FASHION CONSCIOUS
By Gerald A. Polley
We've been telling the stories about the troubles I had with this obnoxious manager. The stories are endless! I had been working there for a couple of weeks, got up one morning, and it was driving rain, just pouring down. So I got dressed and put my rain gear on; waterproof boots, waterproof pants, raincoat and hat, and went off to work. As I was walking by the dining room the waitresses and some of the customers saw me and waved. I went in the back door and there was the manager. He was hardly ever there in the morning but for some reason he was there that morning, and he came right up into my face screaming.
"You friggin' freak! What in the hell is the matter with you? You never come in here dressed like that! This isn't some cheap waterfront bar, this is a class A place! Don't you ever come to this door dressed like a moron again!"
"Get out of my face!" I told him. "It's raining. It's a fifteen minute walk from my apartment. I'm not gonna get drenched to the skin because you're fashion conscious. Told you before and I'll tell you again. You got any problems with anything I do you take it up with the boss! And he's told you that, too! But you never get in my face and run your mouth."
"Get out!" the manager screamed, "Get out!"
"Get out of my way!" I told him, "and this is the only time I'm going to tell you. You got a problem wait 'til the boss gets here and take it up with him. Now get out of my way or I'll move you, and you know I can do it! You got a problem, call a cop!"
The manager backed off, screaming. "I won't take this from a moron! I won't take this!" and he stormed off. I went to work with the cook glaring at me. About an hour or so later the boss came in early, and you could tell he was not happy! He went out in the diningroom, snapped at the manager to come in the office, and when both of them were inside slammed the door. I could still hear the conversation very well.
"What in the hell are you doing calling the police and telling them you want someone removed from the premisis? Thank goodness they called me first because they wanted to know what was going on!"
"Gerald mouthed off to me!" the manager screamed, "He came in here dressed like an idiot! I told him never to do it again and he mouthed off to me! I won't tolerate it!"
The boss held up his finger, opened up the door and asked "Gerald, what was the problem with the way you were dressed when you came in?"
"I was wearing my rain gear," I told the boss. "If you notice, it's pouring out. It offended his sense of fashion and he started calling me an idiot. I told him where he could go."
"Oh!" the boss answered. "Thank you!" He shut the door. "You're a moron!" he screamed at the manager, "You're a total idiot! Don't ever run your mouth about the way anybody's dressed again! That's my responsibility! If Gerald needs to wear rain gear he wears rain gear! Now that's it! Don't you ever call the police again, ever, unless it's a real emergency! Now go to work! Fix the mess you made last night."
The manager stormed out of the office glaring at me. The boss came over and said "Sorry, Gerald! That man came with the highest recommendations. His two previous bosses praise him! Either they were lying like hell, or he completely deceived them. I have never seen such an idiot!"
"Can't argue with that!" I replied.
The boss smiled and we all went back to work, waiting for the next inevitable incident.
THE END