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On the second day of my new job I parked in the back row of the parking lot thinking that I was in a free parking space that no one would want. Well I was wrong, because this woman comes through the parking lot going the wrong way and pulled up behind where I had parked. She stopped and stared at me like she was going to jump on me, she then rolled down her window and yelled at me "you're in MY parking spot!"
This took me by surprise, but I calmly said "wait a minute and I'll go park somewhere else..." However she wasn't listening by then, she just pulled in and parked on the other side of a car next to me. So I just pulled back into the space where I'd been and turned off my engine.
I thought to myself, 'either she's just testing me or she has just had a little tantrum.' I decided to nip this "crap" in the bud there and then, so I got out of my pickup and asked a guy who had just pulled up next to me "Does everybody here have a special parking space?" He replied "no, but some of them like to park in the same place every day, it's just one of their 'things'".
I said "Well I don't care where I park, but I'm not about to put up with being bullied by a complete stranger over something so trivial as a parking space!" The woman in question overheard me saying "I'm not going to be bullied and she wouldn't get out of her car until I went up to the building where the other workers were waiting to go in.
By this time, I was starting to consider that I didn't really want to work in a place where this kind of nonsense goes on every day.
With over 200 people working there the parking lot was always half empty, how the hell would I know where everybody's secret parking spot was? I asked my supervisor about it and as it happens woman from the parking lot overheard me complaining about her. As she went past she said "Oh, it's not important, it's really not important I didn't say any more, but I should have asked her at the time in front of the supervisor "Why did you have a little tantrum in the car park then if its not important?"
I have discovered since that this same woman is a bit of a busybody and a real pain. Although we are supposed to do our job quietly without talking, this person is loud and obnoxious. She talks loud, yells out and generally wants to be the "princess" and "darling" to all the men walking through the department. She somehow never gets reprimanded by our manager for talking, whilst the rest of us will always get a warning the moment we open our mouths to speak.
She won't mind her own business and will often come over to your work station causing a commotion. She questions everyone about whether they are doing the job right even though she has no title or authority herself.
Then there is the endless hip-hop music and she hollers real loud "my song, my song..." This stupid song is played on a continuous loop...
The supervisor and at least one other worker think I'm horrible because I won't put up with her crap. I only told this person one time after that to get off my back" and the other women treat me like I am some sort of monster.
I was raised to be polite and nice and I normally am 'happy go lucky', but this woman is so obnoxious that I just want her to stay away from me, I don't have any violent feelings toward her. I just want her to bother someone else.
Everything she does and says is so "out there" and if I let my guard down she'll be using me for a "foot stool". This group of women is so weird, they are 'cliquish' and you aren't welcome to join their conversations unless they ask you a question, and then they expect you to answer and just 'go away'.
I'm not intimidated or jealous; I'd really just rather be left alone. I have tons of friends and great family so I don't need their attention and I am in no mood to play their stupid hen pecking party game. They are wary of me because they know that if they go too far, I'll let them know. It's as if they are astonished that I don't need their approval. This place reminds me a whole lot of first grade recess.
I am so over snobby little girls, I want them to leave me alone and let me do my work and GO HOME. I now tend to be short with these people and the only thing that bothers me is what the Heavenly Father thinks of how I deal with these people. I know that I have not been 'charitable' with them regarding their behaviour.
This incident is really minor; however it is the reaction of people who seem to think I am terrible for defending myself that has caused the workplace atmosphere to be glum. I am not someone to fear and I can't help but liken this woman to a dog who hikes its leg and marks it's "territory". Is her need for territorial ownership of a public parking area is more 'Neanderthal' or 'animal' than me defending myself?
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THEN WIPE DOG POO ON HER DOOR HANDLES,
Punto, watch your back! There's an end to the milkround.
Well done for reading this months copy of PC Pro, yes VPN and Remote desktop are truly great inventions however they require a great amount of infastructure and resources to set up. Not all areas of the Uk have access to the resources (as in the have no internet connection in their area). It would initally run into millions to get this up and running (which if course the tax payer would have to foot the bill, and current budget restraints would not allow it) and at the present time is not practical. I can see your point that you insist on making (even though this grip was originally about something completely different) however it is just not possible for everyone to adopt this green work place ethic. Maybe if you feel so passionatley about it you should lobby your local MP. As for me Im earning a living supporting my family and and dealing with lifes hassles like everyone else. Face it your argument is a sound one but its just not going to happen. Why dont you worry about something worth while rather than how I get to work and the troubles I have parking my car. (the orignal gripe)
I doubt you will, I expect you to write a reply to this in which you tell me how I should do my job or that it will be offshored to india or some other ill informed interpretaion of something you read on the internet or in a magazine.
So Car Crusher to sum up in the words of Catherine Tate "am I Bovered?"
Your probably a last word freak anyway....I look forward to your usual ramblings
Ever heard of VPN and Remote Desktop?
The basic setup for a user's machine can be furnished once, the rest they can download.
If the Government's software doesn't do this, what decade do they imagine they are living in? They still think in terms of what they had to do 25 years ago.
Printers/Faxes can all be handled by a Fulfillment Centre.
You're still on the milkround, bottle-boy. Maybe they should buy you a horse.
So if all the users worked from home I would then have to go to each bloody persons house every time something needs relpacing or setting up! It would mean they would need to employ more people to do my job which would result in more people travelling around the country with their cars/bikes stinking up the place. Rather than having all the IT equipment and users in one place so I only need to make one journey. Get real, your arguments are so good and right on arent they? So why arent we already doing this then you idiot? shall I tell you? Because it would cost too much, the tax payer would have to foot the bill. Oh and the lack of network resources available to actually set it up! Remember the Gripe, car parking tantrums at work?
So you dont work and dont have a car, so whats your point then?
Why aren't these people working from home?
Why isn't the Government buying more reliable computers, and getting rid of maintenance costs?
Or do you fix major servers? Unix boxes/mainframes etc..
The size of all these machines has reduced 20 fold in the last 20 years.
When the Government decided to place its services in remote regions of the Home and adjacent counties 25 years ago, it was because Computer Centres required large airconditioned buildings. They don't anymore. The times they have changed. The Servers could be in Timbuctoo, or Bangalore, or Hyderabad, and in small buildings. Or anywhere in fact, accessible by people who can use light personal or public transport.
Mr Punto, you and your work is obsolete. It costs more to keep you than the computer is worth. And I am including your dirty environmental costs.
I fix broken IT kit on site, so how could I work from home! Your argument is therfore invalid.
You are sad individual determined to prove your argument is right no matter what!
Remember what the original gripe was?
Car parking tantrums at work!
1. Is 65% of your work performed on a computer?
2. Could 65% of your work be performed on a computer?
If your answer was yes to either of these questions, in the long run you will probably lose your job to an offshore centre.
In the meantime you could theoretically work 3 days a week at home, remotely. Government departments included. The Government, whatever colour, will be looking for ways to cut spending, especially in the Civil Service. Getting some or the majority of their staff working from home may be key to this saving.
You are a fool if you think I can persuade the GOVERNMENT (I am a civil servant) to change their working conditions to suit me. Do you even have a job or is it just being a Full time prat?
GET REAL! You are some kind of idiot. Do you really think that if we all use the bus the prices will go down? Do you really think that they will lay on more services to rural areas? No they won't. They will pack us in like cattle and charge the same then announce record profits the next year.
Be serious for gods sake.
Yes there are many people that over rely on their cars but there are a great deal of people that cannot get to work without them.
I know the "employers" out there are saying, "Yeah, but how can we make sure you are working and not skiving off..." Well - can how do you know we're working in the office unless you are watching our screen every minute of the day. The simple answer is productivity. If you see results, rest assured they are working, and if not then the privileges (such as working at home) can easily be revoked along with a lack of pay rise etc. etc.
Many companies still haven't seen the light when it comes to the benefits of home working, but maybe one day they will.
Mr Hicks