Saturday, July 08, 2006

Use cases

Was away with work in Galway much of the week so not much chance to blog. When I got back I thought I would avail of the city centre hostipality and grab a chance to say 'hi' to some friends of the book keeper who were visiting.

While there, we were given some more insight into the methods and mentality of the choirboy. There are those who think they are in an Amy Lee mode when they have more in common with one of the WAGs on parade in Baden Baden. Arriving with your hands hanging to an event is something I've done myself from time to time and isn't a crime in itself. Yet to do so and then indicating repeatedly that you're purely there to kill time while waiting for cooler people (who strangely didn't get you into their event) to be free is the kind of thing we'd expect from the Vicky's or Chantelle's of this world. There again it is a mistake to presume that access to an education would improving the manners of some folk.

Generally, most people would think that if you go to something that you've been invited to and then bring nothing, neither food nor beverage and send your entire time waiting and watching for people who appear to be at a much more thrilling event that for some reason you are not able to attend yourself, it would reasonable that when you do decide to depart that you don't try to sabotage the occasion that you've contributed nothing to.

Deciding to invite some of the hosts along while excluding others present so that the event will have to come to premature end as those not invited will have to push off home is beyond even the realms of just being rude and moves more straightforwardly into being malicious.

Now being self centred is something we are all guilty of, however even the more cynical of us take care not to delibrately insult those we bum lifts or money or assistance with work off by suggesting surprise that they are benefit to anyone. Of course, this may be all due to they realising how little time their colleagues actually have for them and with their time together drawing to an end their own disdain is unavoidably prone to popping out from time to time.

What astounds me is the continuing tolerance of such behaviour from their colleagues which I would suspect is down to the peculiar world of academia. Truth be told it is the rather insular and overly careful world of academia that allows such behaviour to thrive. In the big bad world of employment, colleagues will, irrespective of legislation to protect people from victimisation, ensure that such people are dumped with all the unpleasant work and left to their own devices.

Needlessly to say there is a special place in hell for such folk and it is very solitary indeed.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Well, fair is fair the event was as well planned and executed as they usually are. However, it was probably just a case of bad timing.