Payback time for Jorge

They play it rough at Florida’s toll agencies. It started early summer when Jorge Figueredo, operations director at the Orlando Orange County Expressway Authority was dining at a steakhouse restaurant in Tallahassee. He saw James Ely, head of Florida’s Turnpike District walk in. But, instead of greeting him, he lay low, and got the eye of a waiter and quickly talked him into a practical joke. Every item Ely ordered from the menu evoked: “Sorry, Sir, we’re out of that.” In exasperation Ely asked if they had bread and water: “No we just served the last of that too, sir.” At which point Figueredo appeared and asked Ely if we was having trouble getting served.

Ely promised a payback.

That came at a ceremony to present turnpike district employees with annual awards for good service to which Figueredo and others were invited. Part of the entertainment at the party after the awards consisted of a voluptuous Marilyn Monroe impersonator from the Universal Studios theme park. She said she needed someone in the audience to demonstrate outstanding customer service on.

Prepped by Ely, Marilyn Monroe picked Figueredo out of the second row and had him brought up on the platform. There she made up to him in front of some hundreds of assembled guests. Snuggling up she flashed her eyelashes, and some kissable cleavage, and stroked his arm and hand. Then finding a wedding ring, she said jauntily: “Oh my, I see you’re married.” And purred: “That has never stopped me...”

Figueredo was speechless with embarrassment, and conceded afterwards: “He (Ely) really got me.”