Fast Food Vendor Serves Up A Helping Of Integrity, Too
Burger King owner Scott Hatter could write the book on how to handle Hot Potatoes. Last week, he had a mess dropped into his lap when three employees at his Sandpoint-area restaurant conspired to add their special sauce to Bonner County Deputy John Lunde’s order spit and floor grime. That’s right. One of these bozos spat on Lunde’s sandwich and picked his french fries off the floor before serving the mess to him. Lunde once had arrested the vengeful employee. Fortunately, the streetwise cop caught the deadbeat in the act and reported the incident to management. What would you do if you were Hatter? Try to hush the thing up? Not only did the king of this Burger King cooperate fully with a police investigation but he also hired a private investigator to conduct an inquiry. Then, he fired the three spitwads who tried to take out their juvenile attitude on Lunde. Said Hatter: “This is something that could have happened anywhere. We did everything we could as a company.” Indeed, he did. And that’s why Burger King deserves your continued support.
Prohibition, anyone?
Occasionally, I wonder why we make such a big deal about cigarette smoke and so little about alcohol. After all, exposure to secondhand cigarette smoke likely won’t kill you - no matter what the hand wringers say. But secondhand booze? Now, that will kill you. Pronto. The hit-and-run death of Nicholas Scherling, 13, provides the latest example. Young Scherling was walking his bike home from Post Falls Middle School a week ago Monday when a car hit him well off Seltice Way. Driver Connie Bickley stopped, checked her vehicle and drove off. Later, she told officers she thought she’d hit a sign or post. Her story made sense after she reportedly blew a .20 on the Breathalyzer - more than twice the legal level for intoxication. Who knows? Maybe Bickley first was tempted to drink by one of those old Hamms Beer commercials. You know, the ones with the cartoon bear, the forerunner of the cute Bud-Bud-Budweiser frogs.
Hmmm. Maybe these critters aren’t so cute after all.
This, dawgs, is Cougar Country
There are some great jokes going around as Washington State University prepares for this week’s Apple Cup game with the University of Washington. For example: How do Husky brain cells die? Answer: Alone. Then, there’s this one: How do you keep a Husky from drinking too much? Slam the lid on his head. And: Did you hear about the Husky who won an Olympic gold medal? He had it bronzed. (Hey, if you don’t like the fact that I repeated just the jokes about U-Dub, get your own column.)
, DataTimes MEMO: D.F. Oliveria’s “Hot Potatoes” runs Tuesdays and Thursdays. You can comment on the items by calling (800) 344-6718 or (208) 765-7125, or by sending e-mail to daveo@spokesman.com.