Back when I worked for Myers Tire Supply I used to call on a tire and under car service shop that was in downtown Knoxville. This shop hired the worst knuckle dragging slack jawed yokels they could find and then they worked them to death for next to nothing. They could get away with that because they had lots of government contracts so they did not have to worry about dissatisfied customers, the government agencies had to bring them their vehicles no matter what.
Anyway, I stopped in one day and I was asking the tire jockeys and mechanics if they needed anything and one guy walked up to me. He said handed me a socket that I had sold them a few weeks previous. He said, "That's got a lifetime guarantee, right?"
"Yep," I said.
"Well I need a new one. Cos' as you can see that one's broke and it ain't defeating the purpose no more."
I did a double take and I said, "You don't want something to defeat the purpose."
He gave me a look like I was the crazy one. "Yes, you do. If it don't defeat the purpose then what good is it?'
I opened my mouth to explain what that expression meant but then I remembered the saying about why you should never try to teach a pig to sing (Teaching a pig to sing only makes you mad when it doesn't learn and it annoys the pig when you keep on trying.) So I said, "Ok, you're right. I'll send you a free socket."
I walked away shaking my head and laughing inside but some part of me was kind of glad he tried to learn something new even if he did get it wrong.
4 comments:
Sadly ... oh, so sadly ... I work with professionals, folks who claim to have college degrees, who talk the same way. They defeat the purpose of professionalism.
And then that yokel went to Washington and became the head of Homeland Security, the end.
(In a postscript, if you look at the government seals of most federal bureacracies, the new federal slogan 'if you don't defeat the purpose what good is it?' has been added in fine print.)
But if he was working for a Gummint contract business, then a working tool would defeat the purpose!, wouldn't it?
Beth-We are a nation of idiots, except of course for you and me.
Jess-You're not too far off.
Phydeaux-Ahh, who can tell?
Post a Comment