Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for October 24, 2012

Aha!! Go get her!….

The end is near…

Told you. TJ’s working the long game.

And before anyone starts raising a smell. Courts have ruled that video and audio recording is perfectly legal in places where privacy is not expected. The dining & ordering area is not where one expects privacy!

Uh oh, Leviticus, there he is…..

Miss Ann Eiffel is reminding me of Mr. Eugene Krabs: really knows how to dissatisfy a customer.

This could get really good: AE is fired – she’s depressed – wanders into a bar – Dirk hits on her and she goes for it. Of course – when they get to AE’s house – we go to another arc where Luann wants to adopt a companion dog for Puddles.

It’s about bloody time. Take her down, TJ!

Promotion for TJ mabey?

Exactly. If Ann is fired, someone has to replace her — and TJ’s positioned himself pretty well …

I do believe the trap is abut to snap shut on AE. Bring It On!

It should come as no surprise that TJ would run the long game -or that he would have the smarts AND patience to do so.AS for the public place, no expectation of privacy bit, uhm, its a little more complicated than that. In some states its just not legal to record someone without permission -and the case would have to be challenged on a ‘per-case’ basis. Since it is rare that any two are identical. Wasn’t long ago when one made the news in Maryland, the ‘victim’ was getting berated and fined by a traffic cop, and he recorded the entire incident on his ‘smart’ phone. The DA actually charged him for it. I don’t know if he ultimately won his case or not, but even if he DID, it doesn’t get around all the trouble and money he had to spend to defend himself -and the ‘state’ (or city or whatever -call it government by any other name) does not reimburse the winner of the trial. And most government levels have immunity from being sued for such things (or the amount at which you can sue is negligible.) -so, right or wrong, you can still get burned.

TJ may not be thinking “police” for his recordings, but rather “corporate HQ”. If so, the standard for admissibility of evidence should be much lower than in any state’s court system.

She’s a bad person. She shouldn’t be manager.Oxford knows! —We concur.

I think we’re about to learn a lot more about TJ and where some of his money comes from… (undercover boss?)

TJ finally using his powers for good instead of evil. Good to see, really.

That T.J. is one sly dog!

In some places, TJ’s recorded evidence would be inadmissible because it was obtained without a warrant or her knowledge & consent.

Customer at the counter w/ AE looks like Maynard G. Krebs.

I don’t know… now that TJ’s plan is out there, I think somehow Ann is going to find out before it all goes down.

Seems to me, if she knew she was being recorded then TJ would have nothing as ammo. After all when law enforcement uses wire tapping an hidden surveilence are the targets aware? NO. and it need not go to court. just corporate. And they need not say anymore than “too many complaints” to s#!+ can her.

@ Leviticus. What the…? A question, if I may? Did Greg Evans poop in your oatmeal?

That’s also correct.

Oh the sweet irony of it all…

That looks like Maynard G. Krebs at the counter (for those of you old enough to remember Dobie Gillis.)

Corporate may fire her, but if she is pocketing money, they can involve legal action for theft.

When Ann cheats customers she is bad. When TJ cheats customers he is good.

Damn, Right!

How DARE that Upstart Ann Eiffel!

“Cheating Customers”???

That’s TJ’s JOB!!!

“A question for those of you convinced TJ is the second coming or Christ. How is what Ann did different from what the Toad did on 03-20-12?”.Whilst i’m not in that group, I would say that what TJ did was to add thing on at the register and then give the (correct) total; that is a bit of pressure selling and if the customer is too weak to say no, then he gets what he deserves..Anne on the other hand misrepresented the tax as being $2 and then tried to claim it was correct...In summary,TJ: you get it, you pay the advertised price for it;Anne: you get it, you pay over the odds for it.

Actually, it’s a padded bra.

Leviticus, are you there? I see your name every day on this site… hope everything’s okay.

Wow…it’s a comic strip, some of you people take this WAY too seriously…

Bear in mind, RagnaroCker, TJ doesn’t need this job. He’s independently wealthy (although he’s never explained why). The only reason he’s working there is to bring AE down.

DaJaBelly! Yup, everwhere except for Maryland where we still have some of the tightest wiretap/privacy laws in the country.

My comics page changed this morning the lay out is gone any one else have that problem

Lev this is a comic no need to get the old blood pressure a going enjoy the strip for what it is. Plenty of stuff in the real world if you want to get all bound up and not enjoy the day.

Hah! I knew TJ would be there and this should be fun!

WHY are Ox’s EARLOBES so big ???

In civil suits, the courts generally sniff at the clandestine recording. Put another way, it’s more honored in the observance than in the breach.

Love the “undercover boss” comment. we still don’t know anything about TJ

Seems like this panel ran yesterday

“Now, please explain this one to me.05-07-12”.Fraud. Pure and simple..I see it all now…TJ is Evil Incarnate. How could I have been so blind.

TJ could simply blackmail AE with the tapes, force her to quit her job. I have a feeling he is going to confront her and use them as leverage to get rid of her. That way, she is free to appear again at a later date, and continue to be a dastardly villain. Why have her put in jail when she can be used in another story line.

Oh I’m sure that Ox will back TJ up. It’s also possible that they could enlist others.

Of course this is only a Comic strip…BUT the recordings are not going to a court of law, probably get as far as the area supervisor, or company owner…or board room, or the head Weenie.

time to take down the Eiffel tower.

Well he doesn’ t need the money so it’s plausible.

So no one complained all those times TJ blatantly cheated or hustled the customers?

Asking a customer about adding to their order, is very common now…not really considered hustling. Going to the movie theater, we are told we can go one size up on the soda for just 50 cents more, etc. Sometimes you will be told of specials that give you much more product for just a little more money. What TJ did was good salesmanship…what AE did was fraud or robbery besides cheating.

Duh-d-duh-duh! (mystery music)

Most of us have mixed feelings about TJ. He’s a weasel, but he has charm. I like him and I don’t like him, simultaneously. I stay away from guys like him in real life.

Ooh, I can’t wait to see Eiffel get fired AND arrested at the same time!

You must have been burned by a real life TJ.

Wow. For once I agree with you.

Wiretap laws:

If you are recording someone without their knowledge in a public or semi-public place like a street or restaurant, the person whom you’re recording may or may not have “an objectively reasonable expectation that no one is listening in or overhearing the conversation,” and the reasonableness of the expectation would depend on the particular factual circumstances. Therefore, you cannot necessarily assume that you are in the clear simply because you are in a public place.

If you are operating in California, you should always get the consent of all parties before recording any conversation that common sense tells you might be “private” or “confidential.” In addition to subjecting you to criminal prosecution, violating the California wiretapping law can expose you to a civil lawsuit for damages by an injured party. See Cal. Penal Code § 637.2.

As an MBA with a minor in marketing?[]There’s a difference between “upselling” and “cheating”.[]“Upselling” is a legitimate – but tricky and hard to pull off – strategy in which a sales worker convinces the customer to go from a smaller order to a bigger order. Good sales workers will appeal to how a larger order will benefit the customer, which is what TJ did. Only the bad sales workers will use intimidation or coercion. []What Anne did was fraud. She tried to charge a customer a greater price for an item than what was actually listed, and then tried to weasel her way out of it by charging him for additional product yet telling him it was “free”.

As an aside, does anyone know if the town is supposed to be near a military base or not?[]Most US military bases maintain a “do not patronize list” denoting companies and organizations that have done wrong by service members and/or their families. []If the service member or their family gets wronged, then they can file a complaint with the appropriate on-base personnel, who will start an investigation. If the investigation turns up legitimate abuses, then the company or organization gets black-listed until conditions improve. This means that no service member stationed at that base or any of their dependents can patronize that facility. []All it’d take is for Anne to cross one service member like she did Ox, and Weenie World goes on the blacklist. I doubt that corporate would take kindly to such news.

Interesting comments on legality of recording conversations in a public place; to bad this is not going to Supreme Court. Oh wait, I am an Obama supporter, and these privacy issues can be tricky with the court the way its constituted now. :) Regarding Luann I think it is probably safe to assume that in comic land there is no state or federal law criminalizing this conduct, and besides what a great story idea-TJ can blackmail Ann Eiffel! I bet Greg has a surprise or two up his sleeve on this arc though; perhaps someone has a large ownership interest in Weenie World? Ox comes from a wealthy family I think?? And we are never sure about TJ are we?

No one promotes a whistleblower.

I wonder if TJ has all that data backed up?

Um- he added items, he did not overcharge. The customer could have said no thanks but he didn’t. Not the same at all…and btw – no one thinks TJ is Christ- how ridiculous is that? Take a chill pill.

what if they’re both jerks? O_o

Difference being TJ actually sold the product before charging the correct price. A. I. tried to sell and item for twice its retail. There is a difference in up selling, getting a customer to purchase more than they originally intended, and blatantly over charging the customer for what they ordered.

Up-selling to me generally will not work, unless I was thinking in that way already, and if it is done without confirmation from me , I have canceled entire orders just like Ox.

Just realized that TJ’s thrusting out his chest and puckering his lips in the last panel. Am starting to get my groove back. Where’s Mojitobaby? I haven’t heard from her in a while.

…I remember it too…that’s three…four anyone…do I hear a four?…somebody gimme a four here…gimme a four…hey four…oh never mind…

“Ox, let me get you a hot dog and I’ll toss in a cookie all for three dollars,” T.J. says smiling beatifically.

Make it five. I remember it, but don’t generally talk about it much.

Late to the party, have read no comments, I’m sure I am stating what has been said before, but WOO WHO! LET’S BRING ANNIE BABY DOWN!

TJ is going to blackmail AE for some action!!!

Geez.T.J. looks so adorable when he says, “OO!”<3

the evil woman in charge again, huh.

Uh ho, trouble for Miss E