How I Poisoned A Terminal Rat

Did she pay you back for the egg rolls though?

This is yet another true story of my encounters with Terminal Rats. It is entertaining, so I share it with you all.

Not too many weeks ago I found myself stuck for a day at our terminal in Olive Branch, MS. After entering the drivers lounge area it became obvious that we had a Terminal Rat in the room, and she had several new drivers sitting enraptured with her incredible advice. The kind of advice that tells these fresh young drivers who have just barely figured out how many wheels are on an eighteen wheeler, "if you expect to get anywhere with this company you have got to keep your driver manager on his toes by treating him like this:"

"Always refuse to take any loads that are less than 1,000 miles."

"Every time they ask you to help them out, tell them it's your job to help me out."

"Keep them thinking that you are going to fire them and get yourself moved onto somebody else's driver board."

"Do not ask politely for anything. Always demand that they send you on the best loads."

"These dispatchers view kindness as weakness. They only respect strong drivers who demand it."

"This is probably about the twelfth company I've been with, and with each move I have been able to put myself in a better position."

The only thing bigger and bolder than this girls mouth was her ego and personality, and maybe her... Well, never mind, I am trying to be nice. She was a piece of work, and she even demonstrated for all of us to see how you handle your dispatcher because he called her during her discourse to these young drivers soaking in her wisdom like water into their sponge-like minds. She basically told him that he'd better get her a decent load in the next few minutes or she was going to park that #@*! piece of junk truck he assigned her and take one of these great offers she had from several different companies who "know how you are supposed to treat your drivers."

I was just remaining quiet, but taking it all in. I didn't really want to Start A Fight like I almost did once before. I was looking over a menu from a Chinese carry out place and I made a call to them so that I could get a meal delivered to the terminal. During my phone conversation with the restaurant, the Rat over heard me ordering and shouted, "Hey order me about four egg rolls, and I will give you the money for them." I acknowledged her request (more like a demand) with a head nod, and proceeded to order her four egg rolls. I waited both patiently and anxiously for the food to arrive, because I thought there might be some relief from her constant comments if she was required to be chewing and swallowing her food. Finally a muscular looking oriental man, who appeared more like a mafia boss than a delivery driver, showed up with our food. He handed me the bag and then drove off with my generous tip without so much as a smile of gratitude.

I went back inside and handed the rat her egg rolls. I started eating my food, and after a few minutes the rat starts choking and gagging. I looked at her and she was all red in the face, gasping for air, and looking down at the half eaten egg roll in her hand. She then started into a tirade about how she couldn't believe I ordered her "Shrimp egg rolls, when she clearly stated that she wanted Plain egg rolls." I simply ordered egg rolls, which is of course what she told me to do. It turns out that the rat was allergic to shell fish, and we had to get an ambulance over there to get her to the hospital. I mean it got serious really quick. I began to get concerned that she was going to die - it got that scary!

I am just not good with rats. Even when I try to be kind and helpful to them it seems to turn out badly. Fortunately the woman was okay. I stayed around until the next morning just to make sure she was okay, and to make sure she didn't know any of my personal information. I could just see myself getting sued by a rat. Imagine that, a rat suing you for poisoning them. I would have never lived that one down.

Oh well, I am still learning out here. One of the lessons I have learned is to stay away from the terminal rats if you possibly can!

I did get the money for the egg rolls. She paid me before she ever took the first bite. She was fine the next morning. So fine, she was counseling new drivers again.

I did get the money for the egg rolls. She paid me before she ever took the first bite. She was fine the next morning. So fine, she was counseling new drivers again.

I think one of my top gun classmates had her for a trainer. She lasted about two days and got a different trainer.

Just a little trivia about rat poison. The medication Warfarin is used to thin blood and reduce the chance of blood clots. Warfarin is derived from rat poison designed to thin the rat’s blood so much that the rat dies of internal/external bleeding. Warfarin was developed at the University of Wisconsin and is named after the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, or WARF for short. I have to take a small amount of Warfarin every day , so I guess I must be part rat. Lol.

PartRat ? PackRat’s distant cousin.

Just a little trivia about rat poison. The medication Warfarin is used to thin blood and reduce the chance of blood clots. Warfarin is derived from rat poison designed to thin the rat’s blood so much that the rat dies of internal/external bleeding. Warfarin was developed at the University of Wisconsin and is named after the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, or WARF for short. I have to take a small amount of Warfarin every day , so I guess I must be part rat. Lol.

Every driver is a brother, sister, or distant cousin.

Indeed.

Every driver is a brother, sister, or distant cousin.

Every driver is a brother, sister, or distant cousin.

You must be a distant cousin...I have too many brothers as it is (5 and I'm the oldest)!

Laura

Seen another thing on rats on youtube, a way to get rid of em......They say rats/mice can't fart !

so, the thing is to mix baking soda with peanut butter, then roll it up into little balls. They eat it, it gives em bad gas, and kills em, since they can't expel their methane LOL