FISH CATCHING TRAVEL
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It Should be My Happy Freakin’ Birthday!
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No fishing Monday or Tuesday because I get to spend the day dealing with the Hampton Inn, Advantage Valet, and everyone else involved in downtown Dallas who let some car thieves steal our car. And it got worse. If you own a Lexus like we do and have Lexus assist cancel right now, they were terrible. And if you are thinking of buying a nice car consider an Audi, they know how to treat customers who’s car is stolen. More on that in a little. A long story short. The valet company let criminals get access to keys of 3 cars, the guy sat in the lobby for an hour or so (on video) in the early morning hours without anyone asking him why he was there, before he broke into the key box when the valet dropped the ball. (All on tape as the investigation has learned.) What if he was a rapist or armed robber? Until changes are made your family is not safe in the Downtown Hampton Inn Dallas, end of story.
This happened around 6am, and neither hotel or valet called the police even though the crook broke in to the key box in their lobby. Think about it, Advantage Valet and Hampton Inn downtown Dallas did not respond to a felony on their property or call the cops. It could have stopped the whole thing and they should have immediately secured their “secure” lot we paid $32 a night for. The Hotel let a scum bag sit in the lobby until he stole the keys. Huh? Then they left us sitting at the curb for almost 2 hours waiting for our car before they admitted it was stolen. (5 hours later when they finally called the police.) The hotel was “it is not our fault”, what a fiasco. No one from the hotel ever apologized or offered to help, not one word from the hotel except it is not us. I forgot, the only thing said after the not our fault thing, the clerk came outside while it was still in an uproar and said we won’t charge you for the valet. But still not an apology, nothing. Wow, thanks! The Hampton’s response was it is the contactor. Puzzling, the hotel took our freakin’ money and let our keys be stolen from their front lobby but it is not their fault? So finally after 10:00 am, hours after the theft police were called. They came and took a report from the 3 of us and gave us a report number. The other dude called Audi and they located the car in 5 minutes and off the police went to recover it.
So we immediately call Lexus assist, give them the report number but they are acting like we are lying and they will not help immediately. They want to speak with the cop. (He has the report with him and did not file it because they were off to recover the Audi.) Remember, Audi the car company that gives a rats ass about customers – but guess what Lexus – they all hit the road to recover the Audi because Audi was on the ball. The officer of course did not run to the station to file it, he went after the car thieves. That is what the police do! So by Lexus waiting hours our car ends up the hands of a gang banging maggot (Really!) for at least 4 maybe 8 hours who makes a dirty mess like the animal he was in our car. Much of which could have easily been avoided if they had immediately activated the vehicle tracker. And when I asked to speak to a supervisor after 2 calls without results the last person I spoke to at Lexus was a %*&$^ and did not connect me. They finally activated the GPS tracker hours later (Did not inform us.) as we were leaving town in a rental car. Plus Advantage Valet of Dallas refused to help us with a rental, the old trust me, you pay for it and we will pay you back. But then the police called and said we found the car. So we go to the scene and there is a dreadlock wearing, pants below his ass, athletic shoes maggot cuffed and standing by the cop car. Sorry Bro, if you do not want to be a classic stereotype don’t be one. They smoked dope in the car, cigars, left a condom, and went through the paperwork, threw shit everywhere and put Hip Hop on our satellite radio and stole our garage door openers. Can you say come and rip us off later? I can see it now, the seats were set back and low, Hip Hop (A new station set on our radio.) blasting with windows wide open, smoke billowing out as they partied in our car, prophylactic at the ready. Makes us sick thinking about it.
The good thing – Props to the Dallas PD. From the responding officer, the 3 who recovered our car, and the detective who spoke with us before interviewing the maggot to see how many lies he would tell him. (The officer’s words not mine, though I can hear it now. After years of defending criminals it was – Someone gave it to me, I did not know it was stolen, the man is keeping me down, or the best, they are picking on me.) The Dallas PD was professional and competent and really went above and beyond to assist us unlike the motel, valet, or Lexus. Thanks guys, your superiors, mayor, and council members have heard from me.
Now the aftermath. I spent Monday on the phone with all of them, got new reprogramed openers so these animals can not rip us off, the detail guy is coming tomorrow, the insurance company and on and on. The Valet service is sorry, the hotel is sorry, Lexus assist is sorry. (in fact they are correct, the whole bunch of them is sorry.) Everybody is freakin’ sorry. So whether that is nothing more than lip service remains to be seen. But they were all nice when I spoke with all of them today (A new attitude today for some reason.) and they indicated they will all take care of it. And when I asked them the following question – especially Lexus assist – “Would you want to ride home a hundred miles in a car smelling like dope and cigars, that had a maggot driving and trashing it and leaving a condom when it was all preventable?” All said they would not want that, but I guess it is ok for us. So there will only be one more follow up post later detailing their responses. Lets see what happens. But boy am I freakin’ pissed.
Fun at the Ramp
When I got to the ramp Thursday morning there was a couple of guys with a fancy Skeeter about to put in. They backed in and he kept gunning it but it would not go off the trailer, so they pulled it out, oops, forgot one side tie down. So they pull out get it off and back it back in, and I slide past them and drop it in. Meanwhile the dude turns on the bilge pump and water is rocketing out of the boat. Oops, forgot the plug so the other guy goes and gets the truck and back on the trailer they go. Meanwhile me, Mr. Awesome at launching a boat, starts to step off the pier, and slips, and I mean I am an instant from going in head first but I made the big save. That would have been fitting. Everyone made it on the water safely.
Then when I go to take out there is a trailer backed in and one of those big Shallow Sports, I think X3, which is fairly new, and he is having a hell of a time getting it on the trailer. I offered to help but he said no problem, it is just a bad bunk as he cranks it up for all he is worth. And that says it all about boat ownership. That thing cost an easy $70K plus, is almost brand new, and something is already broke. It never ends.
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Get inhaled!
There is something innovative and new coming! Stay tuned.
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Dredge the cut at Charlie’s.
I have not been through that cut since some time last year when there was a couple of boats stuck. And it happens to be the only place someone ever had to get out and push my boat so we could get off. Now from what I understand, and please correct me if I am wrong, the cut is basically unusable unless you run on spit. If that is the case it really needs to be dredged out to take some of the pressure off POC on the weekends. Even staying at POC we have trailed to Charlie’s to get farther down the bay without having to fight the madness that is Froggie’s. So if anyone knows whether the cut is usable I would appreciate hearing it.
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So that will be it today on my birthday. But I should be able to get things done enough to fish tomorrow, or let’s put it this way, I am fishing tomorrow. What gets me about this whole adventure is that everyone except the police dropped the ball, and it did not have to happen. Think about how you would feel, thinking about them with your address and garage opener. So I promise other than one follow up post when it is all done that subject is done. So while the detail guy is here, the Boss has the truck at work, fishing will wait. But I so appreciate all I have on my birthday. The best wife and best friend a guy could have, getting to fish my life away, what more could a guy want? I am the luckiest guy in the world. So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff, and letting me vent.
Good Luck and Tight Lines
