OMG - the ridiculousness of the USA outsourcing has reached Grand Bahama.  Trying to reach FEDEX in FREEPORT, Grand Bahama, you have to speak to Miami (I think) and then get asked if you want to speak to someone in English or Spanish.  Last time I checked we speak English in The Bahamas but not Spanish and as far  as I know they are supposed to speak English in the US too!  

I was tracking packages coming from Nassau to Freeport.  So, Fedex sends them to the US and then to us here in Freeport, which is ridiculous if you ask me.  

It gets better!!! I tried to call them to suggest they don't deliver to me but to my client, as my packages are heavy and my office has lots of stairs.  The very nice Spanish lady in the US gets me to the even lovelier Bahamian here (hope you are getting the sarcasm here) -  who tells me that the packages are on the road and she can't reach them to change the direction.

So let's put this altogether now:

I am in Freeport, Grand Bahama, Bahamas ...
but have to call Florida, to be rerouted back to the office in Freeport, Grand Bahama ...
and now the Fedex person in Grand Bahama can't reach the van driver ...

Muddasick!

Muddasick!  More than 3 years ago I wrote the following to this column:

Doesn't anyone ever clean the Port Lucaya parking lot? Especially overnight. First thing in the morning it is an embarrassment of bottles, litter, vomit, and smells like piss! Nevermind the scruffy and dead hedges that are supposed to pass for landscaping. Not a very pleasant first impression if you are stopping in for a coffee or to head off on a morning fishing tour. Somebody, please, call in the cleaning crew!

And now, a little more than 3 years later, nothing has changed.  Absolutely nothing.  Keep Grand Bahama Clean Committee and the Downtown Turnaround people have been doing their best out in the community but either Port Lucaya is exempt, they don't have their own cleaning crew, or people in general are just slobs.  Let's everyone have a little pride in our island and do a better job of keeping things clean!

Signed, Morning Person

Muddasick, I think I paid for the power company's $80 million development with my last power bill!

-PP

Child, even with the impending sale of thier company you think BTC employees might show some work ethics - or actually work!  

Nope.  I tried three times on Saturday to get the phone number of a local restaurant.  The automatic system could not help me and to my utter shock the operator would not come to the phone.  So, I did what my kids suggested "look it up online mom."  Sure enough I found it in 2 minutes on a foreign travel website.  Thank God for them.  

PM please sell, sell, sell that company!  Its time to clean up yet another waste of our tax money.

In November of 2010 I was the unfortunate victim of a robbery while on a business trip in the United States. The thief stole my handbag from a work related event, the bag contained my Scotiabank Visa Debit card as well as my Bank of America Visa Debit card.

Upon discovering the theft, I immediately made phone calls to both banks to cancel the cards. First call, Bank of America, no problem, cancelled immediately. I phoned Scotiabank (it was after banking hours in the Bahamas and I had to call the toll free number) and they would NOT cancel my card!

Even after I explained to the woman that I was online and watching my bank balance being depleted as the thief was using the card. She told me I had to go into my branch on Monday morning to cancel my card!  Naturally, I was livid. Not only had I just been the victim of a crime, but my bank was allowing me to keep getting robbed and acting as if it was terribly rude of me to get robbed outside of banking hours!

I returned to the island and was at the bank on Monday morning, where I was finally able to cancel the card.  It didn’t really matter though because the thief kept using my card until they wiped out my bank balance. Yes, all of it. After completing all the necessary forms I was told it would take 42 BUSINESS days to complete their “investigation” and then they would decide if they were going to give me my money back.

Today, January 10th, I had to go to Scotiabank as the temporary Debit Visa card they gave me had expired ( apparently it takes 8 weeks to get a new one).  After waiting an hour and fifteen minutes in line, when I finally got to the counter and inquired on the status of their “investigation” I was told they would have an answer for me by the end of January. MUDDASICK Scotiabank, get it together!

I was wondering what "happy pills" the BTC Union and staff mus' be on if they think the Bahamain people are going to stand up and protest with them against the BTC sale to Cable and Wireless?  

These are the same staff that won't fix my phone when its off, unless I pay someone on the road to come to my house.  They are the same people who overcharged me on my cell phone last month by $2,000 and then sent me at least 15 messages (that cost me money) to say my bill was wrong.  

These are the same people who don't know how to fix my phone because the guy who does is at lunch and "they ain't know how to use my kinda phone".

These are the same people who took 6 months to transfer my old house phone to my new house phone, but I had to pay for the service during my wait so I didn't lose the number.

Seriously, what are they on?  All I can say to PM Ingraham is sell, sell, sell and give me good service and better rates.  Heck, these new guys might be able to help our toruists actually use their phones here - like they do all over the world!  

Please BTC Union, get off your high and realize the people ain't calling no one to help you  - what comes around goes around!

- Signed, (I'd sign this but they'd probably cut my phones off, most likely on a Saturday to get overtime)