I'd hate to work for a council
But it's not much better working for a company that supplies 'stuff' to councils.

A colleague and I had an appointment to see the top brass at a large authority in the West Midlands.

We both arrived a bit early, so we spent the time usefully engaged in some preparation for the meeting. It being the council offices, they wouldn't let us past the foyer until the brass were ready for us, so we found a quiet corner and 'set up shop'.

We weren't there more than a couple of minutes when we received our first customer. A bloke wanted us to help him with something... but we couldn't quite make out what it was he was after. Might have had something to do with the copious quantity of Special Brew we could smell emanating from the guy.

Eventually, we manage to figure out that he's looking for housing, so we helpfully direct him to the big queue that appears to deal with such matters. I swear I could see faces wilt behind the counter... he must be a regular.

A few minutes later our prep was interrupted again by another gentleman, asking what we're doing. I tell him that we don't work for the council and we're just preparing for a meeting. Mistake.

Having opened the door to a conversation, there was now no stopping him. He starts guessing what we're doing. Wild guessing. Nothing at all to do with reality (we were selling the council some widgets). Arts? No. Youth engagement? No. Drug education? No. Social networking for disadvantaged Asian women in the area? What???!?

Seeing our rescuer appear through the "staff only" double-doors we hastily pack away our stuff and back away from the now effervescent gentleman.

At least we don't have to go back there every day.
(KingboyD, Fri 27 Jul 2007, 18:29, Reply)