Well, I (finally) received a response from my Allergies, Annoyance, and Alliteration email. Out of all the places I emailed… only one response. How sad. They must have all deemed me a little too crazy… Even Helene below just passed me on to Charlotte.

While I do this all for amusement, it’s cool to see some cities & organizations tackling this issue. It seems like they’re a lot more tough on these sorts of things in Canada than they are down here. Perhaps I should again bug the government… It’s not like they have anything better to do. Right?

Forwarded message
From: Charlotte Collins Charlotte

Date: Fri, Dec 18, 2009 at 12:39 PM
Subject: RE: Allergy Concerns & Subway Restaurants?
To: world.and.lunar.domination
Cc: Info Info

Dear Eric,

Thank you for sharing your experiences with Subway. They are but a microcosm of the retail restaurant world. Your query about training “in the ways of sanitary work stations, cross contamination, allergens, and general good hygiene” has not been lost on policy makers in some localities. New York City and St. Paul, Minnesota have enacted laws to promote food allergy awareness and ingredient transparency this year. Both laws require an awareness poster to be displayed in the employee area of restaurants and a flier displaying photos of the 8 major allergens in the US and common items that can cause cross contamination (see below). These laws are not perfect, but they are a start brought about by advocates like you who voice their outrage. Keep it up and be sure to let your local and state lawmakers know of your concerns.

Charlotte Collins

St. Paul Ordinance food allergy poster designed Hospitality Minnesota, St. Chamber of Commerce, and the Anaphylaxis & Food Allergy Association of Minnesota (AFAA).

From: Info
Sent: Friday, December 18, 2009 9:34 AM
To: Charlotte Collins
Subject: FW: Allergy Concerns & Subway Restaurants?

To Charlotte:

Do you want to respond to this?

Helene

From: ERiC AiXeLsyD [mailto:world.and.lunar.domination]
Sent: Friday, December 18, 2009 8:46 AM
To: canieatthere; info; foodallergyqueen; allergicgirl; vpetrancosta
Subject: Allergy Concerns & Subway Restaurants?

Aloha Allergy Afflicted Amigos,

Please see my experience with Subway’s lack of concern for allergens and cross-contamination highlighted below, surrounded by their ensuing lack of customer service/respect. Their final unapologetic apology can be viewed on my blog.

I find their lack of concern quite disturbing. What can be done to make companies like this more aware of these issues that can be deadly for a certain percent of the population?

While shellfish is surely simple to sidestep, what about my peeps that are petrified by peanuts, terrans that are terrified by tree-nuts, friends that are fearful of fish, my mates that are mired by milk, my sidekicks that are scared of soy, or my well-wishers that are weary of wheat?

Thank you in advance for your time, and I hope you have a safe & happy Thanksgiving holiday!

Always Anti-Anaphylaxis,
-ERiC AiXeLsyD

Well, I (finally) received a response from my Allergies, Annoyance, and Alliteration email. Out of all the places that  I emailed… only one response.  How sad.  They must have all deemed me a little too crazy…   Even Helene below just passed me on to Charlotte.

While I do this all for amusement, it’s cool to see some cities & organizations tackling this issue.  It seems like they’re a lot more tough on these sorts of things in Canada than they are down here.   Perhaps I should again bug the government… It’s not like they have anything better to do.  Right?

From: Charlotte Collins Charlotte@aafa.org
Date: Fri, Dec 18, 2009 at 12:39 PM
Subject: RE: Allergy Concerns & Subway Restaurants?
To: world.and.lunar.domination@gmail.com
Cc: Info Info@aafa.org

Dear Eric,

Thank you for sharing your experiences with Subway. They are but a microcosm of the retail restaurant world. Your query about training “in the ways of sanitary work stations, cross contamination, allergens, and general good hygiene” has not been lost on policy makers in some localities. New York City and St. Paul, Minnesota have enacted laws to promote food allergy awareness and ingredient transparency this year. Both laws require an awareness poster to be displayed in the employee area of restaurants and a flier displaying photos of the 8 major allergens in the US and common items that can cause cross contamination (see below). These laws are not perfect, but they are a start brought about by advocates like you who voice their outrage. Keep it up and be sure to let your local and state lawmakers know of your concerns.

Charlotte Collins

St. Paul Ordinance food allergy poster designed Hospitality Minnesota, St. Chamber of Commerce, and the Anaphylaxis & Food Allergy Association of Minnesota (AFAA).

From: Info
Sent: Friday, December 18, 2009 9:34 AM
To: Charlotte Collins
Subject: FW: Allergy Concerns & Subway Restaurants?

To Charlotte:

Do you want to respond to this?

Helene

From: ERiC AiXeLsyD [mailto:world.and.lunar.domination]
Sent: Friday, December 18, 2009 8:46 AM
To: canieatthere; info; foodallergyqueen; allergicgirl; vpetrancosta
Subject: Allergy Concerns & Subway Restaurants?

Aloha Allergy Afflicted Amigos,

Please see my experience with Subway’s lack of concern for allergens and cross-contamination highlighted below, surrounded by their ensuing lack of customer service/respect. Their final unapologetic apology can be viewed on my blog.

I find their lack of concern quite disturbing. What can be done to make companies like this more aware of these issues that can be deadly for a certain percent of the population?

While shellfish is surely simple to sidestep, what about my peeps that are petrified by peanuts, terrans that are terrified by tree-nuts, friends that are fearful of fish, my mates that are mired by milk, my sidekicks that are scared of soy, or my well-wishers that are weary of wheat?

Thank you in advance for your time, and I hope you have a safe & happy Thanksgiving holiday!

Always Anti-Anaphylaxis,
-ERiC AiXeLsyD

Juts found this site, haven’t looked around much, but it looks to be awesome.

More upon further review…

http://www.canieatthere.blogspot.com

Buyer Beware: American Mountain Rentals, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, Sevierville, Smoky Mountains cabin review, News, Cabin news, Customer Review, “Know the truth before you book”

Avoid this cabin rental company at all costs. 

The 100% completely false advertisement for their 1 bedroom cabin reads:
“In the master bedroom, you will want to snuggle in the king size bed for a restful night’s sleep after a relaxing soak in the corner Jacuzzi. When you wake in the morning, you won’t have to get out of bed to hear the morning news, just hit the remote to turn on the television mounted in the corner of the room. Convenience is everything!”

I needed some well deserved relaxation after a long fall and I decided to go up to tennesee.  I was looking forward to the promise of jucuzzi’s, snuggling in bed in the back woods, all for $165/night.  The total came to $204 with tax and booking fee of $30?  When I arrived this was the real experience at American Mountain Rentals “Boogie Down” 1 bedroom cabin in Pigeon Forge. 

Arrived on Friday at Boogie Down at American Mountain Rental
- Dead Flies and Spiders every where (see Photo)!  Called the rental office. No apology.  Asked to speak with the manager, informed that the manager was on vacation.  Keep in mind that this is the busy “peak season”.  Yet the manager was still on vacation and no one in charge.  I am told, “We will send house cleaning over later tonight”

flies come standard at american mountain rentals

- Tried to take a jacuzzi bath the “relaxing soak in the corner Jacuzzi” as advertised.  As I go to turn on the water, I read a warning that says the Hot Water heater is not big enough for the bath, so you can’t fill the tub up with hot water. Advises to start with a mix of hot and cold and top it off with Hot. I go to turn on the Jacuzzi jets and its not operational.  Now I am sitting in a cold bath with NO Jacuzzi.  I call head office. No manager. No apology.

- The TV is there but it doesn’t WORK! Tried to watch TV in the bed room.  The Cable and TV not working.  So much for convenience. So much for the “just hit the remote to turn on the television mounted in the corner of the room.”

- TO TOP IT OFF -
BROKEN BED – Got into the bed.  Broken Bed.  All of the springs in the $20 bed were broken.  I could barely sleep. The “snuggle in the king size bed for a restful night’s sleep” is total BS.  Try sleeping in a bed that is 8 inches thick with broken coils. 

Called to speak with the Manager Jeff Craig.  Did not get a call back. Called and left another message.  Spoke with Jeff who did not offer anything.  Jeff says the bed is not their problem, its the home owners responsibility.

Still waiting for a call back from the “owner” Mike McQueen.
AVOID American Mountain Rentals, Pigeon Forge AVOID

To contact me with questions about this story, email here.  I encourage the media to contact me for an interview about this horrific rental company.  This place is worse than motel 6. Rip-off report, Smoky Mountains

I never got a reply from McDonald’s going any farther than the original “we’ll forward it to the appropriate party” email.  So, I decided to reply.  Nothing to lose, right?  Well, I couldn’t directly reply, because of the incredibly blunt “No ‘replies’ can be received through this mailbox. If you wish to contact McDonald’s Customer Response Center again, please visit our website at www.mcdonalds.com” part of their email.  So, back to the McWebform I went!  I even included the fancy ref#:6502666.

Well, it apparently worked!

From: McDonalds.CustomerCare@us.mcd.com
To: me@my.email.address
Sent: Wed, December 9, 2009 5:09:19 AM
Subject: Message from McDonald’s USA

Hello Eric:

Thank you for taking the time to re-contact McDonald’s Customer Service Center. I’m sorry you have not yet received a local response regarding your recent McDonald’s restaurant experience.

Please know we take your comments very seriously. I will immediately re-contact the franchise owner of the restaurant you visited and request that he or she follow-up with you as soon as possible.

Please be assured your complete satisfaction is our top priority. Thank you for your patience and for taking the time to re-contact McDonald’s Customer Service Center.

Jimelle
McDonald’s Customer Response Center

ref#:6521333

————————————————————————————————————–

Please do not “reply” to this email response. No “replies” can be received through this mailbox. If you wish to contact McDonald’s Customer Response Center again, please visit our website at www.mcdonalds.com

————————————————————————————————————–

Are you finished with your holiday shopping? Even the person with everything gets hungry. An Arch Card makes a great holiday gift. For more information visit your local McDonald’s restaurant or our website at http://www.mcdonalds.com/archcard.

You wrote:

Hello,

Regarding my last message from Ashley at McDonald’s customer service… ref#:6502666

I was told not to reply to the email… hopefully that reference # can refer you to my earlier message.

I think it’s a very poor setup that you have… not being able to reply to emails.

Your message to me said “Because most McDonald’s restaurants are independently owned and operated, I have forwarded your comments to the franchise owner or local representative for follow up at the restaurant you visited. Please be assured that your comments will be investigated and, if appropriate, corrective action will be taken.

Secondly, although we did not completely meet your expectations, please know that our restaurant employees strive to maintain the highest standards of quality, service, cleanliness and value and it’s certainly nice to know that their efforts are appreciated. We want to recognize your complimentary comments and thank you for your kind words.“

Was anyone at that McDonald’s contacted?

Will I get a reply?

And, then, it was followed up by this…

From: Sandra Jaeger sandra.jaeger@gmail.com
To: me@my.email.address
Sent: Wed, December 9, 2009 7:07:00 PM
Subject: Fwd: Follow up of e-mail for the West Liberty Avenue Restaurant

From: Sandra Jaeger sandra.jaeger@gmail.com
Date: Wed, Dec 9, 2009 at 7:02 PM
Subject: Follow up of e-mail for the West Liberty Avenue Restaurant
To: [complete@misspelling.of.my.email.address]
Dear Eric

I am the Customer Service Representative of the West Liberty Avenue Restaurant. I unfortunately did not receive your first e-mail.  Please fill me in on the situation.   I am located in the Pittsburgh area and will address all issues to the supervisors of this restaurant.

Sincerely,

Sandra Jaeger

How cool is that?  Ha ha ha.  An actual response!  Funny that it “didn’t get through” the first time.  Very funny.  Also funny that it went to a complete misspelling of my email address, those of you who have it will find it amusing.  There was a “.” where a “_” should be as well, as a few incorrect letters.  (Not transposed, incorrect.)

So, of course, I had to write back…

From: me@my.email.address
To: Sandra Jaeger sandra.jaeger@gmail.com
Sent: Wed, December 9, 2009 10:00:58 PM
Subject: Re: Fwd: Follow up of e-mail for the West Liberty Avenue Restaurant

Hello Sandra,

Thanks you for the reply!  I have always wondered if the emails that you get in reply to webforms at sites like the McDonald’s one are anything more than a standard form letter.  In reply to my first message, the response said “I have forwarded your comments to the franchise owner or local representative for follow up at the restaurant you visited.”  I had wondered if this really was the case…  Apparently not, until I took the time to reply with a second message asking if it had really gone any further.  I’m glad I took the time to follow up!

I  find it amusing that my original comments did not make it to you.  It makes me wonder how many emails remain unanswered daily when filtered through the McWebform.  This is not your problem though, as you are obviously concerned and addressing this issue now.

My original comments were regarding a visit that I had over a week ago now, in an evening stop at the McDonald’s on West Liberty Ave. in Beechview or Dormont or whatever the neighborhood may be there.

My original message was…

The crew in the place tonight seemed to be operating well, were friendly, and quickly as far as the food was concerned, but the parking lot was full of cars for the bar next door, and the men’s bathroom was disgusting.  Please see this link for a review & photos: http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/23/1346713/restaurant/Far-South-South-Hills/McDonalds-Pittsburgh

That pointed to a review that I posted on UrbanSpoon.com, which you can read here…

“Sadly, had the best service there tonight in years…” by ERiC AiXeLsyD (98 reviews)

November 29, 2009 – Doesn’t like it – Small crew tonight, decent night-time crowd, stopped for a late dinner, was served relatively quickly… fries were a perfect golden color and hot… burgers were OK, super-greasy but it IS McDonald’s. We were out at an event earlier, on the way home… had to use the facilities… but they were trashed. Stall #1 had no TP dispenser, the roll was on the back of the commode, and the bowl was chock full of the stuff. Stall #2 had a broken doorknob/lock mechanism. One hand dryer was stuck on, the other didn’t work, and both urinals were full of urine. I know they can’t control flushing… but periodic checks/cleanings and some repairs might be in order.  Just when I thought this place had their stuff together for once… My advice? When stopping here, use the facilities somewhere else. 1 person likes this review

…and these are the photos referenced:

I understand that the fact that at that time of night, there’s perhaps a smaller than usual crew, and that the West Liberty Ave. location is seemingly always busy.  I have been through the drive-thru at this time of night before, and it always seems slow, though it’s thankfully not as slow as the Wendy’s right down the street.  Those people have a whole different set of issues.  My friends and I call it “The Slow Wendy’s”.

I was just wondering what kind of cleaning & maintenance policies that you have in place?  Does management or ownership do any kind of inspection or follow-up?  Do inspections my the corporation ever occur?  I mean, surely you can’t think the photos above are an acceptable presentation of your restaurant chain?

I don’t know about you, but when I “gotta go”, it’s urgent!  The urinals looked filthy, si I opted for the stalls… one was stuffed, and one had a door that wouldn’t close.  I like to do my business in private, no interruptions.  Closing doors are a good thing!  Also… the lack of a TP dispenser, & the roll just being on the back of the thing…  I cannot imagine what would have happened had I needed to use that.  I mean, how uncomfortable would it be to reach behind yourself like that after…  Well, after doing your thing?

Thank you for your time, and the follow up.  I appreciate the fact that you took the time to inquire about the issue.

Sincerely,
-Eric

Maybe I should have included a link to the Wendy’s incident?  Not yet, my friends.  Not yet. I can’t wait to see what kind of response I get this time.  I love when it gets down to a real live person in charge of something.

Lately I’ve been getting weird error messages when trying to text to the shortcode of a local radio station.  Since my messages were trivial feedback or text requests, I wasn’t really all that concerned… and there other ways to get a hold of the DJ’s.  Out of curiosity, I forwarded the error message to my phone, and then emailed it to a local radio personality… and we discovered an oddity amongst ourselves.  I decided to pop it into an email or two or three to Sprint, as I have acquired many customer service email addresses over the years.

Thanks to Dave again for editing help on the email to Sprint.  I get excited with this stuff, and it’s damn-near impossible to proofread your own work with any sort of clarity or efficiency.

Reads how the story unfolds below, DJ’s identity protected by request.

From: Eric Carroll me@myemailaddre.ss
To: customer.servicenet@mail.sprint.com
Sent: Thu, December 3, 2009 8:35:30 AM
Subject: Error Msg 1051 & Shortcode [shortcode] – ???

Hello Old Friends at Sprint Customer Service,

I have had several interactions with Sprint customer service before, and they usually go like this or like this.  So, please pardon me if I sound confoundedly abrupt, direct, or belligerent.  I will try to be as direct & concise as possible in describing this error, which may have an effect on a great number of customers.

The following is an email exchange that I had with a local radio personality today after emailing him out of frustration that every time I text to the number pimped out over the air, I get some sort of error message.  Full contents of that message below…

---

From: Me me@myemailaddre.ss
Sent: Wed 12/2/2009
To: [DJ] DJ@station.com
Subject: [shortcode]?Every time I try to text you guys from my phone at [shortcode], I keep getting this message…

—– Forwarded Message —-
From: ##########@messaging.sprintpcs.com

To: me@myemailaddre.ss
Sent: Wed, December 2, 2009
Subject:Fwd:
From: 9230
Sent: Dec 2 1:24pm
Msg: The shortcode you are attempting to use has expired and is no longer a valid short code.
Msg 1051

By the way, I dug the Flyleaf!

-E.

---

From: [DJ] DJ@station.com
To: Me me@myemailaddre.ss
Sent: Wed, December 2, 2009
Subject: RE: [shortcode]?really????  that is weird, got about a hundred txts for the pick today…

[DJ]

[station]-fm Pittsburgh

http://www.station.com/pages/dj.html

---

From: Me me@myemailaddre.ss
Sent: Wed 12/2/2009
To: [DJ]
Subject: Re: [shortcode]?

Sprint is the devil incarnate, so it comes as no surprise, must be their issue.  Or I’m persistently fat-fingering the wrong number…  Ha ha ha.

-E.
.seitilibasid gninrael fo nuf ekam ot ynnuf ton yllaer s’tI

---

From: [DJ] DJ@station.com
To: Me me@myemailaddre.ss
Sent: Wed, December 2, 2009
Subject: RE: [shortcode]?of the last 50 txts or so, not one is from Sprint..

[DJ]

[station]-fm Pittsburgh

http://www.station.com/pages/dj.html

---

Please pardon the “devil incarnate” crack, but again, I refer you to this and this… and I only wish I had saved my correspondence about splitting my phone from another plan years & years ago that was mired with “network issues” and a lack of any real solutions until I elevated it to a level where it trickled down to a regional manager to handle.

As you can see, any and all text messages to [shortcode] for their text requests, feedback on “[show segment]“, or general harassment of the DJ’s, may not be going through on the Sprint network.  I checked my phone dialing skills, and my fingers are indeed functioning properly.  [DJ]’s comment “of the last 50 txts or so, not one is from Sprint” ought to concern you, or at least throw up the proverbial red flag if you will.  How [DJ] comes to this conclusion, I know not, but he is a seemingly intelligent person, and who am I to question his knowledge and authority on the subject?  Would you dare question him?

It seems odd to me that a shortcode would expire for one network, and not any others.  Again, I know nothing of cell phone and data networks and their mysterious inter-workings… I’m just making a guess based on the evidence presented to me.

If the issue is a network problem, I felt that you might like to be notified, so this is that.  If the problem is simply with my phone or plan, I’d like the issue resolved as soon as possible.

Thank you in advance for your time, I hope to hear from you soon… and I really hope it’s not an automated response.  I hate automated responses with the line “please do not reply to this email”.  Seriously.  Who wants to read that?  I would rather read…  “If you don’t have a response from us within X# business days, please contact blah-blah@bowdownto.sprint.gov” or something like that.  And please, please, please… do not ask me to call any automated numbers… or provide my phone number to “discuss the issue”.  I don’t want to discuss the issue.  This is why I took the time to construct a thoughtfully worded and calculated email.

Inquisitively,
-Eric

Heh.  I really wish I had that 1st set of Sprint correspondence somewhere.  It was highly entertaining.  At any rate, got a few responses today already.  I’m amazed at the degree of  difference.

From: “McDonald, Maria [CON]” maria.mcdonald@sprint.com
To: Eric me@myemailaddre.ss
Sent: Thu, December 3, 2009 8:40:38 AM
Subject: RE: Error Msg 1051 & Shortcode [shortcode] – ???

May be associated with this issue. We are currently working on this.

Thank you to all of you who helped our customers report this, and for those of you who sent these up to me.  This was posted yesterday, please let your customers know Sprint is engaged with our roaming partners to resolve this issue as soon as possible.  No ETR at current.

Thanks,

BB

Roaming SMS Text Messaging Issue
As of 11/24/09, Sprint CDMA customers nationwide are experiencing problems when sending and receiving SMS Text Messages on some roaming networks.

Details:

·         Customers may get an “error 3” message when SMS Text Messages are sent.

·         Voice and data roaming is not impacted.

·         Sprint is aware of the problem and working with their roaming partner to determine root cause.

·         No resolution time has been determined.

·         Updates will follow when available.

Actions:

If a customer contacts you about problems sending or receiving text messages while roaming:

·         Apologize for the inconvenience and let them know that Sprint is aware of the problem and working as quickly as possible to resolve it, however there is no resolution at this time.

Do not enter a trouble ticket

So, basically, “It’s a network issue that technically isn’t our fault, we have no idea what we’re doing and no resolution at this time even though you pay us a ridiculous amount of money each month for service, sorry.”

From: Eric me@myemailaddre.ss
To: “McDonald, Maria [CON]” maria.mcdonald@sprint.com
Sent: Thu, December 3, 2009 8:49:21 AM
Subject: Re: Error Msg 1051 & Shortcode [shortcode] – ???

Hello Maria,

While I don’t believe that I’m in roaming when I send these texts, as I’m at work, on top of a large hill, not far from the city, and in an area where my reception & service seem to be consistently good…  I can appreciate that this may be related to a larger-scale issue.  Why would a roaming issue give me an error message about an expired shortcode?

Thank you for your time & almost instantaneous reply!

Impressed,
-Eric

.seitilibasid gninrael fo nuf ekam ot ynnuf ton yllaer s’tI

Reasonable enough, no?  On to the secondary reply…

From: “McDonald, Maria [CON]” maria.mcdonald@sprint.com
To: Eric me@myemailaddre.ss
Sent: Thu, December 3, 2009 8:52:23 AM
Subject: RE: Error Msg 1051 & Shortcode [shortcode] – ???

You’re welcome! I was online reviewing emails when I got your message. I believe it has to do with roaming partner agreements etc. While your phone will not tell you that you are roaming (it usually only alerts you while a voice call is made) it code be your location and the proximity to a roaming partner (usually Verizon) tower.

Try setting your phone to “Sprint only” in your roaming settings and see if it helps. May not change the error though but the company is aware of an issue with sms texting.

It’s Verizon’s fault? Verizon is SMS-blocking me and a local radio station?  I can see by the icon on my phone that I’m not in roaming where I’m trying to text.  Odd.  This is a route we’re not getting anywhere with.  Luckily, I have other replies…

From: “Belback, Sarah A [CON]” Sarah.Feather@sprint.com
To: Eric Carroll me@myemailaddre.ss
Sent: Thu, December 3, 2009 9:07:22 AM
Subject: RE: Error Msg 1051 & Shortcode [shortcode] – ???

Eric,

Is your phone on roam when you are trying to text?

Sarah Belback
Store  Manager #985
114 Trinity Point Dr
Washington, PA 15301
724-250-1700 store
404-948-0699 fax
480-221-0101 wireless

A more subtle approach, I take it?  I’ll go with this then…

From: Eric me@myemailaddre.ss
Sent: Thursday, December 03, 2009 9:28 AM
To: Belback, Sarah A [CON]
Subject: Re: Error Msg 1051 & Shortcode [shortcode] – ???

Hello Sarah,

Thanks for the quick reply!  I don’t believe I’m in roaming… I am not too far from the city, on top of a large hill, and in an industrial park when trying to text.  I never have any reception rpoblems or roaming notificatons when I’m here at work… and the icon on my phone doesn’t indicate that I’m in roaming.

Thanks,
-Eric

.seitilibasid gninrael fo nuf ekam ot ynnuf ton yllaer s’tI

Regular Text

From: ” Belback, Sarah A [CON] ” Sarah.Feather@sprint.com
To: Eric me@myemailaddre.ss
Sent: Thu, December 3, 2009 9:32:31 AM
Subject: RE: Error Msg 1051 & Shortcode [shortcode] – ???

Ok. When did this start? What is the address where you are at? What is your wireless #?

Sarah Belback
Store  Manager #985
114 Trinity Point Dr
Washington, PA 15301
724-250-1700 store
404-948-0699 fax
480-221-0101 wireless

Well, for starters, my wireless number is in the original email if you’re paying attention.  It’s the 10 digits in front of the SMS email address.  Dave and Kristin (my editing friends) would have a field day with the sentence ended by “at”.  Oh, look!  I did it again.  Oh well, I needed to keep this one going…

From: Eric me@myemailaddre.ss
Sent: Thursday, December 03, 2009
To: Belback, Sarah A [CON]
Subject: Re: Error Msg 1051 & Shortcode [shortcode] – ???

Hello again Sarah,

Noticed the error last week ignored it the first few times until I conversed with [DJ] at [station].  I’m in ________________ , PA _____ … my wireless # is ###-###-####.

Thanks!

-Eric

.seitilibasid gninrael fo nuf ekam ot ynnuf ton yllaer s’tI

So, she tries to help again…

From: “Belback, Sarah A [CON]” Sarah.Feather@sprint.com

To: Eric me@myemailaddre.ss

Sent: Thu, December 3, 2009 10:48:17 AM

Subject: RE: Error Msg 1051 & Shortcode [shortcode] – ???

Ok. Thx!  Can you bring your phone to the store so we can test it. If need be we may have to call tech support as well and I know I will need the phone present when we call.

Sarah Belback
Store  Manager #985
114 Trinity Point Dr
Washington, PA 15301
724-250-1700 store
404-948-0699 fax
480-221-0101 wireless

Thx?  Thx! OMG. WTF? BBQ!

Well, I have no idea why I have this store’s contact info, as it isn’t near me, or where I got the phone.  So… I’m not about to go to that store for that reason.  The other reason being that I tried to send a text to a shortcode multiple times, and got the same result multiple time.  I described in details the problem I was having, and I even provided the exact text of the network error message, including a specific error code.  “Error Msg 1051″ is in the subject line of the email!  [DJ] says that he hasn’t received any text messages from Sprint in the last 50 or so that he had received.  It’s obviously not an error with just my phone.

At least Sarah accepts the fact that it may not be part of this larger blanket “Verizon text-blocking” issue.

I haven’t decided how to reply to this yet… as customer service at sprint seems to have time & time again locked me into an endless loop of email/call the #/come to the store/call the “special” #/go to the store/… Repeat ∞.

Which brings me to this gem…

From: “IDEN – Online@sprint.com” online@sprint.com
To: Eric me@myemailaddress.com
Sent: Thu, December 3, 2009 4:21:29 PM
Subject: Re: Error Msg 1051 & Shortcode [shortcode] – ??? (KMM65634876I15977L0KM)

Dear Eric,

Thank you for contacting Sprint regarding message to a short code.

I understand that you are unable to send messages to the short code
[shortcode].  I apologize for the inconvenience you have experienced. To
resolve this issue, please contact a Technical Support specialist by
calling (888) 211-4727 and follow the prompts for technical support
assistance.  In order to potentially test your Sprint handset, it is
important to call from another phone.

Further, to protect your Sprint account from unauthorized access and
changes, it is important that we confirm your information.

Please reply to this email and provide me with your:

1. First and last name
2. Email address
3. Wireless telephone number
4. Billing address

We value your business and appreciate the opportunity to address your
concerns. Please reply to this email or visit Sprint.com/mysprint if we
can be of further assistance.

Sincerely,
James P.
Sprint

Helpful Sprint Links:

Learn to pay & view your bill, check usage and more with our
“how to” videos: www.sprint.com/howto

Receive unprecedented value:
Analyze your plan: www.sprint.com/planfit
Try our individual, shared/family and push-to-talk plans:
www.sprint.com/simpleplans

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www.sprintstorelocator.com

Preview cutting-edge devices that give you instant access to
what you want, fast:
Palm Pre & other Smartphones: www.sprint.com/smartphones
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www.sprint.com/pushtotalk

Check out our network coverage: www.sprint.com/coverage

Live & breathe football with NFL Mobile Live: www.sprint.com/nfl

Original Message Follows:
————————

Wow, do I have several issues with this.  Just wow.  I think it warrants a bulleted list!

• “Thank you for contacting Sprint regarding message to a short code.”/“I understand that you are unable to send messages to the short code [shortcode].” – So, you did read my emai?  Cool!  Finally!
• “To resolve this issue, please contact a Technical Support specialist by calling (888) 211-4727 and follow the prompts for technical support assistance.” – So, you didn’t read my email?  (Especially at the bottom where I said “And please, please, please… do not ask me to call any automated numbers… or provide my phone number to ‘discuss the issue’.  I don’t want to discuss the issue.  This is why I took the time to construct a thoughtfully worded and calculated email.”)  Well, boo to you, my friends.
• “Further, to protect your Sprint account from unauthorized access and changes, it is important that we confirm your information.” – You goofy sons of… items 1 through 3 are all mentioned in the 1st email.  It’s an email, so you have my address and first and last name… and again, the phone number was listed.  So, I need to email you my billing address and call the 888 number that’s been programmed into my phone for the past 2 phones…?  For what?  To start the endless cycle noted above?
• “Please reply to this email or visit Sprint.com/mysprint if we can be of further assistance.” – I sent you this email for assistace in the first place.  I don’t need further assistance… I need an actual occurance of assistance before I can request further assistance.  In fact, I don’t even think I need assistance. I think you need the assistance with your network, and I think Verizon needs assistance in text-blocking you.

Wow.  I’m not sure where to go form here… but you can see how this is a downward spiral of nonsensical steps in order to (I think) exhaust me to the point where I no longer care about the problem.

And, was that advertisement for themselves at the bottom of the tech support email?  Really?

Maybe I should ask Verizon why they’re text-blocking me?

Well, you’ve read my Mellon Arena related Ticket Sales FAIL and Customer Service WIN blog posts, right? This is a nice conclusion to that.  Well, maybe not a conclusion, but the next in the series.  Derek was nice enough to comp us two tickets to one of the upcoming Trans-Siberian Orchestra events.  How awesome is that? I feel better getting two seats than four, and to me it’s more of a comprable show that a circus or the Harlem Globetrotters.

Here are the latest exchanges…

From: Eric Carroll me@myemailaddre.ss
Sent: Tuesday, December 01, 2009 11:16 PM
To: Derek Scalzott
Subject: Re: Horrible seats for Star Wars: In Concert @ Mellon Arena

Derek,

Wow.  Thank you for the well-thought-out and explanatory reply.  It’s rare to have a cutomer-service oriented reply be so frank and sincere.  I can imagine that the tasks faced when putting on each new event are quite complicated, as the arena can be used for such a varying degree of events.

I also now understand that instead of dealing with the ushers, I should have asked to speak/deal with management.  They seemed to give us a “you can do this, but you can’t tell anyone that I said it was OK to do this” kind of vibe, if that makes any sense.  I wasn’t trying to get anyone in trouble or get more than what I felt we had paid for…  I just wanted to enjoy the show.

I would kindly accept your offer of tickets to an upcoming event.  I don’t feel that four tickets are necessary as we had only purchased two seats to the last event, but at the same time I will not look the proverbial gift-horse in the mouth.

The prospect of a circus or the Globetrotters is very cool, but I was wondering if it would be too late and or at all possible to get tickets for the Trans-Siberian Orchestra?  I noticed it in the upcoming events when looking at the Star Wars: In Concert.  I understand completely if this event doesn’t fall within the previously noted constraints, and would like to know when the next circus is coming to the arena?

Thank you again for your time and generosity.  I will be sure to spread the word that Mellon Arena is a champion of customer service.  My last Pens game was the one vs. the Bruins with the tying goal at .04 seconds to go, and the time before that was Crosby’s last hat trick… so trust me, I have a ton of recent great memories associated with Mellon Arena!

I look forward to our continued dialogue.

-Eric

See?  I can write complimentary emails too!

From: Derek Scalzott DScalzott@mellonarena.com
To: Eric Carroll me@myemailaddre.ss
Sent: Wed, December 2, 2009 10:53:45 AM
Subject: RE: Horrible seats for Star Wars: In Concert @ Mellon Arena

Eric,

I have approval to offer (2) two Trans-Siberian Orchestra tickets to our 3:00 p.m. afternoon show on Wednesday, December 16th.  We have no tickets available for the evening show.

Otherwise, we can do (4) four to Harlem Globetrotters on December 26th or (4) four to the Shrine Circus, which will be here in early April.

Please let me know what you prefer and provide your mailing address and a contact phone number in case there are any mailing issues and we’ll take care of it from there.

Thanks,
Derek Scalzott
Event Coordinator
Mellon Arena
66 Mario Lemieux Place
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
email: dscalzott@mellonarena.com
phone: 412.642.2189
fax: 412.642.1905

Score!

From: Eric Carroll me@myemailaddre.ss
To: Derek Scalzott DScalzott@mellonarena.com
Sent: Wed, December 2, 2009 9:20:43 PM
Subject: Re: Horrible seats for Star Wars: In Concert @ Mellon Arena

Hello again Derek,

We’ll take the two tickets to the Trans-Siberian Orchestra!  (Wow!)  We’ll have to take a half-day at work, but it will certainly be worth it!  Thank you once again for your explanation and generosity.

Here is all of my contact info:

____ _______
___ _____________ __
Pittsburgh, PA  _____-____
(___) ___-____

I really appreciate the time and effort that you’ve put into reassuring me that Mellon Arena cares about its patrons!

-Eric

Well, there you have it.  Looks like we get a free afternoon full of entertainment… now we only have to pay for parking (don’t tell me I can take the T)…  and $10 for nachos n’ Coke!

Again, there’s no mention of how or where my media-copied message was obtained, and why it was responded to in lieu of the original.  Ominous!

I guess saying something does get you somewhere (other than the satisfaction of venting) sometimes.  I’m sure you read my email to Mellon Arena about the tickets we had purchased for Star Wars: In Concert… and if not, read it now!

Interestingly, in frustration, I copied my email to a few news outlets… and it had an every so slightly different subject line.  The reply that I got from Mr. Scalzott (Mellon Arena Event Coordinator) had the same subject line as the email that I sent to the news outlets… so he had to obtain the message from someone other than me.

• To Mellon Arena Directly: Horrible seats for Star Wars: In Concert
• To The News Outlets: Horrible seats for Star Wars: In Concert @ Mellon Arena

At any rate, a positive reply is a positive reply… so I’m happy with the outcome.  And, hopefully it’s as interesting/entertaining to you as it is to me.

There’s actually a few exchanges here, so provided you’ve read the 1st one, these should all make sense.  I’ll start with the initial reply:

From: Derek Scalzott  DScalzott@mellonarena.com
To: me@myemailaddre.ss
Sent: Tue, December 1, 2009 2:52:23 PM
Subject: RE: Horrible seats for Star Wars: In Concert @ Mellon Arena

Hi, Eric –

I would like to take the time to discuss your seating situation over the phone.  Is there a number at which I may reach you?

Thank you,

Derek Scalzott
Event Coordinator
Mellon Arena
66 Mario Lemieux Place
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
email: dscalzott@mellonarena.com
phone: 412.642.2189
fax: 412.642.1905

The phone?  Ah!  My secondary response…

From: Eric Carroll  me@myemailaddre.ss
Sent: Tuesday, December 01, 2009 4:07 PM
To: Derek Scalzott  DScalzott@mellonarena.com
Subject: Re: Horrible seats for Star Wars: In Concert @ Mellon Arena

Hello Derek,

Thank you for taking the time to read my message & initiate a response.  I’m not much one for phone conversations, and I’m not sure if I really have anything else to say other than what I’ve already written.  I just felt the need to express my disappointment, and that it was echoed by several other concert-goers around me.  I understand that viewpoints and seating have become an issue over the years, and that it will be (hopefully) fixed by the creation of the new building.  I’m sure that you & your staff have nothing but the best intentions when hosting an event… but sometimes things like this seem large enough to not be overlooked.

I would look forward to any comments that you may have on the matter.

Thank you,
-Eric

…And we have a coherent, intelligent, apologetic and gracious reply:

From: Derek Scalzott  DScalzott@mellonarena.com
To: me@myemailaddre.ss
Sent: Tue, December 1, 2009 4:57:12 PM
Subject: RE: Horrible seats for Star Wars: In Concert @ Mellon Arena

Eric,

First, I thank you for taking the time to express your disappointment and, furthermore, to articulate it so clearly.  Sometimes, though it is unfortunate for both us and the occasional guest in your shoes, it takes a patron’s voice to point out an oversight on our end.

I’d like to first attempt to explain part of our procedure in order to clue you in on what happened for your own reference, elaborate on what I would have hoped to have had happen, and, then, explore our next step.

During a normal concert, one more typical than this Star Wars production, our box office works to pinpoint every seat in the house that is anything less than full-view.  Normally, a limited-view seat is one that has an obstructed view of the stage itself.  The same was done for this Star Wars show, but because the screen played an integral role in the production, the box office had to dilligently account for both the stage and screen in deciphering full-view seats from limited-view seats.  However, certain areas including your section were mistakenly labeled full-view because the stage itself was completely visible.

In an attempt to best serve our guests, we hold back a small number of tickets so that we can remedy any seating issues like this one.  Ideally, your situation would have been brought to the attention of management on the spot.  I only wish now that we would have had the opportunity to relocate you upon your discovery of the frustrating seat location.  I understand that patrons often question confronting event staff with problems, but I would certainly encourage you to feel free to voice your concerns in any building in the future!  It only helps us to make your stay better, which is our goal in the end!

Regardless, I understand that the show has come and gone and that the experience cannot be reclaimed.  Unfortunately, I am unable to refund your money for the Star Wars tickets since it has been passed along to their organization.  However, I wish to try and compensate you by inviting you back to another non-hockey event at Mellon Arena compliments of us (we do not control Pittsburgh Penguins tickets).  I am happy to offer (4) four tickets to Harlem Globetrotters, Sesame Street Live, Shrine Circus, or Disney On Ice, for example.  Please let me know if you have any interest and we will look forward to better serving you on your next visit.

Again, Eric, I apologize for the less-than-desired experience and I hope to have the opportunity to provide a better experience in the future.

Sincerely,
Derek Scalzott
Event Coordinator
Mellon Arena
66 Mario Lemieux Place
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
email: dscalzott@mellonarena.com
phone: 412.642.2189
fax: 412.642.1905

Well, I think you’ll agree that’s an awesome reply, no?  Not only does he acknowledge the problem, but explains where & how the error occurred, and how I could have perhaps handled the situation on the spot.

Sadly by the time we realized that our view was so bad, I didn’t think we had the time to remedy the situation before missing out on any of the music.  This will be a lesson to me though in how these things work.  Address the issue immediately, get immediate results.  It’s interesting to me that no money for a show can be refunded once it’s passed on to George Lucas and friends.  Ha ha ha.  Not that I was looking for monetary compensation.

Offering us 4 tickets to an upcoming event (albeit not for a hockey game which would be sweet) is over-compensating.  I didn’t do this for a refund or free stuff. I did it because I just felt that someone needed to know.  Not that I’d insult the man by turning him down…  but I don’t think the circus is coming any time soon, and it’s about the only thing on that list I’d be interested in.  The Globetrotters might be cool…  I saw those guys when I was a little kid.  Remember how they were all over Scooby-Doo back in the day?

Oh well, I’ll send off a reply and let you know what happens!

]]> http://aixelsyd13.wordpress.com/2009/12/01/mellon-arena-ticket-sales-fail/ Tue, 01 Dec 2009 15:14:17 +0000 aixelsyd13 http://aixelsyd13.wordpress.com/2009/12/01/mellon-arena-ticket-sales-fail/

From: Eric Carroll me@myemailaddre.ss
To: Customer Service Mellon Arena info@mellonarena.com
Sent: Mon, November 30, 2009
Subject: Horrible seats for Star Wars: In Concert

Hello Mellon Arena Customer Service & Ticket Sales,

I am taking the time to write to you this evening to express my disappointment in the sale of our seats for yesterday’s Star Wars: In Concert event at the Mellon Arena.

While I understand that we purchased the “cheap” $33 seats (two of which somehow magically totaled $93.40 instead of $66.00 for various dubious Ticket Master fees — including a “printing fee” in which I used my own paper & ink — which are not your fault), I feel that your integrity is to be called into question when considering the vantage-point from exactly where we were expected to sit throughout the show.

I would think that you would be familiar enough with your own venue to know that the seats in section E13, row M are blocked from seeing anything above a certain height at the other end of the house thanks to the lower edge of section F hanging directly above us (and directly in our field of vision). I would also think that you would know what this height is, and that the screen coming in for this particular show was being touted as “a three-story-tall, high-definition LED super-screen — one of the largest ever put on tour.“

Apparently I am quite wrong, my friends.

Please see the attached image from my cell phone so you can fully appreciate the vantage point from which we were expected to view the “live music and film elements … synchronized in order to create a full multi-media, one-of-kind Star Wars experience.” You’ll note the bluish-white line behind the orchestra that is the very bottom of the giant partially-visible screen where the movie clips played.

I can tell you that the ushers in our area got an ear-full from several other angry concert-goers (including my wife who had purchased the tickets for me as an early Christmas present). Our row had cleared out of all but 4 people by the time the 2nd song had started. I would have left also, but the concert had started, and I wasn’t about to miss any of what I could actually see by running around like a madman trying to find a seat.

I did notice several rows almost empty down to the right of the floor, while seats to the back & sides were full… surely this is a commentary on the outrageous prices charged for the show? It only made it all the more infuriating that a seat with a better vantage point sat empty during the performance.

In lieu of trying to “sneak down” into the “better” seats, at intermission, we made the trek down & back up to section F and asked an usher there for permission to sit in any unoccupied seats. We were pointed to some open seats, and several others filtered in around us with the same idea as the show came closer to starting again.

From this height, the speaker array on the right still blocked a good portion of the screen, but at least it wasn’t cut in half… and from here, we could actually see the “laser show” being projected on to the ceiling.

While I found the concert itself and exhibits throughout the arena to be an exhilarating experience, the full multimedia-experience in the arena was sadly stained by the poor choice of Mellon Arena to sell seats with a substandard view of the main event.

I have been to countless events over the years at the Mellon (& formerly the Civic) Arena — from concerts, to Penguins Games, to circuses, to I think even a truck & tractor pull with Bigfoot & USA-1 when I was a tiny young lad. They have all been great memories… and this is the only time that I have felt wronged by the venue.

I hope that you take these thoughts into consideration when selling seats for the remainder of shows throughout the last standing days of the arena. You’re making memories for people, please try to make sure that they’re positive ones, and that they’re not marred by poor logistics. I’d ask for our money (or half of our money) back if I thought it would get me anywhere, but I am more concerned about the experience than the money.

Thank you for your time, I hope that this is passed on to the appropriate parties, and I do look forward to a response.

Regards,
-Eric Carroll
me@myemailaddre.ss

Heh.  McDonald’s wrote back about my brief stop and UrbanSpoon.com review (posted with pictures) the other night.

Here’s the message below, that rides the “impersonally personal response” line quite well.

Someone got rid of the pictures at UrbanSpoon.com… perhaps they were flagged as inappropriate?  I can see that.  Oh well, no reason I can’t show them here.

Here’s my review…

“Sadly, had the best service there tonight in years…” by ERiC AiXeLsyD (98 reviews)
November 29, 2009 - Doesn’t like it – Small crew tonight, decent night-time crowd, stopped for a late dinner, was served relatively quickly… fries were a perfect golden color and hot… burgers were OK, super-greasy but it IS McDonald’s. We were out at an event earlier, on the way home… had to use the facilities… but they were trashed. Stall #1 had no TP dispenser, the roll was on the back of the commode, and the bowl was chock full of the stuff. Stall #2 had a broken doorknob/lock mechanism. One hand dryer was stuck on, the other didn’t work, and both urinals were full of urine. I know they can’t control flushing… but periodic checks/cleanings and some repairs might be in order.  Just when I thought this place had their stuff together for once… My advice? When stopping here, use the facilities somewhere else.

1 person likes this review Recommend

And here’s their response with my message submitted through the McWebform following below…

From: McDonalds.CustomerCare@us.mcd.com
To: eric_aixelsyd@yahoo.com
Sent: Tue, December 1, 2009 5:14:49 AM
Subject: Message from McDonald’s USA

Hello Eric:

Thank you for taking the time to contact McDonald’s Customer Service Center to bring your recent experience to our attention.First, I hope you will accept my sincere apology for your disappointment in McDonald’s. I can assure you that we want you to be completely satisfied every time you visit one of our restaurants.Because most McDonald’s restaurants are independently owned and operated, I have forwarded your comments to the franchise owner or local representative for follow up at the restaurant you visited. Please be assured that your comments will be investigated and, if appropriate, corrective action will be taken.

 

Secondly, although we did not completely meet your expectations, please know that our restaurant employees strive to maintain the highest standards of quality, service, cleanliness and value and it’s certainly nice to know that their efforts are appreciated. We want to recognize your complimentary comments and thank you for your kind words.

Again, thank you for taking the time to contact McDonald’s and giving us the opportunity to address your concerns. Customer feedback is very important to us as it helps us improve. McDonald’s is number one because of customers like you.

Ashley
McDonald’s Customer Response Center

ref#:6502666

————————————————————————————————————–

Please do not “reply” to this email response. No “replies” can be received through this mailbox. If you wish to contact McDonald’s Customer Response Center again, please visit our website at www.mcdonalds.com

You wrote:

The crew in the place tonight seemed to be operating well, were friendly, and quickly as far as the food was concerned, but the parking lot was full of cars for the bar next door, and the men’s bathroom was disgusting.  Please see this link for a review & photos: http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/23/1346713/restaurant/Far-South-South-Hills/McDonalds-Pittsburgh

Rarely is this kind of stuff ever followed up by the local chain. I don’t know if that’s indicative of stores nation-wide, or just in our area.  Then again… it gets me wondering…  I put my address in that webform… and my photo is up at UrbanSpoon.com.

Bad idea?

I am going to start my first blog entry with a rather controversial topic – that of alternative therapies for cancer treatment. I had recently asked some of my colleagues in the cancer consumer advocacy circles in Australia about the issue of celebrity endorsement of medicines and treatments, and would like to hear more opinions about this issue.
In September I caught Larry King Live on CNN (September 23, 2009, transcript URL: http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0910/23/lkl.01.html), and then The Insider HD (an entertainment news show on cable TV in the USA), talk about new and innovative cancer treatments and the process of determining their effectiveness. It was quite interesting. However, what I found more interesting was what the American actress Suzanne Somers, who was on both shows, talk about her own journey (and her new book) into cancer treatments and advocating “alternative” therapies. I believe she called chemotherapy “poison” in reference to Patrick Swayze’s battle and chemotherapy treatment (and yes, there was uproar in the USA over Suzanne’s comments, for which she apologised later).

My questions to my colleagues were is the use of celebrities advocating certain therapies helping people make proper decisions about treatments and medicines? Does the influence they have on often impressionable consumers and the public may do more harm than good for cancer consumer advocacy? Can they sometimes do more harm than good for cancer advocacy? Patients and consumers do have knowledge and experiences that contribute to the advancement of medicine, and can sometimes be ahead of the medical establishment when it comes to knowing what works and what doesn’t. However, if alternative medicines are not effective treatments for cancer in all patients (meaning that some people’s biology could be more responsive to these types of treatments and others not), and if the mechanism of their action is unclear at the moment, is it really ethical for celebrities to lend their considerable public influence to promote these?

I’d much prefer more celebrity efforts given to improve palliative care services and family and carer support services, however these may not be as glamorous and lucrative as endorsing a potential “silver bullet” cure for cancer. I say let the researchers, clinicians, and consumers continue their work into seeing if and how alternative medicines might help, but please don’t hype it up. Plenty of hype already accompanies most pharmaceuticals, alternative energy technologies, etc. Sometimes the hype is justified and rewarded with an effective product. Sometimes it causes disappointment and heartache because what we hoped for turns out to be false. Although many informed and intelligent health consumers know that treatments carry a risk of failure and are willing to try out alternative therapies purely out of hope and accept this risk, many other uninformed consumers take may endorsements as truth. This is dangerous.

This issue of celebrity health promotion is interesting given that we live in a society with opinions driven by the media and lent more weight by celebrities (for good or for bad).

I promised I would have a more detailed discussion on my proposal to redesign vehicle signals. A five-minute presentation is great, but isn’t quite enough to really cover the details.

The current signal layout has stop lights, reverse lights and turn signals, which are also used as hazard lights. These are the only lights dedicated to signaling a driver’s intentions. We have parking lights and headlights too, but they don’t count. Seriously, they’re not signals.

What’s my problem with this setup? Let’s go over all the lights one at a time.

Turn signals

Turn signals are used to indicate all sideways movement. But there isn’t just one way to move sideways. For one, we change lanes quite often. In many cases, where it’s possible to change lanes or make a turn, it’s difficult to show a driver’s intentions.

Not all intersections are your standard four-way situation. Many have multiple roads in a given direction, and in those cases, it’s common for one lane to lead into two different turns. Also, on highways where two exits split off from the same place, it’s difficult knowing if a driver is taking the more gradual exit or making the sharper turn.

U-turns aren’t legal in all states, but even in those states there are places where they are explicitly allowed. And even where they aren’t, they still happen. Many drivers preparing for a u-turn will use a blinker, then start turning in the opposite direction to allow room to complete the turn. This confuses other drivers, but a dedicated u-turn light would clear up a lot of that confusion.

My idea to revamp the turn signal would look a little like this. To control these lights, we’d have a slight change to the controls we use today: The lane change signal would be activated by moving the blinker switch up or down, without clicking. Releasing the switch would turn the blinker off. Clicking the switch once would turn the soft turn signal on, and a second click activates the hard turn light. Once either direction is blinking, pulling on the switch (which usually toggles the brights with the current setup) turns on the u-turn signal. No matter what signal is on, pushing the switch will always return it to the center, disabling all turn signals.

Brake lights

It doesn’t seem too crazy to expect brake lights to respond to a driver slamming on the brakes, and inform other drivers that the car is decelerating faster than normal.

An outer ring could flash rapidly around the solid standard brake light when the system detects the car slowing down faster than what would be considered normal. I imagine there’d be some testing to determine what that rate would be. Also, if the driver slams on the brakes but the car doesn’t slow down as fast, maybe with faulty brake lines or ice on the road, the outer ring should still flash, to warn others that something isn’t right.

Hazard lights

It bothers me that cars still use the same lights for hazards that they do for turn signals. It seems irresponsible for a manufacturer to limit a driver’s ability to signal a lane change or turn while also signaling that there’s something wrong with the car.

Also, hazards are used in a wide variety of situations, from flat tires to overheated engines to simply driving slower than others up a steep incline. Hazards are generally thought to signal serious problems, so drivers are apprehensive about using them for more mild situations, such as driving a bit slower to save gas or driving in an unfamiliar area.

Like the two-part stop light, these lights would have a mild hazard mode and a severe hazard mode. Maybe drivers would be more willing to use them in less extreme cases if both modes were available.

It only seems natural to make the hazard signal in the shape of a triangle, since that symbol is used to illustrate dangerous situations on the road already. Of course the light should be red, like most hazard triangles and reflectors used to signal accidents and construction zones.

Controlling the dual hazard lights could use a switch much like the one used to control the fan on a kitchen stove: left to mild hazards, right for serious hazards, center to tun both off. Or a button shaped like the hazard symbol, where drivers can push the inner or outer triangles, and the lights would turn on accordingly.

The lights on an actual car don’t need to be nearly this big. That’s one thing many modern automobile manufacturers don’t seem to understand about LEDs. They’re much brighter and clearer, and a light made of LEDs is much more painful to look at than a traditional bulb light of the same size. A simple row of lights will work for the turn signals, and animating the signals would be even more effective.

The horn

This isn’t really in the scope of my main idea, but I do like the idea of a less aggressive horn, used when a driver wants to get someone’s attention when there is no immediate danger. First of all, it must be easier to engage the aggressive horn, since it must be used in emergencies. But a smaller button could activate what I called the Happy Horn in my presentation, which fades in and rises a bit in pitch, so it isn’t as surprising.

I’m very much against using the Angry Horn while arming and disarming car alarms. They’re typically used in parking lots where people are walking around, and to those people, it sounds like somebody is honking at them. Also irresponsible. I’m not a fan of superfluous government regulations, but I’d support one that bans horns used in this case.

Straight ahead signal

An idea I had when brainstorming for this presentation was a straight ahead signal. Why would this be a good idea? There are instances where it would be nice to let others know when I am going straight, and I just know they’re wondering if I’m just forgetting to signal a turn. A straight ahead signal would clear up that confusion, but to be effective, drivers would have to get in the habit of using the signal at every stop and every scenario where turning is an option. The straight ahead light would become the default signal, equivalent to using no signal, and would either be left on all the time or never used. I just don’t see this signal helping things, even though three of the four possible directions–left, right and backward–have their own dedicated signals.

Can we change?

This is all a pretty big change. Not just in the design and controls of the signals, but in the way we use them and expect others to do the same, in a world where half the drivers don’t already use the blinkers they’ve got.

I mention in the presentation that people have changed their recycling habits over time, which called for a change in the way garbage companies handled and dealt with the trash. This was a successful shift brought on by a concern for the environment. A concern for safety and efficient communication might be able to do the same for our car signals.

People are willing to invest in better systems when they feel the investment is worth it. We’ll pay money for a newer technology, like the jump from VHS to DVD, and spend the time learning to use a new computer application, as long as we think the time and money put into it will pay off.

So that’s what I’ve got so far. I would like to add some ideas to this proposal, but after working on the slides and narrowing my words down to 15-second chunks and then re-typing it for this blog post, I’m a bit burnt out on the whole thing. I want a milkshake.

]]> http://consumeraction.wordpress.com/2009/11/19/call-on-congress-to-stop-reductions-in-medicare-physician-reimbursements/ Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:23:24 +0000 Clark http://consumeraction.wordpress.com/2009/11/19/call-on-congress-to-stop-reductions-in-medicare-physician-reimbursements/

ACOI Advocacy Alert

Without congressional intervention, physicians will see a 21.2 percent reduction in Medicare physician reimbursements beginning January 1, 2010.  The House of Representatives is scheduled to consider the “Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act of 2009” (H.R. 3961) on Thursday, November 19.

This important legislation would prevent the reductions slated for January 1 and repeal the current Medicare physician payment formula.  H.R. 3961 would establish a new payment formula, eliminate the debt created by years of temporary “patches,” and reduce the likelihood of future steep cuts to physician reimbursements under the Medicare program.

Ask your US Representative to vote “Yes” on the “Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act of 2009” (H.R. 3961) in support of physicians and Medicare beneficiaries.  Dial 1-877-262-9400 from any touch-tone phone and follow the instructions to be connected to your US Representative.

Thank you for your assistance!

I received this e-mail this morning so I wanted to pass along to our readers/participants.  While Snopes does not show any activity with this virus since about March 2009, it is very likely to re-surface with the upcoming holidays.  UPS, FedEx and DHL all posted warnings to help alert customers.  Their respective warnings and examples of the fraudulant e-mails may be found by clicking the link below to the Snopes site.

Please pass this along to everyone you know.  Thanks.

The virus circulating is:

 The UPS/FedEx/DHL Delivery Failure.

You will receive an email from UPS/Fed Ex Service along with a packet number.  It will say that they were unable to deliver a package sent to you on such-and-such a date.  It then asks you to print out the invoice copy attached.  DO NOT TRY TO PRINT THIS.

IT LAUNCHES THE VIRUS!

Pass this warning on to all your PC operators At work and home.

Snopes confirms that it is real.

http://www.snopes.com/computer/virus/ups.asp

Several months ago, I purchased a mailing list from Data Depot – big mistake as it turned out - they just took my money and never provided the promised information. 

Their website listed the data elements they promised and it appeared to be just what I needed.  Once I received the mailing list, I found that they had not included the City – certainly an important element in a mailing list don’t you think?  I contacted them several times before finally receiving a response that there must be something wrong with my computer.  Absurd – it was a data file downloaded from an FTP site.  Didn’t require any programs to run or anything.  I contacted them several more times and they simply refused to respond and they refused to provide a refund.

I then filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau – what a waste of time.  I’ve come to the conclusion after this and a previous encounter with the BBB that it is not worth the effort and time.  Data Depot responded that they don’t guarantee the accuracy of the data and I agreed to that when I purchased the mailing list.  True, I do understand that they cannot possibly guarantee the accuracy of the data as addresses change fequently in some cases; however, I did not agree to purchase a mailing list totally missing a promissed data element (city).

I then filed a complaint with the State of Florida Division of Consumer Affairs.  Data Depot simply refused to respond to them and they closed the file with no action. 

The company’s particulars:  Data Depot (www.datadepot.biz), 6822 22nd Avenue North, Suite 284, St. Petersburg, FL, 33710 USA, Toll Free: 800-555-DATA (3282), E-mail: info@datadepot.biz. 

Fellow consumer advocates, is this the kind of company with whom you would want to do business?  Please let Data Depot know what you think about their behavior.

Welcome to the Consumer Action Blog.  The purpose of this site is to provide a place for consumers to voice their legitimate, factual complaints about businesses (including government) that just don’t act right.  Please read the terms and conditions before getting involved.  This is a call to action, not just a gripe site!!  Together, we can make a positive difference in our country so, please join me in our push to return sanity and decency to our business world.

To post your problem/conflict and seek Consumer Action help, first read the terms and conditions then post a comment with your complaint/issue.  The administrator will review your post and either approve it, return it with modifications or questions or deny/delete it.

From time to time, I get invited to trial new products or blog about something specific. I only do so if my curiosity is piqued or it’s a product or service I think is worthwhile. So I’ve been invited to blog, tweet and take photos at the upcoming Choice Shonky awards, which exposes the year’s dodgiest products. For my international readers, Choice is a leading Australian consumer advocacy group. They test consumer products and provide reviews as well as lobbying to change laws and industry practices.  The awards will be held this coming week in a no doubt glittering ceremony hosted by actor/comedian, Jean Kitson. Since I’m a long-time reader of Choice magazine, I decided to take up the invite.

In the run-up to next week’s ceremony, I was invited to tour the new Choice lab facilities where they test products. This was their first blogger lab tour and I found myself on the tour with a couple of food bloggers who were busy twittering and an online media content creator, who was filming. So next week we’ll be blogging and twittering at the ceremony, which you can follow on Twitter under hashtag shonkys

So…what did I discover at the secret squirrel labs? I was hoping to find some mad looking scientists in white lab coats and test tubes full of bubbling liquids about to explode. But no…I found some normal looking people going about their business of testing products. We started off by meeting John Ashes, the Choice lab manager, who took us on the tour of the new premises, which used to be the Pie TV factory back in the 1950s. Very cool.

They have about 15-16 staff who test products and they all come from varied backgrounds with different university degrees. First up, we went into the food lab where Fiona was testing hand-held food mixers, which she even tests on pizza dough to assess the strength of the product. Choice do extensive comparative testing and test a product for about 2 weeks. I didn’t take my Nikon with me; just a small camera, so the photos are a bit dodgy. But here’s a few shots of John and Fiona and the mixers in the funky food lab with lots of shiny equipment:

Fiona was about to test the mixers with meringues and cake mix but alas we missed out on any food tasting because next up was the computer test lab to meet Ryan. He tests things like computer monitors, budget laptops, TVs and so on. His tests appear on the Choice website and in Computer Choice, which is a separate magazine (6 issues a year). The good news I picked up in this lab was that TVs in stand-by mode now have to conform to less than 1 watt energy usage. Choice staff often sit on Standards Australia committees and they were involved in the Standards around TVs and use of energy. Here’s a shot of Ryan in his lab and John pointing to the calibration monitor. All test instruments are calibrated externally and they compare their test instruments using this unit. Even rulers are calibrated (serious scientific testing stuff!).

On our way to other lab areas, we passed through the breakout area where staff have coffee and (of great interest to me) share knowledge about various products and tests going on.

Next up was the refrigerator testing area and then the small appliances and toy testing labs. I learnt that there are only 4 or 5 fridges in Australia that can really do the job of keeping food in an even temperature and the best temperature for the fresh food compartment is around 3.3 degrees Celsius or 35-58 degrees Fahrenheit. Peter in the small appliances lab looked to have the best job if you ask me. He was busy testing coffee machines using Vittoria coffee (as this is a brand of coffee most consumers can find and purchase). He was testing machines that range in price from AU$200-1200 and it seems that hefty price doesn’t necessarily give you the best cup of coffee.

I really liked the testing area for dishwashers and washing machines. This is Choice’s busiest lab because they run two types of tests at once. For dishwashers, testers use standard plates and cutlery, soil these with food from the four food groups and let things dry overnight in 20 degree temperature with 60%  humidity. A computer logs information whilst testing is going on and measures things like water and energy use, temperature etc.

With washing machines, Choice uses soiled patches from Holland, coated with standard dirt and they also attach 100 sq cm of embroidery material of a coarse weave. This flops around and frays so they then trim and measure the area, which gives a score of gentleness. Who would have thought! They even determine how much detergent is left over in a washing machine.  They test white loads (white towels, white sheets, white shirts) because it’s representative of what the average person will use or wear and they wash in cold water.

The last stop was the area for testing products like light bulbs and baby strollers. What was really cool was seeing 150 energy-saving light bulbs being tested. The bulbs are tested for 60 hours in a temperature controlled room and suspended from the ceiling on a rack.

It was great to see the thorough testing that goes on at Choice – it certainly gives me consumer confidence.  I’ll do a further blog post soon about the awards. Thanks to Choice for the lab tour.

Before I begin, let me just say “SIT IN IT”, COMMERCIAL JUDAISM!

So I was strolling around the Home Depot looking for long wooden planks and boards of wood for our very first Sukkah together. How exciting! Suddenly I hear the electric boogaloo playing in four-part harmony. It was my wife calling.

“Itamar, why for you are building a Sukkah from wood? We need to feed our 90 lb golden retriever! Please try to spend under $100 on the Sukkah.”

“Challenge accepted!” I said, and threw my phone back in my pocket.

Okay, so a Sukkah for under $100 …

I had already measured the balcony inside-of-railing to inside-of-railing, so I had exact measurements.

Home Depot Logo

Here’s what I used:

• Nine 10ft PVC Pipes
  • $11.25
• PVC Pipe Cutter
  • $11.00
• 15ft x 12ft Light-colored canvas (who likes to sit in a room with dark-blue walls?!)
  • $26.95
• 100 Zip-ties
  • $6.75
• About 7 stocks of corn (minus the corn) – NOT from Sukkah Expo!
  
  • $15

GRAND TOTAL: $70.95

Holy crap! We didn’t even reach the 3/4 mark of my max budget yet! Would this anger the gods of commercial Judaism? Shall I decorate the sukkah with hundred dollar bills to make up for my thriftiness? Is it less kosher? What if I had a rabbi watch as I slaughtered the Sukkah? Then would it be more kosher?

Because I’m pretty sure the minimum for a Sukkah at sukkah expos is at least quintuple what I spent.

Let me help you compare prices, and maybe you can decide for yourself:

MINIMUM IS over $400 at http://www.sukkahdepot.com/English/

THESE OPPORTUNISTS SELL A SUKKAH FOR OVER $1200 (WITHOUT SCHACH!) http://www.sukkahoutlet.com/ez-sukkah.html

MINIMUM SUKKAH: $389 http://www.judaicany.com/sukkahs.shtml

Sukkah below is for demonstrative purposes only. Do not ingest orally.

Sukkah