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The weather here in the Dayton Ohio area has been very cold. Yesterday I had difficulty getting the Grand Marquis vintage 1986 to stay running--the cure being to gun it and drive until it settled in. My driveway tilts downward so using the garage for a windshield is not an option since the least little ice will leave me trapped. But prayer or rather whines to Heaven got me to work and it's purring like a kitten when I arrived at about 3:30 pm to the expected chaos. I was on til midnight and already dreading it but knew better then to try to call off.

It was worse then I thought. The estimated time of arrivals were from 3-4 hours. There were approximately 70 active calls. The good news was I could prepare membership kits for the first hour since we had our three person quota of dispatchers at work until John left at five. I would take over his slot which put Dayton solely at my mercy which is in limited quanities and doled out with a miser's profit in view.

Just prior to escaping to the back room where I could be left in peace for the hour I noticed all three call center managers were picking items off of desks and putting them away. This should have been a warning signal but I'm real sleepy these days and brain freezed to boot.

Then the light clicked with those annoying words, "Channel 22 is coming over." When the weather gets wicked they hover around to takes pictures and assure the public that Triple A is hard at it. The novelty of being on TV even for a few seconds is no longer the kick it used to be since I never get quoted or asked anything and they generally get my worst side on camera but it was cute that I was off the clock until 4 so did not have to straighten anything up.

About 4:15 Channel 22 arrives and takes a picture of young Tcalltaker ravis (who sports a full beard and long ponytail appearing to be a throwback to the hippie era) and they depart. I think good I'm off the hook. I inform my feraless leaders that when Travis shows up on TV America's Most Wanted will probably be receiving phone calls.

Not quite unhooked and unscathed. I would be unwillingly dragged back into this circus in about 3 hours.

I am dispatching and trying not to let my nerves get the better of me as we wage war with the weather, clock and lofty member expectations. For the record we did about 367 calls for the day and it actually flowed along okay. At midnight when I fled to my domicle to seek the sympathetic ear of the Long Suffering Spouse I had forwarded only six calls to AAA Florida who watches over us until 6 am.

Now unfortunatley I'm controlling the main dispatch radio so most calltakers and managers call my line.

But in this Call Center Second Shift Supervisor Jeannie comes around the corner from her desk and makes a request I attempt to make short shrift of.

Seems Channel 22 thought it would be great to film a AAA Fleet driver in action for the 9 pm news and could I send flatbed driver Jim over to Poe Ave to neet the newsreel people.

I had other plans for him. He was on his way to pick up a car that had the keys left in it and I had already called the member to let her know we were en route.

Now our fleet battery driver Chris was finishing up doing a warranty replacement battery job (totally unnecessary as the member really had an ignition problem but refuses to believe our driver so a new battery is provided with dire warnings this will be the last time--had been down that road with this fellow all last month). I offer Chris as the sacrifical lamb and there is some reluctance on my boss Josh's part who is listening in. This is Jeannie's project but she is making sure Josh is aware of the theft of much needed drivers. For the record I like Chris but he is a bit of a know-it-all and definitely a braggart and Josh had misgivings.

Not to worry Chris indicated a complete lack of interest in being a sound byte so I was ordered to send Jim instead over to Poe Avenue for a jump start/battery service. Inside I resent the loss of my driver and going through my mental file of things to tell the lady I had just called that would be close to the truth without revealing the real reason for the delay. She might suffer loss of esteem issues that we delayed her without any qualms of conscience.

Hah--voice mail--I mumble something resembling true life and never call her again that night--by the time her car got delivered didn't feel like waking her.

Now Jim had a battery if needed to replace but we were expecting a jump start and he was 10 minutes away. Jeannie informs the film crew where and when to meet up and our driver will wait for them. Oddly enough the news crew needed directions. I inform Jeannie the camera person probably lives in my town and snicker as my knowledge of Dayton is dismal even after all these years. Poor unsuspecting member.

No make that Oops the member has ruined the newscast. They got their car started and left.
Worse Jeannie did not keep the phone number of the crew. Josh was very smug to Jeannie about that mishap. I sigh and start to smile and choke with laughter. Clair suggests a tire change about two miles further down the road. I advise Jeannie we'll simply meet as planned and kindly ask the crew to detour ever so nicely. Problem solved.

The news cast gets filmed as planned. I catch a few seconds of it as we have a TV set up and Jim does us proud.

Much later Jim arrives back at Dispatch. I finally had mercy on him and passed new calls to another station so he use the restroom and have a meal. Management had sprung for pizza.

Then Jim shares a secret. The tire change member told Jim he really wanted a tow. At that point I no longer cared what the ticket said or which calltaker to think aboiut blaming.

Channel 22 never caught on.

So hoping the car starts tomorrow. Was 9 degrees F at midnight. Pray for me.