Second Chances

Cutter's Log - Stardate 9002.50.60
Current Song - Bloody Well Right (Supertramp)

The Illinois Lottery is doing a Second Chance Promotion for their 35th Anniversary. The task is to save $35.00 worth of non-winning lotto tickets and send them in for a drawing. The jackpot is $35,000/week. As a person who sells (and plays) lotto tickets, I was unsure as to whether or not I was eligible.

When I was at BP, there was a Second Chance Promotion involving Chicago Bulls tickets. That's when I got real interested in it. My assistant manager at the time started saving these tickets: ones she bought, and ones that customers asked to be scanned (only to find out they were losers). When she would say the ticket was not a winner, she would set it aside. She would put her husband's name on them (she knew she wasn't elibigle - and I think I told her that), and send them in.

Here's the problem: she didn't buy those tickets. How is that fair to those who participate in the drawing that DO buy their tickets?

Same thing is happening to a co-worker of mine now. She is saving these tickets. There is this brown paper bag that says something like "please save non-winning tickets for (her)." Her name is going on these tickets. She even asks customers what they will be doing with the non-winners, in an attempt to keep them. Once again, I don't think this is right.

I mentioned this to a couple of regulars of mine, and they reiterated that I wasn't eligible in the first place. First, I wanted to verify this. I went to the three other Shell stations, two managers said that we WERE INDEED eligible. I still wanted to check this with the Illinois Lottery. They said it's open to anyone who does not work FOR the lottery. So I guess I'm eligible.

However, I still think it's wrong to take other people's tickets. I inform people about the Second Chance drawing.

So what about the tickets that I play? As a security measure, I don't buy any lotto tickets at my Shell, even when I'm off the clock. I can't play on the clock anyway. The tickets that I do buy I do put in the Second Chance drawing. Each paper ticket has a six-digit code (4XXXXX) that is unique for every lotto retailer. Each stratch-off ticket has a 12-digit code that is unique to each retailer.

I submit my tickets online. Go to illinoislottery.com for more information.

I also made a rare non-workday morning visit to work. I don't like doing this because I know I'm going to get chastised for something. Well, I was made aware that my priorities had to be switched because of the weather. Ice and cold drinks are more important now. Do my chores earlier.

Whoa! It's Friday, and I have yet to do the F5!