12.05.2007

Riding the short bus

We trainers have a short bus is an award we pass around at work. Well, actually... it's not a bus. It's a foam stress reliever in the shape of a van. It has "for special friends only" written on the side.

How is this an award? Well, the short bus is given to someone who does (or says) something exceedingly stupid. If the employee of the month gets a prime parking spot, the dunce gets a trophy... er... short bus. Once in possession of the short bus, the only way to get rid of it is for someone else to earn it.

Now let me explain a few things:
1. It is all good natured/out of love and respect
2. It started as a practical joke on a trainee who frequently asked ridiculously stupid questions
3. I have never been awarded the short bus (and I hope to keep it like that)
4. The short bus is only passed between the trainers; most of our employees posses no knowledge of our humorous escapades in the basement
5. The current owner of the short bus has had it longer than any of the previous owners

Today, the current owner was able to relinquish possession of the short bus.

We had soup and dinner rolls for lunch; all of us we impressed with the food. In a conversation about lunch, one of our trainers wanted to compliment part of the meal.

"What are the bread thingies called?" she asked.

"Rolls?!?" the other three of us spoke in near unison. Then laughed.

Congratulations, we have found a new owner for the short bus. (only she doesn't want it, and she can't wait to get rid of it)

2 comments:

  1. Anonymous9:22 PM

    Our department has a "short bus" as well! Ours operates a little differently. Ours is a die-cast steel model with a mechanism that allows is to be pulled back and released, propelling it forward. To received the short bus, a person in our department has to throw another employee "under the bus;" that is, to get the boss to pick that person for a stupid, etc. If someone is thrown under the bus, thperson doing the throwing is bestowed the honor of the short bus. The game in our office is to constantly try to get people thrown under the bus. It is brutal, and at times not much fun at all, but in the end, the bus moves fairly consistenly through all poor victims.

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