Buzz
They are often unseen by us, the individuals who keep society running smoothly. Consider the sanitation workers who remove our trash before we even wake up, the bus drivers who safely transport children to school, or the health inspectors ensuring our food is safe. While they may sometimes irritate us, like the police officer handing out a speeding ticket, these public servants are essential for maintaining order and balance.
However, public servants are human too. While many are kind-hearted and dedicated, they are also susceptible to the same flaws as anyone else—greed, corruption, and, in some extreme cases, even deadly tendencies that echo across different nations.
10. Firefighters Watch as Homes Burn
It requires immense bravery to rush into a burning building while others are fleeing, which is why firefighters are often regarded as 'the bravest.' In many regions, firefighters volunteer their services without pay. However, in rural Tennessee, local firefighters will only intervene if an annual fee is paid. They charge $75 each year to protect a home. If a homeowner refuses to pay, they must watch helplessly as their house is consumed by flames.
In 2011, firefighters in South Fulton, Tennessee stood by as a house burned to the ground. In another instance, in 2010, the Cranick family from Obion County lost all their belongings, including three dogs and a cat, when their home caught fire. The truly disturbing aspect of this 'insurance' scheme is that uninsured families, already devastated by loss, are offered a final chance to pay $2,200 for two hours of firefighting services and $1,100 for every additional hour.
9. Police Are Killing Our Pets
Editor’s note: This list was written before the events in Ferguson, Missouri, and does not attempt to address the critical issues raised by the residents of that city.
Almost every week in the United States, we hear tragic stories of police officers shooting beloved family pets. If you think these are isolated incidents, you're sadly mistaken. A study by the National Canine Research Council revealed that around half of all dogs shot by police are victims of intentional shootings. Of course, it's important to consider both perspectives—during high-stress situations, it can be nearly impossible for officers to discern if a Rottweiler is approaching in a friendly manner or with hostile intent.
Yet, some cases appear cruel and unnecessary, like the story of Deputy Jared Dooley from Rains County, Texas, who shot a blue heeler named Candy. Dashcam footage shows Candy acting friendly, but that didn’t prevent Dooley from shooting her in the head. He then told the dog's owner, Cole Middleton, 'You’re about to be upset, but your dog charged me, and I had to shoot him.' Middleton was devastated. Later, Dooley refused to put the dying dog out of her misery, forcing Middleton to drown his own pet in a bucket. Dooley was fired after public outcry, and a necropsy revealed that Candy had actually been shot from behind.
In many cases, police departments clear officers who shoot dogs of any wrongdoing, citing self-defense. However, each incident becomes a public relations disaster. To address this, the Department of Justice has even published a paper titled 'The Problem of Dog-Related Incidents and Encounters,' which seeks to better educate officers on how to handle animals humanely.
8. Turmoil on the School Bus
For decades, The Simpsons has been humorously critiquing public servants, especially the staff at Bart and Lisa’s school. Perhaps the most absurd character is Otto, the perpetually stoned bus driver. Unfortunately, there are real-life bus drivers who have been involved in horrifying incidents. Many have been arrested for driving under the influence, including 54-year-old Karl Herber from Minnesota, who crashed his bus into a tree while intoxicated. Thankfully, none of the five children on board were injured.
Bus drivers have also been implicated in sexual abuse cases. John Martin Carrell, a bus driver from Utah, faces 34 first-degree felony charges for aggravated sexual abuse of a child after he was caught on surveillance footage inappropriately touching a five-year-old autistic girl on his bus.
At times, the cruelty comes from the children themselves. In 2012, 68-year-old bus monitor Karen Klein endured severe verbal abuse from several seventh-grade boys in upstate New York. The emotional torment eventually drove her to tears, which only worsened the situation. A 10-minute video of the incident went viral, prompting a man to launch a fundraising campaign for her. In total, over $700,000 was raised, and Karen used $100,000 of the funds to establish the Karen Klein Anti-Bullying Foundation.
7. Meter Maid Assaults
Parking tickets are one of life’s unavoidable nuisances, much like death and taxes. These tickets are often handed out by meter maids or parking enforcement officers, who are frequently criticized by the public for being too harsh in their duties. In London, the situation became so severe that, in 2006, parking attendants were given stab-proof vests to protect themselves from angry drivers who took their frustration to violent extremes.
The situation in the US is just as bad. In March 2011, 27-year-old Amanda Rojas ran over a traffic officer attempting to issue her a citation in California, seriously injuring the officer’s back and head. Some incidents are truly bizarre. In March 2014, 20-year-old Lorin Daniel Moll was arrested in San Diego, California for the crime of throwing raw eggs at a parking enforcement officer from his apartment balcony. The officer wasn’t even ticketing Moll’s car at the time. Later, the officer, who preferred to remain anonymous, referred to Moll as a “dipstick.”
6. The Flashing Judges
Judges hold immense power. In many cases, they are the ones who decide a person’s future—whether it’s freedom, imprisonment, or even death. Because of this, they are expected to adhere to a higher standard of conduct, although they occasionally fall short of these expectations.
In 2006, 59-year-old Oklahoma judge Donald Thompson was sentenced to four years in prison after repeatedly exposing himself in his own courtroom. Thompson was also known for using a penis pump during trials. Court reporter Lisa Foster reported hearing a strange “whooshing” sound as he played with his device. Investigations uncovered semen on the judge’s robe, chair, and the carpet behind the bench. In 2011, the Oklahoma Supreme Court voted to deny him the $93,000 annual pension he would have received as a judge.
Strangely, this may not be an isolated case of a flashing judge. Sir Stephen Price Richards, a Lord Justice of Appeal in England, has been accused of flashing while riding on public trains. He has, so far, managed to avoid any legal consequences.
5. The Dangers Of Sanitation
When asked about the most dangerous job in public service, most people would probably name police officers or firefighters. However, they would be far from the truth. In reality, the unassuming garbageman holds a job that is twice as dangerous as that of a police officer and seven times riskier than being a firefighter. This is because sanitation workers face horrifying conditions daily. They operate heavy machinery that could crush them in an instant and handle bags of trash that may contain sharp objects. Over the course of a shift, these workers lift tons of trash, and by day’s end, they’re often dangerously fatigued, making them prone to accidents. Frustrated drivers who want to overtake slow-moving garbage trucks sometimes swerve and hit sanitation workers. Additionally, workers must deal with hazardous refuse, including acids and biomedical waste.
Sanitation workers often find themselves on the front lines during emergencies, whether it's clearing streets during snowstorms or assisting with the aftermath of hurricanes. The conditions they face are so unpleasant that many develop their own slang to describe them. In New York, maggots are humorously referred to as “disco rice,” and used condoms are called “urban whitefish.”
Unfortunately, the frequent deaths of sanitation workers don't receive the same level of attention as those in other public service roles. However, in June 2014, a large group of sanitation workers gathered to honor 43-year-old Steven Frosch, who tragically died after being struck by a street sweeper in a garage in Maspeth, Queens. Frosch’s funeral saw him receive a standing ovation, though it brought little comfort to his wife and four children, including his seven-week-old infant, who would never have the chance to know their father.
4. Health Inspectors Bribed
Food poisoning is a serious concern, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimating that 48 million people in the United States get sick from it each year, with 3,000 dying from related causes. Because of this, health inspectors—responsible for overseeing restaurants, supermarkets, and food manufacturing plants—hold a highly important role. We often trust these establishments without knowing what might be happening behind the scenes. Unfortunately, sometimes this trust is misplaced. A notable example is when the New York Health Department shut down Dominique Ansel’s famous cronut bakery due to a significant mouse infestation. The bakery has since reopened, presumably with fewer mice lurking around.
Sadly, health inspectors are not immune to greed. In 2012, former Chicago food inspector Maryanne Koll was sentenced to two and a half years in prison after accepting nearly $100,000 in bribes from hundreds of individuals. The previous year, two inspectors in San Francisco were also charged for accepting bribes, with notable “clients” including popular chains such as Burger King and Popeye’s Chicken and Biscuits.
In the late 1980s, New York City's Health Department became the center of a massive corruption scandal, resulting in charges against 43 individuals. Even restaurants that followed the rules were not safe from these corrupt inspectors. One story tells of a restaurant owner who, unable to speak English, was coerced into paying a bribe after an inspector ominously drew a rat on his paperwork.
3. Killer Teachers
Teachers are entrusted with the responsibility of shaping young minds, and we expect them to maintain a high standard of personal conduct. Unfortunately, some have shown themselves to be among the most dangerous individuals. Several teachers, including infamous cases like Mary Kay Letourneau and Pamela Smart, engaged in sexual relationships with their students, with their stories later being dramatized in TV movies.
Some cases are more disturbing, such as Russian serial killer Andrei Chikatilo, a literature teacher by day. Another less-known but equally horrifying case is that of Albert Fentress, a middle school teacher from Poughkeepsie, who enticed 18-year-old Paul Masters, a high school student, into his basement. Fentress tied him up, tortured him, and ultimately shot him in the head. Afterward, he proceeded to cannibalize the corpse. Fentress confessed to the crime and has been held in mental hospitals for over three decades, petitioning for his release. In 1999, a jury ruled in his favor, but a judge ultimately denied his release.
2. The IRS Conspiracy
Few things stir up more resentment than paying taxes, making the IRS one of the most detested institutions. However, in 2013, it was exposed that the IRS’s wrongdoings went far beyond auditing everyday citizens. In what seemed like an Orwellian conspiracy, the agency spent years targeting organizations seeking tax-exempt status. While primarily focused on conservative groups, liberal groups were also not spared.
Words like “Tea Party,” “Israel,” and “medical marijuana” were among the terms flagged for attention. The full extent of this scandal, and how high it reached within the political establishment, remains unclear. The individuals affected were typically opposed to the Obama administration. The public reaction has been one of widespread outrage, with some labeling the actions as “tyranny.” Several officials, including Lois Lerner, an IRS figure central to the issue, resigned. The FBI is still investigating, though the process has been severely hindered, particularly after the IRS reported a mysterious computer crash in June 2014 that erased Lois Lerner’s emails from January 2009 to April 2011.
1. Shortage Of Public Defenders
Atticus Finch in To Kill A Mockingbird made the role of a public defender seem both noble and virtuous, but the reality is far more complex. In the United States, public defenders are assigned to those who can't afford to hire their own lawyers. Unfortunately, the system is fraught with issues. There's little incentive for lawyers to pursue this line of work. Law school graduates are burdened with enormous student loan debts, and public defenders are overworked and underpaid, earning a fraction of what lawyers in private practice make.
Even the most skilled and passionate public defenders struggle to give their clients the attention they deserve due to the sheer volume of cases. The situation is most dire in Detroit, Michigan, where misdemeanor cases are handled by a private contractor, essentially the lowest bidder. The contractor’s five part-time employees are so overwhelmed with clients that they can only afford to spend just over 30 minutes on each case. This often results in harmful outcomes for the accused, though sometimes it works out in their favor, as the courts may release them for ‘time served’ if they waive legal representation.
