The Failure To Fall For The Bait And Switch...

An update from the last post.   This afternoon, before Work,  I visited the Boost Mobile store/rehab/parole Office again with my account in hand!  ( figuratively speaking.)   I was shocked to see the same kid there from last night standing  behind the bullet proof glass.  He was "helping" a couple of ladies set up a phone and service for "Grandma."  And it did not seem to be going well.  

First,   the kid sounded like he was whispering the entire time.   I'm sure the inch thick bullet proof glass had something to do with the volume level.   But, in addition to the difficulty in understanding what he was saying....  there was a difficulty  in understanding...  What he was saying. 

In other words,  the ladies seemed about as confused as I was.  The younger lady ( the daughter, I'm assuming.)   was just trying to get the phone and the plan on the cheap.   Simple!   She is an older lady with limited means and  few requirements.   She needed a phone. ..  To call for help or to keep in contact with the family.   Period.   Simple!  

But I guess the kid could not understand simple.  Or was having trouble explaining "simple" as their store would have it.  

To top it off,  the two ladies had a young kid there.   Who could not sit still or keep quiet.  As he ran around looking for anything to entertain himself with,  the grandma tried to quiet him while the "mother" of the kid kept talking and ignoring the zoomie tornado running around the lobby.   

I sat quietly next to the solitary kioske and folded one of the pamphlets into an origami goat.   

What else could I do?  

Finally,  it was my turn.   I walked up; acknowledged our previous meeting; and proceeded to give him my account information.  Simple!

He asked for it again...   And again.   ( Did he not hear me the previous two times?)   After talking on the phone/zoom call with what I can only imagine was the owner/tech guy of the store...   he informed me that the "best" they could offer me was $60/ a month plan.   

Um...  What?  

He must have noticed when he brought up my account that I had somehow achieved the impossible with an incredible deal of only $8 BUCKS A MONTH plan.   $8 Bucks!  No no....  I would rather pay 60 dollars for a service that I am already well satisfied with.   I doubt they could offer me any upgrades that I would use.   Everything I need is covered in the plan that is only $8 Bucks!   A spoon that works is still a spoon.   No matter how much gold and gems you encrust on it.  

I politely declined the offer and asked if I could just purchase the phone.   I looked on the boost website and the phone that I was interested in was around $200.. And I was willing to pay that if I could solve this problem here and now. 

After a look of confusion left his face,  he began typing on the computer again.   He could sell me the phone for $250.00.   

Um...  What?  

What is that extra $50 bucks for?   That was not even including tax!   With tax it was approaching $270!   

I considered the android phone that was the cheapest they had.  And that was still $200.00 before taxes.  And was far inferior to the one I had my mind on.  After a few minutes of hesitation.   I declined the offer and walked out.  I doubt I will be back. 

So... another day with no phone.   And I'm miraculously still alive!   I doubt anyone has even called or texted to notice that I have not responded in my usual quick shot style.  And although I know it will be bothersome in the future, (mostly for banking and ID checks.)  I know that I will continue to survive until the new phone arrives on Wednesday.  You see,  I logged on to my Amazon account and purchased one on line. ( for FAR cheaper!)  It will arrive before Christmas. 

So...  Retailers!   If you want to compete with Amazon and all that online marketing.  Have knowledgeable staff and easy to access goods and services.   The big drawback from ordering stuff online is that I can't ask questions about anything to a knowledgeable professional.   And,  let's face it,   "Tech" is not my strong suit.  I use the tech I'm familiar with and that is all.  I would rather chase butterflies or hunt mushrooms rather than play on a phone for hours to learn all of it's features..  So setting this new one up might be a bit of a challenge.  

But given the alternative that I witnessed over the last two days,  I'm sure I can do better.   And probably with less of a headache.   And once it is up and running, I will slowly fill in the gaps and learn what else there is to know.   If I can do it in less than an hour, I will consider the $100 dollars in savings worth it.  

And then I can make every second count. 

The Complexity Of Simplicity.

"It's EASY to Switch!"   

Beware those word.   Whenever anyone says something is easy....  They really mean it is "Easy for Them!"  And, instead of explaining the nuances of that statement... ( and thus.. complicating it!)   I will instead tell you a story that recently happened to me. 

Last night... in the chill of the winter wind,  my aged Phone "died" while reading a text.  

Initially,  I thought it was simply low on battery.   So I plugged it in and waited a couple hours to start it up and continue reading the text.  But.... 

Nothing happened.  

After playing with it for several minutes, I decided that my phone had breathed it's last and figured I would purchase another one.   A newer one!  The phone was a gift, after all.   So it was already up there in years as my benefactor had upgraded their phone.  So squeezing a few extra years of life out of this phone was a good deal. 

And there was an excitement of having to purchase a new item now.  With all of those christmas deals flying around....  I figured the "cheapest" phone now would be light years ahead of what I had.    So,   after work today, I headed to the Boost Mobile store, just three miles from my residence.  

I have to say,  first impressions are everything.   And this place certainly made an impression.  It looked less like a Tech Store and more like a place where they have needle exchanges.   The place was empty except for some samples that were bolted to the wall.   There was a single kiosk in the center of the room and one associate behind a huge sheet of bullet proof glass!   He communicated with a small sliding window.   A rather odd place to place of business.

I stepped up to ask about purchasing a new phone and explained the situation.   He pulled out a new phone that I recently saw advertised and I stated I would take it.   Simple!

Not so fast....

I had to tell him my account.   I have an account with Boost mobile, after all.  ( a really great deal!   $8/mo for unlimited talk and text and several gigs of data. )   They take out their payment  once a year.  

So what is your PIN number?  

Um...  I don't know. 

It's saved on the phone...   Which is broke.  Which is why I am here.  

Enter your Email and it should allow you to change your password.   Except.. My phone is broke... and I can't access my email unless I'm on my laptop.  

You can also find your information on the app....  Which is only on my phone...  Which is broke. 

After a back and forth,  I can see the writing on the wall.   This kid does not know anything other than how to set up new customers.   So I decide I will go home and wrestle with it there....  Online.

I go to the web page,  follow the instructions, enter my email... But they continue to send me a text to verify that it is me!   Which I can't read... because my phone is broke!   

Frustration, followed by maniacal laughter  is the resulting response.  I am in a doom loop!  A "Catch 22"  I need my phone to get help to fix my phone so I can get a new phone.  But my phone is broke... making it impossible to get a new phone or fix the broken one.  

I did find the chat...  which is automated.   And kept sending my phone texts so I could enter a new PIN or Password.    They finally gave me a phone number to call for a LIVE PERSON!   Except.... you guessed it!  My PHONE IS BROKE!

After working a full morning shift at Haribo  I was in no mood to go back and try to hammer out the details in the presents of the employee and  an audience. (Even though I was the  only one in there. ) So I went went home and figured I would work it out there.   Something had to give. 

I find it funny how we get talked into these "Simple" items that are "supposed" to make life "Simpler."   And after we become dependant on them. ( Passwords remembered, banking, communication,...)  They fail... and we discover just how COMPLICATED it all actually was! 

I suppose the idea is that people upgrade...  Rather than fix or replace a phone.   I mean...  I'm sure the default is that EVERYONE has a phone.   and they will send a text code to your old phone so you can replace it with the new one.  I mean... It is INCONCEIVABLE that someone lost, broke or had their phone stolen...  right?  

But for those of us in the "Imaginary Margin" of "No Phone"...   The system is broken.   

Just like my phone. 

The happy ending to this story is that I did managed to break into my account through sheer tenacity.  Hopefully,   with my account now accessible,  I will be able to replace the phone tomorrow morning... before I have to go back to work. (Yes!  We are working this Sunday.)  I'm hoping I will have  someone who is slightly more knowledgeable than the last guy...  and I will not have any more surprises thrown at me.  Just sell me the phone,  transfer the SIM card and I'll be on my Merry way.  

Easy!    So Easy Ryan Reynold's puppy can do it... In a Christmas Sweater vest!

And then I'll be able to text Christina a response.    And be available for anyone else to contact me....   If they ever want to.  

Another Day donated to Haribo.   It went by fast...  and was fun.   So it was not really like work.  But it is time I was not able to complete other things.   And with the Holidays almost upon us... I find every second precious now.   And it is becoming a challenge to make every second count. 

A Busy Week Of Snow And Making People Famous!

It was a busy week at the Haribo.   The previous week, the passerelle ( a conveyer-like machine that wraps and  carries pallets from the Factory to the Warehouse)  Was "down".   It is always down for a short time,  but the wrapper was having serious issues and that forced us to be unable to move pallets to the warehouse.  And things began to Pile Up!  

I wish I could have taken a picture of the "Great Wall" of pallets we had built.   But cellphones and photos are not allowed in the factory ( for obvious reasons.) But I assure you is was a sight to behold.   

The Passerella eventually got fixed, but the lines continued to run.  And without AGV ( Robot) assistance, the task of tearing the wall down got continually pushed back... To Saturday.  

And I volunteered to come in and help out.  

It should have been like last Saturday,  But this weekend they had 4 additional lines operational.   With lines in use, that means they need boxes, film, gummies, and special assistance from time to time with pallet removal and restock. In other words:  It keeps us from being able to solely focus on clearing the floor.   

In addition to that,  the Warehouse guys were not working.   So one of our Fork Truck Drivers had to go there to unload the Passerella.   From what I hear,  the Floor of the warehouse is now as cluttered as our was.   I'm sure they will be happy about that on Monday. 

We DID manage to tear down the wall and clear out enough pallets to allow the AGV's to run.   And that helped a bit.   ( We still have to drive around them:  And fix them when they are "stuck".)  And I stayed an extra hour or so to try to clear out the back half.  With the Third Shift arriving, it freed me up to focus exclusively on the pallet piled up in the back.   It takes me 3 minutes to drive the entire length of the factory, pick up a double stack of pallets, and bring it to the Passarella.  That is Without any AGV dodging or slow downs due to "Shakky Pallets" So theoretically,   in 30 minutes I "should" be able to move 20 pallets. (10 trips. Two pallets each trip.) 

By the time I left,  There were still 19 stacks of pallets in the back.  That's not counting the nooks and crannies of double stacked pallets all tucked in-between.  Hopefully third shift managed to clean up the rest during their shift.  

 It was late by the time I finished ( after 1 A.M.) and it was beginning to snow.  Luckily, I have a Subaru, and even with my tired state,  I was able to make it home without issue.  The Snowplows were not out in force at that time,  so the snow began to pile up.   In fact,  when I went to Church at 8 A.M.   The roads were still rather sloppy.   

But Luckily,  I have a Subaru. 

The snow does bring out the Christmas Spirit, though.   And Haribo has fully embraced the season with lobby decorations and family picture events.  They also celebrated their third year of Operation!  IT is hard to believe it has only been operational for three years.   And I was "here" ( in kenosha.. Not Haribo)  During that construction phase.   I saw the building being put up and the big letters being painted on the side of the factory.  They started up around the same time Zebra did ( Then GXO) So I drove by the Haribo Factory every day and could see the progress. Such fond memories.

And finally:  Remember that Blog post about Lydia?   I told her I was going to make her famous with my 6 regular readers.    Turns out...  I was right! 

I was grabbing a coffee on my way to church this morning and casually glanced down at the newspaper to see her sporting the  front page!  I snapped a picture, but should have bought the paper and read the article.   Now, everyone is going to want to visit the clubhouse and see the awesome bartender who puts up those amazing Christmas Decorations.  

I guess the article is about her hosting a "Pop-Up" bar somewhere in Kenosha.  ( Again, I did not read the article..)  But I will ask and see where and when.   Perhaps I will stop in for a visit.   Or maybe she is going to open her own bar!   Wouldn't that be cool?

As for now,   Monday is only a few hours away, and I have to get some recovery time before starting it all back up again.  I shoveled a small path to the front door so the mail guy can deliver and now I am curled up in front of the fireplace with a warm beverage.   A little peace and quiet to help me make every second count.

Welcome! New Citizen To The United States Of America

Today was a very special Day!   Norma, a co-worker at Haribo,  took her American Citizen test and Passed!    She was sworn in Yesterday and is now a Full Fledged American!  (Hooray!)  

I wanted to blog about this because, if you ever met Norma,  She is Instantly Loveable!  Friendly, Always  Smiling,  Helpful...   And occasionally playfully cheeky.  She will instantly remind you of one of your favorite aunts from your childhood. ( You know... the Cool/fun one!   We all have at least one of those, right?)   She shows up everyday and works hard at the Mini-s and often helps new folks out with any questions.  ( Usually ME!   Because I always have questions about what goes where and who asked for what...)  

So it was a joyful surprise to learn that she was going to be off on Monday to gain her citizenship.   She was a little nervous about the test, but got only three wrong (Out of 37 questions... I think) I know that the process is more difficult that just a simple "multiple guess" test.   But  She did it.   And now gets to Vote, Pay taxes, and gripe about how the crappy politicians are RUINING  the country.... Just like all of the rest of us!   How fun!  

I think the overwhelming majority of Americans ( i.e.  U.S. Citizens!)  Take our citizenship for granted.  And really do not understand the struggle many people take to earn that privilege.   Norma said she had to learn the language and never thought she spoke it well enough. ( She speaks it perfectly!) My grandfather was just the same.   He never spoke Swedish around us when we were kids.   But he always had a heavy accent.    He had to learn the language,  work hard, and learn the "American Way" that Native Born people take for granted.  

It is a difficult time in this country to bring up this topic of citizenship.   There is a Difference between Citizen and "civilian."   The Roman Empire  knew this.   And being able to gain citizenship was a huge advantage for the ones who lived under their rule.  Robert Heinlein was able to voice his opinion in his writing of  Starship Troopers:   Citizens are individuals who have completed some form of federal service, which grants them the right to vote and hold public office, as they have proven their civic virtue by putting the good of the public above their own. Civilians are those who have not performed federal service, possess all civil rights and protections, can earn a living, but do not have the right to vote or hold office. 

And there is a difference between legal and Illegal immigration.  The legal way it long, and fairly difficult.  (Learning a new language from scratch HAS to be difficult!  I know it was for every Language Class I was even in.) But in the end,  you have Citizens!  (Like a Pilot or Doctor gaining their License.)   People who know the culture,  know the language,  and have become integrated with those of us around a common land and heritage.  But before this blog posts slips into a political rant, let me get back to what I originally wanted to write about:  

Norma Garza.  Welcome to the US!   We are proud and honored to have you!  And may your example show others how it is done and how rewarding it can be.  I knew a number of foreign people in my life who were in the process  or  already had gained citizenship.   And they were the most fun  people to talk to.   And they looked at their struggles as a ladder to be climbed and a challenge to overcome.   So be proud of your achievement! And may you enjoy your new life as an American Citizen.   

And Make Every Second Count....