For a minute, I thought I was in Braveheart....

God, these night crew people are savages.  Hooting and hollering like a troop of monkeys running through the jungle, the 3rd shifters here at work are a strange bunch.  I mean,  I worked 3 years here on nights, and we never did group cheers, got inspirational speeches, or any kind of positive, go get-em attitude and morale boosting.  All we got was the "Be safe, scan all your boxes, and report any injuries immediately, no matter how minor." mantra that was given weekly if not nightly in some fashion.  But I worked on a totally different op then.  This back here is just primal, go balls deep as fast as you can and load the effing truck kind of work.  I just happen to be back here because the chute where all the international stuff goes to is conveniently located above my head.  I have the option to go to the offices up front and set up shop, but that would require a great deal of walking back and forth, and I 'm cool on that.

Besides, i'm currently serving out my self-imposed exile back here, and I couldn't love it more.

A few months ago, some co-worker's decided that they wanted to get back at me because I took some days off and didn't run it by them first.  Keep in mind these are co-worker's, not management, but they would have you think otherwise if you didn't know any better.  When I first started this position, I was given an impromptu speech about various things from these two, covering such basics as if I need to call off, I needed to call not only work, but both of them ASAP to make sure there was coverage for the evening.  Fine.  No problem.  I'd be happy to.  Then I was told that if I wanted to schedule a day off, I had to ask them first to see if it conflicted with either of their schedules.  This took me aback, because for as long as I have worked here, anytime I wanted a day off, I got a sheet marked 'Vacation Time Request' and filled the fucker out, turned it in, and it either got approved/denied.  Most of the time it was approved.  Anyway these two from the very beginning sought to make me think that every little thing had to be ran through them.  And I was fine with it.  Plus my real boss was on his way out, and couldn't give a shit less what was going on. So, whatever. Go along to get along, right?

Well, September came, and I wanted to schedule a day off in November, right before our peak season, but before Thanksgiving, so I assumed that it would be cool.  Especially since I was scheduling it off so far ahead in advance.

ME: "Hey what's up man, i'm thinking about taking November 11th off, are you scheduled off or anything?"

ASSHAT #1 (Glares at ME angrily for interrupting his Angry Birds match on his phone): "Uhh, you can't.  It's peak."   (ASSHAT #1 has only worked at the facility for 2 years, and thinks that everyone below him is an idiot, and that he is, "the best thing ever to walk in the doors here".  I have been here almost 5, and I know damn well when peak is and when it isn't.)

ME: " Are you sure about that?  I'm fairly certain peak doesn't begin til Thanksgiving week, and the day I want is 2 weeks before that."   (ASSHAT #1 is pissed that I dare even assert that I know more than he does about the company we work for, regardless of tenure and experience.  He gives no regard to the fact that #1 I have worked many different jobs here and I consider myself to be pretty well-rounded when it comes to my job.  #2, he is some punk-ass college kid here in Cbus on his daddy's dime, and is only working here through school, so he could not give a fuck less about the day-to-day operations of this place.  See, my employer is one of those one's that will give better positions to kids fresh in college than they will to someone with real-world experience because it all looks better on paper.  I have been passed up on so many job opportunities here because I haven't finished college as compared to some 18 year old kid that just walked in the door and his mommy and daddy pay for him to go to Ohio State, and is in his freshman year, clueless to pretty much everything.  Where you go to school to is a big thing they look at also.  Bunch of BS if you ask me.  But it's whatever; I've proved myself enough to secure a position that provides seclusion, a PC with internet, and a great job to perform.)

ASSHAT #1 "Well, it's different for us than it was for you guys on 3rds,"  He says as he eyes ASSHAT #2 coming over.  He's looking at her as if he's mentally willing her to jump into the convo and throw her unneeded 2 cents in.  And, of course, she does.

ASSHAT #2 "Why do you want that day off?  I could understand the day before Thanksgiving, or something."  Well, to be quite frank, you fucking psycho, I don't need to tell you shit.  I could be taking the day off so I can sit around at home and smoke weed all day and play Call of Duty til my eyes bleed, or I might be taking it off so I could go find another job because i'm tired of your crazy ass.  It doesn't matter.

I call ASSHAT #2 crazy because she truly is.  The girl has admitted to visualizing herself as Bella from fucking Twilight, and that she literally tries to act like her.  She also tries to catch the stray cats that run through here from time to time.  I don't see a sparkly vampire in her future, but a house featured on Hoarders containing 500 cats, dead and alive.

Anyway...

MYBOSS: "Dude, just fill out the sheet like you normally do, and I'll let you know."  OK cool.  Will do.

The Next Day....

I got in trouble.  I had been bringing my phone in unofficially since I began, and the Asshat Twins had decided to roll me to my boss's boss. and also blamed me for a few other things (which my boss knew was BS).  I found out later that the two had conspired together to attempt to bring me down for even thinking that I dare could argue with one of them over something as trivial as a day off.  They needed "to teach me a lesson" as it were.  OK.  I can play this game.

I angrily told my boss that I was going to HR and raise Holy Hell.  There is nothing here that strikes fear more in the hearts of our management staff than the words, "i'm going to HR."  They will do whatever it is possible to get you not to go, because they know that when HR gets involved in anything here, someone is getting fired, demoted or in other ways disciplined.
I was going, and my beef was going to be that I should not have to go through 4 people just to get one fucking day off of work.  It would have been enough to get shit started.  I had gotten up, and my boss said "Wait."

"Dude, don't worry about it.  I'll take care of it for you."  I was in awe.  See, my boss was new having just came into relieve the last one that I had initially began with.  "From now on, you come to me with everything."  And it's been that way since.  The Asshat Twins still roam around here like they run the show, but I give them no attention.  I come in, do what i need to do, and get the hell out so I can get some beer before 1 AM.  And so far the peace has been kept.