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Last Edition of Denverbrown
Well folks, this is it. This is the last new edition of Denverbrown. September 19 will be my last day of work and the beginning of my vacation that will take me into retirement. Sept. 30 is my official last day.
I've been doing Denverbrown for over 5 years. I started it as place to poke a little fun at the company and at the same time, to get some things off my chest. With the help of my good friend and comrad-in-arms, Bob Newhouse, it became a lot more than that.
 Over the years Denverbrown developed into a place where Bob and I could pass along some of our knowledge as drivers and stewards. We could explain to our readership of UPS drivers how things work at UPS and how they don't work. We challenged drivers to be more than grunts and counseled many drivers who got into trouble.
A couple of times we got into trouble with UPS Corporate, once we got a letter from the big shot lawyers in New York threatening a lawsuit.
But we weren't deterred by threats and angry emails, we pushed on because Denverbrown became immensely popular. I wish I had a nickel for every hit I've had on the site, I'd be a rich man. I receive lots of emails from drivers around the country and around the world and I've tried to answer them all. It's kept me pretty busy, but it's been a labor of love.
One of the most interesting things Denverbrown has shown me, and I learned this early on, is that what's happening here in Denver is often happening simultaneously around the country. Whether it's a reduction in staffing or a new approach to squelch grievances, I would report it and soon begin getting emails saying, "Hey, that's happening here too!"
So after this month I plan to post up links to the last 3 years or so of Denverbrown. You won't find any new ranting or ravings on the pages, just a wealth of information that has previoiusly been posted. Many readers found these articles useful, some found them funny, some engineers found them infuriating. That's what I call success.
I hope that someone someday will post up a website like Denvrbrown. A site that tells the true story of life on the inside. My header has always contained the words, "A VIEW....from the driver's side." That's what Denverbrown has tried to be. It's been my view. I hope you enjoyed it.
The UPS Olympians
A top level United Parcel Service executive issued a statement on Aug. 31 comparing some UPS employees to the world class athletes he recently observed at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. UPS spokesperson B.S. "Bull" Schitt described the comparison at a news conference in Atlanta.
"From the granduer of the opening ceremonies to the last ping pong match, the 2008 Olympics drove home for me the importance of performing your best on the world stage. UPS is in a unique position to grab the gold and step up onto the winners platform."
 "When our engineers designed and implemented Package Flow Technology, we left the competition in the dust," beamed Schitt. "We hit the gas with PAS and a new way of delivering packages and we need to honor our engineers the way other
countries honor their Olympic athletes."
"Our engineers, our Olympians, have toiled long and hard to propel UPS into the forefront. They labor behind the scenes, often unnoticed and unrecognized, doing their jobs without the glory or reward that our drivers often receive.
"These unsung heroes hold it all together, they have a tight grip on the most vital organs of the corporation. They are not afraid to be colorless, they are not humiliated by their role as support staff. They are like the
athletic supporter of a world class athlete, unseen, sweaty, but vital to the quest for greatness," boasted Schitt.
"Our engineers have their noses buried deep in the business. From the boardroom to the lockerroom, they know the smell of success. Our engineers are the jockstaps of this hardworking company."
"We are very satisfied with our engineering staff," Schitt added, leaning back and lighting a cigarette. "They've had some hard issues to lick, but they done what we asked them to do."
The Road to Retirement
On Aug. 6 I received a letter from the UPS/IBT Full Time Pension Plan awarding me my retirement benefits beginning Oct. 1, 2008. That's like the most important letter I've ever received! Monumental. Life changing.
The letter goes into some detail about my payments. I get $3000, less deductions, payable during the first week of Oct. At age 65 my payment will be reduced to $332.32 from UPS/IBT Pension Plan and Central States will begin paying me $2667.48. You notice that Central States does not pick up the full amount,
something about the unfunded liability, but UPS makes good on their promise to guarantee my pension at $3000 for the rest of my life. At that point I will be getting 3 checks, one from UPS, one from Central States and my Social Security on top of that. Not too shabby.
The letter was short and sweet. Very sweet indeed.
So my last day will be Sept. 19 as planned and I will officially retire Sept. 30. UPS calls it my termination date. Isn't that nice. Sometime during the month of October I will be transferred to the new Retiree Insurance, my employee insurance will remain in effect until Nov. 1.
I have mixed feelings about leaving. One day I'm up, the next I'm in a melancholy funk. I'm so ready to get on with my new life adventure. I'm tired of being gone from the house for 12 hours a day, five days a week. I'm tired of eating supper every night at 8 o'clock and living for the weekend. I want my life back. I want to
set my own schedule. I want to work at my own pace. I'm ready to go.
But at the same time, I feel like I'm leaving my family. I've known some of my co-workers for almost 30 years. We've been through a lot together. Some of them I will never see again. I'm going to miss them. I'm gonna miss Denverbrown and all the wonderful people I've met here too. I'm not a blogger myself but I hope somebody, someday starts a UPS driver blog. I think that would be a cool way to keep abreast of what's happening at the old ball and chain.
So while one side of me wants to say thank you, the other side wants to write "Kiss my ass" on the back of my shirt so that's the last they see of me.
I'm not sure how I will feel on Sept. 19th, but I know one thing. I've been waiting 30 years for this and I'm walking out and I ain't looking back. So long UPS, hello new life.
What a long, strange trip it's been.
Grateful Dead
Approved Wine Shipper
Have you delivered one of those boxes of wine that carrys a label saying "Do not deliver to an intoxicated person"? I get about one a week and I usually approach the door with some apprehension.
The last thing I want to do is deny a drunk his next drink. After all, he ordered the stuff, he paid for it, I'm at his house, he wants to sign for it and I'm supposed to question his sobriety. This is not a good situation.
I'm not sure what criteria I'm supposed to use to determine if this will be a safe delivery or not. Do I ask to smell his breath?
How about walking a straight line? Or maybe the eyes closed, finger to the nose test. I heard a driver had one the other day and after the customer signed for it, he started to hand it to him, then quickly jerked it away to test the signer's balance as he reached for it. He thought it was a good test, but the customer was not amused.
UPS Buys a Cow Dog
A man in Oklahoma lost his cow dog. The man lives 10 miles from the nearest town, a mile from the nearest public road and a quarter mile from the nearest private lane. He said the dog never left the property and he was baffled when the dog disappeared. He offered a $10,000 reward for its return.
It turned out the dog wasn’t really missing at all. It was run over by a UPS truck just 28 paces from the front door of the man’s house. Claiming that the dog possessed exceptional skills, the man refused UPS’ offer of $1000 to settle the matter and went to court. The judge awarded him $300. UPS paid.
“It remains truly regrettable that such a fine animal died at the hands of UPS for no good reason, except, of course, that UPS is in a hurry even in your front yard,” the man said. “I’m hopeful UPS will be a little more considerate when they enter private property.”
United Pot Smokers
Are you at risk of losing your job if you get sent down for a drug test? Off the top of my head, I can think of about 3 reasons you might have to take the test. One is if you go into feeders. Feeders is a DOT job based on the weight of the vehicles. It requires a CDL license and DOT jobs require drug tests.
Another reason is if you feel you have a substance abuse problem and want to take advantage of the company’s rehab program. They have the right then to test you coming out of the program for a year or more.
The third way you could be required to submit for a test is called ‘reasonable cause testing’. In the contract, “reasonable cause is defined as an employee’s observable action, appearance, or conduct that clearly indicate the need for a fitness-for-duty medical evaluation.” (Article 35 sec.3.8)
“The employee’s conduct must be witnessed by at least two (2) supervisors, if available. The witnesses must have received training in observing a person’s behavior to determine if a medical evaluation is required. When the supervisor(s) confronts an employee, a Union representative should be made available pursuant to Article 4 of the National Master UPS Agreement as interpreted. If no steward is present, the employee may select another hourly paid employee to represent him.”
 “Documentation of the employee’s conduct shall be prepared and signed by the witnesses within twenty-four (24) hours of the observed behavior, or before the test results are released, whichever is earlier. In addition, a copy will be sent to the Local Union in a timely manner.”
Under Article 35 sec. 3.13, a positive test will result in discharge. Refusal to submit to the test will also result in discharge.
The levels that qualify as failing the test are listed under Article 35 sec. 3.3 and 3.4.
Many people feel that pot usage should not be grounds for discharge, when used recreationally off the job, similar to alcohol. The argument has some merit when you consider that urine tests do not detect the psychoactive ingredient of marijuana, THC, but rather other, nonactive metabolites. Thus the tests indicate usage but do not measure impairment.
If you are a pot smoker, you should go the NORML website and educate yourself. You are engaging in a behavior which, if detected, will cost you your job.
Give Me Five
Management likes to hammer us for months on end with excessive workloads and threats to our jobs then show us how much they appreciate us by cooking us a hamburger. This is a common corporate trick to make us think we are being rewarded like real team members.
 But is this really what we want? I think not. I told a manager recently that I thought BBQ’s were done more to make management feel good than to make us feel good. We don’t need another meal away from the wife and kids. We don’t need another hour at the building after work.
We would like to get home early enough to BBQ with our families at night. We need to feel appreciated but not just once every couple of months. We need to hear an occasional ‘thank you’, we don’t need a hamburger.
If the company wants to reward us for long hours of hard work, how about a week of 8-hour days? How about reducing the dispatch so we can go home and have a BBQ with the ones we love? Or better yet, buy lunch.
Give me $5. UPS could start a ‘give me 5’ program where they hand out $5 bills to every driver as we leave the building in the morning. We could have a nice hot lunch, we could feel appreciated and we could take it as the thank you that UPS seems to choke on when it comes time to say it. Plus we wouldn’t have to sit down with the wolves and eat it.
I say, keep your hamburger, 'Give me 5.'
Boss Talk
In the years I was with UPS I saw a slow-but-sure deterioration in the management approach toward employees. Management truly did not care (much) about the people who pumped those packages through the system every day. I knew one young man, a superb PERSON by any definition, who found his father's body shortly after his father committed suicide. The young man was terribly shaken and upset. The Senior Manager at UPS stated that this young man would only be allowed the maximum 5 days for funeral leave, and that he must immediately return to work. 5 days is the maximum, but with a death so tragic, surely he could have pushed for more time off. I would like to know the reason why a Division Manager would not have given him more time off.....On the other hand, when I was in management...(I'll never forget this) I received a call from an employees wife stating that his mother had just died. I put my browns on and went to his route. I told him what happened and told  him to take my car back to the center and I would finish his route. He said, 'No Garry, the rest of the route is all apartments and are tough to deliver. Just ride along with me for a while and I'll be all right.' People would ask him as he made his pick ups...How's it going John? And he would answer, 'Oh everything is all right.......' AMAZING I knew another driver who was expecting his first child at any moment. This young man had arranged an elaborate system of contacts on his route for his wife to use in the event she went into labor while he was working (UPS had no way of contacting drivers on-road, this was 1984-85). The call came into our UPS center office first. I recall back in 1965, when my wife was pregnant with our first born, and her labor pains were 10 minutes apart. They asked me to come to work anyway. As usual they were undermanned and I did go in to work. Shortly after I got off work, I took her to the hospital and everything went well. The Senior Manager took the call, and attempted to 'deay' it's arrival to the driver so that the driver would, unknowingly, finish his day of work, and maybe make it to the hospital in time to attend the birth. Fortunately, both of these situations were 'resolved' in the best interests of the young men, no further damage done. I bring these 2 instances of management's insensitivity forward as a means of demonstrating just 2 of the many employee-unfriendly situations that I witnessed over many years. And that's not even touching the attitude UPS had toward its customers!! We won't even go there, it’s so ripe. I gotta hand it to UPS though, there ain't NOBODY in any business anywhere who can do it more efficiently, at less cost, than the brown boys. They can shove those millions of boxes along those miles of conveyor belts like nobody's fools. I understand that the air hub in Louisville is REALLY amazing.....more so than a regular hub.... That high rate of production is the root of their plethora of problems. I'd like to repeat that UPS had many truly outstanding employees, and I was proud to work with them. As I was and still am as a retiree.....
Name withheld by request
Former Kingston UPS Driver Tells All
This story first appeared in the 01/07 edition of Denverbrown. I recently got an update from David Cole and his email is in italics at the bottom of the article.
Dave Cole was a UPS driver. He was just like you and me. He worked hard, he had a family, he was a good UPS man. Then things changed for Dave. Dave's story could be my story. Or your story. It shows us just how fragile our existence at UPS is, how easily the dream of a good life could be snatched away. The following is my synopsis of Dave's story, summarized from an original story in the Kingston Observer.
UPS driver Dave Cole got to know a lot of people during his eight years of picking up and delivering packages. For five years his route covered a fair piece of Kingston real estate, the other five were focussed on the Independence Mall. People appreciated his good manners, upbeat personality and helpful, professional service. Dave, who resides in neighboring Plymouth, has a 16 year old son and has logged in 13 years for ‘Big Brown’, first as a part timer then full.
 But Dave’s fortunes with the mega-delivery giant turned in mid-July of last year. "I believe I was put into a position that was constructed for failure." Such tactics included management following his route for given days, and his truck being loaded "in reverse" at the terminal. Reverse loading means the first deliveries are at the front of the truck requiring the driver to constantly reshuffle the packages. Such an action makes it virtually impossible to finish your route in time or within an acceptable overtime level. On those occasions, Dave said he stayed in contact with the terminal supervisors who ordered him to "get it done."
Dave contends it was an impossible situation, could not be done and was not done. After a July 6th hearing he was terminated the next day. Although management contended that Cole never made the calls he claims were made, Cole says his cell phone records back him up. Dave says this is a common occurrence, especially when UPS wants to "get rid of a older guys with larger pensions." This writer wanted to know what role the Union plays in coming to the aid of the employee. Cole said the Union is useless in such situations and the two sides cavort like best buddies. The Union told Dave to admit guilt and take the punishment. He did, received a three day suspension and was back on the job three days later.
Dave Cole says he had an impeccable record up to that day. Upon his return, not surprisingly, his route was at the Mall. After a brief passage of time, management was following Dave on his Route. They took pictures, alleged that he was falsifying paperwork and other transgressions. The practice of "reverse loading". Dave confronted the loader back at the terminal who said he was ordered to do so by management. A second suspension followed after Cole was again faced with the sin of bringing back boxes to the terminal. He was summoned to meet with management for his mandatory hearing. Contrary to the Union Contract, no Union personnel were present. Cole said he was told to "bid out" on his Kingston Route or "face the longest year of your life".
Dave never got his Route and was told instead that he failed to notify the company of damage to his truck (a small tree limb wedged in the drip edge of the roof of a truck that had not been exclusively used by Cole. This led to a suspension and another warning, followed by another suspension and a return to the job where the harassment continued. "Other drivers are subjected to the same treatment every day, but they are afraid to complain and the Union will not provide legal representation." By now Cole said he was under extreme emotional pressure. It became impossible to deliver the entire truckload in the manner it was being loaded. He was again suspended for "abandonment" of his load.
Dave was now under a doctor’s care, collected unemployment for a time and had asked for an arbitration hearing. Shortly before that hearing was to take place, UPS notified Dave that he was being reinstated, thereby nullifying the arbitration process.
Although Dave Cole is still employed by UPS, he knows that he is on borrowed time. In fact, the telling of his story could be all that is required to tilt the termination plank. He decided to tell his story for his own peace of mind and to remind people, "That every time you see a driver, understand the stress and pressure many are under. With a family to support, many drivers must grin and take it." "As far as I am concerned, my UPS career has been destroyed. I have faced financial reversals because of it. I am getting the entire bad experience off my chest. My short-term goal is to relocate to another part of the country, put the UPS experience behind me and move on with I believe to be a less stressful future."
My name is David Cole. Back in Jan. of 07 you ran my story published by ''The Kingston Reporter''.
The outcome took well over a year to reach a conclusion. That conclusion is now being questioned by Senator Edward Kennedy's Office'' as to a discrepancy with his termination from United Parcel Service.''
This experience has cost me everything. I expect the direct response from the N.L.R.B. to the Senator anyday now.
I am hoping to put this experience out there to as many as I can.
It will cleary show that rights, labor law contracts, and State and Federal laws we all have are nothing more than words when they are not enforced. These ''words'' can lead to false direction. Just as one example take article 37 from the current contract. File a grievance (or 2 like I did) and the only sure outcome is an intesified hostility and retalliation directed at you. If that were known be-forehand could it cause one to second guess? Certainly,but who would have thought that based on the language contained in article 37?
Please let me know of any and ALL avenues to pursue. I will put in the time and effort required in order to document and detail the numerous injustices and failures incurred along the way in an effort to share and educate others who may benefit or unite.
I have enough documentation and lessons learned to write that ''bestseller'' you refer to, and we both know there are many others. Someday this company has to be held accountable, why not now?
McCain to Discuss Potential Job Losses
(MARION, Ohio) — Republican presidential candidate John McCain is taking up the issue of possible job losses due to the closure of a DHL shipping site in Ohio, the result of a corporate merger aided by his campaign manager during his work as a lobbyist.
In 2003, McCain campaign manager Rick Davis lobbied Congress to accept a proposal by German-owned DHL to buy Airborne Express, which kept its domestic hub in Wilmington in southwest Ohio.
In announcing a restructuring plan in May, DHL said it planned to hire United Parcel Service to move some of its air packages, sending them through an airport in Louisville, Ky., and putting the Wilmington Air Park out of business. Some 8,000 jobs could be at stake, Wilmington officials estimate.
Davis took a leave of absence from his lobbying practice to work for McCain, a self-styled reformer who asked his campaign staff to disclose all previous lobbying ties and make certain they were no longer registered as lobbyists or foreign agents.
 McCain on Thursday was to discuss DHL's plans with local officials and others affected by the potential job losses. The economy and job losses are important issues in Ohio, a critical swing state that gave President Bush the electoral votes needed for re-election in 2004.
McCain campaign spokesman Brian Rogers said Wednesday that Davis had not worked with DHL since 2005, long before DHL announced plans to move its work out of Wilmington. The companies merged in 2003.
"At the time of the merger, no one anticipated an impact on jobs in Wilmington," Rogers said.
McCain, as chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, had a role in the deal too. He urged then-Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Ted Stevens to abandon proposed legislation that would have prohibited foreign-owned carriers from flying U.S. military equipment or troops, which Airborne Express said was aimed at torpedoing its merger with DHL.
Rogers said McCain opposed the bill because it could have hurt the military's airlift capabilities in a time of war.
The DHL-Airborne deal ultimately went through, despite opposition from competitors UPS and FedEx, which argued that it would violate a ban on foreign control of domestic airlines. DHL is the U.S.-based shipping unit of German postal service Deutsche Post AG.
On Wednesday, Sen. Sherrod Brown, an Ohio Democrat and supporter of presidential hopeful Barack Obama, called on McCain and Davis to use their past ties to DHL to urge the company not to move jobs out of Wilmington.
"John McCain through this whole thing has said zero about his connection to DHL," Brown said. "We need their help. I'm accusing them of indifference."
In a statement Wednesday, Ohio Republican Sen. George Voinovich called the situation "one of the worst job catastrophes that any community in this nation is facing."
TIME
UPS in the News
 Baltimore, MD -- A United Parcel Service driver finishing up an overnight trip from Texas was shot and wounded this morning as he drove his tractor-trailer on Caton Avenue in Southwest Baltimore, a city police spokesman said.
The driver has worked for UPS for 31 years and was coming into a UPS distribution center at a nearby industrial park when he was shot. Cain said he and a co-worker, who was sleeping in the back of the cab when the shooting occurred, had just arrived from Dallas.
Denver, CO - Police say one person was taken to a local hospital after suffering an electric shock at a United Parcel Service facility in the early morning hours on Sunday.
Evansville, IN -- The parents of an Evansville man killed in a motorcycle collision with a United Parcel Service delivery truck have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the company and the truck's driver. Michael and Lynda Adams of Evansville are suing UPS and the driver,
alleging negligence in the death of their 21-year-old son. Police initially believed Adams was at fault, but an accident reconstructionist later determined the UPS driver was to blame. That finding prompted the lawsuit, according to the Adamses' attorneys. Michael B. Adams was traveling eastbound on Pollack Avenue when his Yamaha motorcycle collided with UPS truck, which was backing into a driveway.
 Chester, SC -- A driver for UPS was delivering packages along Highway 72. He turned onto a side road near Campbell's Crossing and began to drive over a set of railroad tracks.
The vehicle's front end extended too far into the train's path, and the Norfolk Southern engine was unable to stop in time. The impact sheared the UPS truck's entire engine compartment off and scattered pieces of the familiar brown delivery vehicle across the area.
No alcohol or drugs were involved, and Thomas was wearing his seat belt at the time of impact.
Newark, NJ -- Police have arrested a United Parcel Service (UPS) driver for delivering drugs to a home in Newark. Authorities say the driver delivered 15 pounds of marijuana to a house on 6th Street and 11th Avenue.
According to police, Massaquoi was dressed in his uniform and was driving his UPS delivery truck at the time of the offense. He has been charged with a number of drug offenses, including intent to distribute illegal drugs within 1000 feet of a school.
Los Angeles, CA -- Officers were pursuing an allegedly stolen Chevrolet Tahoe when the sport utility vehicle ran a red light and collided with a United Parcel Service tractor-trailer cab.The UPS cab then crashed into a gas pump, causing an explosion and fire. The cab was not carrying a trailer. Police said the driver of the SUV was pronounced dead at the scene. A male and female passenger were taken to Los Angeles County Medical Center, where they were pronounced dead. The female was pregnant, and her unborn child did not survive. The driver of the UPS vehicle sustained minor injuries.
 Missoula, MT -- Missoula County authorities are investigating a report that a gunman intimidated a United Parcel Service driver into letting him ride along on a delivery route.
The unidentified delivery driver said a man climbed into his truck Dec. 23 as he dropped off a package in Missoula, the Missoula County sheriff's office said. The man took out a revolver and put it on his lap, the driver said, after the driver told him he couldn't take passengers.
The driver then allowed the man to ride in the truck for about an hour as more deliveries were made. The driver said the man left the truck just across the Idaho state line, about 35 miles from where he boarded the vehicle.
Lewis County, WA -- Employees from delivery service companies DHL and UPS were arrested after police investigated a local theft ring involving over $85,000 in stolen property. Nearly $50,000 in iPods were reported missing from UPS and around $35,000 worth of Dell Computers were reported missing from DHL. A UPS driver, 38-year-old Todd Bartlett, of Chehalis, was stealing cases of iPods and selling them to 33-year-old Kevin Albert, of Oakville since December 2007, said the sheriff’s office.
15 Flights Later...
I’m a small business owner. I receive several shipments per month via UPS. During the last 3 months Ups has misdirected, lost, and delayed many of my shipments costing me quite a large chunk of steady income. This is just one letter I wrote to them detailing their incompetence. I have received no reply to any of my letters. If you’re dealing with UPS, put on your waders to slog through the brown.
 My UPS #********* shipment arrived on March 6, 2008. It was shipped on Feb. 21, 2008 Saver Express. It was flown on 15 separate flights between Salt Lake City and Louisville [no wonder your service is so expensive] because a UPS employee entered the wrong destination information in your system. The correct information was clearly marked on the outside of the box as was the shipper’s phone # and mine. The shipper always tapes a large address label written in black wide sharpie on the box separate from the waybill. I have photos of the unopened box detailing this.
Neither of us received a call from you as my package jetted back and forth. I spoke with UPS several times asking if it was at all possible for some one to actually READ the address on the outside of the package. I was told that was impossible as the package MUST be sent to the address which was incorrectly entered by UPS. In other words, UPS makes no allowance for human error and would rather put the package on 15 flights before checking a reported error on your part. Finally on March 6, 2008 you noted,
“THE PACKAGE WAS MISSORTED AT THE HUB. IT HAS BEEN REROUTED TO THE CORRECT DESTINATION SITE.” I lost sales because of the delay and my shipper has billed me the $105.00 USD UPS shipping charge. Please inform me if my shipper and I have any refund available on this shipment. I certainly would like to “see what brown can do FOR me” instead of TO me.
It's Still There
My father died of cancer back in 1991. It came on in late Winter and he was gone pretty quickly on Memorial Day.
My parents lived out in the country in northern lower Michigan, about thirty miles northwest of Cadillac. Their next door neighbor had a fruit and vegetable farm (strawberries, cucumber pickles) and was a commercial sprinkler dealer. So, he got a lot of deliveries by UPS. The driver passed my parents house a couple of times a day. He always sounded his horn and waved if my father was in the yard.
Early in '91, my father had ordered a swing from a catalogue. A small two person swing that you can hang on a porch or from the branch of a tree. They didn't have much of a porch, more of a stoop with a roof over it. There was a huge tree in the front yard with a nice branch about ten feet up. That was the planned location for the swing.
The UPS driver delivered it and he and Dad talked about its placement. My father was pretty frail at that point. The UPS guy told him he'd come out and help him install it the first good weather weekend that came along.
 A day or so later, the UPS guy was driving past and saw my father in the yard with the parts scattered around him, trying to put the swing together. He pulled into the driveway and meandered over.
"Lloyd, I told you I'd help you with this."
"I know, I just need to get this going."
"I'll tell you what, I get done about four, I can get back here maybe quarter till five and we'll get it going."
"Thanks, but that's not necessary, I can manage it."
"You can, but I can help. I'll see you in a few hours."
The UPS terminal was in Cadillac, as I said, thirty miles away. The UPS guy finished his route, turned in the truck and drove back, out of his way. They put the swing together and hung it.
Last I knew, the swing was still there.
dave
The Death of a Driver
Here is a sad story of a driver, just like you and me, who was killed on the job. He was good guy, he was doing his job, he was just unfortunate to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. It makes me think that none of us are immune. We need to pay attention every minute that we are behind the wheel of those big brown trucks. Danger lurks.
This could happen to any of us. Don’t let it happen to you. The Death of a Driver
An Ugly UPS Guy?
We were having a silly conversation, one day.
Something about genes and all that.
The subject of "The Milkman" came up.
 He did his goofy, third person voice, telling his make-believe "husband" (he was speaking as the wife) that the answer to any paternity questions lies in meeting "the Milkman."
So, I counter with, "Milkman? What are you talking about, milkman? The neighborhood stud, these days, is the UPS guy."
We laughed.
I thought for a moment, and then added, "you know, now that I think about it, I don't recall ever seeing an ugly UPS guy" (yes, I do get off-track occasionally, from, you know, that thinking I do...)
There were a couple of female coworkers within listening distance, so I put the question out there: "Have any of you seen an ugly UPS guy?"
No one had.
We agreed, collectively, that an unattractive UPS guy, may not even exist.
What a great world we live in...
I think I may just have to go order something on-line and have it shipped via UPS ground.
For research purposes only, of course...
yakima127
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September 2008
