Hello, I am an expendable cog. I have been figuratively castrated by the authority of my workplace, which cares no more for me than it does for its customers. (Never mind that I am a customer)Pleased to meet you. Please, feel free to make my life even more meaningless. Would you like fries with that?

So, as someone so aptly put it, "day 147 of death heat" on the sign in sheet at work,
work is hell. I think we have vogons working at both the air conditioning company, and in the corporate offices. I'm surprised anyone can take a shit without having to fill out papers, yell at anyone, or make stupid pointless decisions.

Our store has been with AC for only a couple, maybe 3 or 4 days during the month of July, and it is now August. The list of excuses makes Santa's list of good and bad look like a postage stamp. I don't even know who's fault it is anymore, nor at this point do I care. I, like any other I've worked with, just want to not be sweating like a pig while standing still.

The AC people, after much verbal sparring, finally came out not once but twice. the first time did nothing. They were out again today with a crane, and the guy who was here to fix the stuff kept saying "well if it rains any harder we can't go up there with the crane" It was barely raining, a drizzle. So, we're supposed to let you go again, and not fix the damn thing when you already used the excuse that you didn't have the right part? Then the guy in the crane, who is getting paid more than I am (i'm sure) to SIT THERE, finally comes in at some point and said we should close the doors because it should be working.

A short trip to the vents told me no air was coming out. And....we're supposed to close the doors and contain the heat inside instead of letting the lovely breeze blow in so that we're not suffocating?

I could bake cookies on the floor in our breakroom, which has no ventilation and no windows. No one has been using it for days now, except to drop off empty cups used for mass quantities of water.

Customers have been complaining, occasionally walking out, asking for a number they can call, so we gave them one of the big bosses cell # and work numbers.

there is another development that I am eager to relate, but I will not divulge it yet, because our GM will be back and let me tell you, the shit will be hitting the fan (or fans. we don't have nearly enough)

But I will tell you this:

Apparently the asshat who is my GM's boss suggested we rent industrial fans to cool the place off. Right. Let's spend money on giant fans that will scatter the paperwork everywhere and only manage to blow the already hot air around in an oven-like building, when you could be spending that money on finding someone who actually wants to fix out goddamn AC. But, since you've contracted the lowest bidder because you don't give a shit about us and want to keep costs down as well as ignore our needs, you come up with lame ass suggestions instead. Brilliant. I see why they pay you the big bucks.

There have been plenty of customers who have been kind and are aorry we've had to work in the heat, but there are also the usual assholes who somehow don't notice the large flourescent orange signs on the door saying that there's no AC and then proceed to ask the cashier " Wouldn't it just be easier to turn the AC on?"

.....
It would be much easier to use your head as a holder for this giant stainless steel axe. it's apparent you're not using it just now. I would mention something about your heart, but i'm pretty sure the flying monkeys have already made spaghetti sauce with it. Now go back to your air conditioned office and pretend there are windows in your cubicle you worhtless stuffed tatter of pima cotton.

You know, I remember an event in recent history. A tragedy happened. there was this big storm, and millions of people's homes were destroyed. There was a flood afterwards, and people were being herded into safe spots. They waited for several days outside in the hot sun, waiting for aid. they were promised it was coming. They got dehydrated. They were promised help was coming. Many died. they were promised help was coming. Some still haven't gotten the help they needed.

This was a very large scale event. maybe some of you remember it.

these people weren't getting the help they needed because lots of bureacracy, finger pointing, and inability to just get the fucking job done kept getting in the way.

What is happening at my company is small in comparison, and no one has died, but it follows the same pattern. just because it is a smaller incident makes it no less importantto those involved. A small injustice is still an injustice. It is because smaller events like what i've been through that larger scale events like katrina clusterfuck are allowed to happen.

instead of just getting off your ass and saying let's get this done and get it done right - the following it up by actually doing it, people drag their feet, and make excuses, and wait for forms, and don't answer phone messages, and harbor a general unconcern for their fellow man who, meanwhile, is suffering.

it's because the small events are tolerated that the big ones are allowed to happen.

Might I add, that one of our managers, in the stead of our GM who has been in France for the last couple weeks, has been working every day for nearly 18 days straight in this heat, and spent a good portion of one of them throwing up. She is such a trooper, and she, like the rest of us, have all gotten the shit caked end of the stick. She had been diligently calling people to try and get things fixed, everyday, several times a day, to not much avail.

I am watching a ship turn mutinous, and I am almost happy.

i'm sure we'll hear our GM say for the umpteenth time "thanks for being so professional during all this"

I didn't know that being professional means putting up with inhumane conditions just so someone else can get their bottom line. If that's the case, i'd rather be a berserk nutjob.

I know that throughout my life I have had issues with authority. When I have so often had to deal with the people "above" me being incompetent, inconsiderate, greedy, insensitive, and complacent, isn't really any wonder why? it's like the cop who pulls you over for running a red light, and then he does the same damn thing and gets away with it because he's a cop.

I'm done with authority who uses it power to abuse others and use them as an means to its end. I am done feeding fear to the bloated machine of control that is being used to make me feel small and insigificant in comparison. Those who use fear to abuse other in order to retain power (and thusly demand loyalty, or try to buy it)do not deserve any sort of respect or even obedience.

I will help customers because they need help, not because you want your dollar. I will direct them elsewhere if they cannot find what they want. I will not sell them things because you tell me to, because you view the people who keep you afloat as pawns and walking wallets. I don't care about this mirage of an incentive program that barely masks the fact that you don't want to pay us a living wage, that you skimp on things like toilet paper and water, and AC.

I owe you nothing. you are a drop in the bucket of my life. you are a faceless entity without rights, without reason, and without emotion. Even if you fire me, I will find somewhere else to go. And you will find some other cog to install where my place was to run your greasy machinations.

You cannot hurt me. Your power is empty, and you are delusional to think that you can have any control over me or anyone else who works for you.If we, your wage slaves, were to leave tomorrow, all as one, you wouldn't have a leg to stand on. You wouldn't know how to run anything, how to explain anything. you'd be useless, just as you are now.

Only everyone would know for sure just how useless you are.