Best example of 'jobsworth' ever

[DuckyMcDuck]

Wanted to buy some vitamins (not stock piling but cos I've run out!)

Boots have a 3 for 2 deal so take my 3 to the counter where I'm told there is a limit of 2 packs per person because of panic buying! Even when I explained and showed her the deal, she wouldn't sell them to me

What made me really laugh was when she said I was the third person who'd "tried this trick today"

So I took my illicit stash to another till and bought them there.

Madness, I tell you, madness

I wanted to buy 2.6m of fabric today. The shop had one of those massive tables with a measuring tape built in along the side in cm intervals, possible showing mm too. I am told that they are only allowed to sell it in whole or half metre lengths as otherwise customers might complain that they got the measurement wrong. I asked how they were so certain that they always got the .5 or whole metre lengths spot on but could my manage a .6 or a .8 or whatever.
I said I was happy to pay for 3m if she could cut that off and then cut off the 40cm excess. That wasn't allowed. I asked that, if there was such a high expectation that a mistake would be made, could she "accidentally" cut off 2.6m rather than 2.5m but, again, that wasn't allowed.
We went elsewhere in the end!

I went to America in 2017 tried a chicken place where you sat down inside ( quite informal) I asked for half a larger shandy as it was really hot ( Memphis in August) I was refused because I had no ID on me... I was 55 at the time 🙄

They are not jobs worth's. They are following rules set to prevent stockpiling which deprives more vulnerable customers. I reckon you were being a bit smug and selfish.

When I was pregnant with ds (in 2017) I went with a friend to a bar for lunch. I went to the bar and ordered a wine for her and a soft drink for me. Refused service. Apparently bar staff aren’t legally allowed to serve pregnant ladies. I challenged them on this and asked them to show me the actual bit of the law where it says that.

I know that drinking in oregnancy is frowned upon. But I wasn’t even drinking.

I was carded in America. I was probably 40 at the time and looked it. The guy said it was because he didn’t know me. It was a big town, does he know everyone that lives there?

This is probably me being a twat: I occasionally have an eye infection, probably a personal quirk of my eyes, I don’t know. Anyhow, chlorophenicol fixes it. I was honest with the pharmacist and told him I’d had the infection for more than 3 days. He refused to give me chlorophenicol and told me to go to the GP. So frustrating! I know it’s his job, but I knew it would resolve the issue.

Why couldn't you cut down the fabric yourself? It's standard that it's sold in full metres or yards and I can understand the assistant not wanting to do it for you. The reason being that otherwise the retailer can be left with remnants that are no use to anybody. Having some extra is no bad thing. Sounds as though it just wasn't explained to you clearly.

At the cinema I asked them to sell me a coffee. They said they couldn't because their coffee machine was broken.

I had some time to kill, and really wanted that coffee, so I went next door to Starbucks and got one there.

Came back and they refused to let me take it in to the cinema because I'd be undermining their own coffee sales.

I said fine, I'd like to buy a coffee from them. They said their coffee machine was broken.

I asked to speak to the owner/manager.

She agreed I wouldn't be undermining their coffee sales, but said it might contain allergens.

I asked what kind of allergens might be in a filter coffee with half and half and one splenda from Starbucks that would not be in a filter coffee with half and half and one splenda from the cinema.

She thought about it for about a minute, then decided she could let me in with my coffee.

The crowd behind me cheered.

I did think she was a bit of a jobsworth to take the trouble to change the date stamp to the Wednesday date, stamp mine and then change it back again to the Tuesday date and carry on stamping the rest!

How many times do you think theyd heard that excuse? Presumably you lost a percentage or a grade point per day late?

My uni didnt accept late dissertations at all and had a no extension policy even in extreme circumstances. It has changed now, but I remember listening to my dad argue with the head of department on the phone from my hospital room while I was half way through a bone marrow transplant. I desperately wanted to get back to uni, but was told if I relapsed and couldnt submit I wouldnt pass my honours year because no extensions could be granted. I relapsed, I got the damn thing in 2 weeks post surgery.

DD had bad facial eczema when she was a toddler and was prescribed steroid cream by her dermatology consultant. I was told to lie to the pharmacist and tell them it was for me as they wouldn’t give it to me for a child. I get that pharmacists have responsibility so not really to do with being a jobsworth but it seems strange there’s no way for a consultant to write a note for a pharmacist explaining why it’s necessary rather than making the patient lie!

I also agree that the dissertation example, whilst annoying, is not unreasonable. If you hand it in late, it should be marked as late, otherwise it’s not fair on those who got it in on time - it would be very easy for students to use this as an excuse and then get an extra day to work on it. You have to be careful in unis because students complain and you have to sure you can demonstrate everything you did was fair and open and done according to the rules. I would have done the same.

was told if I relapsed and couldnt submit I wouldnt pass my honours year

Bastards!!

You win, hands down.

How are you now?

It's almost 10 years later and I'm still here and still clear and I got a first for that dissertation...

The one when my DP was meeting me to look at new kitchens/bathrooms/DIY stuff when extending our house.
He turned up at the store 5mins early so walked across the road to my office. We then spent 45min in the store and went to till with a big order.

DP had to bring the car to front of store to load some stuff into it. Found he had a parking ticket because he left the store premises to meet me at work.

One member of staff was rude, sweary and insisted we pay the fine.

Other customers were lovely and told them they were bonkers and gave us details of websites to contest fine.

Much later with all staff/us and customers having studied CCTV we left with no fine, no order from us placed, no stuff bought and we bought our kitchen, bathroom stuff etc else where.
£30k lost.

Never been back. I am a mardy cow and not forgot their attitude.

Many years ago I was getting a train from a local station and just going one stop. Traveling with a friend in a wheelchair. The station master refused to let us board the train as it was a intercity and he didn't want to delay it. He said we should have booked ahead. Which isn't something you have to do usually. He wanted us to wait over a hour for the next train. The lovely train guard noticed us on the platform and asked why we weren't getting on. She made the station master get the ramp and let us on.

It's almost 10 years later and I'm still here and still clear smile and I got a first for that dissertation...

Yayyy!! (i'm not on my phone so can't do emojis - but cartwheels and joy abounding)

DS wanted pudding, chips and gravy. Member of staff pointed out that there was an offer on for pudding, chips, gravy AND mushy pies. I said no thank you because DS doesn't like mushy peas. She then charged me 50p more as apparently she couldn't just leave off the peas and charge the offer price!

ByAppointmentTo Of course she couldn’t; you weren’t buying the offer.

The offer was for pudding, chips, gravy and mushy peas. You didn’t want that, so you were charged the amount of the meal you did want. The fact that the meals were similar is irrelevant.

Buy the offer, get the offer price. Don’t buy the offer, don’t get the offer price.

"Buy the offer, get the offer price. Don’t buy the offer, don’t get the offer price."

The rigidity of thinking is astounding. Rules are not heaven-sent, there is space for common sense and flexibility without the sky falling in. But I guess it's a great eg of the jobsworth mindset. If I leave off the mushy peas, some entitled sod will ask me to leave the chips off next, and our civilised society will lie in tatters.

"Rules are made for the obedience of fools & the guidance of wise men."

Squadron Leader Harry Day, GC, DSO, OBE

"Rules are made for the obedience of fools & the guidance of wise men."

Unfortunately, the fool is often the person enforcing the rule, but the wise person who has to carry it out gets the abuse from the customer or risks being sacked by the fool.

The crowd behind me cheered

Course they did, darling. That’s exactly what happened.

But I guess it's a great eg of the jobsworth mindset. If I leave off the mushy peas, some entitled sod will ask me to leave the chips off next, and our civilised society will lie in tatters.

Reminds me of the time I ordered a pizza and asked if all the pineapple could be put on one side of the pizza instead of sprinkled all over. Kids wanted it but we weren't so keen and it would save us picking it off. No, apparently not, because that would turn it into two different pizzas and they don't do two toppings on one pizza, you have to pick one. I was but they were adamant. I stood and watched them make the pizza, from fresh, so it's not as if they were sneaking out pre-made ones...

Applying for a visa for my 6 week old. Appointment in central London, 2 hour train/tube/bus journey. I had signed the paperwork on his behalf. Nope - he needs to sign it himself! OK, Could I borrow an ink pad please to take his fingerprint now (sleeping on me in a sling). Nope - form needs to be signed before the visa appointment. Make another appointment for 3 weeks time. At the time I was fragile and sleep deprived and it felt like the end of the world!!

Another Boots one, I wanted antihistamine for eczema, I'm with niece and her thirty something daughter.

Me, can I have 3 packets of one a day antihistamine please.

Boots, do you want drowsy or non drowsy.

Me, drowsy

Boots, why drowsy?

Me, I'm not a great sleeper, so two birds one stone,

Boots, shouts pharmacist that I'm buying them for sleeping pills, and causes a right kerfuffle.

Nieces daughter steps in, they are over the counter medicine so shouldn't be a problem.

Boots, and who Madam are you?

Niece's daughter, a consultant plastic surgeon.

Boots, how many packs do you want.

I was in a city 3.5hrs away from home for a few days and had travelled there by train with my bike - tickets booked to include bike.

My return train (which was direct) was cancelled (can't remember why) but was told at the station we could now use tickets on any route. I confirmed with station staff that this was ok with my bike and they said yes and directed me to the end of the platform that the carriage with the bike space would be.

My journey now meant 3 trains and the next one was the only one that would actually get me home. If I didn't catch it I was stuck there overnight or DH would have to do a 7hr plus round trip to get me (in his van because I had a bike) with a 3yr old DS in tow.

Got on the train and the bike space was one of those where there are also fold down seats for if the space is not in use, train fairly empty so I put my bike in the allotted space.

After a couple of stops lots of people get on and it's standing room only. Conductor comes along and tells me I have to move my bike to allow people to sit down because I can only use the space if I have a booking. I point out that I do just not for that train, but that my train was cancelled so I was told I could use my tickets on this one (same train company btw)

Yes you can, but not your bike.

Ok so where do I put my bike?

You'll have to get off the train with it.

But then I'll be stuck here, there are no more trains to get me home today and I'm now at a different station to where I started the geography of which also means I'm 4hrs away from DH if he were to drive to get me and it's now 7pm at night, so you want me to get off the train, sit here in a rural station platform on my own in the dark for 4hrs?

Not his problem apparently.

At this point the other passengers stepped him told him he was ridiculous and that if he tried to forcibly remove me or my bike they wouldn't let him

I had an extra bag of rubbish that wouldn't fit in my bin . My neighbour said I could use hers if I needed to .council lorry happened to be driving past and saw me put the bag into the neighbours bin and walk into my house . 2 mins later and a knock on the door , it was the council bloke saying he saw what I did and that I could get fined for fly tipping 🤔🙄

Some of these stories just make the poster look ridiculous, it really isn’t the moral victory you think it is to get one up on the shop assistant just doing their job

And the woman with a coffee who had a crowd cheering for her? What bollocks honestly.