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Tell us about an unusual experience you had at work.

Posted - March 27, 2017

Responses


  • 16829
    Working in a call centre (inbound help desk) - had a threatened suicide call in. Signalled a colleague to call the cops, kept the caller talking and coaxed her address out of her, then kept her talking until police and the paramedics arrived.
      March 27, 2017 5:17 AM MDT
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  • That was exceptional, S. Something to be proud of.
    I gotta say, I much prefer your flag to the standard with the Union Jack in the corner. This post was edited by Benedict Arnold at March 27, 2017 5:12 PM MDT
      March 27, 2017 12:50 PM MDT
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  • I love that, Startibartfast.
      March 27, 2017 5:09 PM MDT
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  • While working for Enterprise RAC, we had a brand new Buick Lacrosse rented out. The renters ended up commiting a crime and were arrested. The Buick was placed in an impound lot. I went to pick the vehicle up but, come to find out, the two who rented it, got out on bail, broke into the impound lot, and stole the Buick back. They then committed another crime with the car then set it on fire before the police could catch them. I was sent out a second time to case the impound lot looking for anything Enterprise could use to sue them for losing our car. I was sent out a third time to retrieve the plates for the car at the body shop. That car was a burned out mess! This post was edited by Benedict Arnold at March 27, 2017 6:07 PM MDT
      March 27, 2017 5:49 AM MDT
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  • Now THAT is unusual. It doesn't say a lot for the intelligence of the two crims or the attitude of the people controlling the impound lot that it could happen.
      March 27, 2017 12:53 PM MDT
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  • That impound lot was as run down and as red neck as you can imagine!
      March 27, 2017 5:19 PM MDT
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  • 739
    When I was studying multimedia and working part time for BfP, Trevor was showing people how to make tunable didgeridoos in the car park. He then proceeded to play them at the bottom of the stairwell. The lady from the Federation of Builders upstairs came down and asked to see David (the manager). I told her "he isn't in today," so she asked to see his wife (the other manager). I said "she's in a meeting." The lady said, "well, when she comes out, can you ask her to come up and see me." When Margo came out of the meeting, I conveyed the message. She said, "well, you can guess what that's about." I said "loud didgeridoo playing." Trevor said, "do you really think so?" He had never even thought about it!
      March 27, 2017 8:45 AM MDT
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  • Tunable didgeridoos?
    Trevor sounds like an interesting and unique person!
      March 27, 2017 11:26 AM MDT
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  • I gotta confess that tunable didges are a new idea. I guess they could have finger holes like a tin whistle but this is the first time I've ever heard of them. I guess it would reverberate up that stairwell.

    The guy who tried to teach me to play one gave up. He said it sounded as though I was playing it through another part of my body. :(
      March 27, 2017 12:59 PM MDT
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  • 16829
    Circular breathing is hard to do. A Nunga friend of mine tried to teach me, in the end he said "You too much whitefella, brother". Fair enough, I only had one native Australian ancestor so I'm 31/32nds European.
      March 28, 2017 1:08 AM MDT
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  • 739
    Trevor's tunable didgeridoos involve using two lengths of pipe, so you can shorten or lengthen it, similar to the slide of a trombone, thus varying the pitch.
      March 31, 2017 6:36 AM MDT
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  • 19937
    Last Thursday, I had work to do and didn't have a chance to look at this site until almost the end of the day.  Highly unusual.
      March 27, 2017 9:19 AM MDT
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  • That's OK, Spunky. Just make sure it doesn't become a habit. ;-)
      March 27, 2017 1:00 PM MDT
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  • When I was instructor in the School of Cytology (cancer tests) at the University of Washington, I decided that right-brain awareness was important. 

    So, for perhaps an hour each week, I would bring wine and beautiful music while students studied the cells through their microscope. Also, we took field trips to places like the conservatory at Seattle's Volunteer Park, on the idea of Wilhelm Reich and his cosmic orgone, plants bringing in cosmic energy to infuse us, or something like that.

    Not sure whether it improved student performance, but it was fun!
    (...even when the prestigious head of pathology dept. looked in with a furrow in his brow...)
      March 27, 2017 11:33 AM MDT
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  • I can imagine that furrowed brow. :)
    But what a great idea. 

    When Mrs Didge was a little girl she was sent to live with an uncle for almost a year. It was a big country town and her teacher often took his class out into the playground and gave the lessons there, often bringing the immediate environment into his lessons. Tjhat was almost 70 years ago and she still mentions him from time to time. It made a big impact on her. (It's the sort of thing I could imagine Rathkeale doing.)
      March 27, 2017 1:03 PM MDT
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  • THAT is so lovely, hurrah for that teacher, impressed your wife so much of her life.
      March 27, 2017 1:07 PM MDT
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  • 496
    When I was young, I had a job that believed in the happiness of its workers. Yep, that in itself is unusual, but they were extra.  We had biannual retreat days that were paid. One retreat day subject was "Relaxation". So, we drank alcohol, had massages, and had instruction on meditation. We also had a catered lunch. I mentioned I was young, because after that job I was unhappy to find out that ALL jobs were not that way. 
      March 27, 2017 2:06 PM MDT
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  • Remarkable insight by the proprietors. The closest I ever came was one of the Japanese companies I worked for which arranged for us all to go out for lunch together a couple of times a year. It was appreciated.
      March 27, 2017 5:46 PM MDT
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  • 496
    They also believed in my future. They would pay for my education. As part of my contract, I received an annual stipend. To be spent on either furthering my education, or on workshops pertaining to my job. The lessons I learned from there have carried me through life, the good and the bad. 
      March 27, 2017 7:01 PM MDT
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  • A very advanced company!
      March 27, 2017 7:09 PM MDT
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  • 5808
    had a roof FULL of  water.
    tried from above to unblock the drain with no luck.
    so...went underneath and opened up the pipes
    like a BIG DUMMY, poked a stick up the drain while on a 30 foot ladder.    
         All of a sudden, it opened up with thousands of gallons of water
    coming down on my head. Almost knocked me off of the ladder,
    there was no escape, I held on for dear life as it was coming down,
    until it all emptied out...
    Soaking wet? LOLOL to say the least.
    ...Really don't think I will ever do that again. Yikes.
         The people down on the sidewalk were laughing their "ashes" off

    This post was edited by Baba at March 27, 2017 7:15 PM MDT
      March 27, 2017 4:44 PM MDT
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  • 23647
    Mine is a bit similar to yours but mine didn't last so long as yours!
    :)
      March 27, 2017 5:15 PM MDT
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  • Never mind the people on the sidewalk. I was laughing pretty hard here, too. You painted a very visible scenario. :)
      March 27, 2017 5:47 PM MDT
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  • 23647
    I was a seasonal worker for the city sewer department. Because I was the smallest guy on the crew, I often got sent down the manholes. In a relatively deep one I was bent over at the bottom of the hole working. And a private sewer line from someone's house jutted in to the manhole at the top of the manhole.

    Someone in the house flushed their toilet and I received the entire slosh slopped on my head and back. Complete with wet blue toilet paper.
    :) This post was edited by WelbyQuentin at March 27, 2017 8:03 PM MDT
      March 27, 2017 5:20 PM MDT
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