Don't nick the sugar.
My first experience of proper work, outside of the paper-round, was in a well known government building in Sheffield. It was the work experience placement most kids have at the age of 14/15. I was scared shitless.

I was based in the Reprographics department, which was in the 2nd Basement of the building. Not the basement. The SECOND basement, as in below the the basement.

It wasn't the most pleasant of working environments, and as a result, the staff were pretty stressed.

Break time was the eye in the office hurricane, where calm drifted over the printers and binders like the hand of Buddha. That said - there was a regime. Everyone had their own seat, own cup, their own teabags and the like. Sugar was like gold dust.

I didn't know this, and on the second day, made the mistake of using the chief printer's cup and teabags at lunchtime.

Unaware of my faux pas, it wasn't until clocking off time until the chief printer collared me.

"Scentless, I can I have a word?"

He directed me to the stationery room (which was more of a dark alley than a room), locked the door behind him, and grabbed me by the throat. I then got the most shit-inducing lecture I've ever had in my life:

"IF YOU EVER TOUCH MY TEA STUFF AGAIN I SHALL RIP YOUR BOLLOCKS OFF AND PUT THEM THROUGH THE FUCKING SHREDDER, UNDERSTAND, YOU LITTLE SHITHOUSE?"

I nodded incessantly, he let go, said "good" and walked off.

Shivering, I composed myself, walked out, got the 48 home and cried myself to sleep.

When a teacher came out to see me to see how I was doing, she was asking staff how I was getting on when the guy came over, put his arm round me and said "we'd love to have him full time, he's such a hard worker...". I don't think the teacher noticed the wet patch in my overalls.

Still, I got £70 for the weeks work, whereas my mate got bog all!

Always a silver lining, I guess!
(scentless_apprentice takes two bottles into the shower!, Fri 11 May 2007, 15:34, Reply)