The Rev Jack's Diary
Created | Updated Apr 14, 2005
A Set of Front Disks
So then, I haven't been writing for a few weeks. The reason is
because I have been working to pay for the food and general living
expenses. So, without boring you rigid, I'll carry on to tell you about
the 3rd day working in the garage.
'Oi!' said the voice of the manager (23 years of age and still
suckling at his mothers left breast). I stopped and looked his way.
'Yes I mean you!' He's pointing now and at me, too! 'This bloke needs a lesson in manners', I think to myself, 'and maybe later on this afternoon when he's got a little more stressed!'
'Me?' I responded.
'Yes, YOU!!! Are you thick or something?' The finger was being used like a rapier as he walked towards me. His eyes were narrowing too.
'If you keep looking like that you might end up looking like it all the time!' I informed him and I was expecting the words 'OFFICE' and 'NOW' ending the sentence but, no. What I got was
'Go and fit disks and brake pads to that.' The rapier-like digit was now pointing to a very large lorry. 'Just don't stand there! Parts are in the stores!' Again I was informed by the digit - now pointed at the stores door.
Out of the door appeared Dave. He waved so I returned the wave which seemed to have upset our glorious leader and the accompanying digit.
'Just get on with the bl**dy job. It needs to be finished by 13.00 hours.' I was informed. It was 09.31 as I walked over to the stores and entered through the wrong door. That, too, is part of being a mechanic as is tearing all the parts boxes open and not lifting the lids or box ends and looking at the bits contained inside or throwing your teddy bear out of your pram because someone has got grease on your tool box! So it came as no surprise when I heard;
'You are not getting parts till you come through the proper door!' said a voice with no body attached to it!
'So, then, which is the proper door and can I have my bits for this job?'
I placed the job sheet on the counter, exited the stores and re-entered through the same door which turned out to be the correct door this time.
'Now there's a lucky find!' I said.
'A lucky find?' the voice echoed.
'Yeah. I found the correct door so now can I have my bits?' I replied. Well I think it was too much to ask as things were going quite well for 09.47 on a Wednesday morning.
'No, you can only have half of the bits and, before you say anything, the rest of the order is coming up after lunch. Now hop it!' said the voice from under the counter.
'You were bullied at school?' I enquired.
'F$$$ O&&' said the voice as I picked up my parts and left through the 'right' door.
I began the job, jacked up the front end, took off the wheels, inspected the disks and the brake pads already fitted and I
found there was nothing wrong with them. There was a little light crazing and the pads were only slightly worn. 'Hummm,' I thought now, 'well the disks could be warped, so I think I'd better find out what's going on.' It wasn't inconceivable that someone had got it a bit wrong so I went looking for the manager with the digit.
I found the digit with the manager attached.
'I think you had better come and have a look at these disks fitted on this truck.' I said.
'Just change the F*****g things and you better be quick.' came the reply.
'Ok - and I also have only one of them. The rest will be up this afternoon, so do you want me to carry on? I replied.
'Only ONE F*******B****** of a disk?' We are up to 10.24 on the time line. He stormed down to the store room, entered through the wrong door, jumped to the head of the queue and stood at the window/hatch thingy. 'What's all this about there's only one disk for the Janssen's lorry?' digit shouted.
'That's right! There's only one in stock and I let the bloke have that one.' pimple head said back.
'But it needs two. I am informed that there aren't any till this
afternoon but I can see two on the shelf.' The digit points at a pair of boxed disks on a shelf in all expectancy for the job I'm suppose to be working on. - 10.47 now and it was time for a cuppa.
'I don't have any paper work for those on there, so you can't have them.' pimple head said.BR/>
'But they're for this job. I ordered them myself yesterday.' digit said as I left for the canteen. - 11.00.
- 11.22 and I was still waiting for the ok to do this job and, as I
entered the garage, I saw a crowd of people gathered around the store room. Someone was almost in tears. It was digit. He had made the mistake of trying to get parts out of the stores without a job card or order number. As the pimple head in charge of the stores said;
'It's no good pointing at them. You AIN'T having them till you get a JOB CARD or ORDER NUMBER, but those are not in there because they're NOT BOOKED IN YET so don't keep on!'
-11.38: I wandered over and started the tear down on the N/S brake caliper and hub. 'Not bad for a morning's work' I can't help thinking.
- 12.28: The hub came off, I found the problem and it wasn't good so this truck would not be going out today. It was the axle stub!
- 13.05: The transport manager for Janssen's was on the phone having the bad news explained to him and not taking it too well which was about par for the course and it was time for my lunch!
The afternoon shift is to follow.
