aibu to have asked council worker to phone another dept?

[sixlostmonkeys]

I've just found myself shouting out loud in the car "Am I being so unreasonable to expect her to have helped..?" - so here I am am; asking AIBU.

I was driving along a main road (next to a playing field) when I spotted a dog running wildly in the middle of the road. All cars on the road, slowed and took care. I pulled over to see if I could get the dog etc but it ran off down a street.
I drove down the street (loads of streets running off from each other) and saw the dog was obviously lost and was darting here and there and still causing a worry on the road.
I tried to coax it over so that I could read its collar but it was scared and was having none of it.
It ran back to the main road, cars screeching etc.
I didn't have a phone on me so I.....

.....went into the local housing/council office. Its the place you go for anything council/housing related, anti-social behaviour, local councillor etc etc.
Office empty apart from one worker sitting at the reception desk. She appeared to be having a private phone call and promptly put the phone down and greeted me.
I explained that I didn't have my phone on me and wondered if she could contact the dog warden dept for me. Her jaw dropped and she remained speechless. I briefly explained about the dog (2oo yards away) causing a problem on the main road. She just looked at me like I was asking for 2 portions of fish and chips. I mentioned the magazine they send to tenants with articles about the dog warden...and "wondered if you could call them for me....before the dog causes an accident?...."
She told me it was nothing to do with her. And that was that.

So aibu to have expected her to contact the dog warden for me/the dog? I mean, it's not like it's a totally unrelated planet or anything (even it it was...) Or do I simply live in lala land where people are happy to help others if they can?

Sounds weird. Maybe she didn't know if she was allowed. Hope the dog is ok

You should have asked her to contact the Police

if its the same building would it not be like putting a call through to the right dept??

Of course she should, I would make a complaint about it tbh. Both to the main council number and also to your local councillor. I would expect any council worker to do as much as they can to assist any member of the public.

YANBU - she should have helped you even if not directly her responsibility.

When I rang the local council and asked to be put through to the 'dog warden' department in relation to a pit bull that was running amok on the local play park, chasing other dogs and scaring people - this is what they said
'is the dog running loose because if it is we can't do anything, our staff are too busy to come looking for a dog that might have moved on - if you can catch it and secure it, maybe in your shed/house then we can come and get it !!!!!
What the hell did they expect me to do, yes, try and catch a mad pit bull that was trying to eat every moving thing in site.

How can a stray dog not be under the remit of the dog warden because it is loose.?

Worra - I think if I had mentioned the police she would have fallen off her chair. Honestly, she just gawped like I was asking the most rediculous thing.....

A couple of months ago i found myself in a similar dog related problem. (not as urgent) I merely mentioned it in a local shop and without prompting the shopkeeper immediately picked up his phone and made some calls - 'that' is the world I like and understand) :)

Sounds like a typical 'jobsworth'. No wonder some public sector employees get such a bad press.

The least she could have done is offered you a phone to call the main switchboard or the dog warden service (if you have one - local police beat office if not).

Maybe it was her first day or something.

How weird that she wouldn't help.

Thanks all. I was starting to thinking that maybe I've been watching too many episodes of The Waltons (while working of course :) ) and couldn't accept that we don't live a world where people use common sense and offer help. :)

It wasn't her first day. I've been in the office before (a few times) over one of their properties/tenants (she has been unable to help with that too...)

All is well with the dog now :)
I went back to it (though it still wouldn't come near). A lovely young man out walking his dog stopped to help and called over to his mate to go get a leash. Then a young lad ran down the street and it turned out it was his. He looked like he had run a long way - I'm guessing he had been walking it some distance away and it had escaped and was trying to work out how to get home.

So, in the end, you could say, I received help from some young hoodie with a staffie :)

Our council have just opened a brand new state of the art expensive building however whenever you go in the receptionist points you to a phone & tells you to use it.

I once phoned rspca about a stray dog. They told me that they dont come out and that i should catch it & take it to the police station. I mean seriously

Lovely ending though OP

But at being helped by the 'young hoody with a staffie' rather than a 'reputable council worker'

She was probably on a "workfare" scheme. Some of our receptionists are, they are used as slave labour for a few weeks and as soon as they get the hang of the job, they get moved on. How this helps them or the public or the rest of the staff I have no idea.

I'm a council worker in a public facing non-dog relating role and I certainly would have made a phone call the relevant department or called the switchboard to find out who to talk to.

My manger (gaudluv'er) would be out there directing traffic with one hand and making a makeshift dog collar out of pipe cleaners with the other.

Very odd, and do make a complaint.

Peppermint - I have been a social worker and a council tax officer and I know in both roles I too would have been out there directing traffic and making a collar at the same time.

This is why I have high expectations of all council employees :o

I used to be a council employee and we were frequently reminded of how each and everyone of us represent the council and told if we couldn't directly assist a customer then fgs find someone who can.

I spent a whole day learning the proper way to handle a telephone call. Were you aware there's an appropriate telephone answering smile?

Shocking service. There will be customer complaint forms which you can download from their website. I would suggest asking for a form at the office but I can imagine the response you'd get.