Gripes and Peeves Range From Flu Shots to World Series

WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE:  I noticed recently where Bob Evans and the Hometown Buffet in Chesterfield Valley went out of business. These are a couple of business you might think the recession would help.  Cheap food for the family!  Come on…Hometown Buffet is was as close to being at a feeding trough for humans as you can get.

Meanwhile every Thursday night when I drive out Clayton Road to Smitty’s for my $7 blue plate Chicken Fried Steak special, I pass Café Napoli II and see that the parking lot is full of cars belonging to people ordering $50 pasta dinners with $12 glasses of wine. Apparently if the recession is affecting rich people they don’t want anyone to know, starting with their waiter at Cape Napoli II.  

FREE FLU SHOTS FOR THE RICH…I recently received a free flu shot from Missouri Baptist Medical Center at the Town and Country Longview Park. The shots were only for Town and Country residents. I appreciated the free shot, but I have to admit I probably could afford the $25 shot. I asked the nurse giving the shot when Missouri Baptist was going to be giving free flu shots to people in Wellston, Pine Law and Pagedale, who were probably a little less likely to be able to afford the shots than a bunch of West County millionaires.  I was told that none were planned.  

NO COMMENT WE COULD BE SUED:  I was not surprised when Chesterfield officials cited potential litigation for declining to comment, on the city’s apparent lack of transparency when it comes to public records, particularly police reports and court records.

There is no current litigation involving the city, on this end. I have filed a complaint with the Missouri Attorney General’s Office over Chesterfield refusing to release reports in connection with the latest Leaving-the-Scene-of-an-Accident and DWI arrest involving Dan McLaughlin that the Missouri Sunshine Law says they are required to provide.

Using this philosophy, city officials should never answer any question because anybody can be sued by anyone at anytime.

MORE ON THE LATEST MCLAUGHLIN ARREST:  In response to the request for copies of the recent accident report, the DWI incident report and the arrest report of Dan McLaughlin by Chesterfield police, I was first told in person that I would get nothing until the case had been adjudicated. After filing a complaint with the Attorney General’s Office and writing about it, I suddenly received from the Chesterfield police an email with three attachments.

The first was page-one of a four-page accident report. The state law states all accident reports are open records. I received 25 percent of an accident report. In reviewing the one page I received, the officer (not identified on the page) wrote that McLaughlin was the owner of the 2011 GMC Yukon he was driving when he hit fixed objects on Baxter Road.

However, the report also listed the license plate on the vehicle as D-173HB. That is a dealer plate. Unless McLaughlin is operating a car dealership out of his Town and Country home, either the car is unregistered and McLaughlin is illegally using a dealer license plate, or the car belongs to a dealership. 

McLaughlin was driving a 2010 Yukon the first time he was picked up for DWI in Chesterfield in 2010. At the time, the license plate on the car was D-173DM.  Both license plates belong to Bellman GMC in Hazelwood.         

The arrest report provided, clearly was not completed by the arresting officer or a booking officer. It was the equivalent of a press release.

Finally, the “incident report” did not list anyone’s name or explain what happened.

WORLD SERIES DOCTOR: All day long prior to the first game of the World Series the newscasts reported how First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden would be at the game and there would be increased security.

The wife of Vice President Joe Biden is a doctor? I have a longtime rule that I do not refer to anyone as a DOCTOR unless they can write a prescription. This means my vet, my dentist and my internist I call doctors. In fact I will give that title to anyone who at one time during their career could scribble a prescription, such as pathologists or medical school instructors, researchers and deans who decided to do something else in the field of medicine.

However, I do not call junior college English teachers “Doctor.”  Jill Biden teaches English at the Northern Virginia Community College. She has a Ph.d.              

RED LIGHTS AND SIRENS:  St. Louis Police were giving full blown police escorts during the World Series to vehicles that were not associated with the First and Second ladies. Each escort began in Chesterfield. A number of police vehicles were giving full police escorts to two tour buses full of Texas Rangers baseball player’s wives and other family members.

On Wednesday and Thursday during the evening rush hour, four police cars with two large tour buses between them left a Chesterfield hotel and hit Highway 40 with red lights and sirens going. I fully realize that security for the Texas players’ wives must be provided. However I am also very aware that anytime a police vehicle has it red lights on and sirens blaring, it becomes an emergency vehicle. I am at a loss as to why we are clearing rush hour traffic for two unmarked buses. What is the emergency getting players’ wives from the hotel to the ballpark? Just leave for the ballpark earlier, if they need to get there in time.