Posted on 05/31/2015 7:49:46 AM PDT by Jack Hydrazine
. . . and he/she happens to have heard of that joke before, what can he/she do? I imagine it's a bad idea for him/her to call BS and refuse to follow the order, right?
-snip-
When my mom worked rotation on OR as a new nurse, she was often sent on errands like "bring back a sterilized fallopian tube." Once she figured out what was going on, she took it as permission to take a coffee break.
Then she got sent out to get a pair of left-handed trauma scissors. So, she went and got coffee. After a few minutes, the circulating nurse came looking for her. Where were the scissors? You mean there's such a thing as left-handed trauma scissors?! Mom would have been in deep trouble, except the circulating nurse glared at the surgeon and told him he was the one who started it, so he'd better suck it up and behave.
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My dad was oiling on a ship when the wiper asked the Third assistant "What is this" pointing to the key to the kilson. (the wrench for removing the nut holding the screw on the propeller shaft.) The third told him it is the Key to the kilson. The wiper asked him where he should put it. The third tole him " ah just take up to the bridge."
The wipper thought what the heck and began to end over end the wrench, they are 5 to 6 feet long. When he got it up to the flying bridge and it hit the deck with a bang the Third Mate turn and asked "what is that." The wiper answered the key to the kilson, where do you want me to put it. The third mates answered just throw the dam thing overboard. The wiper did.
End result. Wiper fired, Third Assistant Engineer and Third Mate had their liciences permanently revoked by the commerce department.
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In the navy, one might be asked to retrieve batteries for the ship’s sound-powered phones.
Also if the ship were passing 0 degrees latitude, first-timers might be invited to report topside if they wished to see the equator.
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One friend of mine, a navy guy, was sent to get a bucket of steam. Six hours later, he came back with a bucket with a lump of dry ice and some water.
Another friend, an Air Force guy, told me the AF fool's errand was to send a rookie to get an ASH receiver. That's the federal stock name for an ashtray with a sliding cover and spring-loaded mount to the plane's wall.
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When I was in the Army Reserve we had private fresh out of training. We were testing some new radios we had recently received when the E-4 we were working with told the private to go back to the commo cage and get a can of squelch. About 10 minutes later he comes running out with a can marked "squelch." We had done this in the past and our sergeant was prepared for us--he wrapped a piece of paper around a can of air and wrote "squelch" on it. Not wanting to lose face we took the can, sprayed some air on the connector on the back of the radio and moved on.
Fast forward 2 months. We're out on our summer training and a captain pulls up with a bad radio. The same E-2 looks it over and says, "Oh, that just needs a can of squelch," and runs off. Good times did not follow.
In fairness to the private, he was trained as a teletype operator, not on voice communications.
Yeah, when I reported aboard MCAS El Toro, I was told to go MAG - 11 Admin, and pick up DD Form ID 10 T.........id10t
Suppose you did this to a black coworker and he struck back by filing one of the many harassment options available. Or, suppose you did it to everybody except the black (or woman or lesbian or gay) and they complain because you haven’t treated them the same. The world has changed and things that were once viewed as harmless are now viewed through a different lens.
Making somebody feel like an idiot is never a good idea.
Our joker once complained that nobody took him seriously. I rattled off the most recent six or seven times he’d fooled somebody and he wailed, “but this time I’m serious.” He could have claimed the building was on fire and because he’d said it no amount of smoke would have convinced us.
A buddy of mine referred to being sent below for a BT punch. The boiler technicians were all too happy to comply.
OMG, lmao. I hope you know that there's people on Coast to Coast who actually heard
this and believe it to this day. Some have changed it to say the Russians use it, and
the area of our country where it ends. I always wondered where those nuts got
their information. And it probably started with a guard who believed it which means
somebody talked..
Is our military better as a result?
Good clip. One problem with it though. The actual “firing command” does not contain any part of that “command” in the movie.
That is why no sane person would work in an environment like in your examples. As that environment started to form in the workforce I removed myself from any job that held those traps. It limited my choices, but it has made my life much easier.
I grew up around the Navy, bases and hangars and knew all the pranks before I ever joined. I never participated in the games once in the service, but understand their utility.
That’s too funny! I remember back in the E club we’d whisper about this submarine base over pitchers of 3.2 beer. Urban myths always start somewhere and I just might have played a role in starting this particular one.
Find the box of grid squares. (Solution: a box of graph paper.)
Find the squelch grease. (Solution: a relabeled tube of neosporin.)
Find the lightbulb fluid. (Solution: can of Ronsonol, or the hideous mogas crap.)
You did and I think it’s historically hilarious.
Yup. Back 30+ years ago we sent a noob back to the shop for a brick stretcher. Sent another to the lumber store for a sky hook.
That’s what I figured. Thanks.
I remember the left handed smoke shifter when I was in the boy scouts mid 70’s.
I had a Motor Sergeant send a new LT (an Aggie, of course)to ask the Battalion’s Maintenance Chief (a grizzled CW4) for a can of muzzle break.
He later asked the LT when he wanted to schedule the platoon’s M113s in for changing the winter air out of the roadwheels...
See my previous; superior to your non-synthetic dino-fluid!
Someone has to get the mail buoy. And for God’s sake, don’t mix the summer air with the winter air in the tires. That’s how they go flat.
She was NOT happy when she came back in.
Exactly! Of course that came to mind then.
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