The Pragmatician

Tuesday, November 22, 2005

FUNNY, YET NOT SO AMUSING ANECDOTE

I hate garlic, ketchup, pompous people and OVERTIME.
Of the many complaints my colleagues and myself get is that the work is not done fast enough. Mysteriously reports that are not needed for weeks are suddenly urgent at the end of a long and exhausting day.
They might admit we’re not machines but since we get to work with machines, we are expected to operate at ADSL or at the very least Cable speed.
We discussed and came to the conclusion that we would easily be able to accomplish much more had it not been that our superiors keep interrupting our work with various silly and disruptive to our concentration and flow of work, side jobs.
Bring this letter to the post office (work related), call my kid’s school (private), find out, I don’t care how, about this and thats.
Today it was a call to a Bank Card company to order a new card (semi-private), since the last one had expired.
I knew from experience that getting hold of a live person at such a company requires more patience than waiting in line for the popular attractions at Disneyworld during high season. But orders are orders.
Finally I got through to a surprisingly helpful telephone operator explaining the problem, which sadly not so surprisingly turned out to be non existent.
“The card is still valid for another year sir", she says.
I couldn’t have been more astonished.
I call the superior in question on his cell and pass on the message. He takes another good look at his card and exclaims: ”Oh , now I understand, all this time I was looking at the date of issue! Funny, don’t you agree?”
Very funny indeed as long as you won’t ask me with your usual accusing tone at 6 Pm why report X hasn’t been taken care of yet!
And they wonder why we don’t get more work done!! Arghh Frustrating.

# posted by Pragmatician @ 8:19 AM

Comments:

Why didn't he check on the card himself? You are right though.

# posted by

Lucy Stern : 8:54 AM

I am so frustrated for you just reading this. It could have been worse, though - the pompous boss could have asked you to buy garlic and letchup for him on overtime...

# posted by

MC Aryeh : 10:07 AM

Hope tomorrow is better, Prag. And I have to tell you, I hate ketchup, too. Blech.

# posted by

Stacey : 10:25 PM

Lucy-He did check, only not very carefully.

Mcaryeh-Thanks for the empathy it helps. I guess he could but it hasn't gotten that bad just yet!

Stacey-Finally a fellow ketchup disliker, I thought I was the only subversive like that! Thanks.

# posted by

Pragmatician : 2:54 AM

We can only plant our two feet on the ground and do our very best.

I hope your time off for Thanksgiving is good for you.

# posted by

BarbaraFromCalifornia : 10:09 AM

UGH!!! I once had a tyrant of a boss. At what point do they stop thinking of their employees as people but more as items, always seeking to get the most out of their "purchase"? Since when did little infuriating tasts become your job description? I relate and I empathize. Try not to go insane!

# posted by

FrumGirl : 12:24 PM

Shop-No but perhaps it his sister :)

# posted by

Pragmatician : 2:19 AM