"I pay your salary!"

[SueInBoston]

One parent made that comment to our principal at a school meeting and was boo'd by all parents. The kids transferred to a private school after that year.

 

[LilyWDW]

Only once have I gone to the department chair about a professor and that was this past summer with an online course.

1) The classes started in May and we didn't receive a syllabus until mid June.

2) IF the prof even emailed you back about something, it would take a minimum of 3 days up to two weeks. I had one email not get answered in 5 days, resent it, got an answer 2 days later, sent off another email to clarify something, and got no response for 2 weeks.

3) We were getting no follow ups on our assignments. We got our grades for the first three chapters a week before the class ended (at the start of the semester he had sent an email saying he would send out weekly follow ups on anything turned in).

So yea, I ended up contacting the department chair who looked into it for me. I tried going to the professor, but that did not work at all.

Strangely, after talking to others who took the class, I have yet to find someone who did not get an A....

Mouthing off to a professor is like mouthing off to a police officer. Yes, you can legally do it, but its just not a good idea.

Be glad you're not in my university's English department! Last spring I was in a class where several of my classmates were having problems with the professor (has taught for more than 25 years, the last 17 with my school).

Most of the class agreed that there was a problem, but there was one particular student who was the ring leader. He was a nontraditional student and always seemed to be just a little bit off of whatever we were talking about. He would CONSTANTLY make comments (when he bothered to show up, that is) about the material, but they were wrong and he didn't like being corrected. I'm sure everyone has met someone like this guy. He was definitely impressed with his own intellect and if anyone said anything that wasn't completely praising him and how special and smart he was, he threw a grade-A hissy fit.

Well this guy failed the first three essays. Our entire grade was 4 essays which were spread over the course of the semester. He decided to fabricate this petition and circulate it through our class. I want to make sure this is right, so I just looked in my email (I saved it) and there were 25 items on the petition, every single one was a lie. Fantastical lies actually, like the professor was more than 25 minutes late more than 10 times? Seriously? I never missed a day of the class, so I know who was there and who wasn't. The class never started late. This petition guy was usually late, but our professor was never late.

Well the majority of the class signed this petition and sent it to the English Chair who I'm sure got a good laugh out of it. It was riddled with grammatical and spelling errors.

And while that particular guy failed my class (I only know this because he told EVERYONE! multiple times!) our professor is teaching 5 classes this semester, like usual. I am taking the professor again and he often jokes about when he was petitioned for a redress of grades by a gaggle of angry underclassmen. Clearly, it did not ruin his life.

 

[kaytieeldr]

I am trying to come up with a job where the general public DOESN'T pay your salary and I can't thing of one. If you work for a major corporation, the people that buy/use your products pay your salary.

Even someone who lives solely on investments (and I know someone who does) ultimately is paid by other people!

 

[krcit]

My stock response to that line is "Well, then I'd like to talk to you about getting a raise".

I used to work as a receptionist for a union and heard that line a few times. I always shot back with the "well then, I want a raise' line

 

[The Mayor]

This is what our future holds because of too many parents coddling and hovering over children...not letting them learn from failure or mistakes...not letting them make their own decisions...covering up for them...planning their daily activities to the minute...thinking they are all "special"...if I had ever found out one of my children used that line then they'd be pulling a 10 1/2 out of their backside.

 

[sorcerormickey]

You should try working at WDW. There is a certain group of people that think they can do whatever they want, and when you say something to them, they use that phrase.

 

[DVC-Don]

"I pay your salary!"

Used to hear this all the time when I wrote out a ticket or arrested someone. It was like I was supposed to let them go then.

 

[maraki527]

I have heard it a couple of times. I work for the county government. Sorry people but policy is policy I cant change it.

 

[jen0610]

Mouthing off to a professor is like mouthing off to a police officer. Yes, you can legally do it, but its just not a good idea.

I don't know about a normal force, but during DH's MP days, there was a spot on the back of the office copy of the ticket to make notes. The best one that DH had, was the officers wife who got quite upset that he was issuing her a ticket and did he not know who her husband was. She was doing 25+ in a hospital zone. The kicker, was when he handed her the ticket, she lost it on him, ended the speal by calling him a racist natzi pig. Which he noted on the back of the check.

She fought the ticket and while in court, the JAG officer asked DH if the lady had been insulting. DH repeated that she wanted out of the ticket because of who her hubby was and that when he still issued the ticket she said quite a few things. Which the JAG offier asked him to repeat the parting tirad, which included the above mentioned and presented the office copy of the ticket that showed that the comments were noted on the ticket at the time it was issued. The judge didn't find her comments amusing and enforced the ticket.

 

[Pixie Dust for Me!]

I worked for a Congressman when I was younger. I had a few people pull that line on me. One particular older male (i.e., jerk) consitutent was particularly irate one day over a issue of eligibility for certain benefits. After explaining to him why he wasn't eligible AFTER I had spoken with the agency involved, he proceeded to get in my face...literally....and poke me in the chest repeatedly...while screaming. I very calmly walked over to my desk gave him $.01 and told him that I was refunding him his portion of my salary and that he could get out and never come back again.

After he left, I shook for about a half hour and then called the Congressman I worked for and told him what I did and that he could fire me if he wanted. Fortunately, he didn't. He did, however, make a call to the Federal Marshall's Office who went and visited with the gentleman and informed him he was lucky I wasn't pressing charges.

The man never came to the office again, though I did later learn that he punched a person at the agency where he was seeking benefits from and was arrested and put in jail.

So, what benefits was he seeking....VA benefits! He was dishonorably discharged but still thought the VA should pay for his medical treatment!

Like I said...a jerk!

 

[luvmy3jewels]

If I had a dollar for every time someone made that remark or told me they were going to sue I could retire!!

 

[tlbwriter]

This is what our future holds because of too many parents coddling and hovering over children...not letting them learn from failure or mistakes...not letting them make their own decisions...covering up for them...planning their daily activities to the minute...thinking they are all "special"...if I had ever found out one of my children used that line then they'd be pulling a 10 1/2 out of their backside.

Actually, the people I've heard use it tend to be middle-aged and older. Not kids. It's definitely not a new thing to blame on "these kids today..."

 

[TN Hockey Mom]

And people wonder why those of us that know better are all over a 4th grader's mom for undermining what the teacher is trying to teach in class....

First of all, for the love of God, let it go. Second, whose to say YOU know better??? You have your opinion and I have mine. Not to mention, what you are talking about has NOTHING to do with telling a teacher "I pay your salary."

 

[ChicagoFitnessClub]

My stock response to that line is "Well, then I'd like to talk to you about getting a raise".

LOL if you did that to me, I'd whip out a 5 dollar bill and tuck it in your shirt pocket.

 

[plutotek]

I used to work as a receptionist for a union and heard that line a few times. I always shot back with the "well then, I want a raise' line

Our stock response in the PD I worked in was "So, you're who I need to talk to about a raise!?"

 

[golfgal]

First of all, for the love of God, let it go. Second, whose to say YOU know better??? You have your opinion and I have mine. Not to mention, what you are talking about has NOTHING to do with telling a teacher "I pay your salary."

When a child is disrespectful to a teacher that attitude comes from somewhere and usually that is from home when they hear their parents calling their teachers stupid or when the parents tell the kids they don't have to listen to the teacher. It has EVERYTHING to do with how kids talk to adults.

 

[bicker]

If you ever feel like saying something like this to your teacher or professor, don't. Just walk away. No good will come of it. The professor isn't going to change his policy/approach/attitude. And you're going to end up looking like a great big spoiled brat.

Good advice. We all need to keep in mind that none of us unilaterally pay the salary of any one specific person providing a service to a number of people and/or the public in general.

 

[TN Hockey Mom]

When a child is disrespectful to a teacher that attitude comes from somewhere and usually that is from home when they hear their parents calling their teachers stupid or when the parents tell the kids they don't have to listen to the teacher. It has EVERYTHING to do with how kids talk to adults.

I'm not having anymore of these conversations with you on this board. I will gladly discuss it with you off the boards if you wish! However, I would like for you to, please, go find exactly where I stated that my DS was disrespectful to his teacher. I even stated in one reply that he would do anything this teacher asked him to do because he was very proud to be in her class. I never called his teacher stupid or told him he didn't have to listen to her either. I said I disagreed with her and I feel I have the right to question her. You need to get your facts straight before you attack me!!!!

 

[Mary•Poppins]

I worked for a Congressman when I was younger. I had a few people pull that line on me. One particular older male (i.e., jerk) consitutent was particularly irate one day over a issue of eligibility for certain benefits. After explaining to him why he wasn't eligible AFTER I had spoken with the agency involved, he proceeded to get in my face...literally....and poke me in the chest repeatedly...while screaming. I very calmly walked over to my desk gave him $.01 and told him that I was refunding him his portion of my salary and that he could get out and never come back again.

After he left, I shook for about a half hour and then called the Congressman I worked for and told him what I did and that he could fire me if he wanted. Fortunately, he didn't. He did, however, make a call to the Federal Marshall's Office who went and visited with the gentleman and informed him he was lucky I wasn't pressing charges.

The man never came to the office again, though I did later learn that he punched a person at the agency where he was seeking benefits from and was arrested and put in jail.

So, what benefits was he seeking....VA benefits! He was dishonorably discharged but still thought the VA should pay for his medical treatment!

Like I said...a jerk!

Wow ... just wow!

I would like to add that it starts at a young age. I have had 6 year olds ... yes 6, tell me that their mom and dad were going to sue me because I made them sit in the time-out chair!

 

[nuttylawprofessor]

Well. Alrighty.

To the PP who think that "I pay your salary" might be appropriate when the prof. is off his rocker, you're still wrong. That sort of comment will prevent any productive conversation regarding what might be legitimate gripes. That line eliminates any credibility.