OT: Cisco Exec Makes Death Threat Over $4,000 Bike

[ti_boi]

By Owen Thomas


According to the AP, Cisco executives like Joe Burton are brave technology warriors, building the networking giant's post-recession future. According to a guy who runs a Bay Area bike shop, though, Burton's a jackass.

Burton is the CTO of Cisco's unified communications group. But he's not very good at that person-to-person communication thing.

According to a profile he created on PeopleJar, Burton characterizes himself as an amateur cyclist. Apparently enraged that his custom-built $4,000 Cervélo was a day late, Burton stormed into Cyclepath, a bike shop in Pleasanton, Calif., to get a final fitting. When told he'd have to wait 15 minutes while other customers got served, Burton started letting loose on the salesman, according to Cyclepath owner Joel Davis.

After a salesman apologized for the delay and asked if there was anything he could do, the Cisco executive let loose with an acidic reply. "Be sorry you are that way, not that I feel that way," Burton said, according to a written report of his encounter. "I hope you die." After Davis called Burton to complain, Burton told him, "Under no uncertain terms will I ever ????ing apologize to any member of your ????ing staff." Davis says Burton finally relented after he told him that Cyclepath customers were willing to testify about his behavior to the police, and offered the Cyclepath employee an apology that Davis characterized as "half-hearted."

We'd like to know: Are Cisco's labs developing a solution to prevent the likes of Burton from communicating with anyone, anytime, ever?

[Louis]

Only $4000? What a looser.

[fiamme red]

Just another psychopath at Cyclepath. :p

[goonster]

"I hope you die."

The guy is a major league twit, and deserves this very public shaming (which will surely have repercussions for his career), but that's not a death threat.

[dwightskin]

"By Owen Thomas

According to the AP, Cisco executives like Joe Burton "


This is some sort of weird internet gossip rumor. I can't find any evidence that this is an actual AP story -- it seems to have been "born" in internet gossip blogs.

[GuyGadois]

"I hope you die."

Actually, I don't think any of us have an alternative.

[goonster]

According to the AP, Cisco executives like Joe Burton are brave technology warriors, building the networking giant's post-recession future. According to a guy who runs a Bay Area bike shop, though, Burton's a jackass.

The tantrum story is not attributed to the AP, only to the shop owner himself.

[e-RICHIE]

atmo -

XXX (http://gawker.com/5201137/cisco-exec-makes-death-threat-over-4000-bike)

[Ti Designs]

"I hope you die."


Been there, done that...

[paczki]

C'mon people! He needed the bike.

[e-RICHIE]

C'mon people! He needed the bike.



it's not about the need atmo -
overheard in austin

[paczki]

Austin -- good times.

[Erik.Lazdins]

Perhaps a dash of megalomania setting in to Burton.

[trophyoftexas]

Austin -- good times.

....you call THAT a longhorn!!?? Now THIS is a longhorn!

http://trophyoftexas.com/about/HellweekPhoto.htm

[eddief]

i swear it has been over two weeks since i took the bad one in and they were to order me a nitto techno deluxe as replacement. i'm pissed and all of downtown berkeley will have hell to pay come friday = 2.5 weeks.

[KeithS]

Some of those Cisco guys are pretty high strung.

I heard he was a serious mountain biker, that'd probably piss me off too...

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . what kind of boss this guy is. Shades of Dilbert . . .

BBD

[ciclisto]

all cranked up over a generic tiawanese carbon glop that with kit; hit the $4k mark, yes this is the Bentley of bikedom can't y'all understand he is special!!!
"I WANT IT NOW~~~~~~ :crap:

[TimD]

Some of those Cisco guys are pretty high strung.

I heard he was a serious mountain biker, that'd probably piss me off too...

We heard one side of the story, but it couldn't have been pretty. Obviously the shop owner is going to defend his staff in public. I'm not in any way excusing the alleged behavior, but my guess is the majority of folks here have absolutely no clue just how stressful, especially right now, is the job of a Cisco VP/GM.

[ti_boi]

We heard one side of the story, but it couldn't have been pretty. Obviously the shop owner is going to defend his staff in public. I'm not in any way excusing the alleged behavior, but my guess is the majority of folks here have absolutely no clue just how stressful, especially right now, is the job of a Cisco VP/GM.


It is probably much more stressful to be an underling on his team...the guys at the top have more than enough cash to tide them over if things were to end tomorrow.

[TimD]

It is probably much more stressful to be an underling on his team...the guys at the top have more than enough cash to tide them over if things were to end tomorrow.

It is a different kind of stress. A VP/GM doesn't make as much as you might think, especially now that the stock option party is over. Independent of what they are paid, they literally have zero life outside of work.

[ti_boi]

It is a different kind of stress. A VP/GM doesn't make as much as you might think, especially now that the stock option party is over. Independent of what they are paid, they literally have zero life outside of work.


tsk tsk tsk....I would say that anyone in senior management 'can' make that claim and yet some have families...some have hobbies. As for the tech industry (spent 12 years there) I would venture to guess that anyone in his position is not new to the scene and has a few million socked away. :banana:

[RPS]

The guy is a major league twit, and deserves this very public shaming (which will surely have repercussions for his career), but that's not a death threat.I agree assuming the story is correct in the first place.

To me a threat should include a promise to take action. A twit nonetheless -- again, provided it's even true.

[93legendti]

Any truth to the rumor that Sec. Geitner will be addressing Cisco Execs in his next plan?

[TimD]

Any truth to the rumor that Sec. Geitner will be addressing Cisco Execs in his next plan?

If you are going to try to dump on the guy at least spell his name correctly.

One difference is that one group creates wealth, and not just for themselves, whereas the other move it around and destroy it, then have the cojones to ask for a public handout. I don't recall anyone offering $170B to Nortel or Lucent.

[jemoryl]

It is a different kind of stress. A VP/GM doesn't make as much as you might think, especially now that the stock option party is over. Independent of what they are paid, they literally have zero life outside of work.

I'm sure that F'er makes 10x what the poor wrench in that shop makes. And if he has no life outside work, what does he need that bike for?

I would have brought his bike out with a sledge hammer and pounded the crap out of the thing right in front of him.

[nicrump]

this guys isn't even an "exec". he is a CTO in a group which means he reports to a director. not like "the" CTO of Cisco. He is a average joe in a bad mood.

[TimD]

I'm sure that F'er makes 10x what the poor wrench in that shop makes. And if he has no life outside work, what does he need that bike for?


Yes, he probably does - I'd guess around $250K, including bonus. Contrast with Thain or Lewis et al. Again, not defending what he allegedly did - but the truth is out there.


I would have brought his bike out with a sledge hammer and pounded the crap out of the thing right in front of him.

Of course you would have.

[93legendti]

this guys isn't even an "exec". he is a CTO in a group which means he reports to a director. not like "the" CTO of Cisco. He is a average joe in a bad mood.
The story plays better if he is "rich" and "evil". If he got a bonus from TARP funds, we have a trifecta! Who needs facts?

[jemoryl]

......Of course you would have.

You don't know me...when I was a young, good for nothing working for minimum wage and at cost bike parts, I might have. Especially when faced by a Cervelo riding prat. Now if the bike was something nice like a Serotta, I would think twice.

[JohnHemlock]

We heard one side of the story, but it couldn't have been pretty. Obviously the shop owner is going to defend his staff in public. I'm not in any way excusing the alleged behavior, but my guess is the majority of folks here have absolutely no clue just how stressful, especially right now, is the job of a Cisco VP/GM.

Digging through rubble looking for loved ones in Italy is stressful. Being kidnapped by Somali pirates is stressful. A friend of mine has lost her brother, her husband, and her son to illnesses within the last 3 years. That seems stressful. So let's use some perspective here. Being a senior exec at a US technology company and being in the 99.5% percentile of incomes in the world might be stressful but it's self-inflicted stress that really doesn't hit the Billboard Top 100 of stressors, my friend. All these guys are risking is a fancy bike frame and a place to ride their horsies.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TG4f9zR5yzY

[TimD]

Digging through rubble looking for loved ones in Italy is stressful. Being kidnapped by Somali pirates is stressful. A friend of mine has lost her brother, her husband, and her son to illnesses within the last 3 years. That seems stressful. So let's use some perspective here. Being a senior exec at a US technology company and being in the 99.5% percentile of incomes in the world might be stressful but it's self-inflicted stress that really doesn't hit the Billboard Top 100 of stressors, my friend. All these guys are risking is a fancy bike frame and a place to ride their horsies.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TG4f9zR5yzY

You are absolutely right. That said, I'm getting daily updates from a niece who is working in a hospital in Rwanda, I'm a cancer survivor, both my parents were dead by the time I was 9, and I relatively recently lost a young and much-loved nephew to a heroin overdose. Thanks for the lecture but it didn't benefit this reader.

Over and out.

[JohnHemlock]

You are absolutely right. That said, I'm getting daily updates from a niece who is working in a hospital in Rwanda, I'm a cancer survivor, both my parents were dead by the time I was 9, and I relatively recently lost a young and much-loved nephew to a heroin overdose. Thanks for the lecture but it didn't benefit this reader.

Over and out.

I'm sorry that you seem to miss my point, I wasn't lecturing you. In fact, you support the exact point I was trying to make. Real stressors are what you are talking about, not whether or not the execs of a contrived industry are struggling with the negative effects of a contrived economy. I'm not a populist - if you can scratch and claw and Harvard MBA your way to the top of the heap, you deserve whatever comes your way, whether that's stock options and gross wealth or bankruptcy and ruin. Buy the ticket, take the ride.