Personal/Family/Work Life

Worked my second shift as a driver for the Pan Am Games Monday afternoon. I got immediately dispatched to the Westin Harbour Castle where I waited & waited & waited. One of the other drivers, a newbie, said they sat at the depot for two hours. After 3 hours, I got to take a carload of old geezers to a municipal mayors' dinner at the Athlete's Village (5 min. ride). Expecting to have to wait for the return trip, I was just opening my supper when I got dispatched back to the Westin where I got to be part of the precision parking team (got to have my own tailgate party in overflow first). Every time someone left, we would all move forward to make room at the end. After more waiting, things started to get interesting. A team leader came out with accreditation for two of her athletes who were arriving at the airport late that night. I'm thinking that I don't want to be driving to the airport this late in my shift. We send her to one of the senior venue managers. The team leader is considered an athlete, and we don't drive athletes (they have to take the bus, coach or shuttle). Next, two tall suits walk out to the cars and request a ride to a restaurant on Adelaide. These guys have the highest accreditation and should have their own car, but haven't been assigned a driver yet. The venue manager said OK, so I loaded them up. I radio'd into dispatch, and they turned it down saying we only drive to venues (not a taxi service). There was another short suit waiting. He must have picked up something from the first two because he asked for the SkyDome which is a venue. I got the OK from dispatch, but I couldn't find it in my maps. Then he says to take him to the Ex. He really wants to go to some bar at King & Portland (?). I think he was half cut already. I head towards the Ex and discover venue signs for the SkyDome. I turn onto the side street behind the SkyDome where a taxi is sitting at the stop sign. He's available so my client hops out in the middle of the street saying he won't get hurt, and I won't get in trouble. After this, I really want to go home (my car is parked in a tag & tow zone), but dispatch sends me back to the athlete's village. There are a half dozen cars there sitting in the dark. The entrance where we dropped people off is padlocked, and the only other people there are the security/parking control. One of the other drivers radio's in and asks if we can come in. She is told that we will be called in shortly. We tell her that she will be last, but she ends up being first. One by one, cars get the go-ahead to come in. I am the second last one to leave the village. This shift was an exercise in rules & protocol.

Labels: Work