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Rob Ford's Toronto

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Adaax said:
RoFo and the rest of them keep repeating that they were stuck for "45 minutes". Sounds way too rehearsed. Who has ever said, "Sorry I'm late, but I was pulled over for speeding for 35 minutes."?
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Just like when he tried to leave a restaurant but was held up by "hundreds" of supporters for "3 hours"?
 
If the elevator was stuck, and that is the woman who claimed to have been stuck inside the elevator, what is she doing outside of the elevator and why is she saying she was inside? Do we have a head-scratching emotie?
 
That photo was tweeted by Steve Paiken. If it was taken before the elevator was fixed he'd probably have pieced that together by now. Or, he's passed it on to journalists to investigate further.
 
I work in Facilities for an agency of the provincial government. When we had some staff stuck in an elevator (a passenger elevator, mind you) several weeks back it took about 45 minutes to get them out. They hit the button for an emergency, they got in touch with Security at the front desk, who in turn contacted building operations, who called in an elevator technician (the base building contractor). They were above ground, so very very shortly I was getting emails from the people stuck in the elevator and their manager, who were frantic to get me to solve the problem immediately. So I in turn called the property management company's contact, both his landline and his cell, while also emailing my boss and her boss to inform them of the situation. I also, because we're the government, had to contact the Facility Manager for CBRE, so he got on the case and called the building operator. We all knew what was going on, partially because we were emailing each other and calling each other and demanding and providing updates every damn five minutes - but nobody else knew. Other tenants didn't know because the building didn't put out an email notice to tenants saying one elevator was out of service because there was a technician racing to get it open. If the situation had lasted longer than it did, maybe that would have happened. There was a pregnant woman in the elevator with my colleagues, who got a little ill, but ultimately turned out ok once the doors were opened and they were able to get out. Now, in the building I work in (not the same building), our freight elevator goes to the basement and there is no calling out on your phone from there. However, I've noticed that in places in our basement where I get no service on my android, I'm still able to send BBM's to people on my govt blackberry. So I don't know, on balance this sounds legit to me.
 
Cooper said:
This is mildly interesting. It's a RoFo quote from Mandel's article on his ideas about running government like a business:

"I took a business approach to politics. My father instilled that: you never let a customer down, you return every call personally and you go out to see them," he said. "They're the boss. When they say 'Jump', you ask 'How high?' It's fundamental. It's just courtesy and common sense."

Interesting that his comment is narrowly limited to keeping customers happy. There's nothing operational or strategic in there (not that anyone would be surprised). Maybe RoFo should rephrase his mantra: "I take a salesman's approach to government."
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Except his father didn't run a company with a couple million customers. If he did he would have needed a call centre.
And I really hate when politicians focus on wanting run city/province/country like a business. Yes, some aspects of business are good, but Toronto is not a business.
 
ahm said:
I work in Facilities for an agency of the provincial government. When we had some staff stuck in an elevator (a passenger elevator, mind you) several weeks back it took about 45 minutes to get them out. They hit the button for an emergency, they got in touch with Security at the front desk, who in turn contacted building operations, who called in an elevator technician (the base building contractor). They were above ground, so very very shortly I was getting emails from the people stuck in the elevator and their manager, who were frantic to get me to solve the problem immediately. So I in turn called the property management company's contact, both his landline and his cell, while also emailing my boss and her boss to inform them of the situation. I also, because we're the government, had to contact the Facility Manager for CBRE, so he got on the case and called the building operator. We all knew what was going on, partially because we were emailing each other and calling each other and demanding and providing updates every damn five minutes - but nobody else knew. Other tenants didn't know because the building didn't put out an email notice to tenants saying one elevator was out of service because there was a technician racing to get it open. If the situation had lasted longer than it did, maybe that would have happened. There was a pregnant woman in the elevator with my colleagues, who got a little ill, but ultimately turned out ok once the doors were opened and they were able to get out. Now, in the building I work in (not the same building), our freight elevator goes to the basement and there is no calling out on your phone from there. However, I've noticed that in places in our basement where I get no service on my android, I'm still able to send BBM's to people on my govt blackberry. So I don't know, on balance this sounds legit to me.
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Given that the Mayor, due to give a speech to the Economic Club and the president of that same club, were apparently stuck in the elevator together it does NOT sound legit that a message would not have been passed on to someone at the lunch who could have explained the delay. Then people would not have been demanding their money back and/or walked out. Also, why was the president's absence not noted as well (until she showed up at least?) It all sounds very weird.
 
ahm said:
I work in Facilities for an agency of the provincial government. When we had some staff stuck in an elevator (a passenger elevator, mind you) several weeks back it took about 45 minutes to get them out.
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Yup, I've only been stuck on an elevator once but staff were aware within minutes but it took another good 30-45 minutes for the guys from the elevator company to get there, do whatever they needed to do, and get us out. And I don't know why people think it's unusual that people at the venue wouldn't be apprised of the exact details of the mayor's delay, given that communications would have to go through several steps, probably including low level employees who didn't know exactly what was going on. Although Occam's Razor is less appealing in the context of this mayor, I think it applies here.

Of course, it does sound like he'd have been 20-30 minutes late anyway, which is pretty much par for the course for this guy. And any normal person would have planned to arrive 15+ minutes early just in case of any unexpected delays. Shame that the focus has been shifted from that and the horrible content of the speech towards conspiracy theories.

PS, I'm pretty sure I saw Daniel Dale at the library last week looking at some books on elevator maintenance.
 
PinkLucy said:
Given that the Mayor, due to give a speech to the Economic Club and the president of that same club, were apparently stuck in the elevator together it does NOT sound legit that a message would not have been passed on to someone at the lunch who could have explained the delay. Then people would not have been demanding their money back and/or walked out. Also, why was the president's absence not noted as well (until she showed up at least?) It all sounds very weird.
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i know. it does sound weird. but let me tell you, elected officials at high levels have some of the most dedicated staff who do nothing but protect them. even the mayor. and that attitude transfers to the executive and administrative and event logistics staff when they are guests at an event - "should we tell invited guests that the mayor and the prez are stuck in an elevator?" "GOD NO JUST STALL THEM FOR A FEW MINUTES MORE THERE'S A TECHNICIAN ON THE WAY THEY SHOULD BE OUT IN JUST A COUPLE OF MINUTES". because the logic would be - well, they aren't getting out of a stuck elevator any time soon, so i'll just leave. but if you don't know they're stuck in an elevator, you're just waiting, getting more and more impatient, but you don't want to get up and get your stuff together just as the mayor waltzes in. nor do you want to be conspicuous in leaving because you are an important business person and everyone is watching who leaves and who stays. "did you hear about ______?" "ohmigod, it was hilarious - they got up and left after they said the mayor was stuck in an elevator - if they waited just another five minutes they would have seen him show up" "yeah, that was like the shortest elevator stoppage ever" "i know. i heard they are persona non grata right now with _____ because of that" "oh really?!!" "yesh".

public servants do some funny things when it involves perception, and protecting the reputation of elected officials. i get ordered to re-word emails all the time, and i'm just barely aboveground on the totem pole.
 
PinkLucy said:
Given that the Mayor, due to give a speech to the Economic Club and the president of that same club, were apparently stuck in the elevator together it does NOT sound legit that a message would not have been passed on to someone at the lunch who could have explained the delay. Then people would not have been demanding their money back and/or walked out. Also, why was the president's absence not noted as well (until she showed up at least?) It all sounds very weird.
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If Massoudi and Rhiannon Trail are telling the truth about what happened, they're sure not very convincing at it. They didn't even seem like they were trying to sell the story. Maybe there was something involving an elevator, but there's no way that's all there is to it.
 
ahm said:
i know. it does sound weird. but let me tell you, elected officials at high levels have some of the most dedicated staff who do nothing but protect them. even the mayor. and that attitude transfers to the executive and administrative and event logistics staff when they are guests at an event - "should we tell invited guests that the mayor and the prez are stuck in an elevator?" "GOD NO JUST STALL THEM FOR A FEW MINUTES MORE THERE'S A TECHNICIAN ON THE WAY THEY SHOULD BE OUT IN JUST A COUPLE OF MINUTES". because the logic would be - well, they aren't getting out of a stuck elevator any time soon, so i'll just leave. but if you don't know they're stuck in an elevator, you're just waiting, getting more and more impatient, but you don't want to get up and get your stuff together just as the mayor waltzes in. nor do you want to be conspicuous in leaving because you are an important business person and everyone is watching who leaves and who stays. "did you hear about ______?" "ohmigod, it was hilarious - they got up and left after they said the mayor was stuck in an elevator - if they waited just another five minutes they would have seen him show up" "yeah, that was like the shortest elevator stoppage ever" "i know. i heard they are persona non grata right now with _____ because of that" "oh really?!!" "yesh".

public servants do some funny things when it involves perception, and protecting the reputation of elected officials. i get ordered to re-word emails all the time, and i'm just barely aboveground on the totem pole.
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This explanation also applies to why the positive testimonials of people dealing with Ford don't always pass the sniff test.
 
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