Don’t Touch Anything
While on the subject of painting, my husband recalled an amusing incident in the office. 
The work tables in the senior managers’ rooms were to be revarnished. The contractor was instructed to stagger the paint work over weekends in order not to inconvenience these busy managers. However, the managers were advised to clear away all important things on the table to avoid any mishandlings by the painters. One of these managers was especially particular about her things. On the weekend that was scheduled to do her desk, after clearing her desk, she emphasized to the painter not to touch any of her things in the room before going off for the weekend. Her exact word was “Just do the painting and DON’T Touch any thing else on my desk.” 
The following Monday when she got back to the office, first thing she did was to organize her table. When she lifted the linoleum pad from the table, she screamed her head off, complaining that the painter did a terribly slipshod job. 
When my husband and the contractor went to inspect the job, they just couldn’t help snickering to themselves 
while she was fuming mad. 
Guess what – the painter followed her instructions of “don’t touch anything” to the letter and painted the whole table by circumventing the lino pad and her desk phone. Well, she did not remove the lino pad and her desk phone as it was big and not an important item, expecting the painter to use his common sense to do so. But as far as the painter was concerned, he has been strictly instructed “Don’t touch anything”. 
Whether the painter was pulling a farce one on her to get back at her standoffish attitude? You decide. 
The painter did proof one thing - his immaculate skill by painting round the desk phone and the linoleum pad without leaving a drop of varnish on the items and his listening skill in following instruction to the dot. 
If I were the painter I would say “Madam, If you are not happy with the result, it’s not my fault. Just that your instructions were not clear.” 
This entry was posted on Sunday, March 18th, 2007 at 6:19 pm and is filed under General, humour.
