Catbert

Think I've mentioned before about our dodgy H.R. manager. I would grade him a lil above your average evil H.R. manager, a lil more slimy and slippery than the usal. And for a good while now all of us who signed the permanent contract here have been trying to pin him down on specifics regarding leave, public holidays and OT pay. As every time we have spoken to him, each of us is told a different story. Then when we go back and reconfirm the details with him, the goal posts move again and what ever was said last time infact was never mentioned! It was just a misinterpretation on our parts. Even all of us going in groups and confronting him has made no difference. The format was always the same. A smile and a hand shake. The affirmation he was there for our benefit. Light smattering of non-specifics. Good dollop of Bullshit, healthy portion of crap, finished off with a round of non-committing statements and management jargon. Before swiftly turning us all out.

This time round 1 of the guys decided to get the regional manager to accompany us to a meeting with Mr H.R. to observe and take notes of his responses. OMG it was a scene straight out of "The Office", watching Mr H.R. squirm under the regional managers glare as we asked the most simple of questions which he had always bullshitted us away with previously. This time most of his responses were full of ahhhh and ummmm, and hmmmmm, and mmmm. Basically he didn't answer a single question with specifics but assured us, well more the regional manager he had the answers but could not recall specifics thou he added the questions had already been addressed and were in documents, which are currently filed away. And he would get his sectary to find all relevant documents and call a later meeting with us all and all questions would be answered fully.

Needless to say the regional manager left the meeting very puzzled. Thou for all of us we were too busy trying to suppress our laughter. It was so funny seeing him sweat and squirm. Doing his best not to put his foot in it infront of the big boss. LOL, man I wish we did this sooner.

Questionable

Ever had those times at work when you wonder if those above you have a clue? Been working with a chap over the past year who is a level above me but only makes me shudder to acknowledge that fact. As every time I have worked with him I have ended up wondering if HE has any clue about what HE is doing at all. And coming from me that is pretty severe, as I am easily bamboozled. Add to that the guy is very nonchalant about stamping off just about any job, whether it was carried out properly or not, or simply because management tells him to do so.

Had another run in with him again this shift. 1st occurrence was after the shift hand over when I asked if certain things had been carried out on the aircraft, to which HE replied yes. Taking his word for it I proceeded with my tasks. And whist doing it I noticed some avionics guys carrying out tasks that need not be done if the aircraft was in the state HE claimed it was. And upon asking the avionics guys I found out HE had indeed bullshitted yet again. Grrrr!

Now later in the night HE asked me to carry out a task for him. Of which I had done for him once before. I wasn't too sure what circuit breakers had to be pulled in the cockpit to carry out the task, so I told him I wanted to refer to the manual before going any further. To which HE replied HE knew what circuit breakers to pull. So I stood there watching what HE did. Thinking to myself, that wasn't what I did when I followed the manual last time. As HE exited the cockpit I called up "J" and asked him to get a copy of the task from the manual and meet me in the cockpit. When "J" arrived and we worked through the steps HE had indeed pulled all the wrong breakers, not a single one was right! Just then HE came into the cockpit demanding to know why I was taking so long with the task. To which I explained I had to start from scratch as HE had pulled all the wrong breakers. HE then started to explain how what HE did was correct because of...blah... blah...blah...etc. Myself as usual just got bamboozled and glazed over. "J" on the other hand being much more tuned into stuff started to politely disagree with him. In the end HE said it was down to me what I wanted to do. Naturally I explained that I would rather follow the manual. As if anything messes up then it will be the fault of Airbus and not any one of us. HE seem to take a lil offense in my choice of action. But, what the hey, I rather be less liked than thrown in jail when planes start to fall out the sky...

Jaded

Had this suspision for a long while now but its been confirmed. At work to my supervisors, "J" and me are seen as, I quote "the laziest pair of mechanics... ever worked with" TBH I think to a sliglty greater extent he means me. Just an impression I get by the way he talks to me and the jobs he gives me. Not really shitty jobs but the same mind numbing tasks every day. For the past 4 shifts or more I have always been put on the most basic boring job. And its the same job all the time. The kind of job given to an apprentice. But even an apprentice would move onto a different task after he had done it 2-3 times. As for me its every day of every shift.

Overall it doesn't really bother me but obviously a small part of me is a lil taken aback/offended by it. I mean, I've always taken pride in my work and done tasks to the best of my ability. And it shows as all my previous shift leaders have always entrusted me with jobs above my station. And none of them have ever bothered to check up on me or ask me what i am doing. Every time they just allocate me a zone of the aircraft to take care of and I never hear from them for the whole day! But since I moved to my current shift for some reason from day 1 I was viewed as a slacker by my shift leader. Evident by his constant phone calls made throughout the day demanding to know where I was and what i was doing. And from there it just went downhill. But I guess reciently my biting back at management over several unfair issues have added more black marks to my name in his books. Also my practical approach to life and work hasn't done any favours for me. To me if there is no aircraft in or if all the tasks for the aircraft are complete then I see no reason not to watch youtube, surf the net, watch anime or sleep. But to them I have to do something, be it washing stands or sweeping floors or rearranging the hanger. Not to say that if someone needed help with something I would not join them but I really dislike running from person to person asking if they need a hand, cos 90% the time they say no. I never go into hiding, I'm always at the same place, the computer room. So if my help is needed I'm easily found. But somehow that is not good enough...

It is taking a toll on me now thou, whether I knew about the comments or not. I remember when I 1st started working here I always worried what tasks would be given to be as my day started. Worried how difficult they might be or if I could cope. Everyday to some extent was a challenge and a learning experience. Now I all I feel when I head in to work is "how long will today drag" Really just given up caring at work anymore. Really has become "another day another dollar" Not a single bit of interest left.

I miss the way things were and the people I worked with. It always had a family atmosphere about it. Helping each other out, practical joking, shift lunches an coffee breaks together, "story time" with the more senior inspectors, etc. Simply put it was fun. But now everyday at work I just plug my earphones in and zone out till the shift is up.

Curious cats

Been a day full of itchy fingers. 1st case was a group of new cabin crew trainees were being shown around the aircraft we had in the hanger. As you would expect they are normally shown just the inside of the aircraft. After all that is where they will spend most of their working lives. So I was a lil surprised When the crew instructor took them outside the aircraft. To the Aircrafts water serving panel. Basically the panel where ground crew would fill or drain the aircrafts water supply. A job cabin crew would never do. But anyway the instructor was pointing away at the panel i assume explaining wat each level and button did. And in the process got a lil to hands on with his teaching and pressed the water tank dump button. Emptying the contents of the tank, drenching 1 of the unfortunate female students. You've never seen engineers move so fast. All trying to perve a look at a dripping wet T-shirt-ed hostie.

2nd case started of with myself. Being throughly bored at work I was mincing about in the rear cargo bay. I was idly prodding about at the cargo door leaf spring system, It is basically a long strip of metal which tends to coil itself up if straightened. anyway I prodded it a lil too much and it coiled upon itself. Took me 30mins and lots of cursing to uncoil it. Anyway when i was done i decided to take a break. Whilst on break I mentioned to "J" to never ever prod the spring system too much. "J" said my comment sounded like one of experience.

Then about and hour or so later "J" was working in the rear cargo bay. Looking at the spring system I had mentioned about. Softly I hear him mutter "I wonder what "P" meant by don't prod it too much"
Followed instantly by a sharp metallic twang and a yell of "OH god NO!!!!..... oh... shit... so thats what he meant"

Been a while

Tis indeed been a long time since I've blogged. Was doing really good with regular posts till life got too hectic. Guess I've lost what few regular readers I had. Well after the Switzerland trip I had like 2 weeks before I flew back to the UK. That trip was just non stop. So much stuff to get settled in just 6 weeks. Was originally 5 weeks but thankfully got a 1 week extension. Was nice to see my RX8 again. Missed it so much. Drove 6000 miles (8000km) in it while i was back. Just missed driving a good car so much. Spent most of my stay in the drivers seat. But loved every moment. Also prob spent too much time hanging out at sleepy's. But it was fun. Shame he could only join us for 1 of our road trips.

Also noticed how most people I know have started dying of cancer. My mum, her close friend, my dads friend and his wife, my uncle... Eeep. Well we all gotta go sometime. TBH I do have the feeling that will prob be how it is for me. Doesn't bode well when both ya mum and dad have cancer. But hey never know... mum and dad were short specy wearing folks... and I'm tall and with perfect eyesight...

Well now I'm back in the land of sand. And have somehow gained a slackers reputation. As every day at work I'm given only the most menial and mindless jobs. Ironic as I've just been promoted, but yet I'm doing jobs an apprentice would land with. Well What do I care, my pay has gone up but my responsibility is now non existent. So happy days!

Just worried about December time as I still gotta book my flight to Singapore and still have to figure out how and if I actually go to Melbourne for a week to visit my uncle. Doctors say he might not last more than 6mths, and that was told to him 2mths ago... As my life seems to be, just visiting him isn't as straight forward as it sounds. As they want my mum to visit with me but I know she doesn't wanna visit. Neither do I want mum to know I'll be in Singapore 1st... Sigh, it is amazing how 1 person can make my life so complicated, even when she is not around.