No, I'm not your supervisor, but fuck you anyway

The BBQ Pit
1

I got off of work an hour ago and I’m STILL pissed off.

Background: I work in the dishroom of the largest dining hall on the campus of a large public university. While there are a lot of things that we do, the first couple jobs in the dishwashing sequence are:

  1. Window - the person who sits by the window where people deliver their trays when they’re done eating. This person’s responsibility is to dump food waste into a bin, sort out glasses and different types of dishes, and stack said dishes and trays. The dishes then get slid across the table to…

  2. Bowl. Literally a big bowl sunken into the sheet-metal table top, with water jetted in at the side and a drain at the bottom that leads down to an industrial-strength food processor. The job here is to scrub most of the crap off of the plates and then stack them preparatory to running a dishwasher load. Usually there are two people on this job, one washing plates and another washing everything else.

So, why am I pissed? Picture this. It’s 6 PM. My shift is over, but I’m in window and there’s a big-ass line out there, so I can’t leave. I’m stressed out as fuck, cause I’m working as fast as I bloody well can, and it’s still backing up like crazy. People just keep shoving in trays covered in half-eaten food and dirty napkins, and I’m on the verge of going crazy. I want to GO HOME.

The next shift starts dribbling in. Yay! Enter the first one: a tall kid, relatively new, only been here two or three weeks. Seems nice enough, right? “Hey Joe!” I yell (not his real name), “want to take window?” It’s six o’clock, I want to get the fuck out of here. Now, bear in mind, window is one of the least desirable jobs here. Nonetheless, I was amazed when this jackass says “No!” Are you fucking kidding me? My shift is over, I asked you to take over, you’re saying no? What the fuck is your problem? I am AWARE that window is no fun - I wasn’t asking you to ENJOY it, I was asking you to DO it, because hello! -my shift is over! Instead, he takes over for the two kids in bowl, who leave, while I continue to stress out at window. So I work away, fuming in anger, for the next three minutes until the next person on that shift arrives. She, naturally, volunteers to take over at window, before I can ask. I like her - she’s mature, and a team player.

Now, this may not sound like a big deal, so let me explain. We must have someone on window at all times when it is busy enough for a line to form. Someone has to take trays out of the way so more can come in, and sort out the dishes, and all that fun stuff. On the other hand, we can survive for sometime without someone all bowl, until we run out of room on the table for stacks of dishes. What this means is that, by taking over at bowl, the kids doing that could go home. I had to stay. If he had done what I asked and taken over my job at window, all of us could have left, including me AND the kids at bowl. This isn’t hard to figure out.

That isn’t what pushed me over the top into pure, unadulterated fury, though. What did THAT was what he said when I came back to explain this to him (as nicely as possible). His response? “You’re not my supervisor, have a nice night anyway.”

The FUCK!? What the bleeding, goat-felching hell is your major malfunction, asshole? GOD FORBID that your work require you to perform a task that you don’t want to do, especially if doing so will let your tired, stressed-out co-workers get off-shift on time! You’re right - I’m not your supervisor. I’m not in charge of you. I can’t TELL you what to do, I can only ask, and I can’t do much about it when you refuse.

But just because you have the right to say “no,” doesn’t mean that you aren’t a super-huge dick for saying it.

And you are a super-huge dick for saying no.

So fuck you, buddy. Fuck you sideways with a chainsaw. Working with people, especially in a frenetic, high-stress environment like a food-service dishroom, means being a team player. Yeah, sometimes that means doing something you don’t want to do, like the shitty, stressful job that your co-worker has been doing for the last 45 minutes and wants to stop doing so he can go home. That’s life. You can say no, but that’s not being a team player, and that starts to piss people off. People like me.

So I want you to understand, very clearly, that when I say, “Go fuck yourself,” I am not ordering you to do it. It’s just a suggestion.

But you know what? Fucking do it.

Dick.

2

Do you get paid overtime for staying? If so, why not mention to your supervisor (who, I’d guess might want to limit overtime) just why you had to stay late. Tell him that you asked the person to take over at window, and he outright refused, (give all the details, but state them neutrally) so you couldn’t go home and that’s why you’ve got overtime.

3

Wow. That’s a lot of anger you worked up between 6:00 and 6:03.

4

Do I read this correctly? Asshole comes in, refuses your request, you got relieved three minutes later and are still pissed off an hour later? damn.

Yes, the guy was a jerk.
There will always be jerks.
you, on the other hand, only have a finite amount of life (as we all so). you’ve managed to give this asshole yet another hour of your life fuming about 3 minutes.

life’s too short to let the assholes win.

5

Well, it was already a bit past six when he came in. But still - I was angry out of proportion to how big a deal the issue was, largely because things were backing up and I was stressed-out and working as hard as I could. Because it wasn’t actually a big deal, Zabali_Clawbane, no need to bring it to a supervisor. I punched out at 6:09, I should get paid for those extra 9 minutes :rolleyes:.

And, erm, I have no defense, wring. For some reason, it’s little things like this that piss me off the most, sometimes. I think it’s precisely because it’s not a big deal - what on earth would have been so hard about saying yes and saving me some time? It’s so easy to do the right thing, why not do it?

This job gives me lots of opportunities to get mad for that reason, it’s just that usually it’s the customers acting like douchebags that get under my skin.

6

I would not judge that ‘jerk’ unless you knew his side. Perhaps he has done window for the last 9 days and had enough of it for a bit, perhaps that shift has a unwritten rule that the early bird gets to pick their job.

7

Ok, I missed the timespan. I thought you were there for 20-30 minutes extra.

8

You’re kidding right?

If you’re not, it is not possible that either of these theories is the case. You’re going to have to trust me on that. Even if it were - neither is an excuse.

I’ve admitted that it wasn’t a big deal, but the guy still had no good reason to say no.

9

NO! but I don’t know your or thier situation.

Ok, I have to trust you that these are not the case, but perhaps another option that I didn’t mention might play a factor, even a disability.

If the late shift had agreed on who does what, I not only see is as an excuse, but the standard operating procedure.

10

Next time it happens, just stop working the window. Your shift is done, your replacement is there, if the jerk doesn’t jump on the window post right away, it’s his ass that’s on the line, not yours. Don’t make it a request next time; just say, “Good, your here, I’m gone,” and walk away.

11

I second Miller’s sentiments, if your boss is the type who’d assign the blame to the person who refused to work the windows, not you.

12

I agree.

The day I stopped stressing so much at one of my last jobs was the day I stopped taking on the burden that belongs to other people. Yes, things will get backed up. But it’s no longer your responsibility.
Yes, I even cared very much about the company I worked for. If they tanked, I was shit out of luck. However, it took me a long time to realise this - if they look bad, it’s not my fault. As long as I did my job properly, I had nothing more to worry about. I stopped picking up other people’s slack, from other shifts and sometimes even my own, and what happened? Those people I used to pick up after were warned, warned again, warned one more time… then fired.

And I was known for having a strong work ethic by my supervisors. They knew what was going wrong, once I stopped covering for everyone. New people were hired, and things ran smoother than before.

13

Jesus fucking Christ. If this is the highest stress you experience in your job during life, consider yourself lucky. Fuck, this gowing sense of “The world must make me happy every minute of my life” entitlement mentality is pissing me off to the point I can hardly comprehend it anymore.

Look, I know you were stressed. I assume you’re in college but you never stated so. If that’s the case, could you tell us what in life is stressing you so much you can’t handle a few extra minutes working as a pre-wash dishwasher? Do you have a mortgage you’re falling behind on? Are you caring for a chronically sick child? Are you facing prison time because the collection agent just wouldn’t beleive your threats of violence if they ever called you again? Those would be three things off the top of my head that would stress me over an extra few minutes.

I’m just voyeuristicly curious about what could cause this much stress.

14

and late for work.

I can understand that loads of work can overwhelm you and stress you out, but you’re just washing dishes. There isn’t exactly a lot of money, or jobs, or anybody’s health and welfare riding on your performance. Perspective can relieve you of stress here.

15

To everyone who thinks working a college dishroom doesn’t involve stress: well, I was going to say a hearty “Fuck you”, but I’ll content myself with advising you that you are mistaken.

I used to work what Grelby refers to as “bowl” in the cafeteria at Haven Hall at Syracuse University around 1979 - 1982 or so (not exactly sure as I did switch to security at one point). We didn’t have the exact job Grelby refers to, but without explaining the way our dishline was set up, let me say that there is ASTONISHING amounts of stress involved in having hundreds of college students (many with their own little senses of humor about smearing pounds of peanut butter onto their trays and gluing all their plates and utensis down, or spitting on the trays) throwing trays full of food, plates, silver and glassware at you (or, in our case, onto an conveyor belt at you.) There are myriad opportunities to observe cretins who send broken glasses and even fireworks down the line. It’s like an I Love Lucy sketch from HELL, and when you want to leave, believe me, you want to LEAVE.

However – Grelby, count me with the people who would like to see you put this in your supervisor’s hands. You can’t control people and you don’t need the grief. Keep it up as you are, and the day will come when you throw a hairy shitfit on one of your co-workers due to your pent up resentments, and your bosses will have to reprimand YOU for your behavior.

16

Switch to decaf.

If 9 minutes is going to upset you for an hour, to the point where you post a pit thread about it, you’re clearly getting too much stimulation.

Also, please note that I haven’t said your job is easy. But it is your job, and having to do it for 9 minutes extra because your female co-worker was late is lame - as far as I’m concerned if new guy gets there on time, he should get to choose his spot, and if girl is gonna be late, she should get the shitty job. You need to suck it up.

17

Like others have said, it’s all perspective. You mention that lots of things are pissing you off, Grelby. I understand that - I also understand that it is within your control to not let them piss you off (I’m still working on this, myself.) Look at it this way; you can work in a dishroom and be annoyed and upset all the time, or you can just work in a dishroom. Your choice.

18

I’m going to side with Grelby, and not just because I worked in my college’s cafeteria, too. There are some jobs which are, simply, lousy jobs. They’re tedious, boring, and, if they involve dealing with the public, that can make it worse. In some ways, the fact that they’re doing nothing important in the grand scheme of things can make the frustration worse – if it were important, you might be able to get some sort of pride out of it, but shoving dishes around and catching grief from other students who think they’re being funny isn’t exactly something you can take a whole lot of pride in.

The other thing is, a bald refusal to a legitimate request can shock and sting. I’ve spent long hours on boring jobs and found myself waiting for the end of my shift so I can hand off to someone and simply go home. To see that person come in, see an end to tired feet and aching shoulders appear and then be told “No, you’re stuck doing this for some indefinite period of time” is the last thing you want to hear. Nobody likes doing scut work, and I don’t blame people for not wanting to do it. Unfortunately, scut work has to be done by someone and there are times when the worst job is the most necessary.

Sorry it happened, Grelby.
CJ

19

You mean there are people who actually do things that are self serving and don’t care about others? :eek:

Obviously Joe didn’t want that position for his shift and decided to do what was best for Joe instead of what was best for you. He probably thought that it would only be a minute or two before the next person showed up and was no big deal. He may have even thought it that since he got there first it was his option to choose which job he wanted and what he did was perfectly fair. I’ve noticed a tendency lately for people to be wandering in a few minutes late. What’s up with that? Was he considerate? Nope. It’s unfortunate but it will happen throughout life. Learn to deal.
Don’t let his bad attititude turn into a bad attitude for you too. Consider it a minor challenge. You might pay attention to those times when you are tempted to be inconsiderate and self serving. Decide how you will deal with those situations and stand by your decision. You’ve had several good suggestions in here. I like the Millers.

20

9 minutes can be like forever when you’ve been glancing at the clock twice a minute for the past 45 minutes, wondering when it will finally tick over to 6:00 so that your replacement will come on board and you can finally get out of that hellhole. Particularly when the reason you had to stay the extra 9 minutes isn’t even because your replacement was late, but because he actually showed up but refused to take over. I can fully understand Grelby’s rage.

That being said, I agree with everyone telling Grelby to make it Joe Jackass’s problem, by simply picking up and leaving when shift is over and Joe shows up. “Bye. You’re on window today. See ya tomorrow.”

I worked at McDonald’s for two summers, fyi. It was craptastic, but this cafeteria stuff sounds worse.