Accusations...Already

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Well... we're not even 5 full days into the "new" administration and what... accusations fly...lol

It all started with a phone call from the "new" Chief. She wants the invitations to installation dinners I received while I was Chief. I said to her... I'll get back to you... That was two days ago...I never said anything about not giving them to her.

I worked on computer programing all day yesterday and had my corps phone off. When I turned it on... whew...it was burning up with an upset, more like frantic message for me. Seems the "new" Chief did some checking... protocol has it that the outgoing Chief should render unto the incoming Chief all invitations so she can go instead. I did some checking on my own and the departments holding the dinners would have no problem with my attending, after all, I did receive the invites while Chief, but... I'll give them to her.

I had already decided to give her the invites for I certainly would not want to upset the apple cart. (and she got all upset before I could even give her an answer, it's not as if I said no...I guess she just "assumed" I would give her a problem with it...) But, I jumped the gun myself as she was very amiable and suggested a compromise, she'll go to two and I'll go to two. So that part is settled.

But the blistering message I received, accused me of (1) smoking in the Chief's Car... totally false. Not once in the entire year I was Chief did I smoke in that car. Knowing who I was dealing with in this corps, I dared not smoke in the car. It seems that the car reeks of cigarette smell however, and that could only be from my clothes. It does permiate and stick to everything. So... if the car has a "stench" as she put it... that is why. Sorry bout that...

Then (2) I was accused of boasting... I love that word... boasting that I was able to drive in the HOV lane on the expressway with no one else in the car because it's an emergency vehicle. LOL big time. Now, I know who to whom I said this and now know who has the blabber mouth. Therefore, it was helpful to hear it got to her. Of course, like any good game of telephone, what was originally and actually said and what gets to the end person is never the same. Seems while traveling on the expressway one day and I usually take the HOV lane, (with someone else in the car, during restricted hours) I realized about six exits into the trip, this was a restricted time frame and I was alone in the car...LOL...Once I realized, hey Chief... you shouldn't be here and got out of that lane. Now, in passing conversation, I mentioned (to our balbber mouth member) how I had inadverently driven in the HOV lane and was probably lucky I was not stopped becuase I was alone and was in an emergency vehicle. I did not "boast" about it, I laughed about it because it was not a blatant disregard of the law, it was an accident of timing... nothing more... but let's accuse Larry anyway.

(3) And this is a good one. I drove to Laguardia Airport in the Chiefs car. Absolutely true. Of course no one mentioned I was picking up our Training Officer, who's original ride fell through, upon his return to New York from Chicago. If a department car cannot be used to aid fellow officers and members (outside of answering emergency calls, (of which I answered 580 of 1760)then what good is it?
Hell... previous administrations have taken First Responder cars to conventions upstate... why not to a local airport to pick up a member and an officer to boot.

Liz and I are going to a Broadway show in the city, instead of an installation dinner on the 23rd... Later...