The pettiest, jobsworth bollocks you’ve encountered? Probably won’t top this.

[ermwhatypu]

I was in Morrison’s today. The woman at the till was handing out vouchers on a strip as an offer with 3 pounds off. There were three on each strip that you had to tear off. I had a screaming baby with me and was trying to find my phone to pay. As she handed me the strip one of the 3 pound vouchers fell off the strip onto the till… right in front of the woman. I said I will use that one please, as I wrestle dd back into the trolley. She looks directly at me and says I must hand her the voucher for it to be valid. She handed me the voucher back and I gave it back to her. She then scanned it.

Why are people like this!

I think the problem sometimes arises when a rule has been introduced for a perfectly valid reason to avoid a certain problem, but the person applying the rule either doesn't have or isn't allowed the flexibility to use their judgment and see whether this is a case where the rule isn't appropriate.

I have an example but it is very old and will date me!

Back in the late 80s,when DH and I were newly married, DH won the raffle at our company Christmas party. He won a CD player. That might sound a bit "so what" now but back then it seemed like a fantastic prize and we were thrilled. Of course, we didn't yet have any CDs but agreed we would buy things in that format from now on.

Well the thing was I had already bought DHs Christmas present - two LPs I knew he wanted and of course on vinyl. One from WHS and one from Woolworth. I still had the receipts so I thought I would take them back and ask if I could pay the difference (CDs were more expensive than vinyl) and upgrade to the CD version.

WHS were fine about it but the girl in Woolworth flatly refused. She explained that they were not allowed to take records back because "People record them to cassette and then bring them back and ask for their money back"

I tried pointing out that:
a. The LP was still encased in shrink wrap plastic so I clearly hadn't even taken it out of the sleeve, much less played it.
b. Didn't exactly want my money back I wanted to give them more money to get the same record in a more expensive format.

However, nothing doing. I thought about asking to speak to her manager but it was a busy Saturday just before Christmas so I didn't bother. Did seem a but frustratingly stupid though.

This is slightly different, but still fucking jobsworthy!

During covid - and between the first 2 lockdowns, when we went to Morrisons, we were being treated like prisoners (in our one hour out of our cell, being allowed out in the yard.) We had to have masks, we had to sanitize our hands, and we had to form an orderly queue outside all - 2 metres apart - and ONLY ONE PERSON PER FAMILY. And go in the basket queue or trolley queue, do NOT get in the wrong queue. Also do NOT get anything you do not NEED, and more than anything stay 2 metres from anyone and everyone in the store, INCLUDING THE STAFF!.

I got my 20 or so items, and put them on the conveyor belt, and was trying to pack them at the other end. I had to lean forward as the cashier was not pushing my stuff down to me, and the cashier went BATSHIT! Her hand went up and she YELLED at me 'GET AWAY FROM ME!!! YOU ARE TOO CLOSE!!!'

I said 'I have no choice but to move closer, seeing as you can't be arsed to push my stuff down to me, Push it DOWN if you don't want me leaning in!'

I basically yelled back. Yell at me, have some back. I won't be spoken to like shit by ANYone. She just scowled and shoved the stuff towards me aggressively.

I’m sure it was about cameras.

I tried to use 2 vouchers for a discount on nappies. The voucher clearly said one voucher per pack, of which I had 2, which is enough to last a week, when we were doing a week's shop.

A woman, who wasn't dealing with us, but overheard DH say if it's one voucher per person, per day, I'll use the other voucher and I'll purchase the 2nd pack.
Woman was furious. Went to customer services and security to ensure it wasn't allowed to happen.

I was just thinking about this and wondered if it was a national thing. I line in a small town, in Aldi all the time and know a few of the staff but they still have to check under my bags, it does feel so awkward but as someone's already said, not worth losing their job over!

DH got shouted at in Morrisons during lockdown by the woman on the bakery counter. For showing her a bloomer he was buying and asking if they were still offering to slice loaves.
They weren’t, obviously, and it was made abundantly and loudly clear that he was not to take even the tiniest step towards the counter as he had already endangered her enough by HOLDING UP A LOAF.

You should watch Queenpin on Netflix! Coupons galore!

This is a person working frontline during the pandemic dealing with people like you all day. She sounds clearly anxious, and rightfully so. There's nothing "jobsworthy" here.

The day after my wedding we went to a National Trust place for a picnic with family and friends. Of course I hadn't brought my wallet with me, so no membership card. The 2 guys manning the booth were both right misery guts, full of the joys of Spring, and insisted I pay full price. When we asked nicely can't you please give us a break, we just got married, one gloomily replied, 'married. don't talk to me about marriage'. It was the opposite to that scene in Barefoot in the Park where strangers cheerily wave at Robert Redford and Jane Fonda on their wedding day.

I wonder how many times a week they hear that someone has forgotten their wallet/purse.

@Floogal well yes, of course. Because that would be the sensible thing to do.

@Ohdojustfuckoff I honestly despair! In that scenario I would have suggested your dh put it through separately to help you both.

Some of these examples seem to juts be people doing their jobs, but not in a fawning enough way for the PP's........bit sad really on them.

Back in 1996 as an 18yr old I tried to open a Student bank account with Barclays in my home town before I left for Uni. My Mum, who could give Martin Lewis a run for his money, was with me. Barclays asked for ID and the letter advising me of my grant, so they could see how the account would be funded. Problem was (the way it worked in those days) was that as my parents earned over the threshold I would qualify for ANY grant, and would instead be financed by recently introduced student loans, and parental contributions. Nope. The woman from Barclays needed to see my grant letter. My Mum explained that her and my Dad would happily write a letter stating they would be funding my account with X amount per month because I WOULDN'T BE GETTING A GRANT but Woman still insisted "We need to see the grant letter for evidence of funding". I even had proof of my acceptance onto the course. Nope. Barclays Woman wouldn't accept that and said that all students got grants. My Mum (who worked in the local college processing grant applications and advising on uni applications!) explained this wasn't the case. Barclays woman said regardless she needed to see the grant letter I wouldn't be getting. Mum explained we could specifically ask for one, but all it would say would be "FarmGirl isn't entitled to a grant". Barclays woman agreed this was definitely necessary as proof of funding. Mum ended up saying "So you need a letter saying my Daughter won't get funding, as proof of her funding?". Barclays Woman nodded. We walked out of Barclays and up the road to Natwest, who surpringly didn't insist on seeing a letter confirming the funding I wouldn't be getting, were perfectly happy to accept my parents generous standing order instead, and 28 years later I still bank with Natwest.

A few months later my Mum was doing an admissions presentation at a college and one of the sponsors was Barclays, pushing their student accounts. The rep was mortified when my Mum spelt out to him exactly WHY she would not be recommending Barclays to prospective students.
😁

I think this was intended to be lighthearted and people just want a bunfight.

How has it turned in to a speculative debate about what disabilities each party might have?

Absurd!

But I don’t understand your comment.

The bus driver recently.

I was standing up waiting for my stop in heavy almost stationary traffic. I wasn't by his side or blocking the mirrors. Instead of asking me to move back (I was behind the yellow line) he pressed the button to make the 'please move down inside the bus' announcement. 🙄

Then when we got to my stop he refused to stop the bus, wouldn't say why and ignored me when I asked him to stop and explain why he wouldn't. I guess there wasn't an announcement button that said ' the driver is being an arsehole' 😬

When we got to the next stop, i and several passengers were stood by the front doors, which he refused to open so we had to shuffle down the bus to get off at the back

Jobsworth arsehole. I made a complaint.

Wow, posters will take against an OP for anything.

I was in an empty loo in Italy during covid but all was open. There were barriers to deal with queues for the loo. However I was the only person there so ignored them and walked directly to the cubicle. A cleaner came running out screeching and insisted I walk carefully around the all barriers. In an empty room. Mental.

Son had that in his university library during lockdown. It was early evening, no one else in, so he ducked under the airport style zig zag barriers and the demented woman behind the counter went batshit at him threatening to call security and have him expelled if he didn’t go back and walk through the barrier correctly!

But Unis were particularly bonkers. He lived in a campus flat of 8 but campus security wouldn’t let them walk round campus as a group of 8. They were forced to split into 2groups of four and stay 2 metres apart - outin the open air, but then they could gather freely in their communal kitchen!

I know rules are rules but far too many people don’t apply common sense and covid really brought out the power crazed nutters when they got a sniff of power!

Blame surveillance culture and employers for this.

Lost a print-out of train tickets in France. Couldn’t travel on digital ticket. Lady behind the station counter refused to print them out for me, even though the person in front had theirs printed as they had forgotten to do so, because I “wasn’t French and therefore shouldn’t be benefitting from French state money” on printer ink & paper presumably (SNCF so state owned).

I offered to pay, no cigar, was told I’d have to buy another set of tickets which she would print out for me, then told the train wanted to travel on (one I had my digital tickets for) was fully reserved so couldn’t have that one (bear in mind two of those reserved seats were already mine…). Wouldn’t cancel my current seat reservations or tickets as I “might have stolen the digital billet electronically from some poor person” despite offering to show payment card.

New set of tix eventually issued for earlier train, print-outs safely in my hand THEN she points out the self service printing kiosk in the corner of the waiting room on the next room and says “next time, you must read the signs” 😐

I'd have have ignored him. The security guards are usually contracted in, rather than being employees and there is nothing worse than being told what to do by someone who doesn't even work for your company.

And those travelators are far too slow to stay still on!

As for the voucher thing, it sounds a bit petty to me too, but I understand the pressures on retail staff - the people in the HQs never seem to go shopping themselves and impose silly rules on their staff (and customers).

And yes to universities being bonkers. My ds was still at sixth form during covid, but the stories you heard!

As for the library thing, as a bad tempered middle aged woman I would have probably told her to call security, but you don't want to rock the boat when you are a student in case they try to discipline you. Didn't some universities try to fine students for having parties etc?

A few months later my Mum was doing an admissions presentation at a college and one of the sponsors was Barclays, pushing their student accounts. The rep was mortified when my Mum spelt out to him exactly WHY she would not be recommending Barclays to prospective students

Love this :)

That post really stood out for sheet brazen entitlement