I worked at a company that didn't have asphalt where we worked out in the loading dock area - just a lot of rock and gravel. This area also went out further to what we called the "north lot" where we had steel pipe. One day I was bored and had a black Sharpie and picked up a smooth, palm-sized rock and wrote a number (don't remember what now). I'd do this during slow times or on break. Some single digit, some in the millions and in-between.
Didn't think anything of it. But people started to notice. Someone would stop and pick up a rock and say, "What the hell?"
One day at an employer/employee meeting, one of the supervisors walked in with one of the owners, and they had a bucket full of numbered rocks. "WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?! IF YOU GUYS HAVE TIME TO DO THIS THEN WE NEED TO GIVE YOU MORE WORK! WHOEVER IS DOING THIS, WE'LL FIND OUT AND YOUR ASS IS FIRED!"
No one knew it was me. I quit doing it because I didn't want guys getting more work due to my fun. Worked there about 10 years, and became a foreman. I got fed up with the owners giving workers more work but no raises, and eventually quit.
The owner begged me to stay because I knew a lot of things and always got jobs done ahead of schedule, but I told him these guys deserved more pay. He said, "These dudes only work hard because you are a good foreman. They used to be lazy asses that walked around numbering rocks, remember?"
I looked him in the eye and asked him if he thought I was a lazy ass. "Well, no! That's why I want you to stay!"
I said, "Ted, there was only one lazy ass writing on those rocks and it was me. Those guys out there have always worked hard and deserve to be treated better. You are a rich man and are that way because your crews do good work and deliver but you're too damned selfish to part with a few more bucks to pay them what they are worth. Goodbye." His jaw was on the floor.
A few weeks later, one of my buddies from the company bumped into me and asked me what I'd said to the owner. I said 'Not much. Why?'
"Dude, he gave us all a big raise and gives us more break times. He even apologized to us at a meeting for how he'd been kinda shitty to us at times."
I was like, 'Well, cool. Glad to hear things are better.'
Sometimes you make a difference when you rebel.
