In life, we learn to use social filters. We don't say aloud every thought generated inside our heads. Ditto for posting those thoughts on social media.
Well, the Detroit BBQ Company could learn to use those filters a little better.
You might recall about five months ago, Tim Idzikowski, owner of the Detroit BBQ Company food truck, stirred up trouble when he posted remarks just hours after New York police officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu were gunned down in Brooklyn.
"How many times did they think they were going to kick the hornets (sic) nest before they got stung? These guys 'can't breathe' now either," he wrote.
He later told an officer who responded: "Why don't you try suck-starting your service pistol."
Cops in particular were outraged, and some clients subsequently cut ties with the food truck and caterer. The owner ended up apologizing publicly.
Now, five months later the controversy is stirring again. This time it was a response from someone at the company responding to a five-month-old posting from the sister of Michigan native Brian Terry, who was shot dead in Arizona in 2010. She said the family wouldn't be patronizing the business.
"You're an idiot. I don't need your business," was the response the other day from the company's Facebook page, according to The Detroit News " I'm booked fully through the end of November."
George Hunter of The News reports:
Reached by telephone Friday, Idzikowski at first expressed anger the post was being questioned.
"I can't believe this is even a story," he said. "I'm not going to comment on this."
After a short pause, he added: "I didn't even post that. Someone in my company did."
The company could use a lesson in public relations and using those social filters.
-- Allan Lengel
