C'mon - Is texting and driving really that dangerous?

A movie theater in Hong Kong used wireless ringer technology to teach its audience about mobile phone use and what distracted driving leads to.   Please share. Let's act before the next accident.    Click on the link below for a 1 minute video.   C'mon - Is texting and driving really that dangerous?

Tuna wraps, customer service and "It's Not My Job"

Customers, generally, don't ask for a whole lot. They want good service. When they interact with you, they would like friendly service, and overall they expect your policies to be based on reason and logic.

Recently I had two illogical and unreasonable experiences, just 30 minutes apart.

I was traveling on the Florida Turnpike, heading from Tallahassee to an evening meeting in Lake Worth. Since I knew I wouldn't have a chance to eat dinner because of the 6 p.m. start time, I decided to eat a late lunch.

Around 2:30 p.m. I stopped at the Canoe Creek rest stop. At the Nature's Table Cafe I saw they had a tuna sandwich in the cooler. I wanted a slight change. "Can I get the tuna in a wrap?," I asked the attendant. "Sure," she said, "but it will take about 5 minutes."

"That's Ok,"I replied.

But after just a few seconds, she thought a bit and said "We can't make a wrap because the person who makes them is on break."

I looked around. I was the only customer in the middle of a quiet, weekday afternoon. "Can you make it?" I asked.

"Nope, that's not my job, she said."

I wasn't upset. Just hungry. I decided to head on down to the next rest stop and get my tuna wrap there.

At the St. Lucie rest stop I happily approached the Earl of Sandwich. On the menu sign they had saliva-inducing photos of a tuna sandwich, and right next to it, a turkey wrap. Surely they could combine the ingredients of both and make a tuna wrap, I thought.

I placed my special order. The attendant just stared back at me in silence.

Perhaps I should ask a different way, I thought. "I'd like a tuna sandwich, but no bread. Instead of the bread, I'd like the tuna in a wrap." I even made the motion like I was wrapping a wrap.

No response.

"Is there someone else I could talk with?," I asked.

He went into the back and spoke with the manager. After a lengthy conversation, the manager emerged. She asked again, "What would you like, sir?"

I repeated my request, as pleasant as possible for a hungry traveler.

"I'm sorry sir, we don't have any wrap material. We're all out."

"But what if I had ordered a turkey wrap? Could you make that?," I asked.

"Sorry, sir," she repeated. "We're all out."

I soldered on, down the Turnpike, sans tuna wrap.       

Upon exiting the Turnpike in Lake Worth, I tried one last time, at a place interestingly called Jon Smith Subs.

Not only could they make my tuna wrap, but it was the best tuna I have had in years. Or perhaps I was famished. Either way, Jon Smith Subs saved the day. And their service was great too.

Customers can accept "No" for an answer, but it sure helps if the reason why makes sense. If you can't help a customer in the specific way they request, it's important to understand their needs and try a different way. And whatever you do, please never say "It's not my job."

Super Bowl "L"

The Super Bowl is the single most hyped and watched TV event on the planet. The NFL has the perfect ingredients to appeal to men, women and children: Football, funny and emotional commercials, and a rock star performance at half time.

And one more thing! Roman numerals.

Wha?

As a result of all the Super Bowls over the years, 300 million Americans, and perhaps billions around the world, have learned their Roman numerals.

Remember Super Bowl XXX? It was almost banned. How about IV? Now that was a real bloodbath; it required extra fluids. Then we had XXXIX, the intellectual game (had to think about that one – it's 39).

Except for the value of a good liberal arts education and being a society of learned people, knowing Roman numerals doesn't have much value today. But thanks to the National Football League, our collective IQ is just a tad-bit higher. I guess it might be a counterweight to the brain damage playing in the NFL has caused its players.

In 2015 we'll be celebrating the 50^th Super Bowl. Sadly, the NFL is dropping its use of Roman numerals for one year because of the confusion it would create. Apparently they think our minds cannot stretch to learn one more Roman numeral.

Super Bowl L.

Yes, it's weird. But who among us has thought about the Roman numeral L since elementary school? What a great learning opportunity we're missing. (My memory has faded, but I think I got that question wrong on the SAT.)

There is good news. The NFL has promised to again use Roman numerals for Super Bowl LI. I guess we won't lose this educational moment after all.