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Going Postal?

sanjuro

Tube Smuggler
Sep 13, 2004
17,373
0
SF
I just found out that a co-worker quit on Friday, which I took off.

The story is that he got into an argument about running red lights, which another co-worker did driving to lunch, then when asked about some file transfers, he told everyone, including our boss, that he quits.

My boss, an ex-military guy, told him if he leaves now, he is not coming back.

My co-worker was extremely wound-up guy, bad communication skills, and who left the military in odd circumstances.

Not surprisingly, in the course of our work, I had "words" with him. About a month ago, I was trying to get him to produce a simple spreadsheet with machine specs, and at first he agreed to do it, then offered excuses, tried to make me do it, then several days later, he attempted to make me go away by trying to humiliate me in front of several co-workers.

While I am used to confrontations, I rarely get really mad, but he pushed my button by refusing my work request in a public manner, so I started mocking him, and I got the desired effect from my co-worker.

I regained my self-control in a few moments, so nothing horrible happened, and I apologized for losing my cool. This all occurred on my boss's week off, so the next day he comes in to talk with my co-worker (which I have no idea what was said) and 4 hours later I have the spreadsheet.

I was friendly with the guy before, but I haven't said more than a few sentences to him after that incident.

The only I have to say to all my co-workers now is "The next time you see [so-and-so], I would be very careful".
 

IH8Rice

I'm Mr. Negative! I Fail!
Aug 2, 2008
24,524
494
Im over here now
My co-worker was extremely wound-up guy, bad communication skills, and who left the military in odd circumstances.
is this like him?



we let someone go in the office and he started to make a big scene...needless to say that after he was finally gone, we now have all of our outside doors locked.
 

ultraNoob

Yoshinoya Destroyer
Jan 20, 2007
4,504
1
Hills of Paradise
I can get you a good deal on body armor. Just send me a PM.




If it does happen, and he's not looking, don't run. Grab a bottle of ketchup, squirt it on yourself, hit the ground in an open space, go limp, and play dead.
 

TN

Hey baby, want a hot dog?
Jul 9, 2002
14,301
1,353
Jimtown, CO
Careers are a 20th century invention that we as humans cannot cope with. They are unnatural & don't jive well with the human spirit. I advise you to quit your "career" & quit worrying about such sniveling details.

PS-I would shoot myself if I had to work with spreadsheets.
 

Secret Squirrel

There is no Justice!
Dec 21, 2004
8,150
1
Up sh*t creek, without a paddle
Careers are a 20th century invention that we as humans cannot cope with. They are unnatural & don't jive well with the human spirit. I advise you to quit your "career" & quit worrying about such sniveling details.

PS-I would shoot myself if I had to work with spreadsheets.
MS Excel is the satan in computer form.


We had a guy at my company let go about 4 years ago. On the day he found out (it was a Tuesday around 11am I believe) he left the office and went to the restaurant in the lobby. He walked by my office on the way out mumbling stuff and very red faced. So I walk out to lunch at around 1:30, walk by the restaurant windows and look in just by chance. He's got no less than 4 empty shot glasses lined up in front of him and he can barely stay on the bar stool. So I go back to the office around 2:30ish. He's no longer sitting there. I hop in the elevator and get hit with this overpowering stench of tequila. No one else is in the car with me...but I know who was in the car before me....

So, I get back up to my floor just in time to see an office chair fly over a cube wall and take out a monitor. Accompanied by screams and massive swearing of course...He then takes a stapler to the lobby flat screen. But he misses and dents the wall. Well, there's plenty more staplers where that came from and even drunk guys get a lucky shot every now and then. It was a pretty spectacular sight.

Finally security shows up and subdues him (this was before tazers...otherwise it could've gone to a whole new level of awesome...). Takes him down to the waiting police cruiser...

All tolled, he racked up around 20k of damage in just under 10 minutes on the loose (65" plasma, 5 21" flat screen comp monitors, a couple other computer related casualties)...Personally, I woulda gone for 100k...I set goals...

On top of the carnage and just general uproar...the bartenders downstairs, for no less than 6 months, would ask all us regulars that came in after work if we got fired that day...It was funny the first time...then it got old.
 

dwaugh

Turbo Monkey
May 23, 2002
1,816
0
Bellingham, Washington ~ U.S.A.
Careers are a 20th century invention that we as humans cannot cope with. They are unnatural & don't jive well with the human spirit. I advise you to quit your "career" & quit worrying about such sniveling details.

PS-I would shoot myself if I had to work with spreadsheets.
You said it! And I would too...
 

AngryMetalsmith

Business is good, thanks for asking
Jun 4, 2006
21,079
9,788
I have no idea where I am
Is there anything that makes you happy Sanjuro ?

I'm not trying to be dick here dude, but seriously, you have some anger issues.

This is like when one of your drinking buddies tells you that you have a problem.
 

sanjuro

Tube Smuggler
Sep 13, 2004
17,373
0
SF
Is there anything that makes you happy Sanjuro ?

I'm not trying to be dick here dude, but seriously, you have some anger issues.

This is like when one of your drinking buddies tells you that you have a problem.
Well, I am certainly confrontational, but I don't look for a fight around every street corner.

Specifically with this incident, I asked the guy for a spreadsheet as asked by my boss. I got the run-around for a whole week, which I didn't appreciate since I was nominally in charge of our team while my boss was on vacation.

So, yeah, I could have slunk back to my cubicle, whine to my boss how co-workers don't listen to me, and then go home and cry into my pillow.

Instead, I mocked one of his facial gestures for a half-second, then I backed down because I knew where this was leading. I continued working with this guy on another issue for the rest of the day.

Yeah, I am quick to anger, but I never forget my goals. I believe in good communication and peaceful resolutions. But I am not afraid to verbally spar.
 

Sandwich

Pig my fish!
Staff member
May 23, 2002
21,031
5,921
borcester rhymes
I believe in good communication and peaceful resolutions.
by making fun of somebody's facial expressions? really dude? do you listen to yourself? I'm certain there was a peaceful way to resolve the issue without making fun of him. Being that he got fired, I'm sure there's way more of his slacking going on than just the one spreadsheet, but still...
 

sanjuro

Tube Smuggler
Sep 13, 2004
17,373
0
SF
by making fun of somebody's facial expressions? really dude? do you listen to yourself? I'm certain there was a peaceful way to resolve the issue without making fun of him. Being that he got fired, I'm sure there's way more of his slacking going on than just the one spreadsheet, but still...
I don't know what to tell you. These are my goals, but I have a temper and a smart mouth, as well as integrity and honesty. I have to balance all of them.

I am being frank about how this played out. Put it this way, the first 10 times I asked him, I was being very nice, despite a growing irritation. And, his facial expression I mocked was one of extreme anger after I asked him for the 11th time to produce this spreadsheet, which he did after our boss finally "chatted" with him.

On the other hand, I noticed no one posts threads like this:

"Hey, I am a office dweeb that eats sh*t all the time. Deep down inside, I rather get along than take a stand. I'm glad I have no backbone."

BTW, there is some discussion from higher-ups about giving this guy his job back. He denies he actually quit, despite two witnesses. And he claims that our boss is abusive, which he is not.

I don't want to work with this guy against, solely based on this incident and what he said afterwards.