Every now and then, I go out with my team to grab lunch. My team includes my boss, supervisor, a WIP, and myself. Here’s the story:
Boss: When people come from overseas, don’t they get a smallpox vaccination that leaves a mark?
Supervisor: Yeah, don’t you have one? (Looking at me)
Me: No.
Boss: Why not? You came to the states pretty late, no?
Me: Yes. But I also don’t come from a third world country. They don’t do that in [insert non-third world country] anymore.
So after lunch, we go back to the office, and my boss comes up to talk to me:
Boss: I know some people are really sensitive and I see this as one of those cases but WIP was really offended by your comment.
Me: What comment?
Boss: You know.. What you said about a third world country. She felt like you were attacking her.
Me: What?? I mentioned that term in relation to [same non-third world country].
Boss: I know. She’s just sensitive but you should just watch what you say around her.
So after Boss leaves, I sit there fuming. Granted, third world country may not have been completely PC but COME ON, really?!! Just because she is from a developing nation, she can’t possibly see my comment as a direct attack to her? And, really, do you REALLY have to go to our BOSS to complain? So naturally, I confront her:
Me: Boss came to talk to me about our lunch and that you were offended. That comment was not directed towards you and I would appreciate it if you talk to me first in the future.
WIP: So? Boss is my friend.
Me: Uh.. what??
WIP: You talk to A. (A’s my closest friend at work) at work.
Me: A’s not the same as Boss. Boss is our boss!
WIP: So I can’t talk to her about anything? Are you saying I can’t talk to her?
Me: No, but let’s suppose I was friend with President and CEO. There are things I would and would not tell them.
WIP: Well, if you’re friends with them, you should tell them.
Me: (speechless at this point)… Boss is my employer. I have an employer-employee relationship with Boss. So in the future, please come talk to me first.
WIP: (rolls her eyes) It’s not like you would have listened.
Me: Did you try? Next time, come talk to me first.
By this point, I’m pretty steamed so I walk away from her cubicle while she continues to talk nonsense. 10 seconds later, an email pops up with the following subject line:
Can we discuss this over email? I don’t want people to hear that we’re
having a personal issue.
$@()#$*@)(#*$(*@#$*# WHAT PERSONAL ISSUE?! IT’S NOT MY FAULT IF YOU THINK OUR BOSS IS YOUR FRIEND $@)#(*$(#@*$
So naturally, I ignore her email. One of my mottos in life: Never argue with an idiot. Then I get another email:
Okay, I have tried.
At this point, I’ve reached the boiling point. So, I write her an email:
This is not a personal issue. You are one of my co-workers and I was asking you as a colleague.
I heard you were offended and I asked you to come talk to me first in the future about it. From my perspective, that comment was not directed towards you and I did not understand why you took offense to it. I understand your friendship with Boss but I ask you to also understand that Boss is my director and I do have a professional employer-employee relationship with her.
If you have a problem, I would rather not do this over email. You can talk to me about it.
Her response:
you don’t like me, you better talk to me about it rather than trying to
use terms that offend people. You should know that some words are offensive to some cultures or countries. I haven never said the word Communist in front of you since I know it might offend you. And I would never go that far to offend someone’s culture or background because I respect others.
And then she writes another email:
Anyways, I’m done discussing it.
A communist?? A COMMUNIST?? Really? Why would I be offended if you talked about communism? Are you RETARDED? So, I walk up to her cubicle and tell her to meet me outside the office. Then I bit her head off. She pretty much spat out incoherent sentences with “I’m so tired so I can’t even talk now.”
WTF.
Posted by wippeople 
