Today, very early this morning, was One Of Those Days for me. After finally conceding defeat in a studio from which I just could not manage to get on-air, I packed up my stuff and moved to another studio where I got on with the show... but not before calling the engineers in Marconi House to ask for help. (It's no fun for anyone at that hour of the morning - I'm in a studio that won't work and they're in bed asleep - or trying to!)
Then comes The Fear - what if I've pulled them out of bed for something that I could have fixed? Or worse - something I myself BROKE? Turns out, a wire had blown and there's no way I could have fixed it - phew - but I still chalk it down as a Bad Day.
However - despite the interruptions, it made for a good show because everyone has those days in work. See?
- “Paula, my worst day in work was about 3 weeks ago. I hit reply all on a staff email instead of just reply to sender. The whole company read about my fight with my boyfriend, instead of the person in accounts – my sister – who I wanted to tell. Still dying!”
- “Paula, I fell off a roof when I was building on my J1. Broke both my legs. Tough aul day at work!” – Con, Louth
- “Morning P. I accidentally set a bin on fire in my old job. I flicked a cigarette end in and it smouldered away til the smoke was billowing in a nearby open window. Fire alarm, evacuation, fire brigade... I denied it!”
- “Paula you’re having a worse day than when I used to dog-walk. I lost 2 dogs for more than an hour. Got home to call the owners and there they were, sitting on my front step! (The dogs, not the owners). Phew!” – Claire
- “Paula, I just spilt my coffee all over my lap and front seat. Happy Tuesday!”
- “Paula, you think losing a dog is bad? I once lost a child on a nature walk. I’m a teacher. He was fine – wandering around having an adventure but I needed a stiff drink when I got home that day!”
- “Paula, I broke my ankle one morning in London and then had to drive to Liverpool for a boat not a good day.” - K
- “I started a new job last year and the van I was driving broke down on the M50. 3 hours later the boss arrived up with a 161 van and I reversed it into a load of pallets - bent the whole back doors in. It was my second week on the job.” - Keith who’s still in the van!
- “Hi Paula. I worked for an agricultural contractor. One summer this guy comes in and says his sewage tank is blocked and would it be possible to empty it? Yeah, no problem I'll do it this evening. So I did - I emptied his tank and went to spread it on his land... but a stone had got stuck in the spout where the you-know-what comes out. So I jump down from the tractor with a stick and take out the stone. BANG! I forgot to release the pressure that had built up and now I'm covered from head to toe in human shit. I strip down to my boxers in middle of a field, go home and scrub myself... but that night I go to my local for a drink and when I went to pay for my pint there's you-know-what what in my wallet. I'm still traumatised can I've a Mac Sweeney beanie to cover my head?!” – D in Galway
- “So the company I work for had its global website hijacked by the FIB and Department of Justice... 38.5 hours later, we had it back up from a different jurisdiction. I should say, it was actually the most epic days work ever, despite the 10 cans of coke, and several big mac meals. Cheers!” - Gilby From Puck.
- “The first week at my job, they literally did not have any training and I just had to go around asking questions and most people were reluctant to help me. After being here for over 2 years, I have seen how bad the turnover rate is. Most new people don't make it. I would try to find a new job, but I'm just too lazy!”
- “I went to give a presentation to audience of 100 people at my workplace, and got stage fright. I forgot everything and stood like a pillar for few minutes. I left my job in embarrassment.”
- “Paula I worked as a security guard in London one summer. It was just so boring. I fell asleep one night and the place was robbed. That was a bad day at work.”
- “I was coming out of Wexford one night with a lorry and low loader when the hub on rear axle of the lorry came loose. I lost two back wheels off the lorry... frightened the gilhoolies outta me!” – Doogle, Athy
- “I fell into a giant barrel of offal that had been rotting in the sun all day.”
- “Morning Sweet P. Touch wood haven't had a really bad day on work, apart from the time I jumped outta bed having overslept, jumped into me clothes, into the car and lashed into the job - only to be told that it was my day off, Loving the show, brilliant as always, winding down now towards The Dublin Marathon at the end of the month!” - Shay
- “Paula. I'm in a sales job and wear a suit to work. I was with a customer once and bent down and ripped the arse out of my trousers. I was in the middle of a busy supermarket. I had to buy a sewing kit, find a toilet and stitch a new arse in my trousers!” - Eoin
- “Paula, I deliver bread. And I drive the same route every day. And there is a low bridge that my van always could go under. And when I got a new van, I forgot it was a bit bigger. And I went under the bridge. I took most of the roof of my van. What a bad day for me and my pocket!”
- “Paula not one of the worst but one of the strangest days in work for me; A woman was about 15 years older than I was and clearly didn't understand that I was the one actually interviewing her for the job.. She was really quite obnoxious with me and actually put her bag on her lap at one point and doing her makeup while we were talking. I think she thought I was the secretary and she was making small talk before meeting with my boss?”
- “Paula I was working in a car park in Dublin. Nearly at the end of the day we were tidying up and I got knocked down by a car! Was pushed along 6ft on my shoulder. Thankfully I'm all ok!” - Eamonn in Kilkenny. '
