My email inbox includes a lot of “open letters” sent to various politicians, including Burnaby Mayor Mike Hurley.
The latest one is from James, a City of Burnaby worker who is fed up and ready to quit due to the abuse he and other city workers receive on a daily basis from “customers” who don’t like COVID-19-related rules.
“I'm surprised more staff haven’t just said f*** this, I'm done,” James writes, adding that people don’t seem to understand that city workers don’t make up the rules – the provincial health officer and B.C. government do.
“No one is intentionally out to make your visit an inconvenience,” James writes. “Why do people take it out on staff just trying to carry out what we're being directed to do? Don't ask and assume we can make exceptions because you don't want to wear a mask or because you think it's a hassle each time you want to work out and have to show your vaccine passport. Do you ask the police if they can just search for your name on record instead of having to show them your driver's licence? … Don't get mad at staff when you didn't bring the required documents and think we are the ones being unreasonable. This should not be new to anyone in B.C. Have you been living under a rock or do you just avoid all current events? For the record, your student card is not a valid government issued ID, neither is your credit card, Costco card, library card or your points card. Disappointingly, all true stories.”
James also says the rule about being double vaccinated is not a city rule, it’s a provincial rule and yet staff get abused for enforcing the regulations.
“You didn't get vaccinated, why would that be our problem? It's a privilege to participate in recreational activities. Kind of like driving, just because you feel you're entitled to drive, you can’t without a license and why, you ask?”
James also says that there is no point in trying to debate city staff just because you don’t like the provincial rules – that won’t change anything.
“This job doesn't come close to paying enough to have to endure the harassment, the threats, the continuous whining and complaints we go through every minute,” James writes. “We just want to provide a safe and enjoyable environment for the public and for the people working there. If you want to get all ‘This is my right and my freedom’ BS and think it's all about you and how everything should be there for you and your convenience only, do us all a favour and go somewhere else. Seriously, you are so miserable to deal with when you come here, just go to all those other places you compare our place with. It's not a matter of discussion or you need to prove your point, it's a matter of whether you accept it and comply or you don't accept it and you leave. It really is that simple.”
Follow Chris Campbell on Twitter @shinebox44.
