A Toronto area man is considering legal action against UPS because, he says, they refused to hire him due to the fact he has a beard. According to the man, he sent an email applying for a job and got a reply asking him several questions, including, ‘do you accept the company’s strict appearance guidelines requiring employees to be clean shaven and hide visible piercings and tattoos’. He answered by saying he has a short, well-trimmed beard and short hair. After a short exchange, UPS told him unless he keeps facial hair for medical or religious reasons he would be ineligible to work. To me, rather than make a big deal out of this, he should move on to another potential employer. I can recall being a young man and very interested in Air Cadets. The problem was that I had long hair and was unwilling to cut it. Rather than sue someone, I decided Air Cadets wasn’t for me. Seems simple. In Major League Baseball, the New York Yankees make all their players cut their hair and shave their faces. If we are going after UPS for being discriminatory, then we should go after the New York Yankees as well. I’m told the Toronto Maple Leafs have a similar policy as that’s been Lou Lamoriello’s guideline that he requires players to follow, so it was like that in New Jersey for many years as well.
I’m no stranger to speeding tickets. I admit to being a frequent receiver of them. Over the last couple of years I’ve made a more conscious effort to drive closer to the speed limit. However, that doesn’t always mean I’m going to escape traffic cops either. Last weekend while travelling on the four lane highway near Winnipeg, I was pulled over for doing 119 in a 100. I, actually, told the officer I may have been doing slightly more than 120; but figured at 110 you get 10%. That’s when I learned it wasn’t a 110. Total ignorance on my part. You see, when you turn off the Yellowhead Highway and on to the number one west of Portage la Prairie, there is one sign that indicates the limit is 100 and not the usual 110. The speed limit changes, frequently, on that stretch as it revs up to 110 a few kilometres down the highway and then reduces again as you hit Portage and then goes back up for a bit only to dip to 70 once you reach Headingley. The officer joked that was the first time he had been told by an offender they are going even faster than he clocked on radar, but I told him it was only because I assumed I had to have been going faster or why pull me over? He agreed it was obvious I was, completely, unaware of the speed changes but gave me a ticket anyway as opposed to educating someone from out of province who isn’t on that stretch of highway very often. I noticed that all the other speed limit change signs have two big orange flags coming out of the top corners so you don’t miss them. Unlike the one I missed, that doesn’t have the flags. Nevertheless, this is my problem when it comes to traffic offenses: It’s never about actual policing. It’s about fishing for fines. Catch as many people as you can and write as many tickets as you can to build up the revenue. For example, when was the last time you saw a police cruiser with the radar out in a school zone on Gladstone Avenue in between YRHS and Sacred Heart? I’ve never seen one. Instead, they go right beside the sign that says ‘50’ and if you are doing 50 or more before the sign, they stop you. Chances are quite good you were doing 40 in the ‘real’ school zone and you sped up to 50 just a bit too early. That’s not what I call ticketing in the name of safety. To their credit, however, I have seen an increased police presence in school zones and that needs to be applauded.
I have seen lots of people applauding the Grey Cup and what a great game it was. I will be the bah humbug and say the finish to the game was great, but this constant stopping of the game to review plays on video replay sucks any life out of enjoyment for me. It happens way too much. The system is also, inherently, flawed. In all sports. My favorite is the NHL, whereby you the Jets lost a game a couple of weeks ago because one of their players was a toe offside and it went to video review and the Jets, yes, did break the rules. The other night, one of their players got high sticked in the eye and had to leave the game but there was no penalty and that isn’t something you can challenge. Why? Just ditch it. I can live with human error.
Nice person mentions to: Beatrice Kennedy, Chantalle Simard, Angie Johnson, and Tricia Korczak.
