[manicminer]

So I don't do well when questioned by authorities. I lock up, get extremely nervous, lose my cool, say things I shouldn't and just get all kinds of flustered.

Well today I made the mistake of riding the elevator back up out of the mine with a federal and state inspector. The woman was the federal inspector and she started asking me all kinds of questions about what I was doing and why I was there and on and on.

And of course I couldn't give her a good answer to anything which caught the state inspector's attention and he started asking me all kinds of questions as well.

It turned into a real fiasco and ended with the woman snidely saying, "Just give us your name, serial number, social security number and information, and we'll turn you in to the proper authorities." Wanted to punch the ****in ****'s rotten teeth out.

However, the state man's questions brought up something very important. I apparently misunderstood how the duration of the Apprentice Miner's Certification works and my card is most likely expired. Luckily, the state man simply said, "I'd look into that, " and didn't press the issue further.

Shortly after all this ended, a phone call comes through saying that I need to report to the superintendent's office. So I had to go there and sit with my boss, the superintendent and assistant superintendent of the mine and explain to the everything that happened. They also told me how I must now go about getting my time in toward my certification, which will take me considerably longer to complete.

Again luckily, they don't know that my card is most likely expired because that would be a major, potentially employment terminating problem.

So now I have to find my card, see whether or not its expired, then take all the appropriate measures to get re-certified. If my thinking is correct it may have expired in August. Now I don't know if I'll be able to count any of my time from August-Present (I started this all in July) because that would show I was going underground without a valid certification.

I can't stop shaking. All I wanted to do was just run and jump down the mine shaft to make it all stop. I hate being backed into a corned and questioned like that. I react worse that a 5 year old getting scolded by his parents. At least I didn't break down crying or freak out.

FML. Why can't anything just go smoothly for once?

[Moose72]

awwww.! I know that feeling! Im glad it went okay, considering.

[manicminer]

I should mention, if things would have gone south, violations like this involve hefty fines for the company and individual and possible prison time... Not what I needed today.

[Moose72]

Yes. You got very lucky. I'm glad for you!

[Victoria'smom]

Could it expire 8/13?

[BlueInanna]

Holy crap, hope ur card still valid. Dang crappy timing in the elevator.

[roads]

What a dreadful experience. Heart pounding ... I can imagine all too well.

I have so much trouble keeping on top of things--registrations, renewals. Yours is way worse that any of my failures (didn't renew driver's licence till nearly the due the the next year, spent my birthday before the judge), or near-failures (almost missed renewing hurricane insurance and we had damage 3 times that year over the deductible).

We're just not good handling this part of life. I'm so sorry. I hope it works out without further complications.

roadie

[manicminer]

Originally Posted by Miguel'smom

Could it expire 8/13?

I got the course the summer I started working here, I'm fairly certain. It was def before I was a full time company salary employee. Which would have been not this past summer but the one before. So summer 2011.

Which would mean it would have expired summer 2012, which is past and gone, right? I get these things so jumbled in my head sometimes.

[cocoabeans]

Well, look on the bright side. Now you can get your certificate renewed without any major problems and work towards the liscencing in a defined time line.

I don't know how it works but if you did expire, and there's fines etc for your employer involved shouldn't they keep tabs on your expiry dates too? Ah well, just renew and work to your goal.

[Darth Bane]

sometimes nothing happens the way we want.....

[faerie_moon_x]

I also don't like being confronted. I hate reviews and meetings to go over how I'm doing with things. I have panic attacks, get physically sicks, blah!

I really hope you find your card and it's not expired! Hopefully it says it expires this year, August 2013, and not last year, 2012. And I agree with cocoa that if it could cause major problems for the mine, you'd think they would keep tabs on everyone's lisence and when it expires. I work for a doctors corporation, and we have a woman whose job it is to make sure everyone keeps their credentialling up to date. Every year she's down here bugging the educators for their new license so she can keep it on file. Because if we have practitioners working without a license, that's a lot of fines and penelties for the whole organization.

[manicminer]

Checked with safety today. My card was expired. However, if you are actively working toward your permanent certification, it does not matter if the card is expired or not!

And my boss talked with the General Manager of the mine (top dog) and he said, "**** them if they think they can tell us what we can count as a shift."

SO all is well. Just have to do full double shifts for the remaining 8 have have to log. Then I can go and test no problem.