Exchanges with People that Make Your Brain Hurt

[2littlemonkeys]

I almost created my own brain hurty moment just now but luckily, I was able to stop the train from going off the tracks.   

One of my coworkers is out sick but has some documents she needs to finish and send to the client.  She called and asked me to send her laptop via messenger service.  No sweat.  Only I got back to my desk and started composing an email to her, letting her know her laptop was on its way and she could expect it within the hour.

She would have received said email upon opening her package from the messenger and logging on.  Duh.

[Shoo]

My BF is a pastor and he has a Chi Rho tattoo, and his oldest son has a half sleeve. His congregation has several members with visible tattoos, and I would imagine more with hidden ones. This is the conservative Lutheran Church Missouri Synod!

That was my first guess--that the pastor was inked and the mom thought he was a bad influence! 

I assumed the mom was embarassed by her son's tattoos and doesn't want the pastor of the church to see pictures of them, so she asked her son to defriend the pastor.

[Louie_LI]

I almost created my own brain hurty moment just now but luckily, I was able to stop the train from going off the tracks.   

One of my coworkers is out sick but has some documents she needs to finish and send to the client.  She called and asked me to send her laptop via messenger service.  No sweat.  Only I got back to my desk and started composing an email to her, letting her know her laptop was on its way and she could expect it within the hour.

She would have received said email upon opening her package from the messenger and logging on.  Duh.

This reminds me of our IT department, which sent out an e-mail to tell us the e-mail server was down.

[Iris]

I've had two recently, neither of which were exchanges because they didn't require responses.  One was an overheard conversation while out shopping as one lady said to her friend "It's dreadful in schools now, they learn about every other religion's Christmas but they don't touch on Christianity".  The second was a text message which said "Your Christmas card is on the way, now to look for your birthday card", which makes no sense because my birthday was in the middle of the year and if it's in the house and you're sending out a bulk of post why not just send everything together (or just apologise for missing my birthday)?  There is a bit more background to the relationship which makes me think this is some sort of passive aggressive dig but it still makes my brain hurt.

Bro? Is that you?

Dad just sent me a holiday card with a note that went something like "Sorry you can't be bothered to write. Have a Merry Christmas anyway."

Ok, then. I will.

Ouch. Merry Christmas to you too, Dad 

[snowflake]

I almost created my own brain hurty moment just now but luckily, I was able to stop the train from going off the tracks.   

One of my coworkers is out sick but has some documents she needs to finish and send to the client.  She called and asked me to send her laptop via messenger service.  No sweat.  Only I got back to my desk and started composing an email to her, letting her know her laptop was on its way and she could expect it within the hour.

She would have received said email upon opening her package from the messenger and logging on.  Duh.

This reminds me of our IT department, which sent out an e-mail to tell us the e-mail server was down.

I worked at a place that had a very temperamental server connection.  This was because they had this clunky security software that talked to the server in an awkward way.  (Won't be more specific than that because it will take too long to explain.) This was in reaction to two hacking incidents over five years.  The best solution would have been for us to use some mainstream, well-supported software but they opted for some bargain-basement deal instead.

Sometimes this software would get caught in a feedback loop and they would have to get a hold of the company to fix it.  Said software was set up so only techs from the company could fix it because the company was again too cheap to pay for our network admin to get trained. 

The network admin would always send out emails saying, "We have a feedback loop, but you can bypass it by following steps X, Y and Z..."  And of course we couldn't get the email!  The network admin would barricade himself in the office to hide from the hordes bothering him for a print out of the work-around.

Our director kept saying, "Well you shouldn't have to have dead time because Bob always has a work-around!"

*headslap*

[Shalamar]

Similar thing happened to me - I phoned the help desk to let them know that my work e-mail account wasn't working properly.  They said they'd log a ticket and let me know when I could try it again.  In the meantime, I had to completely sign out of the e-mail program so that they could do their fix.  About two hours later, when I hadn't heard from them, I called them back. 

Me:  Hi - just wondering if Ticket 123 has been resolved yet?  It's about my e-mail not working.
Her:  Yes, it's been working for a while now.  We sent you an e-mail to let you know - didn't you get it?
Me:  *stupefied silence*
Her: ... ohhhh.

[wendelenn]

I almost created my own brain hurty moment just now but luckily, I was able to stop the train from going off the tracks.   

One of my coworkers is out sick but has some documents she needs to finish and send to the client.  She called and asked me to send her laptop via messenger service.  No sweat.  Only I got back to my desk and started composing an email to her, letting her know her laptop was on its way and she could expect it within the hour.

She would have received said email upon opening her package from the messenger and logging on.  Duh.

This reminds me of our IT department, which sent out an e-mail to tell us the e-mail server was down.

Ours like to send emails telling us that our email inboxes are too full.

[Iris]

I almost created my own brain hurty moment just now but luckily, I was able to stop the train from going off the tracks.   

One of my coworkers is out sick but has some documents she needs to finish and send to the client.  She called and asked me to send her laptop via messenger service.  No sweat.  Only I got back to my desk and started composing an email to her, letting her know her laptop was on its way and she could expect it within the hour.

She would have received said email upon opening her package from the messenger and logging on.  Duh.

This reminds me of our IT department, which sent out an e-mail to tell us the e-mail server was down.

Ours like to send emails telling us that our email inboxes are too full.

Oooh, yes! At the moment I am getting daily "Your mailbox is almost full, you can't get very many more emails" emails.

Yes, thank you, very helpful...

[hjaye]

I almost created my own brain hurty moment just now but luckily, I was able to stop the train from going off the tracks.   

One of my coworkers is out sick but has some documents she needs to finish and send to the client.  She called and asked me to send her laptop via messenger service.  No sweat.  Only I got back to my desk and started composing an email to her, letting her know her laptop was on its way and she could expect it within the hour.

She would have received said email upon opening her package from the messenger and logging on.  Duh.

This reminds me of our IT department, which sent out an e-mail to tell us the e-mail server was down.

Ours like to send emails telling us that our email inboxes are too full.

Oooh, yes! At the moment I am getting daily "Your mailbox is almost full, you can't get very many more emails" emails.

Yes, thank you, very helpful...

Actually a lot of those message are self automated.  The quota is set and the email software will send out a message when you hit the first quota.  you're not completely disabled at the first quota, so it gives you the opportunity to clean out your mailbox until you get to the point where you can no longer send or receive emails.

[Elfmama]

A brain-hurty moment that happened about 20 years ago is one that I've never forgotten.  Decorating the Xmas tree today brought it to mind.

That was when I had a hobby-business.  I made ceramic Christmas ornaments and sold them at holiday craft fairs in the fall and winter.  Note: I MADE them, starting with molds and slip (liquid clay.) I had a kiln, so I did my own firing.   I did not buy the fired ornaments ready made.

This crazy woman came up to my table and announced "I don't like these plaster ornaments.  They're too heavy."
Me: It's a good thing they aren't plaster, then.  These are ceramic, so they're hollow.
CW: No, they're plaster.  I've seen them at the craft store.
Me: I'm afraid you're mistaken.  I poured and fired these myself, starting with the molds. Plaster ornaments are solid, and yes, they are heavy.  Ceramic ornaments, like these are hollow.  (I show her the bottom of one of the larger pieces.) Plaster is a different substance altogether.
(Multiple exchanges follow, wherein CW tries to convince me that I don't know anything about the handcrafted items that I'm selling.)
CW: I know I've seen these plaster ornaments at Michaels.  Why are you pretending that you made them?
Me: (getting annoyed) If you're not going to buy something, please clear away from my table, so that people who ARE willing to buy can get through. (There may or may not have been on my part at this point.)
(CW flounces away.)

After a while the craft fair manager came over and said "You know, all the crafts are supposed to be hand-made to qualify here."  After I detailed my "discussion" with CW, the manager just shook her head, smiled, said "OK," rolled her eyes, and wandered off again.

It takes a pretty Special Snowflake to argue with an artisan that YOU know more about her craft than SHE does!

[RegionMom]

OK, in a weird way, she was giving you a compliment.  She was saying that your items looked too perfect, no flaws in detail, so they must be machine done, as humans make mistakes.

Not on the same level, at all, but a few months ago, I was making chicken soup in the crock pot, and added spiral noodles at the end.  The soup did taste very yummy, and DD's compliment to me was, "This is really good, mom!  It is just like restaurant quality!"

 

[Snowy Owl]

I had a good one today.  I was on the train into London for Christmas shopping.  The carriage I was in had an arrangement of 6 seats one side of the aisle and 4 seats the other, like this.

--- aisle --
--- aisle --

I was in the 4 seat.  The six seats were occupied by 5 rather noisy teenagers (I'd say aged about 13 or 14), not doing anything wrong just talking and laughing and being boisterous.  A woman got on and sat down opposite me.  After a minute she said "Excuse me, your children are very noisy."

I didn't realise she was talking to me as I don't have children and I was in the middle of an exciting chapter in my book.  She said again more loudly. "Your children are making too much noise."  I look up, realise she is addressing me.  I said "I don't have children."

She then responded by telling me I should be ashamed for disowning my children and should own up and then parent them properly. 

I said again.  "I don't have any children.  If you are concerned about the noise, you should talk to the children directly."

She told me again that my children were being noisy and I should stop reading the book and attend to them.  I said they weren't my children.   

I did wonder at this point whether we were speaking different languages or why we did not appear to be communicating with each other. 

Fortunately at this point we reached my station and I got up and left.  That has to be one of the more brain hurty experiences I've had.  I could understand on one level asking someone to parent their children but not believing me when I said they're not my children is a new one on me. 

[Pen^2]

I once volunteered to organise a restaurant booking for a workplace function.

As it happened, the nominated restaurant was only two blocks from where I was living. I walked over and had the following exchange with the manager who greeted me at the door:

Me: Hello, I'd like to book a table for 16 for next Tuesday at 7pm, please.
Manager: Well, we are free then and are able to take that booking, except we can only accept reservations over the phone.
Me: Even though I'm here in person?
Manager: Yes, it's to avoid people booking via email and not showing.
Me: But... Alright. Just a moment. What's your phone number?
Manager: 1234 567 890.
(I take out my phone and dial the number. The phone a metre away rings and he picks it up.)
Me: (over the phone) Can I now book a table?
Manager: (also on the phone) Certainly. We look forward to seeing you then.

This was five years ago, and I still can't work it out. And let me tell you, nothing is more awkward than having a phone conversation with someone within arm's length.

[Diane AKA Traska]

OK, in a weird way, she was giving you a compliment.  She was saying that your items looked too perfect, no flaws in detail, so they must be machine done, as humans make mistakes.

It's not much a compliment if she reported her to the organizers.

[Shoo]

I once volunteered to organise a restaurant booking for a workplace function.

As it happened, the nominated restaurant was only two blocks from where I was living. I walked over and had the following exchange with the manager who greeted me at the door:

Me: Hello, I'd like to book a table for 16 for next Tuesday at 7pm, please.
Manager: Well, we are free then and are able to take that booking, except we can only accept reservations over the phone.
Me: Even though I'm here in person?
Manager: Yes, it's to avoid people booking via email and not showing.
Me: But... Alright. Just a moment. What's your phone number?
Manager: 1234 567 890.
(I take out my phone and dial the number. The phone a metre away rings and he picks it up.)
Me: (over the phone) Can I now book a table?
Manager: (also on the phone) Certainly. We look forward to seeing you then.

This was five years ago, and I still can't work it out. And let me tell you, nothing is more awkward than having a phone conversation with someone within arm's length.

That's like a bad comedy sketch!