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ODOT employees acting unprofessional
One would think with the Woodsfield town square project being so contentious that the ODOT inspector would be very professional and knowledgeable about the project. But on September 6, I found that assumption to be quite wrong.
I had an appointment at a business on the square. When I arrived to the square the entire thing was blocked off. I wanted to know why. We had been led to believe no more than one-half of the square would be closed at one time, of course we were also led to believe most work would be done at night, too.
I waved over the inspector to ask when she thought the project would be done, I stated to her " I did not want to make anymore appointments in town until it was over" she said "it will be done when it's done". I asked why are you down by the Mexican restaurant, it's supposed to be a safety project on the square, she argued it was a utility project, I said that is not what we were told, yet again. I left and went to my appointment.
This ODOT inspector then came after me in the private business where I had my appointment. I was sitting down when she came up to me on the pretense of giving me a business card of someone to call. She then started waving her arms and pointing at me yelling, asking me "how many years have you lived here" then telling me how many years she had lived here. I was terrified. I had no idea what this woman was going to do. Why was she asking me such weird questions? I still had to leave and walk back to my car which was two blocks away. I was in shock. I had never seen such unprofessional actions in my life. To think I was followed into a private business by a state employee so she could harass and intimidate me further was astonishing, not to mention frightening. Just before leaving the business, I discovered why the state employee felt so emboldened as to enter a private business like that, she knew everyone that worked in there and knew she could get away with it. Not very professional for an Ohio Department of Transportation inspector, in my opinion. Needless to say I will not be going back to that business again, either.
Deborah Howell
Woodsfield