A smart vendor would show up with a feed bag full of donuts for the PHB and a mask for himself. Everyone's face is covered, there are no questions, and the sale is practically guaranteed.

It varied. Back in '94, I worked for a construction contractor on a building site. Vendors would stop by almost daily, Doughnuts were rare, more often than not it was bagels and cream cheese, and about one in five visits they brought spareribs for everyone in the company. I think I gained 5-10 pounds that summer.

Yeah, these days, even THAT is considered "ethically dubious" though, so it's rarer.

Of course, if you do business internationally, this becomes a moot point. I've got a really wonderful, high-end electric razor given to me on a business trip to Japan not too long ago, for example. And business dinners OUT are easy to write off. But bringing stuff in seems to set off the lawyers for some reason.

I think the semi-official line is "keep it off company property, and we won't notice it."

heyy...I look for the good man.⚡ I would be your⚡ Mis︆︆tress!!❤Pun︆︆ish me➤ http://gg.gg/j1d4q

That's OK, you didn't want to be doing business with a vendor that effing stupid anyway.

The best recommendation for wearing a mask I've seen during 2020 was one I found on Reddit.
It said "You have the right not to wear a mask. We also have the right to Refuse Service to people not wearing mask."

No shit, no shoes, no mask, no service.

No pants, no problem.

When I was in college, my friends and I would often go to stores without pants...we called them skirts and if we happened to not have anything on under, no one seemed to care or even notice.

My point exactly. :)

In Los Angeles, there is shit everywhere.

... bringing back flashbacks to Haight Ashbury sidewalks when I lived in NoCal...

I like the creative missing "r" from shirt ;-)

Whoops!

Where I live (in Ireland) from Monday you legally won't be able to enter a store without one.

Technically, that's true in WV now, but in practice, though there are signs on stores, many stores don't actually throw anybody out for not having a mask on. In fact, the Wal-mart sign says "mask required, except for ADA exemptions" and you don't have to say you have an exemption, just not have a mask and no questions are asked.

That's the law, but my daughter was still removed from a WINCO last week. She even brought up the ADA exemption and they basically said, too bad, so sad - get out.

Maybe because they expect that the people without masks can't read the sign?

Okay, silly question... "ADA?" "Americans with Disabilities Act?"

yep! (the premise was noble, but it was so poorly written people would sue for being fired for showing up drunk for work)

In the United States, it's unconstitutional for governors, mayors, even presidents to "make law"... and the same goes for courts. Only legislatures can make laws, and only through the full legislative process.

At the moment, we have a LOT of "mayoral decrees" and even "governorial decrees" in place saying much the same as what you just mentioned. Every single one of which is ILLEGAL, and thus Constitutionally unenforceable (though no doubt they'd try anyway).

HOWEVER...

Every single business, without exception, has the right to determine what standards they have for entering their premises and doing business. They can ABSOLUTELY require masks, if they choose to do so.

So... despite my being absolutely convinced that the whole "mask" thing is just shadenfreud... a major inconvenience to us all, accomphishing nothing real, but convincing the "sheeple" that "the gubermint is protecting us!"... I still have masks (kept nice and safe in my car gloveboxes) for whenever a business owner establishes this as their own standard.

I can't wait for my "facehugger" mask to arrive... ;)

Wonder if the same rule applies to banks.
I am surprised that there is no epidemic of surprise withdrawals.

https://www.youtube.com/wat...

Since my bank has shut down all of their lobbies... except at the central branch, BY APPOINTMENT ONLY... (sheesh!)... I've lived via ATM and phone app alone for several months now.

It's not really hurting me. But all the tellers and other in-branch personnel who've been "cost-reduced" out of their jobs... they're suffering, and badly.

How about this one?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Pl...

I would think the one with "...useless as our governor" is a big seller in red states.

You would be wrong.

Here in the U.S. its started with the businesses electing if a mask was required or not. Then it moved up to city, county and state government choosing weather to mandate mask or not.

And any which did so through the legitimate, full legislative process have every legal right to do so.

But... as even quite a few "red" states have experienced... mayors and governors are just "declaring" this to be "law"... well, that's criminal on their part.

Early on when Costco was the only store requiring masks...I had none, I couldn't find any...no one was selling any. I'm not a very social person anyways that goes out very often, I on average only shop for groceries once every 6 weeks and just get a lot to last the next 6 weeks or so...I do make a quick 5 minute trip 3 weeks in for produce and dairy. I do ride a motorcycle on occasion, and have a Balaclava for cold weather riding. This particular one covers the nose and mouth and only has eye holes. I was told can't go in without a mask, as I was not aware of that policy when I left home. Its a good 40 mile drive for me as I live rural...so a few days later went back with the Balaclava and then was told I can't use that...I lost it, told them to F off cause they wanted a mask, I have a mask and now they won't let me in. What the crud do they want? They lost my business forever...those jerks need to be specific when they say they want a mask. It would be like saying you must be wearing a shirt or shoes and pants but then say, NOT that shirt...even though they never bothered to tell you what kind of shirt would be acceptable. I even tried with just a motorcycle helmet and they said no, had to be a medical mask...finally after all the yelling and screaming they say medical mask...but even so it wasn't posted anywhere that it had to be a medical masks, all the signs (and their website) said masks with no details. Money is not an issue for me so other stores will now get all my money going forward. In fact since then Kroger and Sam's club has gotten around $6,000 of my cash since that incident. Of course now I have real cloth masks...so no issues. I was never the jerk opposed to wearing masks like some people, I just didn't have any and couldn't find or make any. I actually support wearing masks. They should have been handing them out for people like me, but nope...funny thing is I hear they are now handing them out for people who don't have them.

That's probably more effective than the sign saying "others don't swim in your toilet, so please don't pee in the pool".

Or the one at a former place of employment that read "We don't pee in your ashtrays. Don't throw cigarette butts in our urinal."

Since you don't wear a mask when ordering stuff online - which we all did during lockdowns - I don't understand why some businesses are still wasting real estate space as retail showcases that could more efficiently be used for warehousing for just-in-time deliveries.

I've tried the online shopping thing and had issues, one time something was delayed 3 months...before it finally came. I had long since cancelled the credit card transaction but after 3 months they fought to get it back because it wasn't their fault a hurricane messed up the port and the ship it was on. Even so I could be converted to full online shopping if shipping was free (both ways if needed) and they also come to my porch to pick up something if its wrong or incorrect, rather than me having to drive 40 miles each way into the city to drop it off. Thus free shipping and no cost returns right from my porch, would win me over...yet I am not aware of any good customer service companies that do that. Oh and if it gets stolen by a porch pirate, customer not responsible...they should send another no cost to me. This would include returns if someone stole it from my porch. Think that will ever happen?

Just as long as we're refusing service for a reason that supports your narrative right?

And I probably wouldn't eat his lunch, either.

Stupid vendors and customers are the best to deal with. It is easy to outmanoeuvre them in negotiations.

True, but you want one intelligent enough to actually coherently say what the product he's pushing is.

That's why I generally sidestep the sales folks... steer them towards the purchasing folks, who are well-equipped to withstand their attempts at BS... and go to direct engineer-to-engineer contacts whenever possible.

There's always the alternative of using quantifiable performance measurements.

https://uploads.disquscdn.c...

Counterpoint: https://www.youtube.com/wat...

In the absence of testing, we must assume that the vendor died of Covid-19. Difficulty breathing is one of the classic symptoms. It is fortunate that the PHB insisted on the face covering, otherwise others might have been infected.

Does PHB get his $37,000 now?
No, that's for hospitals only!
For years I've been telling people that doctors must be getting a bounty for killing people (saves Soc. Security, Medicare, Medicare, etc.). Does the money come from these funds?

Part of me should be disgusted, but i love it when stupid removes itself from the Gene pool.

Only one rep I could wish that upon. He reps a logistics group. He comes in once a month and asks my guy at the front desk if he can see me. As per my standing instructions, my guy tells him he needs to call and make an appointment before hand. The guy never does, just keeps coming back month after month.

Generally I have no problem seeing anyone who comes in and asks provided I have the time but this guy ticked me off almost 30 years ago in a big way when he worked for another freight company and I was far lower on the so-called "ladder" than I am today. His elitist attitude and utter arrogance was as bad then as it is today.

He could put a sack over his head and I'd be ok with that. I will never do business with any company (or companies, as is the case today) he represents. Ever.

Ah reps, short for reptiles. I remember one who would not take no for an answer. He looked like medallion man with the same iq.

At the time I was testing power supplies for a medical application and one test was particularly vicious to US manufactured units. Every time he brought in a new psu for testing I would accept it, take it upstairs to the lab and 5 - 10 minutes later a cry of "Bob's testing power supplies again" would reverberate around the lab. Got through about 20 of these offerings (burnt offerings!). Test was quite simple, load the transformer to twice the rated load for 30 minutes and measure the temperature rise. Cue smoke of the mushroom cloud variety and offensive burning varnish smell. I did open the windows before each test.

Gosh, that sounds like a fun job!

Quit letting the smoke out.

Great story. Funny you mention "reptiles"; I've always called them street lizards. I was one for a few years too, for the company I work for. In my industry, it's a necessary position and one not likely absorbed by the onslaught of internet commerce but nonetheless, I didn't enjoy it at all.

Hahahaha...