Hosed big time

Want an example of a powerful brand name? Here ya go.

What brand do you associate with blood drives?

Betcha said RED CROSS.

This came home to me when I responded to a recent email at work announcing a blood drive organized by the family of a local preschooler suffering from leukemia. I was due to give, and I was taking the day off, so I showed up at the drive at 1:00.

And I didn't leave until 3:34.

That's right, boys and girls, two-and-a-half hours. I don't regret giving blood, of course, in honor of the boy and his family and to help whoever will use my blood, but still ... TWO-AND-A-HALF HOURS?? in about 25 years of giving blood, I've never had a drawing take longer than an hour, including one where I was also typed to donate bone marrow. In fact, almost every time the Red Cross got me in and out in under 40 minutes.

And oh, by the way, this was NOT a Red Cross blood drive. Who knew that anyone else even collects blood? See what I mean by a powerful brand name? I don't want to name the other, non-RC organization, because of my poor experience. I was curious to see how they would do--I root for the underdog and all that--but they let me down, waaaaaaaay down.

And get this, there's going to be a RED CROSS blood drive next week at my workplace, where I most often give blood, and for the first time ever, each donor will receive a free insulated lunch bag and will be entered in a drawing for a $10 gas card.

: (

I mentioned all of this to a friend at work, and he said he heard that the free lunch bags will have the Red Cross logo and this tagline:

If you give blood anywhere else, you best pack a lunch.

(Unnamed Blood Drive People), Ya Goofs!

P.S. These blood-sucking goofs did send me a thoughtful and apologetic reply to my email with the subject line "Where do I go to get my time back?" They explained that more donors showed up at the beginning of the drive than they expected. I don't buy it, though--their process was simply inefficient, with confusing paperwork and directions.

P.P.s. Please scroll up to the top of this post and take note of my Best. Title. Ever.