Calling In

Click, click, click…

Damn, battery dead and I have to be at work in fifteen minutes, I love it when this happens. I flipped out my cell and dialed work, no answer. I dialed the office number next, same result.

Nice.

Luckily I live on a bus route that takes me close to work, unluckily the next bus doesn’t swing by for another forty five minutes.

I ran back up to my apartment to wait it out, I called work again five minutes later, still no luck.
There’s a possibility that a manager is of doing something or on the other line, knowing our management they were running late, the same offense they’ve been writing people up for with all vigor as of late.

I wait five more minutes, still no answer.

Finally they answered about five minutes after my shift was scheduled to start, fate was against me and it was our fearless leader, the GM, we’ll call him Tim for this occasion.

“Tim, I’m running late with car problems.” I said.

“Well why are you calling me now?” he asked, “Didn’t your shift start already?”

“I’ve been calling for twenty minutes, I’m sure you were just busy.” I added with a sarcastic note.

“Well when are you going to be here?” Tim asked.

“The bus doesn’t arrive for another twenty minutes, but I won’t get there until about ten forty five or so.” I replied.

“Can’t you get here any sooner?” Tim asked,

“Umm, the bus is on a pretty set schedule and a cab would take even longer.” I replied.

“What about your side-work?” He asked.

“It’s easy, I just have to set up the server station and make coffee.” I said.

“Uh, how do you know what your side work is?” He asked suspiciously.

“Because I really have no reason to be late and I snuck in the back door to check out the side-work chart and decided to go drink coffee for forty five minutes,” was the answer I wanted to give. However I gave him the truth…

“Because I’m closing server today and that’s what the side-work is.” I said.

“Well if your closing server then how are you going to get your work done if you’re late?” Tim asked.

“I was hoping someone would implement this teamwork you’re always talking about.” I replied sardonically.

“Well get here as soon as you can, bye.” Tim said, finishing his interrogation.

I don't know what it is about this guy but he would second-guess the second-coming if Jesus stood right in front of him. One of my biggest pet peeves is being questioned or second guessed without reason. I may only be a waiter, but I'm not a third grader either. I don't know if I've ever had that kind of hassle with a simple late call.

So I rode our delightfully pathetic public transportation system and had to sit next to a guy who mumbled to himself for the entire trip, then I had to walk the five blocks to our place of business. I arrived just in time for the pre-shift meeting.

“Secret, you better get on your side work, we open in fifteen minutes,” Tim declared in front of the assembled staff.

“So no one decided to help me out?” I said accusingly to both Tim and the staff.

One girl announced, “I made coffee.”

“You’re quite the humanitarian,” I stated.

"If you would have been on time this wouldn't be a problem." Tim said.

I just sneered at him and walked to the server station.

Of course it was a mess and the other opening staff had their shit all over it, oh well, it had to be done. Later I learned that Tim made no effort either to ask anyone to jump in and help out or to roll up his sleeves and do it himself. Some teamwork, and I really didn’t appreciate my car trouble being second-guessed as later Tim gave me a load of grief over me covering my close shift to get a ride to jump my car.

With these ass-clowns its always teamwork until it becomes their work it seems.