18 February 2012

Work-Dodging Roundup

"I'm an American and I refuse to be treated this way" sorts of reactions are as uncommon here as they are unwelcomed.

We're talking about a really bad neighbourhood of Kansas City, Missouri.  Too many of its local employees are skipping work.  What'll happen is, usually the worker will bring his briefcase and his mocha latte with him when he leaves the front door in the morning.

Then he sneaks off and goes to hang out with friends. 

The economy is really suffering already.  Production being down because of absenteeism sure isn't helping, so employers in this area have teamed up with the Kansas City Police Department to do something about it.  The patrol cars are on the move...

Look.  Here are three guys on the corner yukking it up, discussing sports teams and the warm weather.  Into the back of the paddywagon they go.  The cops bring them to a central holding station and call their families to come and get them.

Family members we interviewed were very grateful for the help.  "We don't want my daddy being tempted to cause trouble," James Barson, Jr. told a reporter, noting that there was a sports bar around the corner that runs ESPN all day.   "No telling how long Daddy woulda missed work if he knew about Double Drink Thursdays."

Due to excessive amounts of cash lying around with nothing to do in this city, the employers and the police also provided counsellors.  Families magically realize how important work is because somebody clucked at them from behind a desk.  Excessive amounts of cash with nothing to do lying around in this city will also provide for three days' worth of in-cubicle suspension for work skippers.  Yep.  That means nothing but solitaire on the company laptop. 

Ok, I'm kidding.  But only just.  Remember, these are American citizens we're talking about being treated this way.  Somehow when the children are black and living in a high-crime area, I guess that matters very little.  Get the kids off the street and into school for their own good. 

My suburb is a short highway drive from the 'hood, but they sure don't pull the paddywagon crap around here.  And I don't see it happening in the near future.

3 comments:

  1. You know we used to have traunt officers [don't know what happened to them] who rounded kids up & put them back in school but you know what? Kids who don't want to be in school disrupt everyone else's learning so I vote we send them to work ~ building roads, clearing streets of rubbish ~ don't care but there are no free rides so if they don't want to be in school they should be working. End of. Thems my thunks.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I s'pose if the "kid" is 18, he should get a job. I just don't think it should be up to the state to tell parents how to raise their kids.

    Which means, I could care less if the children are educated or not, so long as they are not endangering other people. Let their parents deal with it, and if a crime is committed, let them supply the bail money.

    I know some people think truancy is a crime, but I think it is more akin to the "crime" of a slave running away from his "good master." :/

    ReplyDelete
  3. I swear, the way things are going in this country, I wouldn't have been surprised.

    ReplyDelete

Non-troll comments always welcome! :)

Bringing Garbage Home

Some people up the street were throwing this table away. It was in pretty bad shape and one of the legs was off. I've glued the leg back...