All I Wanted Was a Day Off
This happened a few years ago, in 2018. I used to work as nighttime security for an office building that rented office space to other companies on Paulista Avenue, which is pretty much the Brazilian version of Times Square, so it was pretty busy.
We would work in pairs from 7:00 PM to 7:00 AM and be off until 7:00 PM of the next day, working 12 hours on and 36 hours off. We wouldn't get days off aside from an annual 20-to-30-day paid vacation; other than that, whatever day your shift landed on, you had to be there.
We were working there through a security firm that had a contract with the building. We had a post supervisor who worked Monday through Friday during the day shift. He was responsible for letting us know if there was going to be any extra work being done in the building for workers from other companies, and for shift scheduling in case someone was out sick, for example, so he had to find someone to cover.
Now that that is out of the way, onto the actual story. Names have been changed.
It was around October, and I was excited because my girlfriend and I had bought tickets for the Brasil Game Show, which is our E3. But there was only one problem: I was scheduled for a shift on the same day. I had to find someone to trade shifts with before then.
So, there I was one day, waiting for my shift to end, when the reception phone rings. I pick up, and it is Jon, my co-worker who takes over my shift. He says he cannot make it on time because he is in the hospital with his mother. This was around 6:30 AM.
"Jesus, thanks for the heads-up," I say. "It is no problem, and I can wait." Luckily, it was the weekend, and the offices were all closed, so I could just chill.
Then I called the post supervisor to let him know I would be staying late due to Jon being late. Company policy states there must be at least two of us at the post at all times. My partner went home as soon as his relief arrived, and we just sat around talking for a bit.
12:00 PM rolled around, and Jon was still a no-show. I tried getting in touch with him a few times to no success. I talked to the post supervisor, and he agreed to let me do the rest of the shift since, heck, I was already there anyway, and it would be at least two hours before someone else could show up for me to leave.
This was the perfect opportunity for me to get someone to take my shift so I could go to BGS. Jon agreed to take my shift on the day of the event, and I reminded the post supervisor every day for the entire week to make sure he wouldn't forget and that he would pass this on to HR and the general supervisor. We always had to notify them about shift trades.
The day came, and I was at the event with my girlfriend, and it was just amazing. We were having a great time, and around 6:50 PM, my phone rang. I took a look, and it was work. I found it odd since everything had already been worked out.
I picked up, and it was Jon asking where I was and if I was arriving soon. Confused, I reminded him that he was taking my shift today.
He said he couldn't because he had promised another co-worker that he would take the day shift for extra money, so he had been there all day.
I got angry and yelled at him, saying that he had been there all day, that he knew I wouldn't be coming, and that if he had at least called earlier, I might have made it. But I was in another city, so he had to figure it out himself because we had a deal.
Later that night, I got a call from the general supervisor asking why I didn't show up for work. I explained what happened, and he had no idea that Jon was supposed to take over my shift. Apparently, the post supervisor forgot to inform him. I know that this wasn't done to screw me over, because the post supervisor and I are still very good friends to this day. But sadly, since nothing was confirmed in the eyes of our bosses, I was officially in the wrong and ended up getting a one-day suspension.
I saw it as a win—I could use an extra day off. But deep down, I was very angry at Jon for screwing me over like that. All he had to do was call me earlier, and I would have come in with no problem. I later learned that he was stirring up trouble with the other night shift as well because he wanted to work nights, since we get a 20% bonus for working night shifts here in Brazil. So I knew then that I had to get back at him somehow.
A few months later, I was covering a night shift at a different post where Jon now worked, and we were working the shift together. We were stationed across the street from each other on a large property for a cement factory. I was in the main reception, and he was in the entrance booth by the parking lot, and we would switch every few hours.
After the midnight switch, I noticed he had turned off the cameras for the inside of the booth and said he was going to take a nap. I said okay and thought, This is the moment I've been waiting for: caught sleeping on the job. I couldn't believe he had forgotten the stunt he pulled on me and that such a golden opportunity was presenting itself.
But not even I could believe what was about to happen.
I waited a little and switched the camera back on, and I hit the jackpot. If only he really were just sleeping.
Turns out, he was doing drugs with one of the women from the neighborhood. I instantly started recording this. But wait, there's more: they started having some "fun." I really couldn't believe my eyes. Like, really, really. He would be lucky if he ever found a job in this field again.
I sent it all to the general supervisor, and he was pissed. He came to the post that same night, and I don't think I've ever heard yelling that loud. He told Jon to go to HQ as soon as his shift was over and that he was being fired. I was so happy.
But wait, there is even more. Jon decided to sue the firm because I had recorded him without his permission, and the firm tracked down the woman he was with that night.
Turns out it was not an adult woman; it was an underage teen.
Jon was arrested. I didn't want it to end quite like that, but hey, karma is a bitch, and all I wanted was a day off.
Fraudulent HOA Harassed Me, I Worked Together with My Neighbors and Got Them Disbanded
We moved houses last year to the ugliest house on the street. The previous owners must have loved Mondrian, because the front had red, blue, and yellow on the window frames and door. One paint job, many thankful neighbors, and several months later, I got an invitation to a "Voluntary Collective of Inhabitants" that reads like an opt-in HOA that you can never leave—a long list of restrictions and no benefits. No thanks.
Random home improvements continued: the backyard got remodeled, some overgrown trees got cut down (providing free firewood for the BBQ, etc.), and then I got a letter from the city. Apparently, I had cut down a tree without a permit, and they were sending someone to assess the damage.