Citizen berates firefighters for grocery shopping

http://www.statter911.com/2015/04/0...e-citizen-complaint-on-the-grocery-store-run/

Publicly shaming these citizen Barney Fifes who think because they pay taxes they should be king could be a hit tv show. What a strange person to interject himself into such a mundane activity of a fire department that he can't possibly know anything about.

I'm one who sometimes rolls my eyes at the constant calls for respect for all manner of police, firefighters, and military simply because I feel like they already have it in spades. Seeing stuff like this makes me realize that basic respect for others is not something some people have.

 

I know a lot of people who can't handle the salary + benefits and days and hours off that firefighters get here. it is ridiculous. but you can't blame the firefighters themselves.

 

Who the hell hates firefighters?

 

I get that, and I can even understand this guy wondering why they drove seemingly out of their way. Wasting their time when they are clearly trying to get back to the station is not productive. As you said, this isn't really the fire fighters' deal. They're doing the job they have been assigned and getting the pay they are assigned. All he had to do was talk to their chief (station number is right there on the truck) or the mayor whatever. No reason to badger these guys who in all likelihood are not operating in secret on this grocery run.

This dude lacks any sense of humility.

 

We get called in on 20 times a week where I work. Every time we go to a McDonalds to take a crap or stop at a convenient store to get a Gatorade, you can be rest assured someone is going to get their panties in a bunch. I've heard 500 times about how they pay my salary and won't have me screwing off at a gas station for 5 minutes.

 

I have a friend who hates them with a passion. I guess he has a bunch of relatives that are firefighters and it pisses him off that a bunch of them don't have college degrees and make more money than him and he claims they get an absurd amount of time off and basically sit around and do nothing all day and there is no real risk anymore etc etc. the irony is this same guy has an online masters is paid the masters rate for a teacher in California despite the fact he's a PE coach and essentially is a glorified babysitter. no person I know is overpaid more given a) hours worked, b) time off, c) skills, and d) salary and benefits. he thinks he's underpaid though.

 

That really burns me up. I'm sorry you have to deal with that. I wonder how they'd feel if you showed up to their job and chewed their ass out every time they went to the water cooler or paused at their desk.

 

I wouldn't say there is no risk...

And somebody with an online master's should shut their trap.

 

droski, make sure to point out to him what an idiot he is when firefighters die this summer. As dry as things are.

 

take out 9/11 and statistically it's not among the most unsafe jobs on the planet, but I agree it's not like riding a desk job certainly. what people seem to forget is that during the late 90s here we had huge problems finding new recruits to fire and police and that's where all these benefits came from. now I have a buddy who applied to TAKE THE TEST like 2 years ago and still hasn't been given a date. the mistake, as usual, is continuing the benefit increases and contract increases guaranteed without any look back as to where the job market is.

anyway it's hardly their fault they are overpaid. if anything that shows they were smart enough to get in when the getting was good.

 

this guy is so fat he'd probably drop dead within 5 minutes of being in an actual fire. he also has gone on state disability multiple times because he injured himself while drunk. I'm not allowed by the wife to discuss this type of stuff with him. he once asked me if I was voting for a bill that would raise taxes to shore up teacher pensions and I told him absolutely not and we were already paying way too much. That didn't go over well. He'll have the last laugh though. he and his wife will retire at 60 with 6 figures of guaranteed retirement income while I'm working for another 10 years at least to fund my retirement.

 

Why am I not teaching in California?

 

The jobs are very hard to get at this point. even private school jobs that pay the same salary and have almost zero benefits are seeing 100+ applicants. he's in luck because the state requires PE, but he's the only coach for that school, basically making him unfireable. figure he has almost zero in the nature of grading and preparation and it's quite the nice gig. guy isn't even coaching any teams either. it blows my gasket when he [itch bay]es to me about being underpaid. it's like we've decided that all teachers are underpaid no matter what the criteria.

 

Sorry to hear that. People are so caught up in their own little world, they cannot get past their own ignorance. It is the same thing that happens every time the President goes on a vacation. "He should be fixing the country, dammit, not playing golf."

Yet I bet he does more work in a four hour golf round than most people do in two days.

 

Not to mention all the Presidents spent a lot of time on "vacation" and "golfing," this one not being the worst for it.

 

True, but I meant the general President. They all catch flack for it as if they are somehow immune to being tired and needing to recharge the ole battery.

 

I've got a good friend that's a firefighter. He's got an associates degree and has to take a shit load of continuing education. It all depends on the chief as to whether or not they sit around too.

 

Even if they're not fighting fires, they're usually the first on the scene and see horrible, horrible stuff

 

That's true. And how far up the food chain they are. Just like any other job.

 

I am not sure I could do it. Just don't k ow if I could remain sane.