The troubles of biro vs desk fan
In 2005, I used to work in a call centre. Considering the bastards fired me, I have no problem naming them- T-Mobile. But the embarrassing mistake was of my own making, not theirs. Well, apart from maybe employing me, but hey-ho.

As we all know very well, apart from those who haven't had the somewhat dubious pleasure, working in call centres can be very dull. Mind-dumbing tedium could be considered a compliment.

As such, when faced with such a situation, a mind such as mine will tend to wonder, unless kept occupied. In hindsight, perhaps my method of occupation could have been chosen with a little more care.

As it was a warm day, I had an electric fan on my desk, running at high speed to keep me cool. And in my hand, a pen. It was these that provided me with the seeds of that day, my latest downfall.

I was amusing myself by sticking the pen in the fan, and listening to the noise it made, whilst pretending to listen to the latest dullard droning on in the background.

And then, she said something that made me sit up and take notice. I still had the pen in my hand, idly sticking it into the fan. I stuck it in a little too far, resulting in the pen being ripped from my hands and creating the most unholy racket. Need I remind you I worked in a call centre?

So this noise is now being created, I am fumbling for the off switch whilst trying to hide, placate a rather confused customer and also wonder what in Hades I'm going to say to the rather annoyed shift manager I noticed was coming my way. Whoever said blokes can't multitask was clearly wrong, I was a master of it that day.

The manager arrived, predictably with a face like thunder, and confiscated the fan from me, never to be seen again. I was left without a fan, a pen, and more importantly a slight fear of aircooling devices.

The one thing I learned that day. Pens and fans don't mix, unless it's a gaggle of autograph hunters.
( jim_bob can herd cats., Fri 28 Nov 2008, 16:39, Reply)