Idiots you have worked with

[Pete999]

I was Lead on on one particular job, overseas, and I had to arange a handover to a new chap we had so say trained in the particular needs of our working practices,
Any way Matey turned up all bright beyed and bushy tailed ready to set the World on fire.
Showing him around the Switch room, that switch there Mate, don't switch it off unless you have arranged with the client for a down time OK? yeah Fine Pete, no worries, the day I was flying home got a call , better get your arse round here PDQ Mate.
All Hell had broken loose, Matey had switched off without permission, lots of Damage to electronic Kit which needed a phased shut down, some Div knocking a 100Amp 3phase off was not an ideal thing to do, took me 3 days to sort the problem out change my flight and eat humble pie with Her in Doors, as well as arrangeing Matey's demise from his employment, Pillock.

 

[sham]

I worked with a bloke years ago who thought that placing a level on a flourescent fitting on the ceiling would help getting it parallel with the room, and also that if you swapped the two wires round in a one way switch it would then be upside down in operation. And he was the boss !!

I was like that, until now, lol

 

[Midwest]

I was on call out during Xmas, I was sent to a house that had no hot water. It was a plumbers job really as it was boiler fed. The young lady with two children was stressed as the appointment for the heating engineer was a week in January. So I tried my luck and bypassed the thermostat and to which the boiler kicked in the heat water. So I gave her some hot water and put everything back to place as it is dangerous to leave thermostat bypassed. I explained that I could not do anything permanent and she just had to wait. After new year I was sent to the offices and got fired because the lady, or her partner, bypassed it again after I had left and told the heating engineer I did it.

Theres no 'like' for that, guess you won't be so obliging again.

 

[johnduffell]

After new year I was sent to the offices and got fired because the lady, or her partner, bypassed it again after I had left and told the heating engineer I did it.

That's ridiculous, no chance to explain yourself? I hope you're well shot of that employer

 

[pirate]

I worked with a guy who was a minor TV personality, a football commentator in the evenings. He left all the real work in the office to me, and swanned off to the tv studios a couple of times a week...I would work my butt off tidying up his sh*t, then get home at 10pm to see him pontificating on the telly...(and getting paid a pretty penny too)
I moved jobs..and he was "moved" too, eventually. Moral: Do your own work, for yourself, whenever possible.

 

[Rpa07]

Wasn’t Motty was it @pirate? You’d have said if it was, wouldn’t you!

 

[KEV 1 N]

Remember on a job about 10years ago, we had an agency sparkys mate fitting containment.
The task involved fitting galv trunking to plasterboard wall.
I noticed he was drilling a load of random holes in the back of the trunking, then offered it up to the wall. At this point I walked over and asked how he knew where the studs where in the wall, he said he never bothered finding the studs, one of the holes he drilled was bound to hit a stud!

 

[sham]

Remember on a job about 10years ago, we had an agency sparkys mate fitting containment.
The task involved fitting galv trunking to plasterboard wall.
I noticed he was drilling a load of random holes in the back of the trunking, then offered it up to the wall. At this point I walked over and asked how he knew where the studs where in the wall, he said he never bothered finding the studs, one of the holes he drilled was bound to hit a stud!

Lol, logic

 

[johnduffell]

one of the holes he drilled was bound to hit a stud!

Your guy had a great understanding of stochastic probability, maybe he is a mathematician on day release

 

[pirate]

Nope, Rpa07...not Motty...
and yes, I would've said if it was
I magine a w anchor, only much worse!

 

[Toneyz]

Drilled through a garage wall once for the SWA feed straight into an oil tank lots of gaffas tape around it to stop the spillage.

 

[ipf]

Not an idiot, but I remember one lad working for us, upstairs in a main street insurance brokers. He was sinking a box with a lump hammer and chisel for a socket when I heard a loud 'kin ell' with all the banging. He'd smashed a brick straight through a single brick wall into next door...….. Barclays bank.

 

[Toneyz]

Not an idiot, but I remember one lad working for us, upstairs in a main street insurance brokers. He was sinking a box with a lump hammer and chisel for a socket when I heard a loud 'kin ell' with all the banging. He'd smashed a brick straight through a single brick wall into next door...….. Barclays bank.

I've heard it called hole it the wall before but that takes it to another level.

 

[ipf]

I've heard it called hole it the wall before but that takes it to another level.

We got that for a fair while after. 'HITW gang' sticker on the van.

 

[sham]

Not an idiot, but I remember one lad working for us, upstairs in a main street insurance brokers. He was sinking a box with a lump hammer and chisel for a socket when I heard a loud 'kin ell' with all the banging. He'd smashed a brick straight through a single brick wall into next door...….. Barclays bank.

Reminds me of the movie, Casino, Hole In The Wall Gang. True story.

 

[Deleted account]

I hated working with a young lad who would throw his tools about, shout, swear every time something didn't go to plan.

Everyday something doesn't go to plan in this kind of work. It's the nature of the beast. There are times I do have to take a deep breath and carry on, but does getting angry with inanimate objects really help?

I think he is in the wrong trade. To be honest I don't think any trade would be good for him. His attitude was all wrong.

 

[Deleted member 109422]

I hated working with a young lad who would throw his tools about, shout, swear every time something didn't go to plan.

Everyday something doesn't go to plan in this kind of work. It's the nature of the beast. There are times I do have to take a deep breath and carry on, but does getting angry with inanimate objects really help?

I think he is in the wrong trade. To be honest I don't think any trade would be good for him. His attitude was all wrong.

Patience is indeed a virtue!

Ok, here goes....I certainly felt an idiot after the following happened....

I suppose I was in my mid 20's. I had been working for the same local respected company for about 6 years.

I was given the job of installing a load of down lights in a run down sea-side hotel, (Awful things I know and at the time these were 240v, no transformers). Once I started to lift floorboards it became apparent that much of the installation was still wired in VIR cables (the braided waxed things that snap when you move them).

I called my boss, explained the situation. He asked me to carry on, get the down lights working and the rewire situation would be addressed as soon as possible. I followed his instructions.

When I got home I sat down with my dinner and turned the TV on.
I nearly choked....there, live on the local news was coverage of the hotel totally ablaze. The hotel was on fire! I was directly on the phone to my boss, he was watching it too. Awful.

Anyway, the next day it turned out that some guys were putting new lead flashing around a large bay window at the front of the hotel and had set light to the window in the process.

Ha! I was saved!

 

[Deleted member 109422]

I have got a much better one than the one above but I can not type it on a public forum.

 

[MDJ]

Idiots I have worked with?

Usually Managers who climbed their way up to the office by brown nosing and giving out blow jobs, horrible slimy lackies.

 

[Pete999]

Idiots I have worked with?

Usually Managers who climbed their way up to the office by brown nosing and giving out blow jobs, horrible slimy lackies.

Would that description include Team Leaders? who think they are one of the team, but in reality they are the only tea, team ME.

 

[Deleted account]

Idiots I have worked with?

Usually Managers who climbed their way up to the office by brown nosing and giving out blow jobs, horrible slimy lackies.

Can't stand brown nosing, but the blow jobs....