White Folks

"There are white folks, and then there are ignorant motherfuckers like you" - Barack Obama (Dreams from my father)

Liberty

A portrait of the French revolution...after the plebs beheaded their bastard king who bankrupted their country.....and the flag didn't cost them $2 million....And here in T&T they want to talk about patriotism!!!!!! Gary, Patrick et al better becareful less they get what they asking for!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Subway Wins Round 1

I’m pleased to announce that Subway Trinidad Limited has won round one and thus retained me as a customer. Below is a caustic complaint I sent to Subway International @ www.subway.com, a complaint which stemmed from the poor service I received at Subway St James on Sunday 1 November 2009. What basically happened was the manager at that branch was selling spotted wilted old lettuce and passing it off as legitimate healthy lettuce.

I sent that email to Subway International around 9:30 pm and by 4:00 pm today (Monday) I received a phone call from a Ms. Bain who profusely apologise for the situation. Ms. Bain was quite pleasant and indicated to me that she actually does not see my complaint as a ‘complaint’ but as positive feedback as sometimes they may lose a customer and not know why so she was grateful that I took the time to address the issue that affected me.

Ms. Bain also confirmed my suspicions that the lettuce that was being served at this branch was in fact not to be served. She explained to me that the lettuce (Iceberg) is actually delivered from the US and sometimes ‘inevitably’ they may get a bad shipment (This I can totally understand), however she indicated and as I would have expected, whenever a branch receives a bad shipment of lettuce they are in fact supposed to return it to the supplier and not serve it to the end customer. Ms. Bain even gave me her mobile number (I suspect it’s a company phone but that’s beside the point) and told me if ever I should have any more problems at any branch I can feel free to call her and have the matter addressed. I will also be provided with vouchers for free subways as compensation for the terrible service I received. So hats off to the customer service at Subway I feel quite satisfied with the manner in which the issue was dealt. If ever any of you hard working Trinibagonians who like to ensure you get value for money should get any bad service from Subway....report them to the international branch at www.subway.com.

The service I received at that St. James branch is another example of poor customer service in this country. And I just want to say that the problem is not only on the side of business owners it is also on the side of consumers because consumers do not know their rights. While I was in the line complaining about the lettuce there were two young women behind me who were laughing at me, apparently in Trinidad and Tobago once you stand up for your rights you are the joke of the day. While cashing I noticed that the girl who attended to me applied copious amounts of brown lettuce to the sandwiches of those two laughing goons....much to their delight....apparently they are unable to tell the difference between spoilt and healthy lettuce. I’m the one who had the last laugh though, because now I have vouchers to receive free subways and all it cost me was an email to the right department. Bless!

The Complaint

Good evening, I would like to express my dissatisfaction at the level of service I received from the above branch (St James). Now I do realise that you guys are an international franchise but I would like to think that those who choose to represent you should do so in a manner that does not tarnish the image of your company. That said, I visited the above branch of Subway and noticed that the lettuce in the vegetables display were wilted and had lots of brown spots on it. I asked one of the workers to speak to the manager who incidentally was the person taking the orders, so I enquired of the status of the lettuce because apart from looking totally unappealing to the eye it looked quite rotten.

The manager to my surprise told me that the lettuce is "Iceberg" lettuce and that is how it comes. Now...nothing annoys me more than people trying to take me for an idiot, I purchase iceberg lettuce all the time from our local supermarket and I've never seen any with wilted leaves and brown spots and this is iceberg lettuce shipped from the US to our country! Clearly the manager thinking that because I'm a local I wouldn't know what iceberg lettuce looks like...attempts to hoodwink me so they can sell me their rotted lettuce.

The other assistant then proceeds to dress my sandwich with the same wilted spotted lettuce and when I asked her to take out the ones with the brown spots and wilted leaves she was more annoyed than I! This is nothing but third world customer service and totally unacceptable. It is disgraceful that these people are willingly selling the public of Trinidad and Tobago rotten vegetables with their subway sandwiches. According to this following website www.produceoasis.com/Items_folder/Vegetables/Iceberg.html it clearly states that one ought to avoid Iceberg lettuce or any lettuce for that matter that are wilted and has brown spots. I respectfully request that you submit this link to the owners of the Trinidad branch of subway so that they will know what healthy lettuce looks like and that they will also know that the citizens of Trinidad are not idiots...we know what healthy lettuce looks like as well.

Best Regards,
Oke Zachary

Arseness

Nothing peeves me more than people trying to justify arseness.... ©

Dictator Logic

Not a year goes by without there being massive protest to accompany the G20 Summit of the world’s richest countries. As a matter of fact such protests are now seen as an integral activity preceding this Summit by international activist organisations. This year's G20 summit saw about 35,000 people assemble for protest action in London. Apart from literal protests many of these organisations send the G20 committees submissions, outlining their disagreement with certain policies or proposing new policies as a way forward for the citizens whose lives will be affected by the decisions made by the G20 leaders.

When one considers the above one really has to wonder if Patrick Manning is truly interested in making this country a developed country by 2020 and if he is, what exactly his definition is of developed country. Does his definition only include the construction of tall buildings, having an executive president and the ability to host summits (Political tea parties)? Or is it to enhance the standard of living for the citizens of this country through responsible leadership, diligent fiscal policies and the enhancement of and promotion of citizen’s democratic rights?

These questions must be asked because during the last Summit of Americas held in Port of Spain there was a dire breach of citizens rights through the setting up of a security zone around the Hyatt by the government. This was an outright illegal act as such powers falls under the Commissioner of Police and not Cabinet, a point Senator Dana Seetahal has repeatedly raised in the senate. What we had for the Summit of the Americas was a limited State of Emergency without the actual declaration of a State of Emergency. This action by government shows a worrying trend with regards its attitude for the rule of democracy and the rights of the citizens to whom they are accountable.

In addition to the above we saw the Government through its puppet James Philbert, trample on the citizens right to Freedom of Speech by refusing permission for Trade Unions and other interests groups from holding any type of march or protest in Port of Spain. Even at the Drummit for De Summit 2 in St. James which I attended, the police attempted to shut us down and came out in full riot gear for us despite the distance between us and the Hyatt. Freedom of speech in Trinidad and Tobago is under serious threat by this Patrick Manning led government. First of all it boggles the mind why with the existence of the Human Rights Charter as decreed by the United Nations, why we even have a law that states we must request permission from our Police Commissioner if we want to protest, are we living in a police state or are we living in a democracy? Someone needs to challenge the legitimacy of that law because it is in direct conflict to the following Human Rights declarations to which our country is a signatory:-

Human Rights 13, 18 – 21

13) Freedom of Movement

18) Freedom of thought

19) Freedom of Expression

20) Freedom to meet where you like

21) The right to democracy

With these rights in mind I couldn’t help but acquire a sour taste in my mouth when I saw on TV tonight, none other but our smiling dimpled face Prime Minister on the news saying that if anyone should protest during the upcoming Common Wealth Heads of Government Meeting they will not be embarrassing the government they will be embarrassing the country. That is nothing short of psychological political warfare, it is gutter snipe dictatorship logic. Citizens need to tell Patrick exactly where to get off with this empire like attitude thinking that citizens ought to hold some bizarre balisier ritual by walking over hot coals barefoot in honour of the father of the nation. Patrick’s claim that protesters will embarrass the country is akin to a relative telling a battered woman not to tell the police how her husband beating the living hell out of her because it will embarrass the ‘family’. Freedom of speech and freedom to assemble are not only our democratic rights they are also our human rights. It is indeed a travesty for a politician who was elected democratically to be so opposed to citizens exercising their democratic rights because what that does is illegitimise his very position as a ‘democratic’ leader. ©