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Other stories around on it.. I do actually have some sympathy for the drivers.. But, being fired is pretty much the right thing here.. Very bad decision on their part. Screw the fact that it was a vet in the back.. How would you feel if it were your mother, grandmother, whatever in the back? It's just as bad no matter who is being carried.
The thing that really caught my attention on the story, however, was this line
Termination without pay? At best, that's poorly worded.. Another instance of the commenters being dumber than the story. Have to assume they meant with no severance or something.. But few people get fired for cause AND get severance.
Most veteran funerals are early as hell.in the morning, let those 70 year old men get they coffee, lest they fall asleep driving- which is a miracle itself. Everytime something happens to these so-called vets, all hell breaks loose. Tbose drivers are probably older than the funeral home they work at, yet the one time they probably needed the damn coffee, after 40+ years of service, they get fired, over some petty ass vet, we aren't people, just social security numbers with a "name."
If they aren't capable of driving a little more than an hour without caffeine, they shouldn't be on the road.
You think it takes an hour to drive 80miles. Seriously; seventy effing years old, it probably takes an hour just to drive six blocks. How many old ass people you know are going balls.to the walla in any car at what was probably a ten am start of the day?
They should have stopped before they got to work.. It's just.. Not what should be done.
It's not taking the body out and dumping it in a pond.. But, still..
If both of them had gone in and left the body unattended.. That would be even worse.. I was assuming that one did stay with it.
What coffe shop do you know is open at 4am, and how long do you think the effects of a standard size cup of coffee is, even if they did happen to find some mcdonalds,or white castle/crystals on the way.
The deceased being a vet has no real bearing on it. Veteran, civilian, criminal.. Doesn't matter. It DOES, however, make it more of a hot topic for the news, however.
Had they pulled the curtains.. That should have been done regardless of whether or not they should have stopped. Perhaps if they had pulled the curtains, I would back off the 'firing was appropriate'.
I don't think they should have stopped for a meal. Even a quick donut.. They have to stop for gas, for a bathroom.. You TRY to avoid that, but.. You find an inconspicuous place.. One goes at a time, curtains are pulled... You do the most you can to show the utmost respect that you can. If it's a long drive and you're diabetic or something, perhaps not the job for you.. Worst case, pack a lunch.
It's just respect.. Just as you wouldn't be happy with someone who has your loved one on the slab grabbing his arm and making his hand hit his face while saying "Stop hitting yourself".. Well, i'm sure your loved one doesn't care, but.. It's inappropriate and shouldn't happen.
Again, I'm not crucifying the guys.. I do have sympathy for them.. I think it was a lapse in judgement. But.. Based on their decision making process.. I do feel that perhaps this wasn't the job for them. The owner of the company was absolutely right in the quote I read from him.. They're good guys, but you have to have 100% total trust in them to do the right thing.. These two guys.. That trust just isn't there.
None of that sounds like sympathy, pulling the curtains, not making a single stop. I'm 27, the only thing that wouldve went through my mind is get there without falling asleep, or running out of gas, not packing a lunch, loading up a catheder, pullimg the curtains, and making sure the govt lapdog is nice and tucked in.
I agree with apex. And since the funeral business is so unique wouldn't it be reasonable to expect employees to act a bit more responsibly? Of course if their employer didn't properly train them and let them know what was expected from them, they really might not be totally at fault.
They weren't new hires, or getting a piece of cash between retirment checks, they had been driving for the place aboit 40 years or so, in caddilacs so heavy, they probably woildn't hit 90mph down a hill.
I read the article and (not being from FL) mapquested it. A little over 70 miles each way. The article said they were up a 4 and on the road by 7 but didn't have breakfast. I'm wondering what took 3 hours between 4 and 7 a.m. that didn't allow them to fill a coffee cup or have a quick bite. I'm not getting where the "5 hour round trip" came from, unless they are talking about how long the entire day took, not how long the drive itself took. No one else has asked though so it's certainly possible I missed something.
I do agree that it was more about the decorum of not pulling the curtains and being conspicuously parked in a Dunkin' Donuts.
I'd say they saddenly awake n at four am, got showered, and dressed, maybe one of them lacks a car, and had to drive x miles to pick the other one up, if they don't live together, and the other was probably getting readh has the other waited, then drove x miles to the funeral home, where they may had to wait to be let in, then wait for the car to be checked over, or do it themselves, wait for the casket to be moved from whereever it was inside a possible very large facility, to be loaded in the hearse. Oh, and not to mention the going in/ getting of work traffic, and possible school busses. I think the funeral home, and the family should just be happy the job was done any other variables could I have left out?
Reprimanded, maybe. Fired, no. Americans are becoming more child-like by the day. They aren't happy unless they're taking someone's job away from them.
And dont like.to wait for a damn thing, maybe they shouldve taken the hearse to Don Garlets to modify, and had him drive it, since time was of the essence. Drop one of his drag race motors in it, and an extra fuel tank, is 220mph fast enough, or maybe they shouldve ordered Jimmy Johns and had the courier pick up the body on the way, apparently those guys are pretty fast too.
I'm not outraged. I am simply wondering about the actual facts presented. I've read the drive is about an hour and I've read people posting that it's horrible to expect 70 year old men to go 5 hours without a bathroom break. I read the article and looked at a map. On a FB response one of the men fired claimed they were fired over "a donut" and his own description of the reason for stopping is hunger and sleep deprivation not a bathroom break. The owner of the funeral home claims the drive is supposed to be made without stops but there are procedures if stops are necessary (so much for not being allowed an emergency pitstop). They clearly had time prior to leaving with the body to get a cup of coffee and a donut knowing they had an hour or so drive. The funeral business is one that relies heavily on decorum. They were driving a "company car" with the name of the company on the vehicle thus representing the company in a way it did not want to be perceived. Could've easily been avoided by having the curtains closed (which if I understood correctly should have been done anyway) and dropping one guy off to run in for the coffee while the other drove around the block or something. Bottom line - they got caught ignoring standard procedures for their job and brought negative attention to their employer while on the job. Because they were fired not suspended or simply admonished, my guess is this was not the first offense.
Let's see if you remember you left yoir glasses on your head, at seventy, much less to close the curtain. I can actually picture if they so happened to remember to.close the curtain in the parking lot, the same tard wouldv'e complained about them bei.g unamerican for shutting the flag off from the world to see.
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