# Of All the Machine Shops In All The World **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 8, 2007, 9:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/of-all-the-machine-shops-in-all-the-world/414837 "2007-08-08T09:35:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2007, 9:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/of-all-the-machine-shops-in-all-the-world/414837/1 "2007-08-08T09:35:32Z")
Why the fuck does [Pete Puma](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=280593) have to walk into mine? After months of bouncing around from job to job, I finally manage to wind up back in a machine shop. Not just _any_ shop, either. I’d briefly worked in this one 2 years ago, and it was a _great_ place to work, but like an idiot I left there to go to a job that paid more money. A lot more. That job, however, _sucked._ (Important tip for all you folks entering the job market for the first time, if you get a job you like, _stay there!_ Do **not** take a job that appears to be shitty, no matter how much it pays!) Somehow, though, I got lucky enough that the shop was willing to rehire me. Today was my second day on the job and after I clocked in and was prepping my area, I happened to glance over at the time clock and spot Pete Puma punching out. He’s _not_ management, thankfully, and not only does he work a different shift than me, but also a different department. Still, I’m going to be watching my back, since he’ll be more than happy to stick a knife in my back, I’m sure. Christ. ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2007, 9:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/of-all-the-machine-shops-in-all-the-world/414837/2 "2007-08-08T09:41:37Z")
Just keep your glue handy. ---
**Author:** ![Booker57](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Booker57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Booker57)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2007, 9:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/of-all-the-machine-shops-in-all-the-world/414837/3 "2007-08-08T09:41:59Z")
Pre-emptive strike. Go to Management with concerns. Let them know what you learned about him at your last job together. Nothing snarky, plain talk. Good luck. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2007, 9:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/of-all-the-machine-shops-in-all-the-world/414837/4 "2007-08-08T09:54:10Z")
For you, bad. For us? Not so bad! ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2007, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/of-all-the-machine-shops-in-all-the-world/414837/5 "2007-08-08T14:43:33Z")
From hell’s heart, Pete Puma stabs at thee, ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2007, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/of-all-the-machine-shops-in-all-the-world/414837/6 "2007-08-08T15:04:34Z")
Heh. I sorta miss the Pete Puma threads. Do I miss them enough to wish Tuckerfan the personal hell of having to work with him? … Yeah, kinda. ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2007, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/of-all-the-machine-shops-in-all-the-world/414837/7 "2007-08-08T16:09:57Z")
**Athena** , you’re all heart. (Can I add my vote to yours?) **Tuckerfan** , sorry to see you with the workplace flashbacks. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2007, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/of-all-the-machine-shops-in-all-the-world/414837/8 "2007-08-08T16:53:17Z")
I just keep hearing that wheezy yokel laugh the cartoon charater had… ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2007, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/of-all-the-machine-shops-in-all-the-world/414837/9 "2007-08-08T17:43:43Z")
[QUOTE=Booker57] Pre-emptive strike. Go to Management with concerns. Let them know what you learned about him at your last job together. [/QUOTE] The first week? Oh hell no! Get yourself settled in **Tuckerfan** and take a couple of weeks to see where things stand for you and for him, and between the two of you. How long has he been working there? What do people think of him? (That can be accomplished by merely listening to others without asking questions or saying anything on your end.) If it looks like he’s got management thinking he’s WonderBoy, then you may be screwed, and going to them with past issues is going to make you look bad. But hopefully they already know what kind of person he is. If they know he’s a clown, then just wait for the eventual incident between the two of you. Then you have something to bring to your supervisor, and at that time you can bring up the past, playing the Big Heart card by saying that you were just hoping that all that shit was in the past, but PP is still an asshole. ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2007, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/of-all-the-machine-shops-in-all-the-world/414837/10 "2007-08-08T18:29:19Z")
[QUOTE=Chimera] If they know he’s a clown, then just wait for the eventual incident between the two of you. Then you have something to bring to your supervisor, and at that time you can bring up the past, playing the Big Heart card by saying that you were just hoping that all that shit was in the past, but PP is still an asshole. [/QUOTE] Or like many workplace nightmares, sometimes all that has to happen is for good men to do nothing while evil/PP falls flat on its face, breaks its nose, and bleeds all over the bosses new $200 shoes. ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2007, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/of-all-the-machine-shops-in-all-the-world/414837/11 "2007-08-08T19:24:19Z")
OTOH, PP no longer works at higher paying place. If he was the major reason the other place sucked, you might go back there and have _his_ old job… ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2007, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/of-all-the-machine-shops-in-all-the-world/414837/12 "2007-08-08T20:24:41Z")
[QUOTE=Projammer] OTOH, PP no longer works at higher paying place. If he was the major reason the other place sucked, you might go back there and have _his_ old job… [/QUOTE] The higher paying place was an entirely different job altogether, and there’s no way that I can go back to the job where I first encountered Pete. Seems they’re not too happy with me for reporting them to the Feds. . . ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2007, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/of-all-the-machine-shops-in-all-the-world/414837/13 "2007-08-08T20:28:04Z")
The way to do it is simply to say something like, “I used to work with him in my last company, he was my manager, the place went bust” “You should have seen the last place I worked at, it was run so bad it went down” “I left the last place just before it went down, I could see it coming” “They had some reall cool machines at the last place, pity they didn’t know how to use them, might not have gone down if they had” Oh there are a million and one ways to do it, and you never need mention his name once. If someone asks you about him, you say “I really don’t want to comment, it would not be very proffessional” “I think I should let you make your own mind up, I don’t want to look biased” A guy like him will soon upset some of the long established staff, by ‘knowing it all’. Anyway, you can’t live your life around him, get on with your own job and make that your own. If he makes good, then fine there isn’t much to be gained by hoping and watching him in the hope he screws up. ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2007, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/of-all-the-machine-shops-in-all-the-world/414837/14 "2007-08-08T20:28:43Z")
Jesus, **Tucker** - unbelievable… ---
**Author:** ![Hung\_Mung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@Hung\_Mung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hung_Mung)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2007, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/of-all-the-machine-shops-in-all-the-world/414837/15 "2007-08-08T23:01:37Z")
Classic thread. Loved those damned sound effects. Good luck, **Tuck**. Keep us up to date. ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2007, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/of-all-the-machine-shops-in-all-the-world/414837/16 "2007-08-09T00:24:13Z")
[QUOTE=Tuckerfan] The higher paying place was an entirely different job altogether, and there’s no way that I can go back to the job where I first encountered Pete. **Seems they’re not too happy with me for reporting them to the Feds. . .** [/QUOTE] (Bolding mine.) Hmm. Seems that this requires two responses. 1. Yep. You can probably consider that bridge burned. 2. You think were’re going to let _that_ comment pass? Give it up Tucker-boy, this can go down one of two ways. I’ll buy you a beer (or coffee) to wet yer whistle, or, I can tie you into the chair and put on the Best of Yoko Ono and Bjork CD and check on you in an hour or so. ---
**Author:** ![Telperien](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Telperien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperien)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2007, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/of-all-the-machine-shops-in-all-the-world/414837/17 "2007-08-09T01:01:26Z")
[QUOTE=Projammer] (Bolding mine.) Hmm. Seems that this requires two responses. 1. Yep. You can probably consider that bridge burned. 2. You think were’re going to let _that_ comment pass? Give it up Tucker-boy, this can go down one of two ways. I’ll buy you a beer (or coffee) to wet yer whistle, or, I can tie you into the chair and put on the Best of Yoko Ono and Bjork CD and check on you in an hour or so. [/QUOTE] Don’t do the latter part of #2. After all, if his brain and soul are destroyed, that’s going to keep him from telling us the story. ---
**Author:** ![Jurph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/50afbb/32.png) [@Jurph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jurph)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2007, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/of-all-the-machine-shops-in-all-the-world/414837/18 "2007-08-09T01:35:10Z")
[QUOTE=Projammer] … the Best of Yoko Ono … [/QUOTE] I thought John Cage had sued her for that release, claiming that it infringed on his groundbreaking recording “4:33”. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2007, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/of-all-the-machine-shops-in-all-the-world/414837/19 "2007-08-09T03:38:57Z")
That was the place faking gear for the troops, right? We never did hear the story on that, Tuck. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2007, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/of-all-the-machine-shops-in-all-the-world/414837/20 "2007-08-09T10:20:41Z")
**casdave** , thanks for the suggestions, but until I’m out of my 90 days, I intend to keep a _very_ lowprofile. Pete doesn’t know I work there, and I hope to keep it that way for as long as possible. I make sure to park as far away from his truck as I can, and in such a spot that he won’t notice my car in the lot. (It’s the _only_ one in town, so if he sees it, he’ll know _exactly_ who it belongs to). **EJsGirl** , ain’t it some shit? A buddy of mine from high school just emailed me and offered me a job making almost double what I’m making now, only problem is, if I took it, I’d have to move to Pennsylvania. He’d be a great boss, but I don’t like the thought of freezing my nuts off. **Projammer** , is _that_ all you got? I _like_ music like that! 😛 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/of-all-the-machine-shops-in-all-the-world/414837.md?page=2)