Wildest Encounters: The Working Person's Edition

blue

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One of the things I like to ask people--after the obligatory greetings and small-talk how-do-you-dos--is what their wildest work story is. I've heard (and even experienced) some interesting ones. From a person coming into the ER with a screwdriver in a place it has no business (the person thought it would help with bowel movements, go figure), to witnessing an epic meltdown of a coworker. Sometimes I just want to hear what the craziest thing they've seen is, or what kind of customer left them with an unforgettable experience--good or bad.

It's usually bad, let's be honest. Something about those cringeworthy experiences just stay with you.

What are some of your most eye-popping work experiences?
Do these things happen often for you? How did you react when it happened?

Aisukohi

Friend PM Trade

I currently work in HR at my job, and boy, do I have some doozies. But I have one that sticks out that took place before I took this position. To preface, I work in senior living (assisted living and memory care, to be exact).

My boss (Executive Director) and the Director of Nursing were going to let go of a nursing employee because of poor performance. Employee seemed normal enough up until that meeting, which I wasn't part of since it wasn't part of my job description yet, but was told the details after the fact. When they told her they were letting her go, she took the nearest object to her on the desk in front of her (I can't remember if it was a stapler or a walkie-talkie) and THREW it toward my boss. Luckily, she had quick reflexes and nobody got hurt. The employee was promptly asked to leave, and so she got up from her seat, said some choice words, and on her way out of the office, turned around and pulled down her scrub pants AND her underwear to moon my boss and the DON, then stormed out to the employee lounge to clock out. Of course, management being concerned about making sure she left the building peacefully, followed her out, but she was cursing and screaming at any employee on the way who would listen, then she did another display of her behind before leaving out the back door. I heard she also almost ran over another employee as she was peeling out of the parking lot.

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@kiwi: (≧▽≦)
Oh, how wretched! I just don't understand how some people can be such animals; it's absolutely bewildering sometimes. There's this restaurant/bar review on yelp I read where some woman complained that she was double-charged for a drink. Well, the owner had to clap back and reminder that she was so intoxicated that she not only (a) did order several drinks, but also (b) shit herself in a booth and then proceeded to leave her shitty pants/underwear in the washroom. Whether this is true or not is up in the air, but honestly, I believe it after the stuff you see people do.

@Q t e a p o n: I never understood the people who try to make "public" spaces their own private rooms. Like the people who try to work on sensitive work in a busy cafe, or have sensory issues that decide to camp out in the entrance of a busy hall. I always think they just like to start messing, you know? (¬‿¬ )

It felt like Covid really enabled the people who are mal-adjusted. We had so many unhinged adults just throw tantrums both over Covid and following the re-opening. If you hadn't seen the videos, it was of this woman banging on and then proceeding to lick the glass door of a bar because she wasn't allowed in, that one woman screaming about her constitutional right to shop at Trader Joe's, etc., you get the picture. Don't you just wish that cashiers had a trap-door button on their registers? One boop, boop, boop and they could just open a trap door and an unruly customer just drops into a pit of expired coupons.

@Aisukohi: Whaaat is with people?! How embarrassing. (/▿＼ )
I love a good rage-quit story, but they're always so much more embarrassing than you initially think. No one just has a blow out and quits, they always try to destroy things or hurt other employees.

Aisukohi

Friend PM Trade

@blue: Some people just have no you-know-whats to give, which is baffling, since police can and will be involved in certain situations. We had another employee, 18 or 19 year-old server, that I have a story about. This was around the holidays last year, and a resident's family member was nice enough to buy this HUGE box of gourmet chocolates for all the staff to share. We took it to the employee lounge since that's where the time clock is, so all employees present would notice it. There also happens to be a security camera in there, and it's in plain sight if you just look at the ceiling.

This employee was leaving for the day one evening and goes to clock out, notices the chocolates on the table, takes a look over her shoulder, then proceeds to quickly grab the ENTIRE BOX and bolts out the door before she can be caught. We see through another camera in the main lobby that she left out the front door with something very large clearly hidden underneath her hoodie sweatshirt, and she gets into a waiting car and leaves.

She happened to be off the next day, so we decided to wait until the following day when she was working to confront her about it. We waited until service was over before calling her into my boss's office with her direct supervisor (Culinary Director) and myself. We showed her the footage and calmly asked her about it. She said, "Oh, that wasn't stealing. I was just playing a prank." Uhm, in WHAT world is taking something that's not yours NOT considered stealing? My boss corrected her and said that it was stealing, no matter how she tried to paint it (by the way, she claimed she ate some of the chocolate and threw the rest out the car door). Yet she STILL tried to argue that it wasn't stealing. To me, if it was a prank, she'd have acted like she was going to take it, but at least would have put it back, even partially, but she didn't, and admitted to throwing it out, which only adds insult to injury. Needless to say, we let her go that day, but not without telling her that we could have gotten police involved and pressed charges, but chose not to.

Goodbye, Voltra.
Feel free to add me on Discord: aisu9811

Forums General Chit-Chat Wildest Encounters: The Working Person's Edition

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