Seriously?

[graculus]

I work in a three storey building and we're on the middle floor (that's the first floor if you're in the UK and the second floor if you're in the US, for some reason...) and this morning I saw someone from upstairs reverse their car into a car driven by one of my team. Fortunately neither of them were injured, though it's caused far more damage to my worker's car since the one reversing into it was a Chelsea tractor, which came away pretty much unscathed.

It just so happened that I was crossing the car park at the time and saw the whole thing, with my worker being completely in the clear. My pointing this out to the person in question when they appeared to be back-pedalling ("oh, my reversing sensors didn't go off!" etc., to which my response was "you probably ought to get them checked out, then" was maybe not the most sympathetic) led to me getting a visit from her manager. Because I made her cry later, apparently, and she wasn't happy I didn't take her off somewhere like it was a big secret and she hadn't already blabbed about her inability to drive safely to everyone on the same floor as her.

*shakes head* What is it about some middle-aged women (and I feel I'm in a position to say this, being one of them!) and the apparent lack of a spinal column? One wonders how some of them even manage to get out of bed in the morning...

Comments

[rhade-rad.livejournal.com]

One might also wonder whether she needs to adjust her mirrors and/or get her vision checked. Because pretty sure passing the driving test requires relying on your assessment not technology.

I know you work in a sensitive sector but crying in the office???

[graculus.livejournal.com]

We're talking small car about 4-5 feet directly behind 4x4, so I suspect that she didn't check her mirrors.

Crying does happen, god knows we've been through a spate of teary admin staff recently, but that to my mind is different to sending your manager downstairs because someone has been 'mean'. I certainly wouldn't have been impressed if it had been the other way round and my worker had asked me to do that for her, which she wouldn't because she has a spine otherwise she wouldn't still be working for me... ;)

[rhade-rad.livejournal.com]

I can understand people in your office crying from what you have to deal with but a casual comment on bad driving? And as you say sending her manager down is ridiculous.

Though I did have my line manager make a big thing - a chat; a 1:1 and then in my half yearly assessment - because our apprentice admin person got distressed by email comments on arrangements for Christmas gathering. (She got lumbered with organising without being given a clear brief and upset because I asked questions - like are we doing lunch or dinner?) I did suggest that perhaps they should send her on an assertiveness training course.

Yeah you can see why I grabbed a VR/ER package with both hands and ran.

[leethet.livejournal.com]

Imagine it! "Ma'am (sniffle) someone was mean to me just now."
"In what universe can you possibly imagine that being something worth bringing to my attention? We both have actual work to do. Big girl panties on!"

[penfold-x.livejournal.com]

Reversing sensors didn't work? Um, and what's wrong with turning your head to look? Worked for me for years.

[graculus.livejournal.com]

It's a novel concept. Also mirrors are your friend. Sadly many of the folks who drive 4x4s are rubbish drivers who think that being higher up makes them immune to everything, which it does in terms of the damage they cause and sustain - my poor lass has now had to fork out a substantial excess and it's had a major impact on her working week, while this muppet got a couple of scratches on her bumper and a good excuse to wail.

What I expect was the case was that she just put her foot down too bloody hard when she reversed so by the time they did go off, it was too late. Like I said to her, if they didn't go off at all she needs to get that checked out.

[leethet.livejournal.com]

With all due respect to the emotional infirmities of the menopause *g* (I cry at things I NEVER cried at before - I'm not a crier), I suspect middle-aged spineless women were spineless when they were young, too, mostly. :-) One sees it a lot. Either they're spoiled little girls who never had anyone use a harsh word in their direction (that kind is WAY fun to work with - not) or they were raised in that old fashioned "the men will do all the thinking dear" attitude and fall apart at anything challenging.

Thank goodness the latter type of upbringing is going away. The spoiled type ... not so much.

[cycnus39]

I've been in two car accidents. Both times were caused by men driving like arses (the first came flying out of a side road and hit me on the main road and the second hit me while trying to reverse down a side road onto a main road) and both times the muppets were miffed at me because I didn't swerve enough to avoid them hitting me completely.