For as long as I can remember, employees have not been allowed a drink on the factory floor. Sure, you can have a drink in the break rooms, and you can go grab a drink if it is really hot. But no drinks at the workstation! I’ve never really questioned it; it is the rule and you get told off if you don’t follow it. It is easier to comply than it is to go out of your way to break the rules.

This summer is hot — unbearably hot. The company dishes out coffee mugs with screw-on lids. The rule is: use this cup or no drinks! Again, not a problem. I, like many, fill mine with water and use it as I work.

It is about this time that [Coworker] starts. [Coworker] is one of those guys whose motto is, “You can’t tell me what to do.” He seems to pick something totally arbitrary or just plain annoying to rally against, and once it is in his head he won’t put it down. It’s a shame because he does get on with his work, when he feels like it.

It seems that [Coworker] doesn’t like to use the mugs and will bring bottles of drink in. He was told off a few times, so he hides the bottles. Someone points this out to a leader, so [Coworker] gets extremely passive-aggressive and keeps bringing in drinks anyway.

A few months go on and the spectacle of [Coworker] and his drinks becomes a bit boring. I am only aware that it is an issue when they call the entire shop floor together about a recent “issue.”

Leader: “Someone spilt a bottle of cola over a handmade, custom car interior. Not only do we have to scrap this, but it was already late. And it was a replacement for one already sent wrong. The customer is not going to be happy!

General muttering and swearing goes around the crowd and [Coworker]’s name is mentioned several times.

Another Coworker: “Does this mean we are going to lose our drinks?”

There’s more swearing and general cursing of [Coworker].

Leader: “Now, now… No, you will not be losing your drinks. The matter has been solved another way. But please continue to use the provided non-spill cups.”

I looked around and realised that I hadn’t seen [Coworker] for a few days. It looks like his attitude of not being told what to do got him told to go home and not to come back.

I’m shopping for a different car. I don’t have much money and I do a lot of miles. It’s not easy, but I find a car that is known for reliability even at higher miles. I focus on finding examples for this type of car and go around the showrooms.

I find a local place that has one for a good price, but immediately, I notice odd things.

Me: “The clutch is very heavy.”

Salesman: “Yeah, that’s normal.”

Me: “I noticed that there were a lot of panel gaps on the outside.”

Salesman: “Yeah, these cars are built well, but they are used, after all, and can move.”

Me: “And it’s fully serviced before sale.”

Salesman: “Yeah, this one has just had a service in-house, no issues or concerns. So shall we talk finance?”

I smiled and walked away, I could tell he was lying through his teeth. No clutch should be so hard to push that it is difficult to drive and no car that new magically has panel gaps without already being in an accident.

I feel bad for anyone who just doesn’t know cars, that these guys are allowed to openly lie. I ended up giving them a scathing review; without evidence, it’s the best I can do.

I’m a shift lead in the checkouts department, and I’m stood by the self-scan machines sorting out the breaks. To some customers, it looks like I’m not doing anything, but after being at work for an hour, this is the first time I’ve managed to stop and look at the rota properly. If my colleagues don’t have their breaks at the right times, it can affect how many colleagues I have on each bit of checkouts, so it’s important I sort the breaks right now.

A lady on the closest self-scan, which also happens to be the farthest one from the self-scan colleague, starts to try and get my attention. I quickly tell her that my colleague will be with her in a moment. I don’t like to ignore customers but I’m in the middle of counting colleagues and the self-scan colleague is on his way, ten seconds from the customer.

Suddenly, a different customer steps in front of him and asks for his help. The self-scan customer glares at me, so I just decide to help her quickly.

I fix her self-scan issue and start to walk away.

Customer: “Oh, wait. This stuff in the trolley still needs scanning apart from the eggs.”

The lady goes to bag some items and doesn’t say anything else.

Me: “I’m sorry, do you want me to scan your items through? This is a self-scan machine.”

Customer: “Well, it’s not many items, is it?!”

I decide to just strain a grin at her and quickly scan her items so she can’t interrupt me again. I’m a bit annoyed that she hasn’t had the decency to say, “Please,” and has just assumed I’ll do it.

I come to a pack of peppers and notice that one is split and squishy and therefore going “off”. I go to tell the lady that she can grab another on her way out or that I could go grab one quickly, but she cuts me off before I can say anything.

Customer: “Are you finished yet? I’m in a hurry!”

I kept my mouth shut, gave her the peppers to put in the bag, and went back to my break planning. She paid and left.

I get that if you’re in a hurry, then an employee can help. However, if you assume I’ll help you after picking a self-service machine and don’t even say, “Please,” and, “Thank you,” I’m not going out of my way to help you.

I normally work in the office, but today I’m spending the day on the factory floor. It is in the middle of a heatwave, and I’m certainly missing the air-conditioning, but I have a job to do.

About mid-morning, someone wheels in a couple of pallets of bottled water and encourages everyone to take one if needed.

I let the crowd grab theirs and then grab one myself and try to go back to what I was doing.

Worker: “Hey, they’re not for you.”

Me: “Water has been provided for everyone working on the shop floor.”

Worker: “But you work in the office; I’ve seen you.”

Me: “But, as you might be able to tell, I am currently working on the shop floor and feel the heat just like you do.”

Worker: “I’m not having this.”

He stomps off towards the production manager, who walks over to me. The production manager is a massive man, broad and tall. He is an intimidating figure, but luckily, he is a reasonable guy.

Production Manager: “What’s the problem?”

Me: “Oh, nothing. [Worker] over there thinks I don’t sweat.”

Production Manager: “Oh, you’re doing that timing thing today, ain’t you?”

Me: “Yeah, should be done before quitting time.”

Production Manager: “Bloody [Worker] told me you were taking all the water to the office. I will deal with him.”

He walked off. The whole shop floor could hear his booming voice shouting after [Worker]. It was funny to see someone who had been so aggressive just moments before sniveling and caught out in a lie. 

[Worker] didn’t bother me afterward, and I thoroughly enjoyed my drink of water.

A woman just joined the company, and she’s started coming out with these wild stories; many of them just don’t make sense. But if I try to clarify what she says, the other guys jump to her defence. Honestly, it is a little pathetic. She clearly likes the attention but doesn’t seem interested in anything more, and the guys all want to be the one that “got the girl.”

But it is doing no harm, so I tune them all out. I do notice that all the stories seem to be more about her being the victim — being followed home, weird phone calls, everywhere she goes she has these issues. Of course, the guys at work love this; they can be the big, chest-beating alphas, protecting the weak female.

Then, this worker starts to make comments about customers, ones that have never hinted at this behaviour before. Then, she makes a big mistake.

New Worker: “Ugh, that guy was such a perv.”

Me: “What? [Customer]?”

New Worker: “Eyeing me up, making all sorts of comments about what he would do to me.”

Me: “Are you sure? Really? [Customer]?”

Male Coworker: “Oh, man, that guy is going to get it. Don’t you worry; if he comes back here, I will sort him out.”

New Worker: “Oh, thanks, babe. He was well out of order.”

Me: “[Customer] is gay.”

Male Coworker: “What? But—”

Me: “You met his husband last month.”

Male Coworker: “Oh, yeah, the guy with the old Jag.”

There was the longest of pauses. We just looked at her and she silently walked away. She was on last chances after that. No more attention-grabbing stories, no more hanging around with the guys instead of working. She lasted three more months before moving on.