loner55

Last Friday afternoon while I was doing my rounds I stopped at a major outdoors store to browse the shelves and possibly pick up a new reel, it's almost Fathers Day after all. While I was there three young guys (early - mid 20's) came in and started asking the sales rep some questions about fishing equipment. It was obvious that they didn't have a clue what they were doing and the rep was doing a good job helping them out. They must have just watched a fishing show on TV because they were raring to go right then and there. The rep got them each a decent rod/reel combo, he even offered to spool some line on the reels for them, and then when he was going to recommend some lures/hooks etc. he asked them what they were planning on fishing for. The response from all three was BASS... BASS... it's May 09. I was waiting to here the rep inform them that Bass was out of season right now and to suggest something else, but no... the rep walked around the aisle and placed 6-7 "sure fire" bass lures in the basket and then told them how to use worms and minnows and placed some weights and hooks in the basket as well. I looked over the display at them in a normal, non-offensive tone informed them that Bass were not in season and that they would need to purchase a fishing license at the front of the store before the could fish for anything. The response was typical for the area... "We don't need no stinkin license"... I'm not kidding, that was the response from one of the guys. Now this is where I expected the rep in his green shirt to back me up and to try and educate some obviously fresh, potential anglers...nope. He just gave me a blank look and led them away. Now, my dad taught me everything I know about fishing. I release all the fish I catch. Fishing to me is a sport, something I enjoy doing and something I am teaching my kids to enjoy the same as me. I don't have a problem with people catching and keeping what they are legally entitled to, as long as it doesn't go in the freezer to be found two years later and thrown out. I have never sat on the pier or waded into a river and questioned whether the people around me had a license or not I just assumed that their father taught them the way mine taught me. How wrong I was. I guess what I'm getting at is, shouldn't it be mandatory to have a license to purchase fishing equipment? Or how about live bait? You can't just walk in and buy guns and ammo...., you have to show I.D. to buy booze and smokes. So how hard would it be for them to check to make sure you have an outdoors card before you make a purchase. If you're buying a gift... get a gift card. It just amazed me that the employee would not try to educate them even after I gave him the chance. I've had both good and bad experiences at this store so I'm not going to name it, but I'm sure most of you can figure it out.

Since it was well documented here and through the news that employees were permitted to hand out day old timbits to dogs, I didn't feel it was necessary to comment further. Listen, I never said she should have been fired for a $0.16 timbit, what I was trying to get at is that when you own a business every penny adds up. Giving away something that can no longer be sold is a lot different from giving away something that can be. To put it another way: if you went to the bait shop and an employee gave you a few extra shiners that were floating on the top, it would be different than giving you a few extra live ones that could/would have been purchased from someone else. Tim Hortons will not give any details about this story so it's not easy to make a judgement when hearing only one side. Having worked in the hospitality profession as a manager I know that sometimes there is a need to get rid of an employee whether it be theft, attitude, or just plain work ethic. When you have clear evidence of a violation, no matter how trivial, you jump on the chance to fire the employee even though what you have as evidence is minor in comparison to what is not documented. Now, let's go fishing!

I think I may have been a little haste in my comment earlier..... I think I owe a lot of you an apology. Tim Horton's should be boycotted everywhere. Do not go to Timmies!!! Everyone go to Country Style or Coffee Time but stay away from Tim's!!! There... now maybe I won't have to wait 15 minutes to get my Tim's.

Hello everyone, first post here and it's not even about fishing. I love Timmies. The do a ton of work for charities and community. Unfortunately they are a franchise and owned by different individuals. I don't know about everyone here, but I have worked for a number of different people, some of which were great, and some of which were jerks. I do not agree with this particular franchisees decision to fire the young lady, but I do understand the reasoning behind it. A little math - 4 timbits @ $0.16 x 10 employees x 365 days of the year equals $2336.00 per year. That's not chump change and we are only talking about timbits. I think that if I found out that my employees had stolen that kind of money from me, I wouldn't be all to happy. I think the most disturbing thing about all of this is the willingness of almost everyone, including here on this site to cast their biggest sinkers in the direction of the COMPANY and not the FRANCHISEE. To say you were never going to go to a Tim's because of the action of one individual franchise is ridiculous. Tim Horton's did not fire an employee, the daughter of a franchisee did, and I will guarantee there will be repercussions to that Franchise for messing with the good name. Thank god people don't cast lines at every angler because of the actions of one ignorant person with a pole and a hook. Nice to be here and hope to contribute in a positive way while sipping my extra large 2 cream, one sugar in my ever familiar brown paper cup.