If not actually Nazis
In case you thought obsessively ineffectual — or ineffectually obsessive — safety officials were the bane of our existence on Earth, you’ll not be pleased to hear that they seem to exist pretty much wherever you’ll find humanoids:
At the end of the day, sweaty and in a foul mood, the safety asshole stopped by to pat herself on the back at her prudence and demonstrate her superiority to me. I endured her lecture until she pulled out the Morgan’s electrical reference, and started tapping on the cover. “Can I see that a second?” I asked. She handed it to me and I opened it to the page where it discussed the hazards for comm connectivity. “Here’s the section for DataComm. It says you need Level Zero protection. Level Zero is a cotton Tshirt and a pair of cotton pants.”
“I suppose you know more than the author of this guide,” she smirked.
“No. I know exactly as much as the author of that guide. Would you like me to autograph it for you?”
She looked at me like the dumbass that she is, and I handed her a card. She compared the name on the card and the name in the frontispiece of the book, and stormed off in a huff.
(Following a suggestion by Mark Alger.)
fillyjonk »
25 March 2009 · 7:24 am
As annoyed as I get by the officious “it’s for your own good, I KNOW” types, it would be very satisfying to have a situation like the one you quote above happen.
Tatyana »
25 March 2009 · 9:24 pm
Oh, that’s why people still write books!
CGHill »
25 March 2009 · 9:32 pm
It’s right up there with the Marshall McLuhan scene in Annie Hall.
Paul »
3 April 2009 · 1:16 pm
A little knowledge is a dangerous thing……………………
There is none so officious as the ignorant.
They are employed beyond their capacity ( or capacitator?).