PEAK CAPS
Created | Updated Jan 28, 2002
You know the sort, as worn by army officers, traffic wardens, commissionaires, etc. etc. The sad thing is when they are worn by civilians they have a devastating effect - they become Jobsworths.
Everyone knows the dangers of taking employment that involves the wearing of a peak cap, but never-the-less many are lured by the licence to wield power - however insignificant that power is in reality.
To the Jobsworth, their power is absolute. Nothing will deter them from carrying out their duty. They are totally immune from reason.
Take the traffic warden - go two minutes over the allotted parking time and no excuse will prevent him from writing out a ticket; you could have had an accident, return to your car with both legs in plaster and temporary blindness in one eye - no excuse.
Or the car park attendant for a private office block - if an earthquake had reduced the building to rubble and you arrived on the scene to help the wounded, pulling into a reserved parking spot - Cant park there mate would be his stoic reaction.
Don a peaked cap in civilian society and you will instantly become a social outcast - shunned by friends and family alike. Off-duty youll become the butt for all manner of puns and jokes, people will constantly seek ways to put you down; on-duty you will be ridiculed, despised and even hated.
But Jobsworths should be pitied not harangued - they need help. There must be a way to rehabilitate these poor misguided souls. Investment and research is required. In this vein I tried to lobby my Member of Parliament the other week. He was full of understanding of the problem, praise for my efforts and sincerely wanted to help, but Im afraid he had donned his invisible peak cap - you know what he said.
Jobsworths |
Everyone knows the dangers of taking employment that involves the wearing of a peak cap, but never-the-less many are lured by the licence to wield power - however insignificant that power is in reality.
To the Jobsworth, their power is absolute. Nothing will deter them from carrying out their duty. They are totally immune from reason.
Take the traffic warden - go two minutes over the allotted parking time and no excuse will prevent him from writing out a ticket; you could have had an accident, return to your car with both legs in plaster and temporary blindness in one eye - no excuse.
Or the car park attendant for a private office block - if an earthquake had reduced the building to rubble and you arrived on the scene to help the wounded, pulling into a reserved parking spot - Cant park there mate would be his stoic reaction.
Don a peaked cap in civilian society and you will instantly become a social outcast - shunned by friends and family alike. Off-duty youll become the butt for all manner of puns and jokes, people will constantly seek ways to put you down; on-duty you will be ridiculed, despised and even hated.
But Jobsworths should be pitied not harangued - they need help. There must be a way to rehabilitate these poor misguided souls. Investment and research is required. In this vein I tried to lobby my Member of Parliament the other week. He was full of understanding of the problem, praise for my efforts and sincerely wanted to help, but Im afraid he had donned his invisible peak cap - you know what he said.
