Dealing with spoiled, entitled people on the job is no fun.

But if you have the zen ability to tune them out and still be a delight to others around you?

Well you win the karma game.

Like this particular story here, where things just seem to work out better for those with patience and grace.

Make the Aussie go to theatre!

So this happened 20+ years ago and it still makes me laugh.

I’m an Australian radiographer who was working in the UK NHS.

There was this older radiographer Susie who told me she hated locum radiographers and particularly hated Australians.

Sadly I was guilty of both.

She sounds like just a miserable sod.

Susie generally tried to make my life hard but regularly failed to succeed. All the staff liked me and I thoroughly enjoyed the work and the people I worked with.

Susie also did her best to avoid doing any activity at all. She was disliked by nearly all in radiology including the supervisor.

One Friday afternoon at a work meeting the supervisor radiographer informed us all that a new pain clinic service would start Monday in the operating theatres and a radiographer was required to go for 4-6 hours each Monday.

Then Susie lets it be known that OP should be the one to go.

Now most radiographers I know are not overjoyed at doing theatre work. You stand around in a lead gown for hours pressing a button occasionally.

Some love it, but I think it’s ok sometimes.

Susie quickly yells outs “ I’m definitely not doing that make the Aussie go. He is getting paid enough.”

Everyone stopped and looked at me and I just said sure no dramas.

Come Monday I attended theatre at 9 am and met the loveliest pain specialist and his nurse. They made the whole day great.

Here is the thing – I would do a case and than the pain specialist would say he didn’t need me for the next case and could I go to the the tea room and wait .

Wait til you hear about this amazing way to spend your Mondays.

I actually spent most of the day in the operating theatre tea room eating biscuits, drinking tea and reading the newspapers.

I would generally come down from theatre about 2 pm where I would be met by the supervisor radiographer who would tell to take my lunch hour plus my morning tea break .

I would return about 330pm just in time for my afternoon tea break then actually do some work from 4pm to 5pm.

Susie’s setup was juuuust a bit different.

Meanwhile Susie has been assigned to the general x-ray department doing ward work . Slogging away all day .

This went on for months until I moved on .

The last week I was there, the supervisor radiographer sent another radiographer to theatre for pain clinic and it was discovered what my working life on a Mondays had entailed.

Awwwww poor widdle baby Susie couldn’t handle it.

Susie was livid and demanded she should go to pain clinic but the supervisor reminded her she had refused previously.

Let’s see what folks had to say about this amazing Monday routine.

One person was just as thrown off with that title as me.

This person knew they’d just completely rub it in on the way out the door.

While this person gave that supervisor their deserved flowers.

And this commenter can confirm how miserable some people in the UK’s NHS can really be.

Nice try Kar – I mean Susie.

It’s so lovely when people get what they deserve.

If you liked that story, check out this post about an oblivious CEO who tells a web developer to “act his wage”… and it results in 30% of the workforce being laid off.