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Something I Am Terribly Ashamed That I Did But Would Do Again In A New York Minute.
Nov 9, 2012 08:39:20   #
Remoman Loc: Someplace Remote Near LA
 
In the early 60's, I was hired as a box-boy at a newly opening supermarket.
I had a bit of experience and soon became lead and shortly, a clerk - a very good job at the time.
There was another young man, George, with a Greek accent. He kind of looked like Alfred E. Newman of Mad Magazine fame.
Most new stores have a rush for a few days as customers see if the Heinz Ketchup from the new store tastes any better than from their last store.
Well, we were very busy and it was my responsibility to see that we had enough bags and such at each check stand and, on this day, we were running low.
I went to George and asked him to go to the back and bring out several bales of barrel bags (the largest size).
He acted very balky and gave me a bit of a hard time and his thick accent did not help matters.

His frustrating me set off my inner joker.
As he finally started to the backroom, I stopped him and told him that we were running very low on barrel bags and that, instead, he should bring out the portable bag stretcher.
The cashier looked at me wide eyed, with a smirk on her face, but said nothing.
To reinforce what I had just said, I told George to be sure to get the "left handed portable bag stretcher that hangs on the check stand."
I think I must have told him that several times before he went to the backroom.
He was gone a really long time and the store was very busy.
I became worried and thought that I might get in trouble over what I had just done and get fired.

Just about then, Mel, the assistant manager came out of the doors of the warehouse, staring at me with a stern look on his face.
He came through he swinging metal doors and as the stern look broke, he fell on his face on the floor laughing. And he was like that for several minutes.
When George came back up front, he was not happy.
Eventually, I tried to apologize but for the entire time we worked together at that store, he barely spoke to me.
Not that I deserved otherwise.

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Nov 9, 2012 09:00:41   #
sarge69 Loc: Ft Myers, FL
 
Sorta like sending out somebody for a left-handed monkey wrench in the army. A senior Sergeant told me to do that and found me in the PX having a milkshake 2 hours later.

Sarge69

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Nov 9, 2012 09:15:03   #
stevenelson Loc: Pauls Valley, Oklahoma
 
Kinda like - Go get me a new muffler bearing because this one is wore out. Or - Go cut this off again because this one is too short.

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Nov 10, 2012 11:39:06   #
Floyd Loc: Misplaced Texan in Florence, Alabama
 
All ropes,in the Navy are called lines and at some point, all new Navy personnel,aboard their first ship, are sent down to the mechanical spaces to get a bucket of waterline.
The slower ones are then sent to the gunners area because they needed the line to secure shells or something.

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Nov 10, 2012 11:40:25   #
chienfou Loc: Valley Stream, NY
 
I remember the time when not yet fluent in English , a co-worker told me if I would repeat the mantra " OH WHAT ANA SIAM" my true self would revealed to me. It took me about twenty minutes to realize " Oh What an ass I am" while everybody was laughing their ass off.
Wasn't funny to me then either,but now I can look back and laugh especially when I pull the same trick on friends.
I hope George Got over it!

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Nov 13, 2012 12:03:53   #
Hawknest Loc: South Georgia
 
sarge69 wrote:
Sorta like sending out somebody for a left-handed monkey wrench in the army. A senior Sergeant told me to do that and found me in the PX having a milkshake 2 hours later.

Sarge69


hey sarge, is that when you go got soldier of the month.LOL

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Nov 13, 2012 15:46:44   #
linuxfanatik Loc: Northumberland, England.
 
When I was an Apprentice Decorator (back then the Apprenticeship lasted five years) in England, I used to get my leg pulled by guys sending me to the stockroom for Upside-down paint, Striped blue-and-white paint, and to get some sky-hooks that were at the back of the stockroom hanging off of the ceiling. Gradually, as I got older and closer to my City and Guilds and fellowship exam, I started doing likewise to the new apprentices. Sadly today, the Apprenticeship scheme in England has all but vanished except for a six-month Apprenticeship course (which I think is a bit of a joke when you consider that the Apprenticeship I went through (at college and at work) was equivalent to a Master's Degree in Interior Design today). Now of course I'm retired and think a lot about how it used to be - I guess a lot of you think likewise that have reached the ripe old age of seventy-one?

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Nov 13, 2012 15:51:21   #
linuxfanatik Loc: Northumberland, England.
 
I laughed about the guy on here who was in Belgium and went off some girl who excused herself and said she was gonna have a piss lol! Good job she wasn't going to do anything else (crap), as that would have really upset the guy!

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Nov 13, 2012 18:42:51   #
BW326 Loc: Boynton Beach, Florida
 
sarge69 wrote:
Sorta like sending out somebody for a left-handed monkey wrench in the army. A senior Sergeant told me to do that and found me in the PX having a milkshake 2 hours later.

Sarge69


Nothing wrong with that Sarge. That's where they sell the left-handed monkey wrenches.

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