Idiots you work for

[deckofficer]

This was an off topic thread started on a hot rod forum I belong to, and after some prodding from the members there, I shared my "idiot" story. Please excuse the fact that I explained things there that on this forum and its members I would not of needed those explanations. To be lazy I'll just copy and paste my story from the Hot Rodder's forum...........

On a merchant ship if I'm sailing as the captain, I'm sure there are crew members who chaff under my direction and think of me as an idiot. But when I'm working on a drilling ship or a dynamically positioned drill rig I understand the rig manager is THE boss unless the company man (the representative of the oil company we are drilling for and being paid $200,000 per day) is onboard. The extent the rig manager will go to please the company man sometimes exceeds safe operating practices, and this is where my story for this topic starts. First, you have to understand why deckofficers are even needed on what is generally stationary vessels, holding their position with propulsion. These rigs because they are a 100 miles offshore and not tethered are considered vessels, and by international law require manning by unlimited tonnage deckofficers and engineers. The oil patch boys are not happy about outsiders not only on their turf, but earning more money and not going through the classic progression of roustabout, roughneck, asst driller, driller, asst rig manager, etc. The only time I would be THE boss is during a maritime emergency.

OK, after this long winded setup, time to share my idiot story. Rig manager in his attempts to please the company man wants the mud pits pressed up while enroute to the next drilling location so that we are ready to drill upon arrival. I have to tell him no for reasons of stability and this idiot argues with me, telling me there has never been a stability issue with all the mud pits pressed up. I have to agree but you never press up the mud pits before the LMRP (lower marine riser package which weighs 400 tons) is in place. When the derrick picks up the LMRP the CG (center of gravity) for those 400 tons is at the top of the derrick at the sheave. This idiot with his one week course in Stability tells me I'm wrong and the CG is 1/2 the height of the derrick. Shows the difference between what is learned in one week vs what is learned in a full semester. Because on a drill rig I'm only captain in name and the rig manager is THE boss, I have no choice but to tell him if he insists on his way then he needs to send the helicopter out to remove me from the rig before he tries this stunt. Thank goodness the company man, though not really knowing which of us was correct, did not want to pay $200K per day for a rig that would have to shut down until a licensed replacement could be found for me.

And that is my idiot's story. I know this topic wasn't a competition but if it was, an idiot that would have killed 105 souls onboard including the company man he was trying to impress would have to be right up there.

Here is 32,000 tons of drill rig that in high winds and strong currents can burn through 1000 gallons of diesel per hour just holding position.



Anyone else care to share on this "working with an idiot" thread?

[River Cruiser]

Hard to top that one.

[capngeo]

CRAP! I'm self-employed, I guess I'll sit this thread out.

[Greg4cocokai]

Ditto here, but good story.

[sparau]

I just spent 2 years working for some idiots (worst systems, company and management i've seen in 20 years) who wouldn't even let anyone talk to me EVER.

Either the business owner or his moron henchmen would run an abuse anyone who even said hello to me "his time is too precious"...

These are the kind of people who believe that visiting poorer countries for the sex trade is ok "cause i'm a shy guy" - cough, no you are a idiot bully who anyone in your own country wants nothing to do with. Or hiring 40 y.o drug addled strippers to send people off to the afore mentioned jaunt into the office.

Some people's ego and complete lack of empathy or intelligent thought completely amazes me. *shudder*

[deckofficer]

Originally Posted by sparau

I just spent 2 years working for some idiots (worst systems, company and management i've seen in 20 years) who wouldn't even let anyone talk to me EVER.

Either the business owner or his moron henchmen would run an abuse anyone who even said hello to me "his time is too precious"...

These are the kind of people who believe that visiting poorer countries for the sex trade is ok "cause i'm a shy guy" - cough, no you are a idiot bully who anyone in your own country wants nothing to do with. Or hiring 40 y.o drug addled strippers to send people off to the afore mentioned jaunt into the office.

Some people's ego and complete lack of empathy or intelligent thought completely amazes me. *shudder*

Was the company so small most of us wouldn't know it? If its a big one, spill the beans.

[senormechanico]

I work for an idiot who thought he'd be retired by now by investing in a high tech business involving a retinal display.
He invested heavily for many years AFTER TAXES in a ROTH IRA, expecting a huge payoff.


NOT!

The idiot is me.

[bobsadler]

I don't know of any semi-submersible drilling rig anywhere that has a 400 ton LMRP (Lower Marine Riser Package).

Are you sure you don't mean the BOP (Blow-out Preventor) which is generally assumed to actually be BOP+LMRP ?

We're drilling and completing wells in 1500m water depth with 6th generation, dynamically positioned, semi-submersible drilling rig with a 15kpsi rated BOP and our LMRP weighs 160 tons (LMRP+BOP = 423 tons)

[deckofficer]

Originally Posted by bobsadler

I don't know of any semi-submersible drilling rig anywhere that has a 400 ton LMRP (Lower Marine Riser Package).

Are you sure you don't mean the BOP (Blow-out Preventor) which is generally assumed to actually be BOP+LMRP ?

We're drilling and completing wells in 1500m water depth with 6th generation, dynamically positioned, semi-submersible drilling rig with a 15kpsi rated BOP and our LMRP weighs 160 tons (LMRP+BOP = 423 tons)

As a marine guy and not a driller, I've always referred to the entire package, blow out preventer and LMRP as one load.

But don't you agree on not lifting the package with the mud in the pits instead of being in the lower hulls?

[Hoohaa]

I was asked by the client to draw some plans showing the position of Guideposts along the edge of a few roads that where damaged and needed replacing.
We surveyed there locations (about 50 of them) superimposed them onto Arial photos (21 plans in all) and sent them to the client.
Clients response,
Bill sorry mate but the maps still do not give me enough data to get my bearings off stuff has changed since the photos were taken. I don’t know from the maps what is new or what is a replacement so i can’t tell my guys if they are looking a broken one or measuring out new stuff.

I need either a coordinate for them on the map or a physical mark on the road where they are required then we can radar the area

Troy

My response, To the foreman not the client.
I will get some coordinates for them.
We could mark each one with a broken delineator? Hmm. The mind boggles.. bogleboglebogle

Ahh, The client is always wright.

My actual response to the Foreman that was going to do the work and was in contact with the client. Was.
"Could you please tell Troy that we are having trouble reprinting all of the drawings with coordinates on them (crashing the computer). Bear in mind that It is possible to locate each broken delineator using the broken delineator at each site, as an indication of where the unbroken delineator must go. Would this suffice for the set out of the broken delineators."


The names of the Innocent have been changed, couldn't be bothered changing the clients name.
That feels allot better now that I have gotten that off my chest

[rebel heart]

Most everyone I've worked for recently has been great. My current primary employer, for which I work while out of the country and sailing, is terrific. I sort of have two bosses, both of which I've worked for, for about six years.

When I was in boot camp I did have another recruit-boss (a recruit in charge of us other recruits) who would scream obscenities at us but quickly informed us that it was for our motivation, and he wanted to hear none of it himself.

[deckofficer]

Eric,

Where are you now? And you left two bosses out, Cora and Charlotte.

[delatbabel]

Originally Posted by capngeo

CRAP! I'm self-employed, I guess I'll sit this thread out.

Me too. My boss is an a***hole but he gives me plenty of time off to go sailing.

[rebel heart]

Originally Posted by deckofficer

Eric,

Where are you now? And you left two bosses out, Cora and Charlotte.

Ensenada, Mexico. Just a little south of the border, chilling here until the weather clears out. Two low pressure systems moving through and with Charlotte uber-pregnant anything but a mill pond is too much for her.

[deckofficer]

So you cleared in there for the rest of Mexico?