Tuesday, December 12, 2006

Details are merely a detail

When I worked in Neuchâtel my control freak boss expected no detail to go unobserved. I was expected to know a potential contractor had a grandmother dying of leprosy in India. I learned to quadruple check details, although rather than list 3000 potential problems I used the question “If you are offered the contract is there anything that will stop you from taking it?”
Thus I now double check more things than others. Why I didn’t check that my train ticket ordered for the second Sunday in December was printed out for Monday I do not know; but I did check Saturday night. Too late to change the reservation on line and with proposed strikes on Monday and not wanting to tell my friend I would be delayed I got on the train Sunday morning taking seat 88 in car 5 (which the internet showed to be free).
Just as we were pulling into Paris the conducted bustled up and growled his way through the car.
“You have no ticket.”
“I know. I have an emergency and had to go a day early.”
More growls.
“I know you want to help me so please tell me how to regulate this.”
He charged me 20 euros for a new reservation just as we pulled to a stop.
“I do hope someone is helpful to you today,” I said smiling my sweetest smile, wishing him growls.
He even smiled back as I reached for my laptop.

No comments: