We've all seen it. There's that one person (or several people) that don't seem quite right. If it looks like a retard and it sounds like a retard, it's a retard. While retards aren't necessarily bad people (at least not on purpose), but they can make for co-workers who aren't safe or competent.
During this writer's years as a supermarket janitor, he ran into a number of them. Some of the dumbest people on Earth work at supermarkets (or at least the one this writer worked at). This was especially true of the people who brought the carts inside from the cart corrals. Oh, the stories...
There is one experience this writer had while janiteering. As a supermarket janitor, one of this writer's duties was to clear debris from the carts. So, as this writer was doing that, a co-worker comes in with a bunch of carts and almost mows this writer down. He saw this writer there and proceeded to do the dumb act anyway. When this writer angrily asked why the guy did it, he answered, "hur hur." If only that was a joke. Anyway, it was it this time this writer realized the guy was genuinely retarded and didn't know any better.
In another instance, this writer witnessed a co-worker almost run down a customer with a cart. It was a different guy, but the same dumb crap. This writer wondered, "who is hiring these idiots?"
Then there's the co-workers who are just incompetent. The writer once saw a worker "cleaning" the bottle return room. All he did was sweep one tiny spot and proceeded to not mop the floor after getting a mop bucket ready. Even worse, he made the decision to take the bucket to the slop pit and pour the unused cleaner down the drain. WTF?
These are only a few cases of retardation this writer witnessed at work. Sometimes it can't be helped, especially if the person is legitimately retarded. But if the person is just a moron or incompetent, it's inexcusable. In either case, it can make for an irritating or potentially dangerous workplace if these people aren't CLOSELY supervised or not made to pay for their mistakes, at least.
Until next time...
