To Whom It May Concern Or Should I Say Whom It Should Concern

[rula40]

This is a copy of the letter sent to Cunard.

 

Customer Relations

Cunard Line Limited

Dukes Keep

Terminus Terrace

Southampton

SO14 3PN

 

 

Copy to: Peter Ratcliffe, Chief Executive Officer

 

13 September 2005

 

 

Dear Sir/Madam

 

State Room 6215 – Voyage 0827 & 0902

ID CJMN8G & CJMN9J 27 August 2005-8 September 2005

 

My wife and I have just returned from what should have been a relaxing and memorable Trans Atlantic crossing on the Queen Mary 2 , which lived up to all our expectations until an incident which occurred in the early hours of Tuesday 6th September.

 

I booked the return crossing from Southampton to New York and was guaranteed a inside D6 stateroom, we were absolutely delighted to find that we had been upgraded to a B3 outside stateroom with a balcony

 

This vacation was to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary and my wife’s birthday both celebrations of which had to be postponed due to ill health resulting in 2 separate hospital admissions.

 

We had enjoyed the formal dinner on the Monday evening and spent the remainder of the night with a newly acquainted couple of friends in the Golden Lion bar. We returned to our stateroom at around 1.30am and went to bed.

 

At approximately 4am we were woken by the telephone ringing, I answered the phone and it was the Pursers desk, the night duty purser Magnus Hojden informed me that there had been a complaint from another passenger to the effect that there were loud noises and strong smells coming from our stateroom. I explained that we were both asleep and our television was off and I was at a loss as to the reasons for the complaint.

 

The night Purser suggested that he make further enquiries and asked if he could phone me back in a few minutes, as I put the receiver down there was a horrendous banging on our stateroom door, I could not believe the frantic pounding which caused my wife to get extremely upset, as she had not been privy to the conversation I had with the Purser and did not know the reasons for the disturbance.

 

I immediately grabbed a dressing gown and opened the door I was confronted by

Mr Kevin Mills Security Specialist Who was in company with a woman and another man all of whom were in uniform, I can’t remember if I had even turned our stateroom light on as I was still sleepy and very confused.

 

Mr Mills spoke to me in a tone which I can only describe as aggressive and firm, he did not speak to me he spoke at me and was quite threatening in his manner. Mr Mills told me that other passengers had complained about noise and bad smells coming from our room. I immediately became defensive and asked him what on earth was he talking about, as it must have been obvious to him that I had been asleep the television was off and the room was silent.

 

Mr Mills asked me if I had the balcony door open I told him that we always slept with door open and had done so since our first night onboard. He told me that the balcony door was making a banging noise which I immediately denied. The door was quite secure and was not moving or causing any noise whatsoever.

 

Mr Mills said in a very aggressive manner “Please shut the balcony door” I asked him the reasons why if the door was not causing any noise, he said that an open balcony door was a safety and security risk and he was now telling me to close the door.

 

The telephone in my stateroom started ringing I closed the door and answered it; again it was the purser’s desk, who again stated that the complaint was as stated noises and bad smells coming from my stateroom. I again refuted the complaint and said that I would get dressed and attend the Pursers desk.

 

My wife was extremely shaken and upset and wanted to come with me but I told her it was not necessary she said that she was scared that the security man would return and bang on the door whilst I was away. I told her not to open the door to anyone and I would not be long. I was furious at the manner in which I had been spoken to and the fact that we had been woken up in the middle of the night in such a way that had caused my wife to become so distressed.

 

I attended the purser’s desk and spoke with the night duty officer who called for the security officer to join us. Mr Mills and the woman officer arrived a few minutes later. Mr Mills insisted that the cause of the banging noise and the smell was as a result of my balcony door being open, I tried to explain to him that I had slept with the door open since joining the ship had never heard any banging nor noticed any smells, he just kept repeating “I consider your open balcony door a security and safety risk to the ship”.

 

I asked the woman officer if she had noticed any smell from my stateroom when I opened my door, she agreed that there were no smells coming from my room. She then said that although she did not notice any smell, it was possible that fumes were being drawn into our stateroom from outside which were then traveling along the corridor into other staterooms. She also said it was possible for the smell to be coming from the sewage pipes again being sucked up into our stateroom and blowing under the door into the corridor.

 

I suggested that if that was possible other passengers should be informed as I considered there to be a health risk which to my knowledge no one had been informed of. I asked if there was anything written down to the effect that balcony doors should be kept shut at night, but was answered by Mr Mills who told me in a very condescending manner that unless I closed my balcony door he would consider me to be a “Disruptive Passenger” and would be forced to take the necessary action.

 

I was completely shocked that by now not only had I been woken in the middle of the night and spoken to in such an aggressive manner, my wife had been caused such distress and upset, I was now being threatened with further action being taken as I was now being considered a “Disruptive Passenger” who posed a security and safety risk to the ship.

 

Mr Mills then informed me that I would be held responsible for any damage caused as a result of my balcony door being open; he said that as soon as a passenger opens the balcony door they accept full responsibility and would be liable to pay for any damage. He said this to me in a very firm and condescending way. He also told me that I was the only passenger onboard the ship with my balcony door open, which I found hard to believe at the time I later spoke with other passengers who informed me that they also slept with the balcony doors open.

 

I was now accepting the fact that I was being treated as a “Disruptive Passenger” and was being spoken to as such. I realized that the situation was only going to be resolved by me agreeing to close the balcony door.

 

I asked for the names of the persons concerned and said I would take the matter up with someone in authority later that morning. I returned to my stateroom and kept the balcony door closed for the rest of the night.

 

My wife and I were unable to return to sleep due to the incident, we were both very upset and angered by the way we had been treated and spoken to.

 

I received a telephone call from the Customers Service manager at 10am later that morning, who apologized for the incident earlier that morning, I told him I wanted to make an official complaint and asked for an appointment with the Hotel Manager.

 

I attended the purser’s office at 11am and spoke with Mr Robbie Howie, .Hotel Manager, I told him what had happened and expressed my concerns at the way I had been treated and spoken to. He apologized and said that he was responsible for the security and housekeeping of the ship and informed me that my stateroom drains and ventilation had been checked earlier that morning and no fault was found.

 

I pointed out my concerns regarding the possibility of fumes and sewage smells being drawn into my stateroom when the balcony door was opened and he assured me that this was not possible.

 

I asked if there was any problem with my balcony door being left open during the night and he told me there was no problem whatsoever but suggested that the door be closed for our own safety, he did mention that a passenger had been lost overboard some weeks previously in the Mediterranean, but I pointed out that I believed that the passenger had left his shoes on deck and a suicide note in his cabin, I told him neither myself nor my wife were suicidal.

 

I asked how the allegation of noise and smells could have been made and he suggested that they were normal ship noises stating that the ship is in motion and one could expect a certain amount of noise, but he could not account for the allegation of the smells. Mr Howie said he would speak with Mr Mills. I again asked if I could leave the balcony door open during the night and he said it was perfectly okay.

 

I did speak with the passenger from stateroom number 6219 who had made the original complaint the following day. I was standing on my balcony and noticed him standing on his which was next to mine. I asked him if he could hear the noise coming from the pipe which ran along the ceiling between out two balconies, he said he could, I asked him if that was the noise he had heard the previous night and he agreed and apologized. I saw that he was a very elderly gentleman and did not discuss the matter any further.

 

I attended the pursers desk and spoke with the same officer who had telephoned me during the night I informed him that I had spoken to my neighbor who agreed that the noise he thought was coming from my stateroom was in fact noises coming from the pipe between the two balconies. I asked if Mr Mills had first confirmed the allegation before disturbing my wife and me. He told me that he had been told that they had confirmed the noise and the smell before waking us up. I told him I found this very hard to accept as I had not been given any valid explanation for the complaint.

 

I am sorry if this letter has been lengthy but I am trying to paint a word picture of what was a upsetting and disturbing sequence of events which resulted in spoiling the remainder of our crossing , due to the fact that we were very tired and still angry at the way in which we had been treated and threatened, This was endorsed by the fact that we had been told that the complaint had been verified before we were disturbed, This I am absolutely disgusted with as it appears that someone is not being truthful.

 

I have been a serving Police Officer with the Metropolitan Police for the past 28 years and I consider myself to be an honest and considerate person, I have never been accused of being disruptive nor have I been threatened with action being taken against me for putting peoples safety and security at risk.

 

Your records will no doubt show this is the first time we have travelled with Cunard, and I look forward to receiving your comments.

 

Yours sincerely

This is the reply I received …

Dear Mr …..,

I am now able to reply in more detail to your letter of the 13 September regarding you and your wife’s recent back to back cruise on board QM2. It is always our intention to respond quickly to all correspondence and I am sorry that I have been unable to do so until now, and that you have had to call us on 14 October chasing a reply. Please accept my apologies for this unacceptable and wholly unintentional discourtesy.

May I add to those apologies already offered by our hotel manager, for the disturbance to you and your wife during the night of 5/6 September. As you know we had received a complaint about noise and smell from an adjacent cabin and we were merely taking positive action in response to this.

It was deemed that the strong prevailing winds outside may have been the source of this disturbance, and your open balcony door could create a significant through draft, causing noise and possibly smell to enter the corridor and other cabins. Therefore we simply requested that you close this door. However, when you took no action in response to our night hotel officers reasonable verbal request, and instead banged on the bulkhead of the adjoining cabin, our security officer outside your door was asked to intervene. I am sorry if you feel that his demeanour was inappropriate however, he was merely trying to remedy the situation for all concerned. That said, I apologise for having to disturb your sleep.

Whilst writing, I do hope that you enjoyed your cruise and that this incident has not deterred your from choosing Cunard Line again in the future.

We look forward to the pleasure of welcoming you and your wife back on board again soon.

Yours sincerely

Peter Moss

Passenger Relations Executive

cc Peter Ratcliffe

That incident ruined the final two days of our Crossing, caused my wife immense distress and upset and left a very bad taste

This reply has just about said enough to prove to me that not only do Cunard employ a number of staff who have very little regard to its passengers and treat them as they wish knowing that they can make false accounts of any incident which will be accepted without question.

I totally refute the allegation that I banged on the bulkhead of the adjoining cabin which resulted in the intervention of the security officer intervening and will certainly be taking the matter up with Cunard.

This reply has definitely reinforced my belief that Cunard is comfortable in the

belief that it is so well established that it can simply dismiss complaints with a written apology without accepting any responsibility. And have the audacity to welcome one back on board again soon. Surely if I had behaved in the manner described I would not be welcome back on board, or are they just looking for another booking?

This reply should be a concern to Cunard as to possible design faults, by way of smells and or noxious fumes being sucked in through open balcony doors and maybe consideration should be given to posting a health hazard warning

I am not one who would normally air his dirty washing but I think it only fair to let others know what to expect if they have any valid complaint.

I would be very interested in any comments and grateful for any advice from others who like me feel that no matter how big the fish one deserves to be treated with respect.

Phil

A very concerned EX-Cunard commodity

[Linerguy]

"I totally refute the allegation that I banged on the bulkhead of the adjoining cabin which resulted in the intervention of the security officer intervening and will certainly be taking the matter up with Cunard."

 

And just exactly what can come from this except more grief? This letter was a brush off, nothing more. It's their intention to honk you off with the hope that you don't come back. You're not going to get anymore than what you've gotten already: a slap on the wrist and an apology...anyone can see that. Do yourself a favor, show your displeasure by means of your wallet, never sail on Cunard again and move on.

 

"I am not one who would normally air his dirty washing but I think it only fair to let others know what to expect if they have any valid complaint".

 

Come now, sure you are,....that's all you've been doing since you got back. You've relived your plight in numerous threads,...over and over again. Even in positive QM2 threads, you've felt the need to make sure everyone knows how disgusted you are with Cunard....

 

I understand your frustration and I am in no way disputing your claim,...but you're going to give yourself a hernia.

[Calliope]

The letter from Cunard certainly started off well apologizing for the tardy reply from Cunard. That part is an excellent way to deal with passenger letters, but it certainly does not end that way. The second part is very condescending and still places the onus of the problem on you.

 

I certainly can understand why you will never wish to travel on Cunard again. I think that I would feel the same. With so many cruise ships and lines available, many not even owned by Carnival, I don't think that it behooves Cunard to be so cavalier about such things.

 

I'm a Carnival Corp. shareholder, and in my humble opinion, it is more cost effective to keep a customer happy than find a new one to replace the unsatisfied customer!

[guernseyguy]

Phil,

 

I fear Linerguy offers sound advice - Canard are not going to budge on this - best exctract your ultimate revenge and take your business elsewhere. The letter however is a masterpiece of bureaucratic obfuscation - its a hoot!

 

It was deemed

By whom?

 

may have been the source of this disturbance

MAY have been the source....why not check before waking you at 4am?

 

your open balcony door could create a significant through draft,

COULD.....so not so sure, then really?

 

banged on the bulkhead of the adjoining cabin

And the source of this information is......

 

Its a classic - no one is responsible, no one is to blame - except you!

 

Peter

[mufi]

Must echo the advice given above. Write as many letters as you wish, both parties have made their case and you can be certain that Cunard are going to stick to their line on this one. Unless you wish to take out a civil action, which would be as pointless as communicating any more with them, best to move on and choose another cruise line next time.

 

One consolation to you is that you have made a lot of people aware of the problem you had. A more sesible reply from Cunard would have been to appologise to you ureservedly, and send your wife flowers and you a voucher to spend on board on your next cruise with them.

 

David.

[Rotterdam]

Just so you don't think you are alone......

 

I live in downtown Manhattan not far from the World Trade Center site. On 11 September 2001 I was at home packing for the 16 September crossing on the QE2. Why was I not at work - CUNARD screwed up my tickets & they had to be reissued!

 

So as I waited for the FEDEX delivery...the horrible events of that day unfolded - I live in the frozen zone, heard the first plane fly over my apartment & watched in horror as the towers collapsed & started searching for 3 people I knew(none of which have ever been found).

 

On 12 September I called the TA & Cunard - there response was - " if you can get to the Sheraton on 50th street we will bus you to BOston where the QE2 was diverted. Again I related taht I lived in a frozen zone, was looking for missing friends & that I was living in a war zone. I never went on the crossing. I did call American Express & told them of my situation.

 

Several weeks later I again contacted Cunard & Amex - the end result was that I received a letter from Cunard stating "since the contract stipulates that no refunds were to be given due to cancellation with such short notice" no credit would be given. Amex backed it up with their form letter stating they did all they could.

 

I couldn't believe it.....after many more calls & letters I did finally get the credit for another cruise.

 

Cunard & Amex actually equated the events of 9/11/01 with someone not sailing because of some flipant reason. I lived with the smell of death from the fires in my apartment til mid December - I had bigger problems than the stupidity of Cunard & Amex.

 

One reason I am telling you this is my belief that the cruise industry is out of control. Many people believe they are booking on a LOVE BOAT - when in reality they are travelling on a well oiled corporate vessel that has protected itself against any liability. This enables boobs like the security officer on QM2 to treat you as such & the idiots I dealt with to secure "Corporate Policy".

 

I applaud your efforts...there should be some type of monitoring this industry going forward.

[rula40]

Thanks to all for your advice, but I don’t give up that easily, If Cunard think that by telling blatant lies they can brush me off, well they are wrong There is more than one way to skin a cat, and if one way is that I continue to protest by way of posting what some might regard as constant criticism then I will do just that, but I will not do as Cunard has done and that is LIE nor fabricate.

I know there are members who only want to read positive comments, but as has been said before if that’s what you want read the brochure. But no doubt they will continue to snipe and make catty remarks and little one liners in the hope that the irritation will go away, Well to those members hope again!

My interpretation of airing dirty washing is when one gives very private personal information which is better kept to oneself and is of no benefit to others. I hope some readers of my comments do benefit if only by way of not having as high expectations of the QM2 as I did, Maybe they would then enjoy what she has to offer and not be as surprised and disappointed as I was along with a number of others to find that the QM2 was not the answer to everyone’s dream as most would have you believe.

ROTTERDAM.. Thanks for your support I did visit Ground Zero and found it to be a very moving and emotional experience, I can’t imagine what it was like for all those involved and those who are still suffering, I stood by the fence paid my respects and felt very humbled I remember seeing the scenes of horror on the television as they unfolded and felt useless and angry.

Your reply to my experience and the fact that you still feel angry at the unbelievable response you received from the Cunard Corporation has only made me more than determined not to give up.

Bye for now

Phil

[mufi]

Phil - whatever happens please keep us posted.

 

David.

[rula40]

Mufi...............TRUST ME,,, They say it is better served cold!

[Mr B]

Rotterdam

 

We were booked on a cruise on the QE2 from New York to Bermuda and New England on 26th September in that fateful year. We are from the UK and I remember watching in horror as the events in the US unfolded. A couple of days later I rang Cunard because I thought there was no way our cruise would go ahead. They said of course it would, we would have to fly into New York and be bussed to Boston and there was no question of having a refund. I questioned this for quite a while but they were adamant. They said the journey would take a couple of hours!! We didn't know any better and it took about 7 hours.

 

We did visit ground zero while in New York and it was a very surreal experience seeing in real life what we had watched for so long on our television sets.

 

Yes Cunard does seem to have become one of the faceless monoliths of the new era which is frustrating because it could be so different. Perhaps it is a result of the takeover. We have just returned from a Princess cruise and there was no comparison with the service and food we received on the QE2 and I am so sad that personal service and the attempt to resolve problems seems to be diminishing.

 

Diana

[Cruising Ken]

rula40

 

I did see a website entitled Norwegiancruiselinesucks.com. dont think it's still going but sound like a case for cunard to me.

[travel-to-go]

Phil,

Well, why not take it to the top.

Mr Mickey Arison bought Cunard, and whatever affect that has had on the line (I have my opinions, but will hold off until I sail and compare to our previous Cunard experiences) he bought the reputation, and whatever problems may go with the line. I say you write to him. Whatever we think of his taste in decor and money saving ideas on cruise lines, he is a smart business owner. He didn't get to where he is, buying up half the cruiselines in the world, by not paying attention to customers.

 

Rotterdam,

I am so sorryabout your experiences. both on the ground and with Cunard re:9-11-2001. Being so close here in CT, and a lot of the people who died were from CT, of course one could not help but be strongly connected. I work as a wireless technician for one of the mobile phone companies. Naturally, our network was quite strained, and of course we responded by getting equipment, portable cell sites and so on to the site to help emergency workers and all. All of my friends were accounted for, but that does not in any way diminish the losses of others.

I went to a concert at MSG a month later. I could not bring myself to go to Ground Zero, even as I came in on the train (Metro North) and was to meet friends in lower Manhattan in a bar before the concert. I would have felt like someone gawking at a fire or accident.

 

I cannot imagine the horror you lived with. There is still a sense of unrealtiy to me about the whole thing. Cunard's insensitivity to you and others is unconscionable. I am truly shocked. I realize they have a business to run, and they needed to continue to ply their trade, pay their employees, many of whom primarily are paid in our tips- I have heard more than once, average "salary" is five dollars (US) a week for wait staff and hotel staff (stewards) so truly, they live on our tips. However, a lot of people and businesses and companies made a lot of sacrifices due to the events of that day.

 

It does not speak well of a company in the hospitality business to be so inhospitable!

[donaldo]

We have recently had our own troubles with QE2, subsequently and after liaison with solictors they have admitted liability and we await a satisfactory conclusion. Don't give up. RE 9/11, we were in the air just past the point of no return to Jamaica when the planes hit the Towers. It was amazing landing in what was normally a chaotic airport to find no more than our plane load arriving! The resort was empty also but that is another story. Phil, keep on at them.

[Bramcruiser]

Yes, I say keep fighting. I can't believe a corporation would be so ruthless as to gang up on an elderly gentleman even after the "accused" and "accuser" met and chatted about the minor incident. The security guard was doing his job but unfortunately this means big behemoth of a man acting tough and rude. Unfortunately, the guard or anyone on the ship or at Cunard could get the discussion back on track. It's clearly a game of placing blame and not taking responsibility. The era of the customer always being right is long gone.

 

What got me is that with rula40 admitting he's a retired cop that they still wanted to treat him like a criminal. Hey, I would think a cop would know more about security issues and legal compensation than a thug guard and be one to not to try to hoodwink? I agree that there was a difference in opinions over keeping the balcony door opened (I actually understand the official line on the subject matter) but still!

 

It seems the official line in the service industry today is "we know what's best so do as we tell you and shut up! If you play along nicely you won't get hurt!" Instead of a nice apology letter going on aboard how rude it is to attack an old man the line wrote a rather evil letter. It seems that even if made public the big corporations aren't afraid of bad publicity anymore became they can scream "security issue". I feel badly for what happened on 9/11 but its more often than not used as an excuse these days. The issue here was simple - old man with door open and a complaint by another old man next door. Period!

 

Ask for that apology and let the world know! Don't feel guilty for wanting to take a vacation and trying not to go out of your way to disrupt anyone. Just remember to keep it civil and not sound like a madman. Don't play into their hands.

[jackatsea]

This whole thing seems a bit odd to me.

Why would anyone want to wedge a French door open on a ship that's probably travelling around 24 knots/30 mph, at night, in a cabin with a low balcony rail?

Actually, they're both lucky that somebody put a stop to it!

Years ago, they would have both been tossed into a dingy and towed behind the ship until they sobered up.

My sympathies go to the passengers who complained and the Cunard staff who responded.

Sadly, the current Cunard abuse campaign over this matter may well be successful and their ultimate goal of a free cruise will be realised.

Knowing my luck, I'll get them as dinner partners...

Jack

[rula40]

ROTTERDAM..I have just read and replied to the thread titled “ “You are a Cunard regular if” posted by mtbny7 I can’t believe that someone is so self opinionated as to post such a serious breach of security and not realise how stupid the actions of a member of Cunard staff was.

Travel-to-go Thanks for the name, I will try and track him downdo you know where he is based?

Phil

[guernseyguy]

Phil,

 

Good luck in your efforts to pursue CANARD, and as you do a couple of suggestions.

 

• Be clear on what you want to acheive - so when you get there you know what 'success' is. Also consider whether it is acheivable.
  
• Remember that this board has a range of threads - some of them light hearted, some of them, like yours, concern serious matters - I'd not get the two confused - a serious response on a light hearted thread may appear censorious, as much as a light hearted response on a serious thread trivial.....
  
• Have fun! After all, as WC Fields said 'Its a funny old world, a mans lucky to get out of it alive!'

Peter

[rula40]

Hi Peter.(Guernseyguy)

 

Well you can certainly put things into perspective and bring one back to earth. Great advice and I will take it.

I will however continue to post my opinions even if it’s just to repay a few debts and nudge some of those who also need the occasional reminder of the real world

Thanks Again

Phil

Ps WHO ARE YOU REALLY??

[mufi]

He isn't going to tell you that. That would be a GENUINE breach of secutity.

 

David.

[Job 534 Clydebank]

We might keep in mind that there are basicly two (2) different kinds of businesses:

1) Those that stay in business by building a base of repeat customers and keeping them satisfied and enthusiastic.

2) Those that get rich by ripping off the out-of-town schmuck once or twice then going on to new suckers. (remember what P.T. Barnum once said).

This applies to $3.00 a sandwich delis, camera shops, or expensive resorts and cruise ships.

Unfortunately, many cruise ship companies are now operating on format # (2) rather than format # (1). There's good reason for it: There is a largely untapped market of "NONPAX" and "NEWPAX" potential passengers (they now call them "GUESTS") out there.

If a loyal longtime passenger get's angry and goes away, there are many more unsuspecting "NEWPAX" out there to replace us, and happily embrace the MacDonaldsization that the cruiselines are now dishing us up. Those newer passengers are much easier to please then those of us who choose to enter the dining room WITHOUT baseball caps on!

Longtime Cunard Passenger FIRST

(somewhat embarrased ) Carnival shareholder SECOND.

[Rotterdam]

Everyone - thanks for the kind words.....

 

I certainly resolved my isssues with CUNARD by letting go. Yes I did return to QE2 & had a wonderful 2weeks.

 

That being said - I also promised to report my experiences from over 40+ cruises since 1975. I was fortunate to see some great ships & now have accepted that the industry as a whole is just followed the Mall of America mentality. I travel by ship for the sea now. I pick a stateroom based on the best cabin I can find on the best ship. Like you many times I have booked an inside. sometimes a balcony / suite. In May I spent 2 weeks on the HAL Prinsendam - even tho I had a wonderful time - the food was just average & the "be a part of the group or get off" mentality exists there also. I now work around that, followup with phone calls & get the names of people I speak with. I eat off the ship as often as possible. If I have a problem onboard I go directly to the Hotel Manager now - I'm not wasting my time with his underlings.

 

Back in 2001 I neither had the time or energy to deal with CUNARD. LIFE IS TOO SHORT and now as people wake up they will repond in kind until management corrects this attitude. There may be plenty of others to fill the cabins but =YOU CAN"T FOOL ALL THE PEOPLE ALL THE TIME!

 

BTW did you see that Carnival Corp is being investigated about the Carnival Line ships it leased to the US Gov't for displaced people due to Hurricane Katrina? Seems there is a vast difference in the contract costs & the real cost of the ships & loss of revenue by leasing them. (todays Wall Street Journal article)

 

PLease take heart people are with you. Be concise & persistant - but take care not to let the incident eat at you & your wife. There is too many other things that are good in this life!

 

PS - I understand your stress in another way- my partner is a retired NYPD officer.

[rula40]

Rotterdam

Thanks, for the advice, I will not get stressed but intend to do my best to get even.

Depending what line of work your partner was involved in whilst serving in the NYPD, he will no doubt have dealt with plenty of those who think they are above it all.

I really like the ones who have a little dig through the crowd during a row then run away.

I met a few NYPD officers whilst I was working in the US for a short time in 1999 Boy were they tough cookies! I should think they had to be NY is a very diverse and busy ground.

If you continue to scratch at an irritation it gets very sore!

Keep Well

Phil