I propose a toast

[cjsmith]

Random status:

Called insurance companies (both). Called other driver to confirm license plate number. Appears fairly certain other guy's insurance is accepting liability. Guy on phone said so, anyway.

I don't even have collision insurance. Oddly, this amuses me. (Years ago I decided the car wasn't worth enough to keep paying that bit.)

I will now confirm, never having been a customer of theirs, that State Farm is very nice to deal with in the initial stages of a claim. So is AAA, where I am insured.

Lots of meetings today. The lunch one ran very long, and then the 2pm didn't start until 230 and lasted until after five. This would have to be the day I'm playing phone tag with two insurance companies! Bailed out on a trip to a company we're working with in MtView. No time left; that'll have to be Monday. Also bailed on two reference-check phone calls. Drat. Want that wrapped up, darnit. Well, it's just not been a good day, that's all.

Escaped the office and went to my chiropractor before he closed up for the day. Got a gentle once-over and some good advice.

Canceled tomorrow's flight because I have no clue how I am going to feel in the morning and it will be too late to cancel by then.

Drove the crippled beast home. Parked backwards in the garage so I could exit the car.


Now that I'm not flying in the next 24h, and I'm not driving anywhere tonight, and I have had one hell of a day, I am settling down to some DRINKING.

I propose a toast. To our mechanized servants/companions, stolid beasts of burden, haulers of heavy loads in punishing conditions. To the one, loyal for seventeen years, who gave its life for mine today.

Comments

Just curious

[sunnydale47.livejournal.com]

Also bailed on two reference-check phone calls.

I've been out of the corporate world for at least 25 years -- I had my own aviation business (which I closed before it was big enough for employees), then worked part-time as an independent contractor, then retired for health reasons. So I have no idea what things are like any more. But what I've heard is that nowadays companies will give only good references, for fear of being sued if they give a bad one -- and therefore nobody bothers checking references any more. Is what I've heard just an urban legend? Or do employers now encode a poor reference by damning with faint praise? Or is it true and you were just checking the "personal references" that I know companies still ask for?

Re: Just curious

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

I've heard some of those same tales. So far it has not been my experience that people won't say anything useful. Perhaps it's because I'm asking individuals instead of "the company", or perhaps the worry only extends to some places. When I am asked to give a reference, it is easy for me to give a more balanced picture, because I am almost never still at the company in question! :)

In my case I'm checking not only what it was like to work with this person, but what it is like to use the software that's been put in place at previous companies. This person comes with a bunch of pre-written software and will install it for us (and customize and upgrade to our needs) as part of being hired by us. It's almost like asking my neighbors "so, those roofing people, did they leave you with a snug place when they were done? Did you need it fixed afterwards?"

Re: Just curious

[rfrench.livejournal.com]

It's true that some companies have a policy of never giving references because of liability fears. However, the vast majority of companies still try to check references. You never know what interesting things you're going to hear. Also it's CYA for the HR people. Be thorough, even if it doesn't buy you anything.

Damning with faint praise is a common thing.

"I can't say enough good things about this person" :-)

Whenever someone who used to work for/with me asks me if they can use me as a reference, I let them know up front if I'm going to give them a bad reference so they can omit me from the list.