Can we wrap this up here? I’ve got somebody on hold

Since it happened in South Sacramento County I suppose it’s only a matter of time until Jason brings his all-seeing Eye to the mix, but are you following today’s CHP wait-time scandal? Check the SacBee for the details of a road rage incident and CBS13 for the news of the CHP’s investigation into its own handling of the related 911 call.

The story itself is frightening. And although the major outrage here is the length of time these poor women had to wait for help, what stuck out for me (my wife actually picked up on this first, this morning over coffee and baby biscuits) was the attitude of the 911 dispatcher. (Italics mine, because people generally don’t talk in italics.)

Driver: I need help. There is a guy trying to run me off the freeway. I don’t know who he is. Oh, my God. Oh, my God!
[apparently there was a pause there on the driver’s end, which was a wee bit more than this dispatcher could stand]
Dispatcher: Hellooo?

I’m sorry miss operator, I was handling a little situation there. But it gets better:

Dispatcher: Ma’am, I need to find out where you are.
Driver: I am [on] 99 south.
Dispatcher: Ma’am, 99 goes all the way from Marysville all the way down through Fresno. That doesn’t help me.

Because I have the luxury of time and distance, I can throw my name behind “that’s like saying you’re at Starbucks,” but I’m not the voice you hear when you’re in dire need. I realize the investigation is well underway, but I pledge to bring my considerable local celebrity to bear and demand that this 911 dispatcher be fired.

Fish and Chips, Rubicon Style

Per a suggestion from Stickie, I dropped by Rubicon Brewery yesterday to try their fish and chips. I’ve never been a huge fan of Rubicon’s beer, finding their brews to all slant towards the bitter side, and not just regular beer bitter but the kind of bitter you get when your girlfriend breaks up with you right before prom night and instead goes with the rich captain of the curling team and they spend the whole night kissing each other, with tongue, in the center of the dance floor while you’re left standing there with a $50 corsage that is dying right in your hand, dying like a small bird dropped from its nest and left to die on the pine straw coated floor, or be eaten by ravenous foxes, crunching the little bird’s bones in their mouths like birdie flavored pretzels. That kind of bitter. Anyway, about their fish and chips:

Not good. I was served fish “sticks” and waffle fries with my bitter, angst-ridden beer and was not happy. The batter was heavy and was more bread crumby than corn mealy. The fries were chewy and undercooked and the children behind me were as annoying as children in a bar could be. So, in conclusion, Stickie, thank you for the recommendation, I’m sorry I didn’t realize that your only other exposure to fish and chips had been at Adalberto’s. I don’t think I’d recommend Rubicon to anyone…ok, maybe I’d tell that whore from the prom to go, but that would be about it.

Rubicon Brewing Company
Capitol Ave at 20th St, Sacramento
Food * Beer * Service **

Only 3100 miles from Ocean City!

This post by John reminds me how much I’ve always hated that “close to Tahoe, close to SF” mantra about Sac. Maybe it’s because I don’t generally you know, “talk” to “people” or “have” “friends” but I don’t hear that phrase as often anymore, because I think Sacramento outgrew it, but not in a good way. It has now morphed into the “loft living, huge chain restaurants, attracting people to move here rather than make the city usable for those who already live here” attitude that The Sac Rag and our friends on the blogosphere have been railing against for months. It’s a city that wants to believe it has more to offer than proximity to cooler stuff but can’t quite be comfortable owning what it has. Let’s own what we have, people.

Whose default is it?

The Associated Press reports that Sacramento County lenders filed 321 notices of default in December, the highest number in nearly three years.

More homeowners are having trouble making mortgage payments on homes they bought during the Sacramento region’s housing boom, which has cooled over the past several months.

Ruh, roh. Didn’t see this one coming now did ya?

Not sure how this relates to the housing market debate we’ve been having here recently, but my guess is that more people are being forced to sell their homes to escape foreclosure thus creating more supply than there is demand in the housing market? So maybe I do know how this relates to the housing market debate afterall. I just figured that more people were selling their homes to “cash out” on the housing boom when it appears some are selling for other reasons.

More homebuyers could be in for a shock over the next two years as their low introductory interest rates expire or their interest-only payments end. Adding to the problem, some borrowers hurt their credit score or took out loans, eating up what little home equity they built up.

Didn’t 5 years seem like SO far away?

Paging Dirk Benedict

I’m sure this phenomenon is by no means unique to the Greater Sacramento region, but nothing makes me feel more like Ward Cleaver than shaggy haircuts on the young men, aged 8-12. I get the feeling that the parents of these boys with the shaggy hair (what’s next, slingshots in the back pocket? hooch? marbles!!!??) think it looks very appropriate, a classic hairstyle, even. Wake up. Your kids are walking all over you. This new shaggy cut, the rebirth of the coif made famous by Shaun Cassidy (pictured) and his ilk of the 70s, is no better than the rat-tail was, but at least with the rat-tail, everybody knew what was going on–if your kid had one, everybody but you thought it was ugly, unless their kids also had rat-tails.

Watch out for them, Sacramento. If you see a group of young men, and one of them has a shaggy haircut, I guarantee that’s the one who will cause the trouble. Would you trust that he had not spit on your pizza while delivering it? Would you let him anywhere near your daughters? Would you trust him to give correct insurance information when he rear ends you in his 4Runner (if not now, soon enough)?

Some great hairstyle research to be done at Gene’s Barber Shop.

Yes, it’s another list…

I’m back with another “Top something something” list. What, you’d rather I write about me?

Nationwide Homes Network just released their Top 100 Places to Live for 2005 list:

Residents, past or former, nominate their cities for possessing such qualities as a place’s serenity, beauty, low crime rates, safety for children, employment opportunties and cultural activities.

Inclusion in the top 100 gives “communities a sense of pride and accomplishment,” says Steve Nickerson, CEO and President of HomeRoute.

Sorry, Sacramento didn’t make the cut. We are obviously not a community with a sense of pride and accomplishment. But hey, Roseville made it, so we kinda got that going for us.

But then again, given the qualities that this list supposedly uses as criteria, how did Vacaville make this list?

It’s cool to recycle

News10.net reports that “the City of Sacramento will collect e-waste for disposal beginning Thursday. Residents will be able to dispose of computers, computer monitors and televisions on Neighborhood Clean-up Program pick-up days.”

As a recent LCD monitor purchaser I was interested to learn more about this program. Did you know that you’ve been paying a CRT disposal fee since 2003? And have been charged to dispose of these items at your local landfill? Well, with a little know how and some handy links from your friends at the Sac Rag you can recycle those oversized remnants of 90’s computer use for free AND help the environment at the same time.

Your best bet is to start with a company that specializes in recycled computer equipment. Appliance Distribution, Inc. (916-930-5240), for example, offers free pick up within 10 miles of their facility. Cell phones are a real pain, too, and can easily be recycled in several ways. You can print a free mailing label or find a drop-off location near you by visiting this site. Earth911.org has some great information, too, on all things environmentally friendly including where to take your old batteries, both big and small.

Update: Sacramento County has a great page answering the question “How Do I Recycle or Dispose of…“