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Agent's office unannounced and walks passed secretary and enters my office demanding in question form if I have a personal computer connected to company's IBM System 36. (predecessor of Dashboard).

Agent: "I have a PC connected to MY personally owned 36." DM: "I am here to advise you to disconnect the PC while I watch." Agent: "Well, hope you have a lot of time to watch what is NOT going to happen." DM: Are you refusing to disconnect the PC from the 36?"

Agent: "Upon whose authority are you making such request?"

DM: "My authority."

Agent: "Not good enough."

DM: (raising voice) "I have been notified by H/O to have you disconnect the PC."

Agent: "Who in Home office?"

DM: "I am not at liberty to say."

Agent: "If you want to maintain your liberty, you will leave my office, now."

DM: "I am not leaving until you disconnect that PC."

Agent: "Want to bet?"

DM: "And, just what are you going do?"

Agent: "Read the documents on the wall behind you, I will return in about 15 seconds."

DM turns to wall while agent leaves office. Seconds later, agent returns to office holding a pair of handcuffs.

Agent: "Mr DM...."

DM is startled by the voice while intensly reading documents and turns to agent with sheepish look on his face.

DM: "These documents state you are a police office in this city."

Agent: (holding cuffs in hand) "CERTIFIED by the State, County and the City. You have ten seconds to maintain your freedom and leave this office and never return or I will book you for trespassing as you have already refused to leave upon my first request. It's your choice and make it damn quick, before I make it for you!"

DM quickly brushed by agent and headed out the door and has never returned. I have not attended another boring "sell life" DM meeting since. Nothing else was ever said about my office computer system. The ironic and sheer stupidity of the DM's visit was so timely. You see, at 1:30pm that same day, all agents in the eastern part of the state were to meet at a hotel meeting room to hear Farmers INTRODUCE the 7 options of the "Agents Information Management System" (AIMS). Option #3 was connecting a personal computer to use as a terminal to an IBM system 36. I was about two years ahead of that company option in my office and had written an article on its benefits in the national United Farmers Agents quarterly magazine a few months prior to the DM's visit. You don't have to be a police officer to arrest a Farmers District Manager. A simple "citizens arrest" will work in most all jurisdictions. Still a smiling agent over that one.