a question about dog bites

[bigbrownhen]

More like .02 sec. That's funny!! I love dogs, have never had to do this, but wouldn't hesitate if warranted. Now that it's getting darker early, my flashlight is my best defense. Just shine the light in their eyes, they back off real quick. and I back track to the truck.

 

[pudg00]

Had a dog chase me to the truck (over 150lbs easy). Owner says sorry about that. I called my sup. and asked what the policy is on defending yourself. Quote " I expect you to kill the dog and call the police and call me" . I just refuse to del. this stop everytime it is on the truck and center manager and sup. are ok with that.

 

[moreluck]

No but my DIAD can make it to your dogs face in 2.1 seconds.

You know that's a joke, right? It's originally about a bull in a field and whether or not you should use the farmer's field as a shortcut.
I know my dog is a beeatch and she is locked up before I even answer the door and she's never allowed off leash outside the house.....'cept in walled in backyard.

 

[soberups]

Had a dog chase me to the truck (over 150lbs easy). Owner says sorry about that. I called my sup. and asked what the policy is on defending yourself. Quote " I expect you to kill the dog and call the police and call me" . I just refuse to del. this stop everytime it is on the truck and center manager and sup. are ok with that.

I like your supervisors attitude. No acronyms, no stupid commentary or armchair quarterbacking, just do whats necessary to take care of yourself. I'm a big old dog-loving softy, but if a 150 lb dog charges me with intent to bite I would not hesitate to defend myself by any means necessary, including killing the dog.

 

[pudg00]

I'm a dog lover also. The funny thing is I did everything right (foot on screendoor, handed envelope through crack in door etc.). This beast pushed by the owner and the door. When I told the sup. he said "As far as I am concerned the owner turned the dog loose on you". So my policy is act in your own best interest and don't get bit even if you kill poor 150lb. fluffy!

 

[humpinbundles]

Your Superiors are complete idiots. They will do whatever they can to convince you that it was your fault because that way they have a scapegoat. Ask one of them to accompany you to the stop or a similar stop; give them the DIAD Board and let them have at it. After they leave the truck, lock the door behind them. The only problem is that if the dog eats them, the dog will be dumber.

 

[Re-Raise]

The only problem is that if the dog eats them, the dog will be dumber.

+ 1

 

[toonertoo]

I love dogs. I bought one stray a pound of bologna yesterday. Thats all I could find in the store I was at. Just a little store with over priced quicki foods, you know the place. It tried to get in my truck, it followed another lady to her house and tried to get in the front door. We fed it. It was a pit bull, and older one someone just dropped off. Skinny and old sad.
So its not that I am scared of dogs, I own two very large dobermans. And I know the difference between a dog that is set to attack coz I am on property, and a dog thats wagging its whole body when it comes to see me.
Its too bad when a company as large as UPS trusts us to drive thousands of dollars of equipment, have us on as people who operate their vehicles in all weather conditions, trust us to act appropriately in public, and be poster children of compassion. To be professional sales people, company representatives, yet want to berate us for protecting ourselves from harm. They paid me hundreds of dollars over this non issue. They pay me to yell at me, I dont think I deserved it, just because you pay me didnt change my mind.
I am at this point quite disenchanted.

Thank you all for the support.

 

[soberups]

Your Superiors are complete idiots. They will do whatever they can to convince you that it was your fault because that way they have a scapegoat. Ask one of them to accompany you to the stop or a similar stop; give them the DIAD Board and let them have at it. After they leave the truck, lock the door behind them. The only problem is that if the dog eats them, the dog will be dumber.

Subjecting a poor innocent dog to having to bite such a stupid supervisor constitutes animal abuse in my opinion.

 

[Indecisi0n]

You know that's a joke, right? It's originally about a bull in a field and whether or not you should use the farmer's field as a shortcut.
I know my dog is a beeatch and she is locked up before I even answer the door and she's never allowed off leash outside the house.....'cept in walled in backyard.

I know i was busting chops as well.

 

[outta hours]

Sounds like you did everything you could to the best of your abilities with the limited resources provided to you by UPS. My next steps would be as follows.

1. Go to the Dr. and file and injury report on your knee.
2.Call the employee conduct hotline and report your center teams behavior and response to your situation.
3. Have the address with the dog flagged as dangerous and refuse any future deliveries.
4. RTS any other sketchy canine addresses on your route, which it sounds like you have many.
5. Remember your personal safety takes precedence over any pkg, customer, or performance number. There is no additional hazard pay for fending off pit bulls to deliver a welfare case of Ensure.

 

[toonertoo]

Sounds like you did everything you could to the best of your abilities with the limited resources provided to you by UPS. My next steps would be as follows.

1. Go to the Dr. and file and injury report on your knee.
2.Call the employee conduct hotline and report your center teams behavior and response to your situation.
3. Have the address with the dog flagged as dangerous and refuse any future deliveries.
4. RTS any other sketchy canine addresses on your route, which it sounds like you have many.
5. Remember your personal safety takes precedence over any pkg, customer, or performance number. There is no additional hazard pay for fending off pit bulls to deliver a welfare case of Ensure.

I may need to go get an xray. Im sure that will demand another round of beatings. But with the weather changing, getting colder, I bet I was like 2 hours late on Friday, and it must be because of my sore knee. I cant even get on the step with my left knee, now Im overworking the right one, and we know what happens then. Of course they took care of me the 2 days afterwards, with 11 hour days. They lightened me up friday, but it was too late.

 

[soberups]

I once had a sup on an OJS tell me I was "wasting time" being friendly with the dogs.

I have delivered to the same rural area for 17 years. In that span of time, every single dog that was on that route when I started has died, and an entire new generation of dogs has taken its place.

The first time I meet a "new" dog, I always take a minute or two to try and make friends with it. The dogs first impression of the UPS man will almost always determine how it behaves towards us for the remainder of its life. That initial two minute investment of time will often save us hours of hassle and worry over the subsequent decade and a half of the dogs lifespan...because by the time I get done with it, it will be a tail-wagging, hand-licking biscuit-moocher instead of a potential safety issue to the other drivers it may encounter when I am gone. It creates goodwill towards us on the part of the owner; its better for the dog; and its better for us.

 

[toonertoo]

I once had a sup on an OJS tell me I was "wasting time" being friendly with the dogs.

I have delivered to the same rural area for 17 years. In that span of time, every single dog that was on that route when I started has died, and an entire new generation of dogs has taken its place.

The first time I meet a "new" dog, I always take a minute or two to try and make friends with it. The dogs first impression of the UPS man will almost always determine how it behaves towards us for the remainder of its life. That initial two minute investment of time will often save us hours of hassle and worry over the subsequent decade and a half of the dogs lifespan...because by the time I get done with it, it will be a tail-wagging, hand-licking biscuit-moocher instead of a potential safety issue to the other drivers it may encounter when I am gone. It creates goodwill towards us on the part of the owner; its better for the dog; and its better for us.

I agree. Many of my businesses have dogs inside. Get to know them when they are little and every time you go in you still have to be wary, but they remember you.

 

[The Blackadder]

The sad reason they treat injury's and dog bites like this, and they do it all over UPS is they dont want you to report it.

If they can give you enough grief, if everyone knows they will be getting a ride if they report some minor injury just to cover yourself they firgure some people wont report it.

We had a guy trying to work though a sore knee at perk.
Well after peak he finally took a bad step and screwed up his knee.

So guess what, they have a part time sup say they saw him limping that morning, he had been limping all though peak and not one person said boo.

They accused him of hurting himself of the job.

It didnt go very far when it was pointed out if he was limping that bad why did they let him work?
Also the idea that we could in the future get any day off we wanted if we just came to work limping kind of ended things.

Bottom line if you think you are hurt report it, its not helping anyone to try to hide it.

 

[toonertoo]

And the sad thing is you are totally right on. Capt Kirk, you nailed it. They want us all to not report things that happen. Even though they say report everything! My injury log had like 8 things, I used to be bad, before I got smart. I broke both ankles twice, I admit I was bad, but that was also 13 yrs ago. I went to therapy, (water) and have not had another one in 13 yrs. The reason being I rushed back to work, and never had therapy that got them strong. Stepping on a rock after the first injury, was enough to break it again.
Ive had 5 I reported since. Never missed a day, never missed a minute, reported them as you never know for sure how hurt you are til you stop for the night. Thankfully, I was always fine the next day. This is what they say they want you to do. I do understand how important safety is, but when you send 280,000 drivers out in ice storms, snow storms, someone may slip. That is what mine were. The odds are also the longer you are out, the more likely to be hurt. Wrestling with loads is another. Climbing through the truck from the front coz everything is against the back door and it wont open, Climbing through the back coz everything is jammed against the front is another. How do we prevent this, and how do we safely climb through? I dunno. We just do it.
In my small mind, I think thats pretty good working in the NE with the winters we have.
But noooo, I have a history of injuries, I am being careless.
So if Im hurt, im reporting it. its the right thing to do. Being intimidated not to, only increases the fact that while it may not hurt today, 3 days from now it might, and I want it on record.

 

[helenofcalifornia]

The thing that stuck out to me about your story (and I am very glad you weren't hurt worse) was the fact you were ABLE to shut your door in time to prevent a mauling. I mean, our doors are harder than hell to close. Lucky for you, your's weren't.

And Tooner, you have got to have enough seniority to bid onto some nice sweet country route by now. Go girl, and do it! Youngstown is straight up hard!

 

[toonertoo]

There are no sweet country routes, they are all half and half these days. This coming from the guys who took those routes, that used to be sweet. Now they are ball busters. And we dont bid every two yrs. Til someone dies or retires. I have never been bitten on route. I know usually where the bad ones are. I dont want to start over, I just want to get my next 2 in and get out.

 

[bigbrownhen]

I also get to know the dogs on my route. I know where the naughty ones are usually. Very rarely get surprised. I take the time with the young ones so they know me. I know the dogs names better than the owners names. lol.

Tooner. I agree about the route change. You are established. Your customers know you and vice versa. I wouldn't want to change either.

 

[Inthegame]

So I had a dog (Golden retriever) that would jump in my truck as I drove by. I always had dog treats and my furry friend knew it. When I turned around at the cul de sac and headed back the clever canine jumped out. Every day for two weeks this goes on. Finally the owner of said creature (little old lady) stops me and tells me to follow her. I said I have to keep working but she insist I follow her to her porch. There she has a cold beer waiting for me cause I'm nice to her dog. I thank her but decline the tempting beverage. "Why not" she protests "the garbage men and mailman always have a beer with me!"
People like her is what made the job bearable.
Report all injuries no matter how small.