Very Unhelpful Advice

(I’m working in the produce department of a grocery store. The boss has the department organized into three stations. On this day, I’m working station one and the boss is working station two. The boss ducks out for a few minutes, and I see the work starting to pile up on station two. As it’s only my third day and I’m still eager to please, I start working on station two to reduce the backlog. When the boss comes back, I go to return to station one, and he stops me.)

Boss: “No. By all means. Keep going.”

(I keep working on station two, and I start to notice the work piling up on station one.)

Boss: “You’d better get back to station one.”

(I go back to station one, but rather than resume station two, the boss just keeps glaring at me. Once the work on station two gets backed up again, the boss orders me back to station two. I finally get the hint, and I spend the rest of my shift working both stations while the boss just stands around and glares at me. At closing time, as I’m punching out, the boss corners me and stabs his fingers into my chest.)

Boss: “I hope you learned your lesson today. If you think you’re so d*** good that you can run this entire department by yourself, I’ll make you do it. NEVER work another man’s station!”

(I did learn my lesson that day. No matter how backed up any of the other stations got, I never again lifted a finger to help!)