Submitted by Fort George Resident
I am writing you to lodge a complaint about an incident which took place in Fort George Heights on Wednesday 11th August, 2010 at 9 am. I was in my garden wetting my plants when a BWA vehicle passed my house and I was verbally abused unprovoked by the driver.
The vehicle’s registration number is believed to be ML929 but I stand to correction. The driver can be described as bald headed and between the ages of 40 and 50 years old. The vehicle had 3 other occupants but I was not accosted by them.
I had my back to the road and when the vehicle stopped in front of my house, this is what I heard. “You have to be the most unreasonable rasshole woman in the world, rain falling and you wetting plants”, to which I replied “I pay for the water that I use”. It was even more unreasonable since the worker obviously meant we are in the wet season, since it was blazing hot sunshine the whole day. It was not actually raining at the time.
I am not aware of the fact that there is a ban on water use as occurs in the dry season and strongly felt that this avenue of communication was surely not the best one. Even after he decided to move on he continued a tirade of abusive language and leaving other residents bewildered as to what had transpired.
This incident only undoes the impressive work that was done by the Authority workers in fixing a main that burst on Friday 6th and Monday 9th of August 2010 in Fort George.
I hope this matter is taken seriously and serious consideration is taken as a result of this complaint as I am still in shock that someone from the Authority would be allowed to drive through neighborhoods and accost people in such a crude way.I also expect to hear feedback on the outcome of what resulted in the hopefully forthcoming investigation.
I for one agree with the driver’s assessment of the water waster.
She had to be one(R…..H…)! How dare she waste the precious water, by wetting plants, when daily, people in parts of the island are begging for water. Or does she believe that her district has certain immunities against common sense. Three cheers to the WWA worker. Hip!..Hip!.. HER REAR!
Under Priviledge Bajan!
Is she for real….people in some areas of the country fillinf every tincup and bottle with wates, getting up all hours of the night to bathe, cook and wash and she watering plants. We too pay for water, yet we suffer the inconveniences of water shut offs for days.
The BWA worker was wrong to curse you. He should have shut off your water and locked the meter.
This FGH woman is a jennet.
Obviously, the driver was clearly incensed by something quite annoying you were doing. Were you using a hose? How long were you wetting the plants? You said it was blazing hot – this is not a good time to wet plants if water conservation is necessary. Were these plants flower garden or kitchen garden? Why waste water wetting plants when it has been raining quite often in recent days? Some thoughts to ponder. I agree with the driver though he could have tempered his disdain for your actions.
BU thanks the person for highlighting their concern at the manner she was accosted by the BWA employee. However the situation she described using the water because she pays for it is not the correct approach. It being the rainy season a catchment area for rain water to take care of the garden would be the way to go.
@David
I think your advice is a good response but only to one segment of the issue. I do not believe that we should reserve our service and professionalism only for those who are tourists, caucasian, upper class, or any other category of privileged individuals. We owe it to each other a sense of mutual respect. In terms of working for the BWA and speaking to a client that pays your salary especially in times when unemployment figures appear to be rising in that ridiculous and outrageous manner tells me that you should be filling out the application form with the NIS. Not tomorrow or the next day, the walking papers should be immediate unless a written and/or verbal apology is made to the lady, the BWA, and to all Barbadians. Please do not blame the young people for that, nor do you seek to impose a ban.
@David
Of course you know that I am addressing the culprit through you. No offence to you at all.
We seemed to have lost sight of the fact that common courtesy should be extended to all ,and our emotions should not get the upper hand of our reasoning. That lady might have been unreasonable by wetting her plants, but how many of us are guilty of breaking the speed limit , or parking illegally among other things, but we would be most abhored if a policeman/woman had come up to us and called us an unreasonable r***hole.
The english language is so designed that you are able cut a person down to size, without being rude or the use of indecent language.
@Bosun
Given the quality of personnel at the BWA BU suspects this is a case of a training need. The BWA driver probably felt at the time he was doing the right thing to buse the woman. He probably felt he was doing the country a good service too.
@ David
Your benevolence precedes you. That is a fair accommodation to get a win-win situation. I take my hat off to you.
Hmmmmm………..I think is nothing but simple gross disrespect. Notwithstanding whether or not this lady ought ot have been wetting her plants nothing gives this BWA employee the right to buse anyone in that manner. I would like to that to have been me, I would turned the bloody hose on his arse. A society losing all respect for itself and seeming quite pleased about it in the process, very scary.
wait, de same way that you feel offended enough to ‘turn the bloody hose on the driver arse’, you don’t think that is how he felt about someone running water into the wet ground when large parts of the island water off?
She aint really get buse yet.
The man just made an bajan observation which seems technically reasonable -considering that this morning the water authority was announcing low pressure and shutoffs due to pumping issues and asking those with water to limit their use.
The writer is the one initiating any real disrespect… she should have apologised and turned off the hose.
I would have liked to see you put the hose on him too Slater, ….. them men would still be rinsing out your behind all like now….LOL
The woman is a “most unreasonable rasshole” to be wetting her garden in St. George of all places in the middle of the heavy rainy season. She is an even bigger more unreasonable rasshole to think thatbecause she pays for the water she can use it indiscriminately.
Look woman you don’t own the water because you can’t create water and neither can the BWA.
I agree with the BWA worker that you are a “most unreasonable rasshole woman” although perhaps he could have dressed his statement up a little bit.
Look woman ya wrong. And when the BWA fella chastised you the first thing you shoudda do is turn off the hose and apologize.
The abusive passenger on the jet Monday was wrong too. I glad that the flight attendant cuss his rass, and left the damn plane. If the flight attendant needs a few dollars for his legal defense I’d be happy to contribute.
While the lady is wrong to waste water by wetting pants , using that sort of language is not the way to go about doing things.One question to u all, observing the utilities companies in BIM , have u noticed how the BWA employess stand out like a sore thumb compared to the rest.Training is really lacking at the BWA.Their conduct really leaves a lot to be desired.
I agree with the man from BWA, good job man, because you pay for it “waste it” on plants? he should turn off your water same time and he is right the description of you!
J
The woman is a “most unreasonable rasshole” to be wetting her garden in St. George
*************
Fort George Heights is in Christ Church
David:
Not since the days of the late and lamented Nicky Sealy have I seen a dealer in water so passionate (I almost said pissionate!) about his product. Howevery, I would have considered “most unreasonable rasshole woman” to be highly redundant, though pardonable in the circumstances. For the unitiated, the following is a definition taken from the UrbanDictionary:
“rasshole: commonly used in the caribbean especially by barbdians and jamaicans.generally a softer form for asshole.Can be used instead of fuck. Its is a very versatile word and can be used as 1.n. a really stupid person 2.int. expresses shock, 3.can also mean a womans vagina or ass 1.n. he is a rasshole 2.int. What the rasshole! 3. Jimmy told Gina that he wanted to suck her rasshole
mind your rasshole
kiss my rasshole
suck your rasshole
What the rasshole that man just do(what the fuck that man just do. ”
I must confess mild surprise that the term can be used, indiscriminately to denote both the female organ of ingress and egress, and, I presume the term “woman’s vagina” may have been used to distinguish it from a similar organ belonging to, say, a sheep!!
Boy you ! I was just telling myself that we got some real selfish ignorant people (women ) in this country who dont anything about anything and who are so self centred that thay lack the sensitivity to show compassion to a situation or persons. This woman is a classic example of a NEW BREED– educated at University, earning money and behaving like monkey handling gun-’fart frighten’—-and not caring about anybody,-she pays for the water and she can use anyhow is how she sees it—–no thought of responsibility to country or fellow man.
–what a joker !-what a sick mentality !!!
This is the same mentality causing stress all over the place
–Some examples–
–I have a degree so they have to promote me or give me a job–whether or not I know anything about the work–This is my car and I can drive it how I like–(no thoughts for other drivers–(This is my ZR -OR AT LEAST THE ONE I AM DRIVING NOW )—frig you –I have to look for money so I can do anything on the road—carry yuh ass and move out the road –leh muh pass–
wuh we gwine do ?????—–
@George
Never knew those definitions, you brought the local dialect/vernacular alive.
Maybe you should send your note to Minister Blackett.
He seems to want to give wings to dialect.
To restate an earlier position, the BWA driver after the dressing down PM Thompson gave the BWA post 60% increase in water rates lashed out in probably the only way he knew how. Doesn’t make it right.
@KISSMYA
Right on!
To: my water off
you say, I would have liked to see you put the hose on him too Slater, ….. them men would still be rinsing out your behind all like now….LOL
do you really feel a BWA employee or employees would tresspass upon private property without consequences and proceed to put blows in the poor woman? In Fort George? De place ain’t name FORT?
My gut tells me someone would get left featuring a sieve.
@Sargeant who wrote:
Fort George Heights is in Christ Church
===============================================
FGH is actually in St. Michael on the border with Christ Church.
One wonders what would been the reaction of many of you who are supporting the actions of a fowl-mouthed government employee, if the lady in question was residing in Bayville or Pineland.
No wonder we have people we call role models and leaders, grabbing others,or pulling guns on those who are critical of them.
Support Your Local Hooligan. But be aware that your turn maybe next.
IS SHE FOR REAL!!!!!!! Did you hear what her reply was??? she pays for HER water!!!! She is not the only one who has that silly idea that they pay for the water so they can do what they feel like with!! ABSOLUTELY NONESENSE!! on the other hand, the Water Authority worker had no right (if it did happen) addressing her like that. WATER IS A SCARCE COMMODITY, PLEASE USE IT WISELY
What about all the burst pipes that the BWA fails to fix for months? The ones highlighted by the Nation! Maybe he should reserve a few choice words for his colleagues. Even when they DO fix burst pipes they leave the road in a mess. He was wrong to use abusive language to the woman especially as he was on the job. Don’t try to justify that nonsense.
And what would we call the BWA itself which allows thousands of gallons of water to be wasted everyday through leaks that they are unable to detect, or fix in a timely manner.
Matthew Chapter 7 Verse 5 ,sums it up
Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye ;and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye. 10/4
I cannot believe all the jackasses here who believe it is OK for the BWA worker to hurl abuse at the woman for watering her plants. He should be fired as there is no justification for his uncouth behaviour.
If there is no water restriction in place, she is free to use the water as she sees fit. The graduated pricing of water in Barbados means that it becomes very expensive when you consume too much of it. If there is a water restriction in place, the police should have been called and she should have been dealt with that way.
The real problem here is that years of neglect, corruption and political interference have left the BWA in a sorry state with something like 60% of the water that is pumped leaking from mains before it gets to consumers. The BWA should be privatised, the hundreds of redundant workers should be sent home, and the pricing of water should reflect the realities that hundreds of millions of dollars needs to spent over the next ten years to upgrade the distribution system to reduce leaks to internationally accepted standards.
There goes a truly concerned citizen . He did not mix words . He spoke from the heart that lady sure did piss him off.BWA worker gets “The Concerned Citizen Of The Year Award” along with a Gold vice Gripe to cut off water of people who he see wasting water.
We have become a nation of ignorant uncouth human beings. The lady is correct , there is no water ban on at this time and she pays for what she uses. If we don’t use water the BWA won’t make the money it needs to be able to do the expansion and upgrading it has planned. What right does this uncouth driver has to accost this woman in this abrasive manner. All of you who are in agreement with the driver are exhibiting the same low class behaviour that has become the norm on this island. That is why when it comes to service, Bajans cannot give service to their own. Why doesn’t the BWA go into Sandy Lane and the several gated communities around the island during the dry season and see all the lush green gardens that are flourishing, while we poor bajans have to make do with brown landscapes and dying plants. We have a different standard for white people and a different one for Black people. Black bajans can’t stand to see others living a lifestyle that they have reserved for white people. If that driver had driven through any these gated communities I am sure he would not have behaved in that manner. Because other areas are having difficulty with the water supply, it is not the lady’s fault. It is the sole fault of the BWA. It seems that the whole point has been missed. That driver should be disciplined immediately. So who cares anyway ……we live in a fool’s paradise where every skin teeth is considered a smile and where mediocrity reigns. Please don’t pee on my leg and tell me that it is raining!
@island gal
You are one arrogrant person and selfish to boot. When people on the island are finding it hard to get water and from time to time has been asked to conserve, yet you are calling those who agree with the outburst from the BWA person “Low Class” well island gal you have just added fuel to the fire. Just because a person can pay a bill does not give them the right to abuse a public service.Having a license to own a handgun does not give one the right to kill each other. You and that woman need to get a class in “How NOT TO BE Selfish”
AC …….
At least I am not in the same league as you are. That is why people like you will always be low class. You still don’t get it huh? You don’t even know if the lady had a several water tanks she was watering from. Get the facts before pointing the gun idiot!
@Islandgal
What facts . The lady in her submission gave the facts.People of your ilke are quick to defend what is wrong and people like you are the problem and always want to get things your way. Like I said before Your ARROGRANCE supersedes your stupidity look at the nonsense you have written in your defense of that lady the two of couldn’t give a damn about others .Btw I hope you don’t drive! You are loose cannon!
AC……Just be careful, I drive a bus.
If everyone stopped watering their gardens, those communities experiencing water problems would see no improvement. The problem is strictly an issue of a decrepit distribution system. Barbados is a water scare country, but I believe water resources should be managed by pricing alone. Those who can afford to pay several hundred dollars a month for water are contributing much needed cash to the redevelopment of the system. The BWA should also look at variable pricing at different times of the year, depending on the amount of rainfall.
I think everyone who supports the BWA worker in his actions must work for the BWA, or some other government department where workers beleive they have a job for life regardless of how badly they do their jobs. No one in their right mind would think his actions were justified or civilised. If he was so concerned, he should have stopped his truck, gone over to the woman and presented his case in a polite manner.
@islandgal246 We have now reach a stage in the land of the blind, (gawdblummah) where the one-eyed man now reigneth as King. Forget Fort George Heights! we are enroute to Tivoli Gardens.
God Bless Bim.
It really wouldn’t have mattered what was said or how it was said to that lady. For one many public service announcements has been given about conserving water . Also many areas of Barbados are still have water problems. The lady did say “I pay for it” meaning that she has the right to use as much of the water as she damn pleases. I”ll venture to say that the BWA worker might have seen in her doing the same previously.
Its a damn pity that many of us cannot see the forest for the damn trees.
How many employees in the private sector are able to cuss a customer/member of the public in such a disgraceful way and get away with it? In many of the other utilities and service providers he would have been out of the door, as fast as you can say PG.
@John Da Silva,
You say that the problem is STRICTLY one of a decrepit distribution system, but then you go on to say that Barbados is a water scarce country. Is water scarce in Barbados then, because of the distribution system?
If water is scarce, then is price the fairest method to ration it? Do you think there would be enough water for everyone then, because that suggests it is NOT scarce. If there is not enough for everyone how do we make sure, in your price rationing system, that rich people don’t get the water they need at the expense of poor people?
Why do you suggest variable pricing based on time of the year and rainfall, but yet suggest that watering gardens has no noticeable effect on the availability of water? Do you have figures to support this?
The “HAVES” always got it all figured out . As long as they HAVE the money to pay to hell with those who don’t. I always say thank God I don’t have to pay for the air I breathe because the Haves would be the only ones who could afford it. AS island gal say it all about Class meaning those ones with Money. Once you can pay for something it doesn’t matter what others think or say.
What many of you all don’t know, is that many of the Sandy Lane estates, do not use BWA water. They have wells and even the water from their house taps is well water. They buy their drinking water. That is why it is grossly unfair that the small man is paying through his teeth for a vital service while those who can pay, pay very little. Yes Barbados is a water scarce country, but with all that new developments that is taking place and continuing, it has put a strain on the current infrastructure that is rapidly deteriorating. Those people in the areas that are experiencing shortages I feel their pain, yet they are still being charged for dry taps. It is a crying shame that the BWA still cannot solve this problem. BUT, that still does not give any member of the BWA staff to treat people rudely. Without customers they have no business, however we do not have a choice. Nowadays the customer is no longer treated with respect, they want our money and whatever bad treatment we get, we deserve right?
Boy, I is one a de people dat does smell shoite when de day come fa lil watah too, so I woulda ‘buse she arse worsa than de BWA employee. I doan min’ wunna dat supportin she, cause ‘who feels it knows it’.
ac
how tings gine? NY hot as shoite man. Khan wait ta get back ta beautiful BIM.
so y yuh gone ny bonny
Anybody who feels that it is ok to misuse a natural resource because they are paying for it is a lowclass idiot. And yes some low call idiots live in Fort George Heights and some live in Pinelands.
@islandgal246
Found this link which is sponsored by the BWA. It encourages rain water harvesting. We should go past the fact that the BWA employee was wrong to accost the citizen in the way he did. Let us attribute it to ignorance. The more important matter, should our citizens have the attitude of the Fort George citizen i.e. use BWA water in the rainy season because they are paying for it? Should water conservation be the 24/7 mindset?
So will BWA employees cuss people who have swimming pools? Isn’t that a waste of water when we have the big beautiful sea on our doorstep? What about the water fountains at the new strip mall “the lanterns”? The owners are going to get a good ‘busing too? In my opinion these are a waste of water but it’s only MY opinion. What about those people who wash their cars with a hose running continuously? I wish the squatters in water zone 1 areas would get a cussing but they are a protected group!
Look the employee was wrong (assuming that the story as reported is true). A polite word would have been appropriate. If the woman was doing something that was not allowed or illegal then the employee would not have to cuss anybody, he simply would report the matter and the woman would have been charged or whatever sanction applied. If she was doing something illicit then the employee either is ignorant of the procedures and is ineffective as the woman is probably still wetting her plants. I notice that there are a number of uncouth, low intelligent and persons who think that aggressive, abusive and vulgar behaviour is some display of authority and “rightness” of cause. It is actually the resort of the powerless and the insignificant who should and can be easily dismissed. By the way, if I were in that woman’s place, I would not be writing a blog but my attorney would be contacting the BWA as well as the police.
For the record, I too think it is a waste of water and not rational to water plants at this time of year.
@Anonymous
Good points, we need as a country to discuss how we want to manage/use water resources. In some Caribbean islands washing cars using drinking water is an offense.
KISSMYA
I got famblee working for AA so I gets a ‘free’ ticket. Dah is ok fa you? Aw-rite Sweet P?
Anonymous @ 7:47
Man dat ‘ busing’ she get was a spur-a-de-moment ting from de BWA employee. You tink dat he had time to rationalize all de otha scenarios dat you proposing? He kun believe dat somebody cud be sa dumb ta be watering shite plants wid we good,nice, sweet,precious, delicious drinkin watah. You evva taste we watah yet doe? De best in de worl’.
De watah I drinking now in NY taste like J’s fluid wid a hint a kersine oil. LOLLLLL
And lets not forget the undocumented “connections” that were found in the same Sandy Lane area,made by the same BWA people, who would have got a kickback periodically. God knows how many more of these undocumented connections are in place island wide.
Aren’t these BWA employees responsible for cheating the BWA and the taxpayers, not #1 Unreasonable RH’s as well?
@Bosun
Good point!
For sometime BU has been getting reports that there many illegal BWA connections in Barbados. Surprisingly as you wrote many are located in the heights and terraces.
@Bonny
it seem to be hot just about every where. Me hott toooooo.
May I suggest that if the government authorities would get up off their fat, lazy
A**es and fix all the broken 16″ & 18″ mains in this country (including those pouring water throughout the year in cane fields) then maybe we would not have these water “shortages” with which we seem to be always plagued!
That BWA employee,and those who support him ,should take heed of the following.
“Be courteous to those on your way up, because when you fall,those are the very people that you will meet on your way down.”
Anonymous wrote on | August 13, 2010 at 7:47 AM | “If I were in that woman’s place, I would not be writing a blog but my attorney would be contacting the BWA as well as the police…because I was told that “You have to be the most unreasonable rasshole woman in the world”
And pray tell me what charge would the police lay against the BWA employee?
And exactly what would you hire the lawyer to do”
Just yesterday at work I was called an ignorant bitch by a customer. I called neither lawyer nor the police, but politely told the customer that I had never been called an ignorant bitch in my life and that he should never call me so again. Believe me he got the message.
@David, I know for a fact that they are funny connections to BWA pipelines.A millionaire friend of mine, (he lives in the Terraces )told me many years ago a BWA employee did something to his connections, for a fee of course since the bill would be extremely hihg if that thing wasn’t done, no matter how much water is used the bill is always below $30.00, his house has 8 full bathrooms, 4 half bathrooms, 2 kitchens 1 kitchenette 6 bedrooms in other words it is a mansion. My small family have been living here for sometime, when I recieved the first bill I thought it was an error so I asked him about it, that is when he told me about this connection, some months I get a credit, the garage is washed down every morning, afternoon and around 7 at night, the place is to be tidy but the dogs mess it up hence the washing down.I do feel guilty and yes i will write a note to the BWA asking them to look at it. The employee who did whatever it is, is no longer employed there, this was done many years ago.When I wash down I always look around since I do not want to be caught ‘wasting’ water, but I cannot stand nastiness.The house has been put up for sale so I am leaving soon but I have every intention of informing the BWA about the connection even if it means me having to refund them.
J
“he continued a tirade of abusive language”
I could be wrong but every now and then it is reported in the local press that someone is charged and convicted for using abusive and vulgar language in public. Maybe it is only in cases of such language being used in the presence of a police officer.
Yes Anon. I agree that charges are only laid if you call the police a fcuking idiot. If we call one another the same the police don’t care. And if I was you I won’t waste good money in hiring a lawyer ever time you get cuss.
Dem fooling we,the water shortages is caused by Cruise ship industry, the more cruise ships dock here the more potable water we have to supply.Check Cuba,no cruise tourism according to Fidel, it just ain’t worth it, the crusie ship passenger spends an average of US$20.00 when they dock.Check it whenever there is a water shortage or we have to shut off pipes look towards the Harbour tell me if you ain’t see a cruise ship there, but in all seriousness, it is documented and those in tourism know what I am saying is true, the island must provide miilions of gallons of potable water to the cruse ship whenever they dock.
@Pretty Blue Eyes, and what a pity that this type of cheating the taxpayer goes on in many government departments. I once heard a Manager bragging that he never paid income tax, as he knows somebody inside. Then there is the Licensing Authority, where many of the commercial vehicles on the road receive an underhand Roadworthy Inspection Certificate. Then there is the Customs & Immigration Department .The Land Tax Department.
@Bosun
it seems to me that the government needs to be close down and you put in charge to clean up the mess .
@ac . Dangerous words my friend. I do not have any Black Diamonds to give away.
De woman shoulda tell de BWA worker tuh mind he rassole business de same way…
This incident is not even remotely funny. The BWA worker was out of order, out of place and behaved inappropriately towards that lady. Whether it was a ‘spur of the moment thing’ or not, is no excuse to behave toward the lady in that manner. That worker needs to know when and where. I wonder when he experiences a ‘spur of the moment thing’ at home what occurs. I jog on the highway early on mornings, and I recall every morning at the warrens roundabout a set of water in the road from some kind of wetting of the grass on the roundabout. Why single out that lady for a ‘busing’?
I think it is unfortunate that often people find mirth and hilarity in uncouth disrespectful behaviour shown by the rough people providing service in this Island towards their fellow man. I recall Branford Taitt recently at the Diaspora meeting refuting statements that Bajans are rude. I really wonder how he would describe that behaviour shown by the BWA worker.
@EyeSee,speaking about usage of water,there are some companies with large lawns which use a timed sprinklers,deliberately set to come on late at nights/early morning, when prying eyes are fast asleep.
And as we say, not a fellow unpick he teet.
Bosun
I want black, white n turquoise diamons in my weddin ban or you cud keep dem. Sorryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy
Mwahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Bonny, my diamonds are brown/reddish.
Isn’t the BWA also ask with the responsibility for the sewerage system in Bridgetown and the South Coast.
Is so aren’t they unreasonable RH’s in allowing the stench at the Welches Ch Ch sewerage sub-station/pump to dominate the area for the past umpteen weeks? Gad knows how all of those visitors I see walking up to Oistins,along John Boyce’s new side walks, from the many hotels in the area, can have the stomach afterwards to eat fish in Oistin Bay Gardens after enduring that awful smell.
the water works employee should be more respectful to the woman, although what she did was unreasonable, that dont give him the right to abuse the lady like that. If that was a white tourist, or a white rich person, he would look the other way, his R…. H should be fired from his job, and be out looking for another job, what right he got cursing someone like that.