & she died shortly after. The nurses say she passed peacefully. She is to be cremated & her remains sent up here for burial with my father. We are hoping for a graveside service next weekend so I probably won't be on much next week. But really I am fine & in fact had posted as usual yesterday, shortly after finding out. I was enjoying all the POC intrigue & didn't want to interrupt.

Sorry for your loss.

Just to let you know--and the mortuary should know this:
The only service that will (knowingly) transport cremains is the Postal Service. They must be in a leakproof container and sent via REGISTERED MAIL!! We sent DFIL back to Delaware in his military urn from Mainely Urns

which we bought online. Hey, his urn with US Army medallion was $99 online vs. $350 from the mortuary! By law they have to let you use your own if you provide one. Actually, the mortuary lady told us that if we had wanted one of those porcelain looking vases then we should just go to Pier 1 and get one of theirs for 25% of what she would charge us!

Anyway, FIL's urn fit right nicely into one of those flat-rate USPS Priority Mail shipping boxes. This was handy because had we paid by weight, we would have paid triple the postage fees. Our friend who got the box said the mail carrier was sweating bullets because of all the stickers: REGISTERED MAIL, INSURED, DELIVERY CONFIRMATION etc. In case you didn't know, registered mail has to be sealed and postmark stamped on all edges, corners and seams! The carrier thought the box had gold or something!

 

[Grandma x3]

Here's the new Furr Baby

Oh my - I just melted - what a adorable pup. Enjoy!!!!

 

[Friend_of_Piglet]

Warning bad news post so please read at your own risk!


I hesitate to post this here, mainly because I hate bringing this thread down & you are all having such fun, but since I did let you all know that I had to fly down to Florida as soon as we got back from HHI, because my mother had yet another blockage in her heart & I think it's only fair I keep you updated. We since found out it she was inoperable due to her age (77), emphazema, etc. & unfortunately she passed away yesterday. I am truly okay & at peace, especially since I got to say my goodbyes a few weeks ago. The last time I spoke with her was on was fittingly on Mother's Day. She is in a way better place than she had been in a very long time & truly she kept saying she was tired & she just wanted to go. She was back & forth from a rehab hospital to a regular hospital. She was on her death bed one minute & fine the next. She went back in the hospital Sunday due to congestive heart failure. They had her sitting in the chair yesterday & she asked to lay down because she was not feeling well & she died shortly after. The nurses say she passed peacefully. She is to be cremated & her remains sent up here for burial with my father. We are hoping for a graveside service next weekend so I probably won't be on much next week. But really I am fine & in fact had posted as usual yesterday, shortly after finding out. I was enjoying all the POC intrigue & didn't want to interrupt.

 

[Grandma x3]

Hi -
I'm packiing - my son-in-law is graduating college tomorrow & then we're off to Las Vegas to celebrate - he's a Monty Python fan so we're seeing "Spamalot"

I really am dis-addicted - I am bringing my laptop along! LOL! Along w/champagne and a triple chocolate cake!
Will miss chat yet again - one of these days.....I keep saying that!

Cheers!

 

[Friend_of_Piglet]

Funny you should ask, I'm either going to be known as The Coolest Dad or The Biggest Fool. Anyhow here it is: Back early in the school year I made a deal with Angelina, something we have done several times in the past, but not to this extent. Well, Angelina kept her part of the bargain and since I am a dad of my word, I did as well. Last evening, I still shutter at the thought, we took Angelina to get her reward and I am adding a pic of it below.

Now, it's time to get my ST up so she can get ready for school.

Well, this reminded me of a bet I made with my Dad in High School. Also, over Math grades I bet that if I passed math he would let me go to Rosarito, Mexico with my best friend and her very easy-going and permissive parents for a week in the summer. Well when it came time to pay up, my dad got crafty . He said, "Wouldn't I rather have a new tv, stereo and my own vcr instead?" I took the bait.

 

[captaincrash]

Well, this reminded me of a bet I made with my Dad in High School. Also, over Math grades I bet that if I passed math he would let me go to Rosarito, Mexico with my best friend and her very easy-going and permissive parents for a week in the summer. Well when it came time to pay up, my dad got crafty . He said, "Wouldn't I rather have a new tv, stereo and my own vcr instead?" I took the bait.

As my spouse knows ....

... I am the master of sweet talking my way through a mess into what I want. Now... not that I am successful all the time ... but I generally find that being creative, agile and nice to people is a very constructive approach that works for me. And... by creative I don't mean fibbing. So.... I'll have to keep all these great ideas and opinions in mind for use 10-12 years from now! <chuckles!>

 

[Friend_of_Piglet]

Add me to the list, I've never seen any of the Star War films either, they just aren't my cup of tea.

Me too. I've never seen any of the Star Wars films either.

 

[Friend_of_Piglet]

Hi -
I'm packiing - my son-in-law is graduating college tomorrow & then we're off to Las Vegas to celebrate - he's a Monty Python fan so we're seeing "Spamalot"

I really am dis-addicted - I am bringing my laptop along! LOL! Along w/champagne and a triple chocolate cake!
Will miss chat yet again - one of these days.....I keep saying that!

Cheers!

Congratulations!!! Have fun at the show and in Vegas.