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Unfortunately, I must make sure the above named meat mogul doesn't think he can hire a hit man
to keep me from exposing the meat delivery business, as I am doing, since things
erupted at the workplace. This record, hopefully, will keep him above the law. Since he
used recent events to keep me from working while Tim, a trainee, who pushed me from a moving
delivery truck, is allowed to work he may have legal issues. Knowing me, he could have more
than he can chew if I go off on radio. He is aware I have entered this on my website and he
knows that I tried to reach him to stave this off, first. Knowing the meat delivery business, it's
not far fetched to worry about John Gotti style politics- he, allegedly, started this industry,- and
things have been getting very, very, out of control, lately.
If someone approaches you with a Sonoma Cattle Exchange meat truck, and offers you a "great
deal" on their extra grill packs, just tell them; "No, thanks." and save your money.
After possibly colluding with police to cite me in his parking lot after a warning just
weeks earlier, there, after harassing me years earlier via both his manager, then, Ed, as
well as Dave, himself, after, apparently overcharging me, for years, on product, after trying
to blame me for another drivers fender bender, recently, and then taking me out of the driver seat
over a homeless man's attempt to commit fraud, and after I was pushed by a driver from
Dave's company vehicle into traffic at 20 mph and allowing that driver to keep driving, well,
Dave has forced me to cry "foul" in public.
It is a poetic end to Dave's campaign to keep me out ot the drivers seat just a month earlier
after Jeremy, his Petaluma manager, told a homeless man who is trying to scam Dave's insur-
ance; "We'll (the company) take care of any medical needs you may require..." following
a suspicious event last March 26, in Napa.
Because Jeremy then ignored this man's calls that day Dave got a $32 thousand hospital bill.
(This visit was mostly for tests. Many, unrelated tests, and he admits to mobility issues prior
to this episode.)
Jeremy is lying about the details, now, but then, Dave was looking for any excuse, for weeks.
I subsequently spoke with that man and he said it was all for tests, etc. He wasn't hurt.
This man ran into my bumper, after I was stopped, to exploit the situation and fake injury.
I don't think he would go through with all that fraud if he wasn't planning a law suit,
eventually, and he was limping before he ever ran into my truck. He had a pre-existing issue.
Not the first time Dave mismanaged and mishandled his insurance issues. More details to follow.
Dave Martin had been ignoring my calls, for weeks, lately, and I have reason to think he orche-
strated all this 'harassment' against me.
I took photos on May 1, to prove that one manager, who told me that Dave knows all about this
situation, still allows Tim to work and still drive after what he did. I am looking for an attorney
to prove harassment, discrimination and to compensate me for lost income, etc..
Under these circumstances; Dave ignoring me, the lack of effort on his part to do anything
about this, I will expose his business for what it is and name him as a major suspect if any-
thing tragic ever happens to me.
I'll probably have to work elsewhere and inform thousands of locals about this meat delivery
business;
I got into this line of work because it is all commission and I can be me without having
to kiss Lennon killing society's bum. As long as I make Dave good money I should have a job.
Drivers are not paid at all except for whatever profit they make from sales. Drivers have
about $50. @ day in expenses;$20. for gas and $30. for a truck to rent for one day. If
no sales are made they are minus $50.. Truly talented drivers make good money while most drop
out after just a few frustrating weeks.
Prior to this gig I went through 13 jobs in 3 years solely because of what vehicle I drive. My
lennonmurdertruth.com logo scared employers and, once they found out who I was, they harassed
me to grief and wrongfully fired me. Isn't the public businessman a great American?
Unlike almost all other meat men I only sold the most expensive case to my customers making
$12. less, per case, just to get my customers somewhat, halfway decent meat. In truth, even
that case only gave me 10% repeat business, even though I charged less than others. The other
case I had a very bad taste experience with and got bad reports about, generally.
In truth, this business, where a small white freezer truck with steak, seafood, chicken and
pork rolls up and knocks on your door and offers you extra good deals on what's left from
their deliveries, is all about the impulse buy; Getting someone to pay roughly $9 to $10 @
lb. for meat that, initially, costs one third of that. Even at about $10 @ lb., the customer
is getting the product, supposedly, for about half of the real price of $19.@lb. I've seen $19.@lb.
meat. It's a different animal, entirely. So, yes, there is an element of con to the business.
One reason they try to sell you so much at once is because it may be your last purchase.
Generally, the industry relies on flim flam and fast talking and some misrepresentation.
It's all about the impulse buy, overinflated menu prices and a, supposedly, big discount.
In reality, they don't really do deliveries like their logo's indicate, except for rare repeat business.
There is no other neighbor of yours that just got their delivery and now it's your chance to
get a deal. At least not usually. In fact they are trained to say things like; "Got a few extra
grill packs. You want a couple?" Or anything to make the customer think they are lucky to
meet you for a great deal. It's more about psychology and pushing peoples buttons to buy.
The drivers can go anywhere and do as they please, all day, as long as they sell product.
They can also charge whatever they want to but most stick to whatever generates profit.
The aftermath is often the same; The customer spends his $200. to $800., gets a bad or less
than good experience and never buys again. Some people actually do like the product, though.
I also know, from thousands of testimonials, that many people do not like the product.
It's the reason most meat companies, typically, drive 50 to 70 miles away from the shop just
to find new customers who WILL buy. Because every major city has a similar busi-
ness the lower common denominator rules. It makes less sense to charge more for good meat
if the stigma of other lesser companies scares most people from trying your product.
Dave's San Jose office sells less expensive meat and I noticed a trend to gouge customers
more and rely less on repeat business. This, unhappily, is what gave this industry a bad
reputation, long before I blew the whistle.
If it were my company I'd sell better meat, charge more and pitch the difference between
us and the other rag tag outfits and offer small 'try me' packs to earn their loyalty.
My way would take a little more work but triple the sales, ultimately, and run every other
lesser outfit out of my area. I'd make less money per case but triple or quadruple my volume
AND my drivers wouldn't have to waste gas driving far away to make new sales. Ultimately,
the repeat business would be so good it would actually require regular deliveries, like the
image represents. Driver turnover would be slashed. I've often wondered why legislation
doesn't require better standards for a business that goes, primarily, door to door.
The model most of the industry uses makes the owners quite wealthy. The drivers, however,
are made to work too hard for too little repeat business. P.T. Barnum philosophy; keep find-
ing ever new "prospects".
About 95 out of 100 applicants, per year, flake off, usually after a few weeks, the business
model is so flawed. It is hard work to beat the bushes for customers when many already know
grocery meat works better for them. They've already tried both products. Consequently it is
only too easy to get a job selling meat from a truck and all manner of misfits and, yes,
gamblers, druggies and marginal criminals find their way to the industry. I actually en-
joyed many friendships I made at the Petaluma office, in spite of this. There are many
good people, too, but it is a motley lot, generally speaking. I was a good influence.
Some of the veteran meat men can really sour the word on the street by gouging customers.
Some meat men make a $160., plus, profit on a check for $300.. His customers get burned
and the rest of the shop suffers from the backlash.
I've seen whole neighborhoods just wave us off, before we can speak a word, over that.
I was an honest driver who made only $52. on the same deal, usually. I didn't fit in with
some of the riff raff who sell meat from a truck. My dad was a doctor and I just needed
to make a living after 'brave' America kept me from real employment.
So, beware of the impulse buy tactics that fuel this industry and, until further notice,
please boycott this Petaluma, San Jose, Sacramento based outfit that borrows it's name
from Sonoma, though it's meats come neither from that town or county, until I report bet-
ter news. I think Dave Martin wrongfully squeezed me out of his operation and I think he is
probably behind most of what's been happening to me, lately. He may be worried about my sore
shoulder, now, three years after it got slammed into the asphalt when a woman T-boned
me and my truck got knocked over on its side. Suddenly, lately, it's showing symptoms.
Hopefully this won't escalate to me doing city council meetings and billboards and talk radio.
Whatever happens I will still have to keep his name in the mix should anything untowards,
like being pushed from a moving vehicle into traffic, happen to me. Or worse.
Any brave, patriotic lawyers listening? I have a lot more I didn't list.
Eventually, May 3, Dave finally called me and told me I should make a police report about
being thrown from a truck at 20 mph.. He tried to play dumb to everything and even told
me; "I may have to do something to stop you.." He left it open ended and subject to inter-
pretation. You should all know that Milton, a manager, also, made a veiled threat to me if
I drag him into all of this. Jeremy, the Petaluma manager threatened my life once, too.
Milton sells meat to all the gangsters in the Hunter's Point area of San Francisco and
Jeremy has a history of violence and takes heavy medication for brain tumors.
So, you see, I'm not really too paranoid, after all. Even Dave has issues.
Meanwhile, Costco seems to earn the thinking mans meat business, I think, or even just plain
old fashioned grocery meat. If you live in the hills, far away from these sources, then,
maybe, you can benefit from the shrink wrapped, flash frozen features, at least. Otherwise
you're paying $9. @ lb. for meat that you can get for less at your market, usually.
Any potentially interested lawyers, here's what I've got both in terms of physical and
other evidence to show I have a legal case;
Ed ___(?)___ used to be the manager when the shop was located on first street.
I have tape recordings of Ed___(?)___ yelling at me; "I'll kick your ******* ass! I'll
kick your ******* ass!" and more one evening in 2007 at a time when he had been harassing
me, continually. I had both his and Dave's permission, from a previous episode, to tape our
conversations, though not that day. It can, however, be used to prove perjury. After the
first time I had to tape them both Dave tried to wrestle the tape out of my recorder.
During that same time frame, Dave once threatened to charge me, up front, for my meat packages.
It was an affront as nobody else ever is required to do that. He was harassing and threat-
ening me, that morning. That was on June 22, 2007.
Later that day I was T-boned in traffic by a woman speeding through a red light at 55 mph.
It was absolutely her fault. She was flooring it and a witness on the police report saw her
run the light. I was never cited but, somehow, Dave settled with the other party's insurance
and I was listed at fault. Why witness, Woodard, wasn't questioned, first, I don't know.
It was, clearly the woman's fault. I was left holding the baggage, I found out, later.
I left the company for a year and a half, while I promoted my political cause, cross country,
and just recently began working there, again.
Things went well, at first, but one day Jeremy, the Petaluma office manager, told me that
he had no truck for me, though novice trainees had a truck. We got into a verbal joust and,
as I was leaving to take the day off, Jeremy shouted out; "..well, one thing you won't have to
worry about is your story breaking." in an "I'll kill you, if I have to." way.
The next day he paired me with Elan, a new driver. Elan so badgered and harassed me all day
that I had to tell him, after, that I would no longer be willing to ride with him.
I felt I was being systematically harassed and decided to remove one of their pawns from
ever harassing me again.
Another driver, Eric J., did almost as badly, though I doubt Eric was following orders.
Eric has his own problems and I've known him a while.
Weeks earlier Dave Martin, the owner of the company, chased after me to tell me to slow
down or "...I can't have you driving my trucks." I actually was going too fast that morning,
as I was late for the meeting. Every other time I took a very conservative entry into our lot.
(As a matter of fact, I had not had a traffic ticket in six years, I believe, then.
Only one; in Stephen King's hometown, that was a pure witch hunt, my first day there. It
was a complete farce of justice and supported only by officer Wiseman's willingness to lie.
Considering I drive about 30 thousand miles per year, I have a very good record, lately.)
About two weeks later I was pulled over by a tailgating police car in that very same lot
just as I arrived at work, on schedule. I was not driving fast at all. Because the officer
was in my blind spot and I could not see him I may not have signaled right to a driveway.
He waited until I was in full view of the rest of the crew to turn his siren on. Be-
cause he was so close to my driver's side door, when I looked in my rear view mirror, all
I could see was his black hood against a black tarmac and I gently bumped his bumper guard
as I tried to back up. I wasn't cited for that. He told me I didn't use my turn signal.
By the time his sergeant arrived the ticket was changed to "unsafe turn".
Jeremy came out and tried to exaggerate my actions before the officer, for harshness.
It all seemed like Dave's doing; a secret setup? That seems to be his M.O..
Another driver who Dave got into trouble was a star salesman named Herman. I recall the
day he celebrated Herman's arrest in Texas on an expired visa charge. Dave knew of his
arrest within hours, as if he orchestrated it.
Another star salesman, Tim P., was cited and had his truck towed as he was trying to park
for a baseball game that Dave had given him tickets for. His truck was distinguishable and
Milton, the San Jose manager, just that week, was reporting how delighted Dave was to report
that Tim P. had just been cited and towed. Dave and Tim P. have had legal issues lately. Like me,
Tim P. was cited at a time and place where Dave knew he would be.
So, in my opinion, Dave Martin is not above abusing the powers of the police and the law.
(Just an aside, but I learned that the signal lights in Concord, where I was T-boned, can be
operated, manually, from a room with cameras, according to the city employee I asked.
Nothing implied here except perhaps a larger plot, not involving Dave, but those who would like
to stop my Lennon expose. I said as much at their city council meeting that month. Addition-
ally, late June, after the college students disperse for the summer, has coincided with
some of my worst episodes; On June 29,'87 I was severely beaten by martial artists. It was
also in June that I made the cover of a large East Bay paper that tried to wash me up. The
point being that that June 22,'07 T-bone accident could have been remote control enhanced.)
At one point, recently, my left shoulder began to malfunction and hurt to the point that I
had to be driven by other drivers for a while. I had it checked out and the doctor told
me it was most likely work related and to report it as such to my employer, which I did.
I am pretty sure it was injured on June 22, 2007 when my delivery truck slammed onto it's
side crashing me onto asphalt. I have a photo of a football sized bruise on my left thigh
from that. I was, momentarily, knocked unconscious. The only other shoulder injury was in 1987
from the martial artists who also smashed my face into a sidewalk after delivering a message;
"We don't need the publicity." during the height of my Lennon evidence activism.
I doubt that that is only hurting now, 23 years later. It now hurts when I sleep, suggest-
ing that it was from the time that socket got slammed in the same position.
Since I faxed Dave a letter indicating as much about my injury, I think that he has been try-
ing to oust me from his operation to avoid having an insurance claim for it.
One day I asked Jeremy for a driver, due to my sore shoulder, and he paired me with a new
trainee who we agreed would drive me that day. Hours later this driver pulled into traffic
from his parking space and clipped another car and, later that week, Jeremy tried to tell me
that I would be listed as the driver because the real driver wasn't insured with us. Only
after I refused to play along did he say that he was just kidding.
Dave, repeatedly, that week, tried to blame me for what the other driver did. Soon after,
Dave revoked my driving priveleges then and may have used the situation to harass me.
I was harassed, especially in San Jose, by drivers, drivers he had required me to ride with.
A freak event triggered this new decision of his to keep me out of the drivers seat;
On route to a golf course parking lot I spotted a lone car and woman in another deserted lot.
It just so happens that a homeless man who was in a porta potty while I was talking to
his wife about steaks walked out and right in front of my truck as I started to creep forward from
my parked position. My engine was running and he saw that my head was turned, talking to his
wife. As I started to creep forward I simultaniously turned me head to the road and saw a
bearded man staring at my left headlight two feet in front of my bumper. I had only moved one
foot from being stopped and I immediately stopped in time not to hit him. This took one more
foot and caused no skid. I was stopped, yet this bearded man charged my headlight, struck
my truck and fell down, dramatically, and lay moaning for minutes. Right away I got out and
remarked; "You ran into me." As he lay there refusing my help I measured my tire tread
marks on this dirt/gravel lot and saw only two feet of motion indicated. I had backed
into the lot, carefully and very slowly, to begin with. I called my manager, Jeremy, and
told him I thought these people were acting suspicious and likely faking injury. He told
me to tell them that we (the company) would take care of things and to just leave the scene.
Jeremy was told about my tread marks being only two feet long. That evidence to prove this
man caused his own impact was lost.
The fact that this man didn't ask for even my licence or insurance and remained in that
lot all day without seeking attention, even driving his wife, later, suggests he is trying
to scam Dave's insurance. There was no police report made by him nor did he call them later
that day, contrary to his rermarks that evening, that he did.
I remained only a hundred yards away for over an hour, right after, and had nothing to be
concerned about. He wasn't hurt. He was faking. Later that evening, still in the same
lot, I spoke to this couple who complained that Jeremy wasn't answering their calls all day
and that he was going to seek medical attention. I called Jeremy, right away. Still, apparently,
Jeremy failed to get in touch with this guy until he rang up a ridiculous tab.
Nevertheless, the next workday Dave called me into his office and asked me, "Yes?" or "No?"
if I hit a pedestrian. I told him; "Not really." and I explained what Jeremy already knew.
Dave issued his order that I not drive any company vehicle until further notice.
Even before this, Dave took me aside and asked me to transfer to San Jose, even offering to
drive me there, at once. It was a strange request, more like a threat. I told him not
until I'm ready.
Following Dave's order not to drive and Jeremy's threats over my sticking to the truth regard-
ing the homeless man, which included his displaying of loaded firearms, both holstered and
once brandished from a drawer, I did transfer to San Jose. Things went well enough, at first,
until certain drivers began to styme me and my efforts to make a living.;
At this same time Milton, the manager there, engaged the crew in a vigorous denial of
my Lennon claims, to the point I had ro make a vigorous defense of my evidence. When all
their points were defeated, one by one, one driver finally conceeded; "I just don't care!"
Milton's face changed from happy to worried from that day on. As if he had received orders.
Suddenly I got paired with a new trainee, Tim, who was O.K. for a week. One day, however, he
took off for ten minutes with the truck, to the point I almost called 9-11 to report theft
of a company vehicle, that one day. He also acted different and did poorly in sales. I
paid him, accordingly, and I wasn't paired with him, after.
I was paired with a driver named Paul, who I drove with before, only this time Paul had
his ears plugged with a music device and ignored me for one hour, bitter that I wasn't
prepared to split our days efforts. Like always, we do our own sales. He knows that.
While I was inside a customers house making a sale Paul made a sale of his own. I asked
"A box or a case?" He said box. Later, he was unusually fussy over our cargo and rearranged
it. Later he confessed to recent bouts of guilt over gouging customers and doing this job,
even saying he might quit. Paul was not himself ,at all, that day.
And so, when the count came up five boxes short, I suspected Paul sold a case, not a box,
earlier and was hiding his apparent theft. We were both charged for the loss and I told
Paul, in front of Milton, that I wouldn't be riding with him, again, over this.
I was given a new driver, Jeff, who was O.K. except that he took twice as long as neces-
sary to close his sales leaving me with nothing to do for almost two hours that day.
The next day Jeff took me to a neighborhood he had exhausted, earlier, and I had a slow day.
At one point I believe he threatened that he could just drop me off. Besides slowing me down,
it seemed like, suddenly, my drivers were trying to threaten me and steal from me.
The next week Milton told me I would be riding with Paul. I said "I'll just take the day off." and
walked to my car to leave. Immediately. Milton told me I could ride with Tim. I agreed to re-
frain from my politics but, when I asked only that Tim not pass up people who are out and
about, as he did our last time, Milton just cut me off as if my concerns didn't matter.
We drove for an hour to Concord and, as soon as we began working, Tim tried to drive past
three men who were out and about in their driveway. Finally he stopped but said, angrily,
"I should just drop you off, now, and leave." Totally out of reason, totally hostile and
unwarranted. I didn't fuel the conversation, but kept working. I closed a hook Tim made and,
minutes later, asked him to knock a couple who were in their garage. He refused and turned
four houses away, instead. While he was carrying a case to someones door I asked him if need-
ed anything else from the truck while I knock the door he wouldn't. He said "No."
I drove the truck four houses down and made a sale at that knock. Tim and I met at the
truck and he told me that my sale was to be split with him because I blew his sale. He said
his customer wanted to see the seafood and cancelled everything as he walked to get it.
I said; "No. I made that sale myself and I asked you, first, if you needed anything."
I was wondering why Tim was such a jackass, all of a sudden.
He immediately said; "I'm driving you back." and proceeded to leave the area heading for the
freeway. Fed up with his childishness I said; "You're an ass****. I'm never riding with you again.
In fact, I'm going to call Milton, right now."
As I dialed the number Tim knocked my phone out of my hand and out into traffic through
the open window. I cracked my door open and asked him to stop, that my cell phone was in
the street. He slowed to 20 mph and just pushed me out, saying; "Just get out." As I
tried to gather my personal belongings I was dragged for 20 yards until I fell, rolling into
traffic. Tim just kept driving.
I collected my wallet and phone as motorists watched the whole scene. I called Milton.
Seconds into our conversation Milton put me on hold to receive Tim's simultanious call.
When I learned that Tim was allowed to keep working and told I'd have to find a way back
I was livid and faxed an official complaint to the corporate office insisting that this
driver be fired or there would be legal issues.
I arrived at 7:00 pm, as did Tim. Milton was not apologetic to me at all, nor Tim. It was
as if Milton was proud of Tim and even tried to give some of my earnings to him. I told him;
"That's not good enough, Milton." and left. First, though, I asked for my personal papers that
Tim had and he refused to give them back. As I left, Tim drove along side of my car, got out,
and tried to kick my car as I left.
A half hour later Milton called me to say I was right, to turn around and to get
my real amount, immediately. As I would learn, later, Milton had called Dave and Dave told
him to give me my earnings. Tim, I would learn, was allowed to continue to work as a
driver.
Dave chose to ignore my many calls until I dropped a beauty on talk radio about the
meat delivery business and began this entry on my website. He tried to poo poo things and
blame me and even said; "I may have to do something to you to stop you." regarding my
intended future activism about this matter.
It was left open ended and subject to interpretation, like a direct threat.
I called the Concord police the day after the incident and was told to call back after I
knew the address of the incident. I left a voicemail on Dave's wife's phone explaining
that I would be filing a police report. Later, that week, C.P.D only allowed me something less.
The Tim who pushed me out is a convicted felon for grand theft auto and he is a five foot
ten, 250 lb. white man with short blond hair and a blue/green, wall to wall, tatoo covering
his entire right arm and he wears longsleeves to hide it. He may also be an unemployment cheat,
too. I doubt that I could safely work for this company now that all this has happened.
I am interested that legal action be taken for fostering a hostile work environment, for har-
assment and discrimination and whatever else would be appropriate.
I also want to get my shoulder fixed and examined as it was likely hurt in that T-bone
accident in Concord, years earlier. I think I am entitled to compensation for my current
loss of income, as well.
Dave had been lying to me about his insurance company trying to get my recorded statement,
at the time, and I think he is up to no good and may try to affect my driving record while
keeping me in the dark about everything. If he tries I'll need a legal remedy for that, too.
Is there an attorney reading this who will contact me?
Steve Lightfoot lennonmurdertruth@Yahoo.com
Until then I hope the friends I have made over time will get out of Dave's operation and
get a job that isn't so dangerous, ultimately. I hope they know that Dave chose not to
call me, fix things, and ward all this off. Instead, it seems, Dave was behind it all.
Demand a better case of meat for repeat business, if you must stay, and good luck.
Meanwhile, I am getting some much needed beauty rest as I restructure my life. I no
longer risk my life in traffic and push that not so liked meat case up a hill like I did
for too long. I'm sure I'll land on more solid ground, soon.
(To be continued...) |
