So I had to talk to this jerk today who almost made me burst into tears. In public. At work.

I don’t feel like censoring myself, so be warned if you choose to read on.

So when our secretary is out of the office, the office phone rings down to where we are. I was lucky enough to take this phone call.

He called and wanted to speak to one of two people in my department. The first is out of town, so I said so, and said I’d have to check and see if the second was in.

This was the point at which his tone started to get rude. He said that he’d already left several voicemails for this person, and had tried paging him, and he needed to do blah blah blah. I told him that unfortunately, I couldn’t help him with that, that our secretary was out and so the phone rang down to us, and I didn’t know anything about blah blah blah. But I could call and see if the person was in, or forward him to their voicemail.

The he got an even MORE obnoxious tone and said he’d already LEFT voice mail, and I should just give him the person’s extention. I’m sorry, I said, I am not allowed to give that information out. He then asked my name (which, mind you, I’d said when I answered the phone.) I said my name was Michelle and I wasn’t allowed to give him that number. He then got an even nastier (if that’s possible) tone, and asked for my last name in that I’m-going-to-call-your-boss-and-get-you-fired tone. I said again my name was Michelle (I was damned if I was going to tell him my last name) and it was policy that numbers not to be given out. He said that we’re all in IT so it was stupid for me not to give him the number, to which I again said I was sorry but it was policy.

Well you know what?

Fuck him.

First, I had nothing more than his word than he was also in IT. He could have been some axe murderer for all I knew who wanted to track down cute geeks and leave them threatening voicemails. Except that I think that an axe murderer would have been far more polite. Second, even if I HAD been interested in breaking the rules (which I won’t do, but still) I certainly wouldn’t have done it for some obnoxious asshole.

(I immediately called one of the big bosses, and told her that it was likely some guy was going to call and complain about me because I wouldn’t give out an extension. I told her what happened, and she told me I was right, that I’m not allowed to give out numbers. So I shouldn’t be in trouble. Whew.)

I bet he’s also rude to waiters.

You know the type. Can’t be bothered to be polite to waiters, or janitors or secretaries, and instead treats them like they should look up to him, as if he was God’s gift.

I don’t care who you are, you don’t have the right to be rude to someone just because they tell you something that you don’t want to hear. Or because you’re in a bad mood. Or because you had a rotten day.

Jerk.

Of course he could be just one of those disembodied jerks, who things that because I can’t see him, he can be as rude as he likes. If I hadn’t been so flustered by the whole thing, I’d have written down his name. Then Gina and I could called him rude things by name as she attempted to cheer me up. (There was much discussion of his place in the afterlife.)

I bet he’s also one of those people who walks around, talking on his cell phone, and proudly wearing his pager and PDA and another cell phone on his belt, as if he thought made him look important, as opposed how he really looks, which is like a self-important fool.

Yeah jerk, you’re a big guy. You almost made some random stranger cry, just because things weren’t going your way. Make sure you go home and mark that in your calendar.

As for me, I think I’ll go off and console myself with chocolate.