This is weird...weird news that is.

[Chako]

When I read the following news article...I at first suspected I was reading something from the Onion or some other satirical pseudo-news website...but this is from the Toronto Sun. 

http://www.torontosun.com/2016/04/09/burger-king-workers-smash-windows-after-prank-call-in-minnesota

Then I found this...with a video attached...

http://www.startribune.com/coon-rapids-burger-king-employees-smash-windows-after-prank-call/375133871/


What the smurf. Seriously? 

[Grant Lamontagne]

I guess they didn't realize that opening a door or the drive thru window would also release pressure?  Of course, it's not like the average Burger King is airtight even with the doors and windows closed so I doubt very much pressure would be an issue.

I would think a more believable story would be a gas leak, since opening doors and windows may not clear out dangerous gasses fast enough.

But then I guess they aren't working at BK while they are making their way through MIT .

Def

[sLaughterMed]

This is actually much more common than you think. Mrs. sLaughter works in upper managment at a major fast food chain, and was actually telling me about a corporate store doing something similar (gas leak) in another city a few weks ago. People con fast food chains all the time, but these companies work very hard to make sure none of it hits the news, as it makes them looks foolish, and is bad for business.

In a similar vein, a con man came to a store in yet another city, claiming they belonged to the local power company, complete with fake ID. He was very aggressive, and started demanding a large sum of money immediately, or else he would shut down the power. No power=no sales, and the Manager would be in deep smurf with corporate under normal circumstances if she allowed this to happen. To make matters worse, her immediate supervisor, (and his supervisor, the VP of the whole city) would not answer their phones (a pretty regular occurrence). So, in a panic, the GM handed over the money, and the con man left with it. The GM was fired, and the con man has not been caught yet (according to the rumor mill, at least). This has happened in multiple cities as well.

[Aloha]

Unbelievable.  Are there no detectors in the building? 

[Grant Lamontagne]

That's probably why they used pressure instead of gas.  There would be various gas sensors, but probably no pressure sensors as there is no way to form an airtight seal in the average building.

As for the GM and the con man, frankly I'd probably have fired him too.  Any official representatives of a legitimate corporation line a power provider won't mind waiting for you to get verification since they generally like to be smug about it when you do.  Someone walking in off the street, even with ID and threatening to shut you down unless you pay them cash sounds very suspect and I think I would tell them I was attempting to contact the power company (or my GM, DM etc) while actually calling the police.

Def

[Chako]

I think more education is in order.

I mean who the heck knocks windows out in a gas leak anyway? Aren't they aware there is mercaptan mixed in so that you would smell a gas leak way before it would remotely become dangerous. Evacuate the building if need be...but even that is ridiculous once one understands the issues at play here.

Pressure? seriously. Just open the bloody doors and let the air circulate if need be. Someone calls about Carbon monoxide...same thing.

Just utterly bizarre.

You would think there would be a corporate newsletter or something telling their staff to be more intelligent in these matters.

How about that guy who ran his car into the building to save everyone inside...despite his working there and being inside in the first place.     

[Grant Lamontagne]

I think more education is in order.

I mean who the heck knocks windows out in a gas leak anyway? Aren't they aware there is mercaptan mixed in so that you would smell a gas leak way before it would remotely become dangerous. Evacuate the building if need be...but even that is ridiculous once one understands the issues at play here.

Pressure? seriously. Just open the bloody doors and let the air circulate if need be. Someone calls about Carbon monoxide...same thing.

Just utterly bizarre.

You would think there would be a corporate newsletter or something telling their staff to be more intelligent in these matters.

How about that guy who ran his car into the building to save everyone inside...despite his working there and being inside in the first place.     

If it was propane or something, yes, you would definitely smell it.  Carbon monoxide is a potential danger, but there should be sensors in every restaurant.  It's possible that they might not have them, but as you said, you wouldn't need to break windows.  Every restaurant has powerful exhaust systems and I imagine it wouldn't take more than 20-30 seconds to completely exhaust and entire store's worth of air if you opened a couple of doors.  Again, another good reason why RESTAURANTS ARE NOT AIR TIGHT.

Besides, if somehow there were pressure changes you would notice as everyone walking in or out of the door would swallow and yawn as they tried to equalize the pressure in their ears. 

Def

[sLaughterMed]

Any official representatives of a legitimate corporation line a power provider won't mind waiting for you to get verification since they generally like to be smug about it when you do.  Someone walking in off the street, even with ID and threatening to shut you down unless you pay them cash sounds very suspect and I think I would tell them I was attempting to contact the power company (or my GM, DM etc) while actually calling the police.

Def

Forgot that part of the story. The manager called tue number on the guys card, and his "supervisor" on the other end of the phony line verufied his story.


I agree education is the answer here, as well as a newsletter, but then the company would have to admit to this embarrassment,  and they simply refuse to acknowledge that this is a problem. Easier to fire a manager and hush it up than to educate the whole workforce.

[Aloha]

Un-freaking-believeable.   I really have no words to express my lack of understanding why this went down  .

[Grant Lamontagne]

Any official representatives of a legitimate corporation line a power provider won't mind waiting for you to get verification since they generally like to be smug about it when you do.  Someone walking in off the street, even with ID and threatening to shut you down unless you pay them cash sounds very suspect and I think I would tell them I was attempting to contact the power company (or my GM, DM etc) while actually calling the police.

Def

Forgot that part of the story. The manager called tue number on the guys card, and his "supervisor" on the other end of the phony line verufied his story.


I agree education is the answer here, as well as a newsletter, but then the company would have to admit to this embarrassment,  and they simply refuse to acknowledge that this is a problem. Easier to fire a manager and hush it up than to educate the whole workforce.

Yeah, scapegoating is the easiest way to "solve" a problem for sure.

And I suppose, having been an investigator dealing with fraud cases and con men of various types I guess I'm a bit more aware of the signs than the average person.

Amusingly enough, I did something very similar a number of years ago.  My dog wasn't up to date on his shots, and I'd planned to drive to the US to visit a friend for Christmas, so I changed the voicemail on my pager (yes, it was a while ago ) to say "Hello, you have reached the Pickering Animal Hospital.  We are closed for the holiday but if this is an emergency you can reach the emergency vet at...."  I then printed a very authentic looking vaccination slip with my pager number listed as the vet office.

All that for nothing, since no one at the border seemed even remotely interested in my dog other than to compliment me on having a fine looking animal. 

Def