Employee drug use

[drakeshooter]

I manage a locally owned tire and auto repair shop and today I witnessed something that is troubling to me. I'm standing outside talking to a customer and my lead technician pulls up after "test driving" a customer's vehicle. As soon as he pulled up two unmarked police units converged on him and the vehicle. He had evidently been witnessed leaving a crack house that was under surveillance and they found a crack rock in his mouth! I called in the owner and to my astonishment, he doesn't plan on firing the guy! He said he just needed help and besides, he is our lead tech and makes the business a lot of money. Now the other techs' morale is pretty low that he can basically get away with buying crack on company time and in a customer's vehicle. In the past we have let a tech go for smelling of the ganja on the clock, but he was just an oil change guy. I'm seriously considering putting in some resumes and finding another job.:mad:

[MsgMills]

Wow, you would think your Boss would have better values than that. Should have been fired on the spot. Got no room for a drug addict....

[C.L.Button]

I would make an anymous phone call to your owners insurance company ! I bet they would like to hear about how he endangers his liability coverage ! Might make an interesting story for the local news too ? :rolleyes:

Did they arrest the guy or what happened ?

[RVtech24]

Could be the owner smokes crack also.

[killinmammals]

He was probably pickin up a rock for the owner!:rolleyes: Why the heck would he want that guy as a lead guy...I don't want a crack head doing work on peoples vehicles if it was my business...that would be a BIG mistake!!

[drakeshooter]

Did they arrest the guy or what happened ?

Yeah they slapped the cuffs on him on the spot, however, he was out two hours later and came by and picked up his vehicle. One of the undercover guys (my landlord would you believe) asked him to open his mouth and when he did, he evidently had the rock in there because the officer grabbed him by his skinny little neck and slammed him so hard on the car hood that the rock popped out on the hood. I guess that technique must work pretty good and it looked like he had did it before. I can't look the other guys in the eye now without feeling like I'm guilty. How can we ever enfore the rules when they don't apply equally to all? I'm pretty down in it right now.

[barney]

It might have been one of these deals? William Jefferson Clinton - “When I was in England I experimented with marijuana a time or two, I didn't like it, I didn't inhale it, and never tried it again.”

[treerat]

i feel for you drake,,,i was a mechanic for 25 years,,and 18 was management,,am retired now since 97,,if i had been in your shoes and that happened to one of the guys working for me,,,i wouldn't care if he was the lead tech or not,,,his butt would have been walking,,,,if that gets out to the public around there,,,you can say goodbye to a lot of your business,,,,,

[C.L.Button]

I feel for you too Drake. I would half to have a serious talk with your boss. He needs to understand how just one guy is gonna screw up the rest of the employees. He just doesn't see the whole picture,,,UNLESS the guy really was pickin up the rock for his boss ???

WHO knows ??? It's not a good situation. :rolleyes:

[drakeshooter]

Actually, he (the owner) is a straight as an arrow. In fact, he's one of those health nuts who is as physically fit as any 60 year old I know. It is just that he is so tight he squeaks and is afraid he can't replace the guy easily. This guy does have as much knowledge as any mechanic I know. However, I knew something was up months ago. He makes about $20 an hour, has no bills other than utilities and never has any money. He has lost a ton of weight and his hygiene has really went south lately. You can tell who's on the sauce if you look hard enough.

I can't believe how quickly he was back out on the street. You know a crack head, if let go and not made to go to jail or treatment, will go right back to hitting the pipe immediately. There is no way he will get clean just because he got busted, without something there to give him a reason. I'm just waiting for the story to make the newspaper tomorrow.........

[Foam Steak]

Eventually this guy is going to start stealing stuff. What happens when he steals some stuff from someones cars and your boss gets to go to court over it?

Oh well, the part about the officer slaming his head against the hood of the car was funny.:)

[raktrakr]

Call the BBB, they wont do anything but it'll be on record that he employs drug addicts that use customer vehicles to buy drugs. Actually that sounds like a lawsuit right there,I'm sure the customer doesnt appreciate thier vehicle being used that way

[C.L.Button]

I'm sure the customer doesnt appreciate thier vehicle being used that way

My guess is the cops already told the car owner it was used to buy drugs with ?

[drakeshooter]

Call the BBB, they wont do anything but it'll be on record that he employs drug addicts that use customer vehicles to buy drugs. Actually that sounds like a lawsuit right there,I'm sure the customer doesnt appreciate thier vehicle being used that way

Hey, I'm the manager and my pay is partially commensurate with the shop's profitability and in a way my work history is affected either way, so unless I actually leave I'm not trying to hurt the business, ya know? There are several other employees who put food on the table with their pay and I'm not trying to hurt them either. I'm just pondering whether or not I want to work for a guy who pays me to manage, yet pays no mind to my protests on this subject. He point-blank told me we ain't firing this guy, period. I don't think I can continue to work for him if his priorities are that screwed up though. I only live in Hoptown because I moved here and took this job a couple years ago for this girl that lived here. She's outta there now and I've been thinking about moving back to Calloway County anyway. I've got some soul-searching to do I guess.

BTW, I can't wait to go pay my rent and talk to the landlord/undercover policeman who slammed dude's head on the hood and see what he has to say.

[C.L.Button]

BTW, I can't wait to go pay my rent and talk to the landlord/undercover policeman who slammed dude's head on the hood and see what he has to say.

He will probably not or should not talk to you about the case. Especially since you are a potential witness. ;)

[daking]

I'd let nature take its course. He's going to screw up in a manner that will be noticed. The cops will tip off the owner of the car. Your crack-head employee is a problem that will take care of itself. If he rips your employer off, that's kind of your employer's problem. If he does something stupid, it's the insurance company's problem. Your best bet is to make sure that everyone else's stroke is very tight and that you are prepared to withstand his imminent demise and the fallout of his bad behavior.

A problem is usually opportunity in a plain brown wrapper.

[Wildcat]

The use of a cusomers car in an illegal drug purchase is grounds for a lawsuit against the company. The owner NOT doing something about the crackhead is making the case that much stronger. I almost wish I was that customer, it's money in the bank with a cheap half-good lawyer.

[SmokeyBear]

My guess is the cops already told the car owner it was used to buy drugs with ?

Per my agency's policy the car would have been towed to an impound lot right then and there before I even left the scene to take the guy to jail. If this would have been done then the owner of the car would probably have made this ordeal VERY public, or at least I would have if my car got impounded from a garage that I took it too because an employee there used it to go buy drugs!!! I agree with what some of the others said, I would go public with it and FYI citations are a matter of public record and a nosey reporter could easily get their hands on a copy.....;)

[hwright]

I thought crack had a mandtory minumum sentence. There was something about it in the news last week. HEATH

[C.L.Button]

Per my agency's policy the car would have been towed to an impound lot right then and there before I even left the scene to take the guy to jail. If this would have been done then the owner of the car would probably have made this ordeal VERY public, or at least I would have if my car got impounded from a garage that I took it too because an employee there used it to go buy drugs!!! I agree with what some of the others said, I would go public with it and FYI citations are a matter of public record and a nosey reporter could easily get their hands on a copy.....;)

VERY good point Smokey ! Wonder WHY they didn't impound the car ? Must be cause the rock was in his mouth ? Who knows ? Maybe we will find out ?

Drakeshooter make sure to keep us posted on how this unfolds ! ;)

[skin_dog1]

If this crackhead isn't already costing the business money, customers, or reputation, he will! It's only a matter of time til he's in over his head and his mechanic pay check isn't enough. Trust me, not only do I deal with it at work, I've had family members go down that road. I'd tell the owner that it's me or him and have resume's ready. You can't do your job effectively if he undermines your decisions and doesn't enforce rules consistently.

[drakeshooter]

Per my agency's policy the car would have been towed to an impound lot right then and there before I even left the scene to take the guy to jail.......FYI citations are a matter of public record and a nosey reporter could easily get their hands on a copy.....;)

I'm glad the Hoptown cops weren't aholes about it. Wouldn't have served any justice to impound the customer's car and cause us any trouble. I'm sure it will be public record tomorrow when and if it hits the papers. The local reporters here go down and look at the booking log and something this juicy will definitely make it.

I haven't talked to him yet, but I wonder if they let him out so quick because he struck up a bargain. I mean, one of the arresting officers actually brought him back to work in his undercover police vehicle. If they had the house under surveillance I would assume they didn't have enough evidence to gain a search warrant and he may be their ace in the hole. He needs to locked up somewhere so he can't get to the crack, IMO. I'll find out a lot more tomorrow I'm sure.

[drakeshooter]

Crap is hitting the fan this morning. I've had at least 5-6 phone calls asking me about the arrest and several more who came in and said something. Bad news travels fast and there is a state of shock that he hasn't been terminated yet. I think the backlash will force my owner's hand in the matter.

[tenntucky]

Crap is hitting the fan this morning. I've had at least 5-6 phone calls asking me about the arrest and several more who came in and said something. Bad news travels fast and there is a state of shock that he hasn't been terminated yet. I think the backlash will force my owner's hand in the matter.
Forward all calls of this nature to your boss......let him answer for his actions.....that should take care of it without putting you in the middle.

[C.L.Button]

Forward all calls of this nature to your boss......let him answer for his actions.....that should take care of it without putting you in the middle.

Good idea. ;)

[SmokeyBear]

I'm glad the Hoptown cops weren't aholes about it. Wouldn't have served any justice to impound the customer's car and cause us any trouble.


Being an ahole about it???????? The vehicle was used in the commission of a crime, to buy illegal narcotics to be exact. The car by law had to be impounded if the man was arrested for it. So if the Hoptown officers didn't impound it then they are not doing their job! Officers that take these shortcuts and bend the rules are the ones that make those of us that take our job serious and do it the right way look like we are being aholes. It's like if someone goes out and spotlights a deer from their truck and gets busted then their vehicle, gun, spotlight, etc...is confiscated because they were used in the commission of the crime. Sorry, but if you want something to be done about situations like this then there are going to be some things happen that will upset people, that just happens to go hand in hand with arresting people for crimes.

[drakeshooter]

Sorry, not calling you an ahole, but I disagree that the car had to be impounded. Evidently the local narcotics officers felt the same way.

Also, exactly what area of the public's safety is compromised if an innocent customer's car was impounded?

[MsgMills]

Evidently the local narcotics officers felt the same way.

Also, exactly what area of the public's safety is compromised if an innocent customer's car was impounded?

I can agree with letting the car go, why make the owner of the car have to find transportation to the impound lot. Pay the impound fee, then have to go file the paperwork through the Court System to get his money back for the impound fee he paid. Seems like the innocent car owner would need to be compensated more for his trouble and all. But in reality a police officer made the right decision and used his conscious and didn't impound the car. If more Officers of the Law would use their heads more like these, then a lot of money and valuable time would not be wasted daily.

[drakeshooter]

Great post Mills. BTW, two of my part-time cashiers are retired master sgts., one with 23 years and the other with 26. We have a lot of those around here, with Hoptown's close proximity to Ft. Campbell. Those two old farts are royally pissed about the situation. One worked this morning and the other stopped by on his day off to assure me it was the talk of the local breakfast joints. They are both threatening to quit if something isn't done......those old career NCOs who served in 'Nam have no time for drugs.

[biggun]

I sure as hell wouldn't want to work anywhere around someone on drugs. Especially in a dangerous workplace. I think the proper agency in Frankfort would like to know about this along with OSHA. His workers comp insurance company would be livid.

[drakeshooter]

I sure as hell wouldn't want to work anywhere around someone on drugs. Especially in a dangerous workplace. I think the proper agency in Frankfort would like to know about this along with OSHA. His workers comp insurance company would be livid.

You might not believe this, but I just got a call from our Workers' Comp insurance auditor this morning. I sent in payroll records a couple weeks ago for the audit and she told me we would be receiving a rebate check for paying in too much on premiums since our payroll was down considerably over last year. Oops!

[Bucknuts]

I look down on drug users as much as anyone, but everyone deserves a chance. You are right the man should have been disciplined by the owner and if was not willing to get help for the problem he has then he needs to be let go. I know I will catch flack about this. Hopefully the owner has offered him help and he is taking it to keep his job.

[quackrstackr]

Going to a crack house in a customer's car?

Sorry, the guy may deserve help but that stunt also deserves that he be tossed out on his ear.

[KYhunter79]

Being an ahole about it???????? The vehicle was used in the commission of a crime, to buy illegal narcotics to be exact. The car by law had to be impounded if the man was arrested for it. So if the Hoptown officers didn't impound it then they are not doing their job! Officers that take these shortcuts and bend the rules are the ones that make those of us that take our job serious and do it the right way look like we are being aholes. It's like if someone goes out and spotlights a deer from their truck and gets busted then their vehicle, gun, spotlight, etc...is confiscated because they were used in the commission of the crime. Sorry, but if you want something to be done about situations like this then there are going to be some things happen that will upset people, that just happens to go hand in hand with arresting people for crimes.

Why would they impound the customers car? The customer didn't have any knowledge of it. There is no need to make him pay for something that the guy he entrusted his keys with did. A more appropriate analogy would be if your truck was broke down and you took it to the shop to get fixed and when one of the ole boys got it fixed he took it out and poached a deer from it. Do you think they should impound YOUR truck that you left to be fixed? I don't.

[Multidigits]

Why would they impound the customers car? The customer didn't have any knowledge of it. There is no need to make him pay for something that the guy he entrusted his keys with did. A more appropriate analogy would be if your truck was broke down and you took it to the shop to get fixed and when one of the ole boys got it fixed he took it out and poached a deer from it. Do you think they should impound YOUR truck that you left to be fixed? I don't.


Your car....your resonsible for it. If it kills someone, you'll get sued. Don't take it to a shop that hires meth heads or deer poachers.

[KYhunter79]

Your car....your resonsible for it. If it kills someone, you'll get sued. Don't take it to a shop that hires meth heads or deer poachers.

I'll keep that in mind next time I need some work done. I'll do a full background check WITH the use of private detectives.

[Wildcat]

Why would they impound the customers car? The customer didn't have any knowledge of it. There is no need to make him pay for something that the guy he entrusted his keys with did. A more appropriate analogy would be if your truck was broke down and you took it to the shop to get fixed and when one of the ole boys got it fixed he took it out and poached a deer from it. Do you think they should impound YOUR truck that you left to be fixed? I don't.

Happens every day in all 50 states. 50% of the young people that are caught in a auto doing/buying drugs are in their parents autos and their parents didn't know anything about it.

It does NOT MATER who owns the auto or if they had knowledge of it or not. If it was used in the commission of a crime it should have been impounded. Some states require it and some allow the cops on the site to do either in their own judgement.

Back when I lived in Memphis I was hunting in Mississippi and at one of the country general stores where we were having lunch we talked to a CO and I remember him telling us about the time a young man used his boss's brand new truck to "move some things to the house". He used it to poach a deer down the road from his house and they caught him leaving the farm he was on with the deer in the back of the truck. Of course they impounded it.

[Kentuck]

Bet business starts getting real slow soon.

[SmokeyBear]

The biggest reason my agency has this tow-in policy is to keep everything uniform. When you start going to court over these cases and all the i's and t's aren't dotted and crossed exactly as they are in other cases then this causes problems in the prosecuting of your cases. Everything has to be done in a uniform matter with every case for prosecution reasons. That is why such policies are put into place and enforced. I know a lot on here do not agree with that, but when it comes to court cases it is the little things that really don't matter in the long run out in the field that make or break your case.

[Auk1124]

The biggest reason my agency has this tow-in policy is to keep everything uniform. When you start going to court over these cases and all the i's and t's aren't dotted and crossed exactly as they are in other cases then this causes problems in the prosecuting of your cases. Everything has to be done in a uniform matter with every case for prosecution reasons. That is why such policies are put into place and enforced. I know a lot on here do not agree with that, but when it comes to court cases it is the little things that really don't matter in the long run out in the field that make or break your case.

You must live in a county or municipality with a government-operated tow service or something - in my area towing is done privately and the tow people won't hardly tow a car involved in a crime for anything. They have a terrible time getting their tow bill and storage bill paid. Local governments don't seem very helpful in compensating them, and the criminals tend to let their junkers rot in impound, even if they get the criminal case resolved.

[SmokeyBear]

You must live in a county or municipality with a government-operated tow service or something - in my area towing is done privately and the tow people won't hardly tow a car involved in a crime for anything. They have a terrible time getting their tow bill and storage bill paid. Local governments don't seem very helpful in compensating them, and the criminals tend to let their junkers rot in impound, even if they get the criminal case resolved.

No, all of wrecker services on our list are privately owned/operated. They are more than happy to come out when called because they know if they don't they will be removed from our list and lose a lot of business.