Big Trouble

I feel like I'm always typing "It's been a wierd couple days".  Well, it has. 

Yesterday morning started out fine, except I missed a good chunk of my God Time.  I overslept. 

I sat in my chair and waited on our ride.  When we reached 15 minutes late, mark, Ron called paratransit.  He shouted "Look outside, they are here". 

I looked outside, and saw what I do everytime:  a quiet suburban street.  No paratransit.  I told Ron.  Dispatch kept insisting they were at our location, because the driver had pushed the "arrive" button. 

If the driver does not push the arrive button, prior to, or on time for the pickup, they get in trouble.  For some, that can be a tempation to push the button when they aren't at the location. 

I suggested dispatch ask the driver to describe her surroundings, and read the street sign at the nearest intersection.  When the driver did that I realized she was miles away. 

I was VERY annoyed.  Dispatch kept saying the driver "Needed (my) help" to get to our location from her location.  That's why they have a Key Map.  That's why they have a GPS!  Frankly, that's why they have dispatch.  "The driver keeps asking for you to get on the line".  Me, I guess, because I "made" her reveal she was nowhere near our location. 

I refused.  I knew the driver was playing "Oh, I can't find you, you have to rescue me!  Oops!  I didn't follow your directions and I got lost again!  Ooops!  But I said I'm sorry so you have to be nice to me while I give you really lame excuses for the next 15 minutes, and an ugly attitude if I even perceive you are annoyed in any way."   When they finally do show up, they give a very cursory apology, spend 5 minutes asking if you're mad (of course I am, but I'm not going to show it because it's part of the game), etc.  I don't care.  Just go! 

They're playing this game:  I make a mistake.  I say I'm sorry.  You have to forgive me.  The only way to break the game is by telling them "You can make all the mistakes you want, but you can't apologize for them"  For the game player, the "It", forcing someone to "forgive" you is the payoff, especially when you know you have hurt them ("Are you late for work?  Are you going to get into trouble?") or caused them a lot of annoyance.  Unfortunately I do encounter this sometimes. 

Interestingly enough, NEVER on the bus.  Bus drivers are far more professional than paratransit drivers. 

I told them Ron could give directions just as well as I could.  And, sure enough, 5 minutes later "Where is she?  How did she get there?  She went right past us!"  Even Ron was getting annoyed. 

I think he really believed she was a "victim" until that point.  So, eventually, she found us. 

I am really proud to say Ron exhibited every fruit of the spirit as he got on that van. 

Galatians 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

 

I was doing good to keep my mouth shut.  It went as the game goes: a lot of excuses.  We were told our house was "very difficult to find" (first time anyone has ever had trouble in 9 years of riding, but I didn't say that - yay me), and "All the drivers must have a lot of trouble finding you."  A cursory apology.  "This stupid GPS is messed up" (no, it was working fine, I could see it).  Then 15 minutes of moaning about the extreme trauma of trying to find us and having to talk to dispatch.  Then "Are you going to be late" with a nasty little lilt on it. 

 

No, I told her, I wouldn't because I worked for my husband.  I made a joke about sleeping with the boss.  She completely wilted. 

 

One, it completely freaked her out that Ron got on, very jolly and happy.  "Things happen, lets move on and get us to work!"  She kept looking at him in the rearview.  He was supposed to be really angry. 

 

I was quiet, so she couldn't accuse me of anything.  That was my best.  I didn't think to ask God to fill me up. 

 

More complaining about the difficulty of the job and such.  I clearly told her the turn off to get us to work.  The GPS did, too.  She passed it up then went "Oh, did I miss it?" another nasty little lilt. 

 

Does the woman do anything besides play games?   I directed her to the other street, got us to work, and we fled the vehicle. 

 

Before she left, she said "Oh, they took all the trips out of my box". 

 

See, when Ron originally called, the dispatcher, when she realized the driver really wasn't on our street, was, in fact, miles away from our street - said "Oh, she's going to be in BIG TROUBLE."