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To B-Mental and Mother Hubbard--Can't sleep so I'll put you out of your misery then try to snatch another hour or two before work. To Virgil: Note on my NY residences in last blog.

My calltaker Travis had actually begun his baptism of fire about an hour earlier Saturday night. I had finished up dealing with a member who did not have the keys to the car she wanted towed and couldn't understand our reluctance to tow without them. The owner of the car was her most ever so delightful friend and he wouldn't mind possible transmission damage. No she did not get service. Her story got more implausible as her protests heightened in volume while my other calltaker had gone through our various policies with her designed to prove we actually consider the big picture and looking out for the best interest of the member/car owner.

To preface the problem that was about to come up and (probably being worked on RIGHT NOW this Monday morning) it should be made clear that AAA is like the military (or at least Air Force) in one major way. Great adherance to the appearance of qualified professionals at work. About a year ago headquarters sent down an edict that all towing contractors perform background checks of their personnel and any one with a record would no longer be allowed near an AAA member. One driver for certain fell off my list-- fellow named Keith. Darn -- for that particular station he was one of their drivers that lied to me the least not that his response time was anything to write home about. In fact that station and we parted ways shortly after as their ETAs and reality averaged two hours in north Dayton and that just was NOT acceptable. A cash call ALWAYS trumped our members. Always. I liked that old buzzard of an owner personally but have never missed him as a contractor--ever.

Now I currently have one station that practically runs one small county by themselves and their primary driver is a godsend. He has great problems reading and writing so when we dispatch a call he reads our information into a tape recorder and plays it back to himself on the way to a call. He's also an ex-con--that is proving there is life after prison and I trust HIM more then many a driver with no convictions on record. He's hard worker who continually proves a willingness to hang in there and be available at the drop of a notice. We quietly not think about his past. In his case I do not know what the charges have been and not overtly curious. He keeps my blood pressure down and that's the bottom line for me.

All this by way of preface.

Anyhoooo Travis gets a member on the phone who refuses to identify himself but has a major issue with AAA and a particular driver. We'll call the driver X. Member further refused to identify himself for reasons that will be lamentably apparent in a sentence or two.

A day or two ago said member received AAA service from Driver X. Not quite sure if it was a jump start or tow. Now said driver is a first shift employee whom I can confidently say I rarely deal with. His name rang no great bells. His station is a primary Dayton one that averages easily 60 calls per day year in and out and they run their drivers themselves by remote computer so I had no personal knowledge of him. Some drivers are like me that wears his world on a sleeve and others are private types and that's as should be. Per the member his wife and daughters were with the car and his wife claimed that Driver X was indulging in eye candy usage. Felt he was staring at her pride and joys. By that I presumed at least upper teen levels and cute--I hear nightly what the drivers think of the females they encounter though surprisingly very little ribald comments are made. Usually cutie or hot an that's about it. (NOTE: Did have a Goth lady Sunday night with piercings Baki would die for who had a cat, one Burmese python and two boa constrictors in her car--all in cages but I was flippping out for the poor cat as I have a great fear of snakes.)

Said wife must have an amazing memory for faces or way too much time on her hands or a morbid hobby because when she got home she hit the internet and - to our consternation here at the call center-- found Driver X was on the Ohio sex Offender registration list with home and work address clearly listed. Work address only not name of employer but I knew the address right off from countless typings of it and my fellow dispatcher John from day shift recognized the photo. As the Beast in the Avengers would say ''Oh my stars and garters."

The member Travis was talking DEMANDED AAA have Driver X terminated post haste as his wife was now a basket case fearing for her daughters safety etc etc. If no action taken he would make sure THIS nugget of information would be shared as widely and as stridently as possibe and would have every one he knew drop AAA like a heart attack. I acknowledge his freedom of choice of product/service usage but the poison dripping from this member put me in mind of a lynch mob mentality.

If and I'm sure they are AAA has probably informed my station by now of the report and said driver definitely will not be allowed on AAA calls. Whether or not he still has a job I don't know. I honestly do not know if said station knew about the past activities.

For me it's been a lesson in the evil that men do live long after the activity and you can't escape a past. Who knew our driver would run into the one person who seemed to know him. I'm almost certain there is more to this then meets the eye but the facts are what they are. AAA has standards that should be met.

On the other hand as a sinner in the hands of an angry but merciful God I often wonder when the statute of limitation runs out on paying the cost. I in no way condone his past actions. My life would have taken a completely different direction if Kathy from high school had not been raped and left in the shape I found her. I might have married her at one point but the damage from that one bad night cast a pall on her soul I was too immmature to deal with 30 years ago. On the other hand I dislike persecution based on what you think a person MIGHT do in the future. Who then would be safe from preemptive strikes?? I don't know if said driver is trying to redeem his past-admittedly statistics are against it but it cast a pall on the rest of the evening rendered further irritating by my member from two entries ago and I half wonder if some unconscious judementalism went into my thinking to tip that scale but a conscience check and my not obsessing abut the decision makes me feel ok.

I have no clear cut answers except there but for the grace of God go I.