Bureaucrats. Idiots.
We finished checking all the boxes. Then I suggested that I go upstairs and photocopy all the pages.
"No!" Primo said. "You won't do it right!"
"How can I not make photocopies right?"
"There's a bunch of stuff on my desk and I don't want you touching it!" he said.
"Fine," I said. "You do it."
At least he didn't say he was worried I wouldn't know how to operate the copier. When I was working at the World Bank as a temp secretary, one head secretary and I had this conversation. This was when I was in the same group where the secretary I was replacing had dozens of porn sites bookmarked on her internet.
Head secretary: I need you to send a fax.
Me [reaching for the paper]: OK.
HS [snatching paper away from me]: When you send the fax, you need to wait for the FAX CONFIRMATION NOTICE.
Me: Yeah. OK.
HS: You have to look at the FAX CONFIRMATION NOTICE.
Me [reaching for the paper]: Yes. I know.
HS [holding paper away from me]: If the FAX CONFIRMATION NOTICE doesn't say "OK," you have to RE-SEND THE FAX.
Me: I know! I know!
HS: Because that means the fax DID NOT GO THROUGH.
Me: Yes. I know. You must be used to working with really stupid people.
Years ago I worked for "a major copy machine company" in D.C. where the Executive Office Building was part of my territory. There .... the secretaries were way too important to make copies, so all my "key operators" were Colonels - yep, military men of fairly high rank. They were good at copies and treated me well, but I have always wondered about the secretaries. maybe they were actually too stupid.
ReplyDeleteWebb, I am pretty sure that World Bank secretaries earn more than a colonel does, so your employer was just being efficient.
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