When you’re young, you’re somehow more aware of life’s loopholes.

That, or you’re just ready and willing to take advantage of them.

After high school, OP got his first job working fast food.

Back in 2010 I moved out of my folks place to a neighboring town and got my first real job working for the hamburger emperor.

About halfway through my eleven month stay, working in only the kitchen, we had a semi-suprise manager (aka Big Boss) visit. It was about an hour drive so we we informed they were ‘on the way’.

This was a very small town, and on most days I would ask my roommate to drop me off or I would simply walk the thirty minute it took to get from one end of the town to the other… little foreshadowing happening…

On the day of note, I had been dropped off for my shift around noon, as I was usually scheduled for lunch rushes. After working for about two hours the news came in and suddenly nothing is clean or good enough.

Now I’ve heard fast food health inspection horror stories, and I have none of my own! We kept a clean ship.

One day, they heard their Big Boss was coming, so their manager got into a tizzy. He demanded OP go home and shave, which he did without question.

Lower management (here by Little Boss) was just looking for anything and everything, and in their triggered state wasnt afraid to split hairs. And in my case, hair was their primary focus.

See my adolescent hormones had the audacity of finally mustering up enough facial hair at 19 that one could reasonably call it a “five-o-clock shadow”, without being (completely) laughed out of the room.

Knowing full well my ride situation, but obviously not thinking about it, Little Boss requested that I go home to shave and come back.

I SAID YES SIR! And off I went on foot.

The manager forgot he didn’t have a car of his own.

After walking home for about fifteen minutes I texted my roommate who promptly picked me up, I shaved, we got lunch and then we drove around another fourty minutes of me on the clock while we did dumb college kid stuff.

After about 90 minutes to two hours, my roommate dropped me a block away and I walked back in.

Little Boss was mad. Flying around trying to make everything look seamless while being scrutinize by Big Boss.

None of my peers noticed much, they’re all keeping their nose down as to not be singled out and get made an example of for Little Boss to save face and look good. You know how these things go.

And also that the Big Boss knew OP personally.

With all eyes on us Little Boss just started laying into me, I wasn’t 100% confident here or even remotely cocky, I just calmly stated its a thirty minute walk both ways and I was prioritizing having to shave.

Big boss asks Little Boss what’s up, inquiring towards the situation at hand. Before turning away Little Boss mumbled something to me about how I need to be more ‘upfront’ about things and can’t just ‘take off’ for two hours without telling anyone.

They both went into the tiny office and I never heard about it again.

With the high turnover rate these places have a reputation for, there were only a couple of people left who even remembered… Big Boss is the one who got me the job!

Oops.

This is an old story when it comes to fast food.

Kids are smarter than some people want to give them credit for.

Words matter when it comes to the law.

I guess that’s one way around it.

Other hairy guys could relate.

This story made me so happy.

The way OP didn’t even hesitate.

If you liked that story, check out this post about a group of employees who got together and why working from home was a good financial decision.