Imagine working on a construction site, but you’re not actually doing the construction. Instead, you pick up after the other workers.

If the boss told you to clean up all the tools that weren’t being used, would you use your best judgement to leave tools out that the workers are probably still using, or would you pick up every single tool that wasn’t being used at that exact second?

In this story, one woman is in this situation, and she decides to take the second approach.

Let’s see how the story plays out.

I took ALL of the tools

I was working as a cleaner/just do stuff person on a construction site and the boss man (Bob) didn’t like me. Because I was young woman in a man’s world…? (He was old and biter man, his life was so boring that he came 2/4 hours early in the site. Almost every morning, even when he had the day off.)

Other workers were nice to me. Specially John, who is important to the story.

John was good man, nice funny and kind. Example of that is when John took me under his wing, when Bob denied me to change my clothes anywhere else than his office.

So John started to track when I came for work and kept Bob busy while I changed my clothes.

Bob was upset about the mess.

But to the main story. This happened when the building was was close to finished. I was cleaning inside off that building when I heard Bobs voice.

Bob: Hey OP why this place is looking like this??

Me looking around: Like what?

Bob: Like this, here is tools all over the place. You should keep this place clean.

She tried to make sure she understood what he was saying.

Me: This is construction site… Here is tools, workers use them… What you want me to do? Collect them?

Bob: Yes. I need you to collect all tools that are not in use right now.

Me: UMM you want me to collect ALL tools? That are not in use RIGHT now. Like take them to outside to the storage, so people need to walk there to get them again??

Bob: What is your problem, do what I say. Collect ALL of them and don’t do else before that.

She complied.

Then Bob walked off. Just walked off.

First I was mad, but then I thought why not? And so I started to collect ALL of them.

You let go off your hammer to use circular saw? I took your hammer and walked to the outside. I even found wheelbarrow that I used to take even more tools at one trip.

I took all of the tools to storage ( I kept different subcontractors tools to different piles so no tools were lost or mixed.)

John didn’t understand either.

One point John stopped me. (Very puzzled) What are you doing? We use these tools.

Me: I know, I’m sorry that this makes things hard for you. But Bob told me to collect ALL of the tools that are not in use RIGHT now. So I do.

John: Why he would make you to do that?

Me: I don’t know.

John confirmed what Bob said.

John: I go to talk to him.

Soon John comes back.

John: You didn’t lie, Bob just told me to let you do you’re job.

Me: Well then I do my job.

The workers found a workaround.

I took more tools to the storage.

After of like hour or two other workers started to put up signs like “I use this” or ” this is mine” and of course I didn’t took those tools again.

I had to explain my surprising enthusiasm to steal peoples tools lots of times, but all of the workers were nice so they just took more cardboard or list/board pits and made more signs.

Soon Bob started to note the signs of the workers and he wanted answers.

John explained.

Bob: What are these sings?

Me: Workers put them up.

Bob: Yeah but why?

Before I have time to answer John intervened: You told OP to collect all of the tools. She did it so good that we didn’t keep up. So we put signs to mark tools that we used.

This is a silly question.

Bob: Why you didn’t stop her?

John: You told me not to.

Me: And because of I have been running a gathering tools I have not done anything else.

Bob doesn’t seem very bright.

Bob: Why not?

Me: Because the tools are constantly coming back inside. And no one uses them.

I got yelled but it was worth it.

Why would Bob give her a crazy task like collecting tools that aren’t being used at that moment? Obviously, the workers are going to use multiple tools.

Let’s see how Reddit responded to this story.

This person thought the story was hilarious.

Another person thought John’s behavior was “alarming.”

Unfortunately, this is probably true.

Another person thought the story was really funny.

The boss really didn’t think that demand through very well.

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.