Sarcasm as a tool - at work.
 

oh boy. i work with some complete knuckleheads.

it goes without saying barriers need to be a certain height to meet safety standards.

we installed a Type 736 Barrier. which is 36 inches tall.

i have installed older models, like the 732 barrier which is 32 inches tall. (i know you see it!!)

i just had a knucklehead calling me panicked. he called to ask me what the barrier height is supposed to be. they are paving soon and if you place too deep an AC lift, there goes the barrier height. i said, "that is a Type 736 barrier"

"i know that! (he didnt) how tall is it supposed to be?"

"as tall as a type 736 should be"

"you're going to make me look it up?"

"yes".

he came into the office flustered. looked up the standard plans and said, "36 inches - you couldnt tell me that?"

i said, " i did, i told you it was a Type 736"

"but you didnt tell me the height!"

i dont think i am going to get a Christmas card from this this year. i wish i could BOLD my speech. :)

nuthin on you Vash..

but this could explain why this stuff goes kaputt so quickly..
whatever and about so much..
seems or could be a measurement with some...
beats calling the boss and hearing about some airplane...

Rika

Related. My son in 8th grade comes home and says "Dad, thanks for being so sarcastic. There are kids in school that have never heard this and don't know how to act / respond to it."

I asked my kid if HE was being sarcastic. He wasn't. I told him the real word was "smart azz."

He agreed.

Can these be done by the weekend? I need them over the weekend.

No, they will be in the other office and you can pick them up. We can finish them up next week.

OK, let me know when you are finished with them.

Don't you need them for the weekend?

OK thanks.

I kid you not, this is common communications for them (the red).

So yer smart, and yer an azz.

I fail to understand the problem here....

Neither will the dumb azzes :D

I found people jsut don't want to look thing up anymore unless its on their phone. One of the younger guy that works for my framing sub ask me the other day, is the wall here or there and how far is it suppose to be? I said, the plans are over at the table. His respond was, can you look and just tell me. You were right there. I said, OK, let me stop this phone call and look it up for you right this moment. He fooking stood there waiting for me. I walked away. No Vash, sarcasm doesn't work too well with lazy and dumb people.

Now I just found out, there's no sarcasm in school for teachers or between students, ever. My kid tells me that his friend thinks I am mean. We were going to go out for a little Kayaking in this little lake for some much needed sunlight since they have been on the computer playing games. His friend has never done this and ask what if there are sharks? I said, jump in and find out and I will throw food around you once you are in the water.

Engineers and sarcasm, kinda like chocolate with peanut butter...

Sarcasm isn't a tool, it is an applique, best applied in the world of engineering with great care.

Sarcasm can't be measured.

I try to give folks the benefit of a doubt a couple of times, but at some point....

It also depends on who I'm talking to.

Many years ago (>30) when I was a teenager I was working at a retail parts place. A young, intelligent, well dressed, professional looking couple come in to buy an oil filter. Oil filters were on sale for something like $1.94, but of course, supply and demand, only some of them were $1.94. Others were more expensive and all of our ads and signage said so.

The couple comes up to buy a filter and I give them the bad news of $3.94.

"But this ad says $1.94!"

"Yes, that's right, but then right underneath that it says 'and up.' Not all of the filters are that cheap. Yours is one of the more expensive filters."

Then they started rudely moaning and griping. I was surprised at how rude they got over something that seemed pretty obvious. As they walked away they said something condescending and snotty. I responded under my mostly breath, "what, can't you read?" The guy spun around on his heal, "what did you say?" "Nothing."

As I've gotten older, I've gotten better. It's much, much easier for me to just blow things off these days than get irritated (or vent once they are gone and not that I still don't get sarcastic at work some times)

sarcasm is simply a nice way of saying "phuq you".......

I respectfully disagree....

and that's a mighty fine horse you rode in on ;)

I would disagree here from another level.

A subordinate needing to do the right thing by code and calling 'panicked', who needs a quick answer to a simple problem, doesn't need the shutdown of the entire project. Sometimes it's better spoon feed and denigrate at a later time. Give and take. But get the job done now. For the good of all. This is how needless fistfights in the office begin and competent people are fired to be replaced by idiots mucking up the entire operation and entire company.

He asked the guy in the next office the exact same question yesterday. It isn’t my project. I’m busy as hell. My own projects. My plan sheets and some s are strewn all over my desk.

I cover my own work. I look for answers before asking. It’s all written down somewhere.

The guy has been in the same project for 2 years. He should know it better than me.

And I did tell him. A 736 barrier is 36 tall. It’s in the name!

Yeah, like I said, I'll give you the benefit of a doubt a time or two, but if you ask the same question too many times, I'm going to stop being nice about it. Maybe nice enables you to not care. Maybe if I'm a dick you'll either remember or you'll stop asking me questions, either way, it's a win.

I was young and dumb once (I am still pretty dumb and don't let the good looks fool you guys), pretty lazy too so I ask the same things these guys did only were told one or twice and I get the message real quick especially if they were sarcastic making it really obvious about it. Kinda embarrassing if you ask me.

I don't know if this is the case for Vash's target, but some folks just aren't that capable and may have reached his limits. Not everyone is a rocket scientist, and sometimes folks end up working in an area that's not really their forte.

That doesn't always stop me from reacting.

I think he’s lazy. He had a meeting to attend. He can’t use google maps on his phone real well. He got directions and was nodding and acknowledging the details.

When the direction giver finished and left he looked at me and said, “I’ll just follow you‘. I said I’m not going. He asked, “okay how do I get there again?”
‘
I faked I got a phone all and walked away.

Most time, tune out too when people give me directions. Just give me the address unless its in a university or hospital campus then I will pay more attention. If this a young guy? I see this as simple life experiences. Sooner or later, he's going to have to pay attention to all the details important or not or else, he outta there. Most of these traits are learned behaviors, some have then at a very young age, many learn it. I noticed most of us here are really detailed oriented here or learned to be. One more thing I may add, we are taught to listen, but to express our minds or questions "them or it" is cramped down our throat from a very young age.

We know you work for the state of California. There was no need to explain.