Targeted

 I think we were targeted. 

Why? 

Sometimes our drivers think we have a lot of money (if we did, we wouldn't be riding paratransit).  In fact, I remember a couple years ago (September 16, 2011)

A driver picked us up.  She always believed that we had a lot of money because we were self-employed.  We kept telling her otherwise.   She gossiped about us to other clients - admitted this to us - and told them we had a lot of money (which we don't). 

"We rarely ride with a young woman who is disabled. Her speech reflects a deep level of ignorance.. Again, "average" intelligence. She is very into drama; lots of shouted, dramatic, conversations with friends or family member, loud gossip, etc. She was crying poverty. She lived with her mother, who provided the food and paid all the bills, and "only" lived on the entire disability check every month (nearly what I make). She was very ungrateful, and whining loudly.

[She had a state of the art, latest model cell phone]


God forbid I have to live with my family, they will be getting money, gratitude, and a hell of a lot of chores! That's apparently just me! I need to tell them this.

First of all, we're not hiring. That's what we told them. Secondly, we don't make enough to pay ourselves, much less someone else. We also shared this. What we didn't say, is that we wouldn't have hired her if she was the last person on the planet. Lastly, she couldn't have done the job. I may have done another blog on the subject.

It was obvious she would not be an effective, productive, employee. The driver was really upset. She had it all laid out in her head; we would hire this woman, and "save" her from the poverty of "all bills paid" living (except for the cell phone, boo-hoo) with free room and board, and a disability check on top like a freaking cherry on an ice cream cone. NO WAY.

I didn't appreciate the fact that the driver had CLEARLY been gossiping about us to this woman. I gossip, yes. Not like that. I certainly don't imply someone else will hire you! She acted like she already had the job. [snort]

We had several drivers like that - because we "work at the Post Office" we have a lot of money.  We don't work for the post office.  We have some vending machines there.  Big difference. 

Some drivers got angry because I wouldn't tell them "how to get the good Post Office job" (in their mind, 50K a year, lots of on the job socializing, union and good benefits).  I'd tell them the only post office job was a PSE, who makes about $9 an hour, part time.  They would get angry at me, like I was with-holding the "good" job from them.  I got a lot of attitude at times. 

For years, my family have bought Ron Amazon Gift Cards - so he can buy music.  Most of his music library is thanks to my family.  Ron will play his music on his talking book machine, off a flash drive.  A lot of people, drivers and other passengers, have made jokes about "I need to steal that" for themselves.  Maybe, he wonders, one of them did.  They took the "good" computer because it would have had the "good" music, right? Wrong. 

I hope they enjoy my Gospel Metal.  [snerk]  I can just see it in my head!  AAAAH!  TURN IT OFF!  [laughing harder] 

I think it was a former driver - told someone if they didn't actively participate.  Drivers can be fired for a lot of things.  Money is tight.  Oh, yeah, that blind guy in the orange house was loaded.  Let's hit it. 

No wonder they trashed the bedroom.  They were pissed. 

Now, this is all a theory.  I don't know who did it.  I don't know why they did it.  Ron actually got me started on this and who knows.  He may be right. 

Most of my drivers are completely awesome.  I love them all. 

That's why this hurts.  Whoever did this clearly targeted us.  We were only gone an hour.  They had to know us.  And if they knew us, I knew them, and they still did this to me. 

That hurts.