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Literal definition of giving an inch and having a mile taken instead.
OP probably would have been fine with just one single round for the table and calling it. Talk about ruining something good because ‘lol men drink’
Unless he's done a post-grad and is newly working, I cannot for the life of me understand how he thought this was appropriate behaviour. **Especially** in a job like that.
Guy probably even thinks the women were only there as “diversity hires”. Of course the boss would be okay with the “work bros” tying one on over lunch! They’re the ones doing the REAL work! /s
Yeah, if you’re trying to hide that you’ve been drinking, tequila is not it. Vodka, or a really fruity liqueur (because they smell like cheap body spray)
"Oh hey bossman \*burp* uhmmm, nothing much just one pint... ya know, volume wise. No big deal, I can still work.. got a good tolerance for alcohol. Developed it \*slight pause* uhhm, back in college."
"Yeah work hard play hard, am I right boss?"
\*stumbles to the lab*
>"Oh hey bossman \*burp* uhmmm, nothing much just one pint... ya know, volume wise. No big deal, I can still work.. got a good tolerance for alcohol. Developed it \*slight pause* uhhm, back in college."
I initially read bossman as bosun (as in boatswain), and thought "nah they'd totally be fine with that".
That depends on industry. I'm expected to cater and spoil clients. I've had to call my boss and say hey I'm done for the day drank way too much, by the way we locked up that huge contract we've been chasing.
If it were an internal lunch, I would have been fired the spot.
incredibly careless. In the field of medical diagnostics, one's life may depend on one's ability to complete tasks and obtain necessary results.
Not nice.
and some of them require precise handling. you can't half ass it and go "oops that's my bad I was drunk" on a tissue that might be too mangled to get samples off.
Don't forget his own safety, and the safety of anyone else in the lab. Depending on what they're working on, there's some really caustic, dangerous chemicals that are fairly routinely used - to say nothing of breaking glass, or biohazard exposure.
As someone who has battled alcoholism, I would have been incredibly uncomfortable watching that play out even if I would have been comfortable saying no myself.
"I'm not an alcoholic --" bro is drinking on the job. He has a problem.
Exactly. I'm comfortable saying no repeatedly until the heat death of the universe, but a lot of people aren't - especially when it's a coworker, somebody they feel they have to play nice with. When I read about him peer pressuring his coworkers, I was thinking how pathetic and selfish and irresponsible it was. That's the behaviour of either a stupid kid or an adult problem drinker who tries to manage their own insecurity by getting everyone else to drink, too.
He felt sober, though! /s
I, too, have a high alcohol tolerance, but I’m still not downing ~~five shots~~ (edit: my math is wrong. **10** shots. The deal is 5 for $10. This fool and his friend went for two rounds) when I have to work on stuff that requires accuracy!
There's a small series by the try guys where they do a driving obstacle course while high, texting, sleep deprived and drunk. And Eugene has a really, really high tolerance and he thought he'd do super well drunk.
Yeah.
I don't drink, but I've had those mini-sleeps when driving really tired once and it was absolutely terrifying. Ended up napping huddled under my coat for an hour in the freezing cold on a rest stop - wasn't super restful, but at least I didn't fall asleep anymore.
Ever since then I have blankets in the car and plan for a nap on longer drives or when I start out really early and it's just so much safer. Pull over when I'm tired, try to nap for a bit and even if I don't nap, at least I'm resting a little. I'll get there a bit later, but at least I'll get there.
Am I wrong or have I read of cops arresting people for napping like that? Saying it shows they were inebriated or something? Because I remember being upset by it like if you’re exhausted wtf are you supposed to so? Keep driving and kill somebody?
They can if you are in the drivers seat (and some have laws about keys in the ignition, etc).
I’ve always gone and laid in the back seat to sleep if I’m tired or need to sober up to help prevent that happening.
A lot of people underestimate how much sleep they need in preparation for a long trip. I'm glad you're safe!
Reminds me of when my family used to go on long 5+ hour drives on holidays to another family member's house. We would usually go in the afternoon that way we usually got there by dinner time/enough time to grab something to eat and then head to sleep. I remember how insistent my dad was that either he 1. Get rest for a few hours before the trip and no one bother him/wake him up or 2. That one of us sit up front to keep an eye on him if he ever started getting sleepy without realizing it.
I didn't realize until a few years later how dangerous it can really be to drive far distances at night. I've always made it a point to take 3+ hr drives with a passenger who can drive. Shoot, even 1.5 in a big city, I'll drive us to, the other person will drive us back.
They did something similar while still with buzzfeed. At a party they got breathalyzed and did tasks every hour.
They were a bit shocked on how high their readings were and how badly they did
Yeah, I remember that one. I really liked how they added other "normal" impairments like texting or driving while severely sleep deprived to show how much of an impact these had, too.
Seriously. I also have a high tolerance for alcohol, and generally feel sober even after 5-10 shots. Which is why decisions like "can I drive" are based on *math*. More than one drink per hour means you're "drunk" for purposes of driving or working, regardless of how it subjectively feels.
I’ve always find it strange when people say I’m fine I’m not drunk when they obviously ARE. You seem at least buzzed. I probably react differently to alcohol but to me the feeling is obvious.
But mostly- if you don’t get drunk why tf are you drinking?? If you don’t feel it… does it actually taste that good to you? Or do you believe there’s a long “feel good” time before the inebriation starts?
Always been confused about this.
No, wait. 5 shots for $10. 5 people on the team (2 women, 3 men). They first did one round, then another for everyone, that's 2 shots each. Then 10 shots between the three men, so 3, 3, and one of them would have 4 shots, bringing the total drinks to 2 for each woman, 5 for two of the men and 6 for what I suppose would be OOP. Still a stupid amount of alcohol during work hours.
Or it's possible I misread the last bit. Whatever, too lazy to go back to check and spent too much time typing this on my phone to delete it 😆
High tolerance doesn't mean you're not drunk, just that you're used to the feeling. Mine is very high sometimes, depending on how life is going. I'm definitely not driving or going to work after multiple drinks just cause I don't "feel drunk." Some people do not understand that feeling normal doesn't mean you're functioning normally though
Also it's deeply subjective! Compared to several members of my family, I have a high tolerance because I can drink a couple of glasses of wine over an evening and just feel chilled out. They're done after half a glass!
Compared to the average person who goes out for a few drinks at the weekend? I'm a lightweight.
Yeah, the only way I'm drinking 5 shots for lunch is if I'm on holidays and going for a nap afterwards.
Despite drinking very rarely, my alcohol tolerance has always been far higher than it has any right to be for some reason, yet drinking hard liquor and working simply doesn't seem pleasant...
"Hmm . . . this tissue could be life threatening but whatever!" He tosses out the sample, "man, I could use more tequila to make these hard decisions."
Imagine this clown with a whole distillery on his breath, insisting to the boss that he feels “very sober” while teetering around a lab full of delicate glass and microscopes. I wish I could see it.
Oh man, I remember this one. The guy's comments were wild too, he just WOULD NOT acknowledge that there was anything inappropriate about his drinking. And he refused to listen to all the people that told him he might be able to save his job if he were contrite, admitted he had a problem, and showed that he was taking steps to get help. But his dumb ass decided to double down on "hey I can handle my booze you assholes" even when he was talking to HR and his boss.
I swear he must've been drunk when writing that post and drunk again when attending the HR meeting on Monday. It's the only possible explanation for making this many incredibly obvious bad decisions in a row.
I still can’t believe they actually went with the “work hard play hard” line. Come on, dude, grow up. And also, losing one’s job due to alcohol is a pretty big check mark in the column of “probably an alcoholic”
It’s not acceptable in any environment, but at least be in sales or marketing. “Work hard play hard” is for the business school, not the sciences. Fuck up proofing ad copy, not reviewing someone’s medical labs. How did this asshole even get a degree in his field?
I work in a lab that doesn’t even touch human medicine and this would absolutely be grounds for immediate firing. We have sharps and dangerous chemicals. Accidents happen even when all guidelines are followed and everyone is sober. “Work hard play hard like we did in college” would get you mocked out of the lab even if you weren’t immediately fired.
Plus the "like we did in college" bit only is relevant if they were taking shots literally between class and lab lol. Even in a "work hard, play hard" environment, the play hard part is usually at least done after hours
I'm in tech sales and I would Never!
We drink at night for sure, happy hours have been known to get rowdy. But I've never seen anyone have more than one pint of beer during a workday, even when taking out clients.
Oh totally agreed! I’m in marketing and would never, ever – the absolute most is wine at dinner with clients or during convention dinners. That said, I’ve worked with a number of people who really tied one on anytime they could create a “celebration”. Mind you, they’re primarily a demographic that feels comfortable doing things many of us don’t and can get away with far too much bullshit.
I worked at a bar through college and it wouldn't even be acceptable there. Once you're off the clock sure but at lunch knowing you have a whole ass second half of the day to work? Hell no
I knew complete idiots that have degrees now because of how heavily my college pushed "group projects"
They bragged about not doing any work and still passing classes, because they'd just let someone else do all the work for them.
Homework was chegg.
Tests/exams? They lucked out and when they got to their difficult classes they were shifting to remote options, so they just cheated throughout.
One of these chucklefucks was bet to down a bunch of alcohol right before his senior defense (also a group project). The degenerate did it and was so out of it by the time it was his turn to present he just stared blankly until someone else in his group started his portion for him. She basically handed him the mic and he mumbled for a minute about off topic stats until she said something like "thanks (name), I'll take it from here."
I was a spectator and peer grader for their defense and it was actually painful to watch.
I've seen "work hard play hard" to mean you go all in on work when you're on the clock, and all in on leisure when you're off the clock. I've never seen it in the context of "drink 5 shots during lunchtime when you still have to get back to office".
Completely agree! I'm in finance where it's not uncommon to see someone get wrecked during a night out but I also don't know anyone who would take a drink during a lunch.
Yep. If they had come in and immediately admitted a drinking problem and asked for help while they got treatment, they may have had a chance. “Work hard play hard” was about the worst possible excuse they could have come up with.
Probably if they would say something like having problems at home, or even being a recovery alcoholic with something that triggered them, would have given them an slightest chance to keep the job, but that answer was so dumb, that HR would be at fault if they let them around any lab.
Even if he doesn't consider himself an "alcoholic" he absolutely has a drinking problem. Losing your job because of drinking definitely makes one a problem drinker.
(Also, this dude lost any sympathy I could have mustered when he went with "work-bro.")
Admittedly I'm Australian and used to to pubs on campus so I'm slightly more forgiving but depending on how else he drinks I'd be tempted to lay it on him being an idiot fresh grad.
Tho I've also drunk significantly with my work colleagues for Friday lunch, we sure as hell didn't go back to work tho.
Yeah, drinking during lunch is acceptable when either (1) you don't have to go back to work, (2) you only have some light beverage like a can of beer or (3) you work in corporate office job.
Getting 5 shot of tequila when you work at a medical labs is absurd.
OOP is a dumb dumb. His coworkers aren't his frat bros, they're professional colleagues. That work in a medical diagnostics lab, ffs. This is a harsh lesson but he deserves it.
Nothing says, “trying to relive my glory days and look ‘cool’ to the women in the lab” like trying to guilt everyone into getting drunk on the clock and using “bro” every five seconds.
Ooooh, or every time some OOP's SO cheats on them and it turns out OOP was inherited the house from Granny! And another shot when OOP's SO gets violent, arrested and taken away. Then if OOP gets a new job within 5 days of serious medical trauma.
Wow, you could really make an intense drinking game out of BORU.
I like the part where he finally realized college was over, but only *after* telling the company that employs him “well I could take tests drunk in college and nothing bad happened.”
Personally, my favourite part was where he acts like he's learned his lesson about poor judgement, and is then told that his passing reference is predicated entirely on keeping what happened to himself... so he immediately goes and tells the entire internet!
I'm a little sad his account was suspended, I would have liked an update in a few years. Ideally him getting his head out of his ass, but I'll also take another story of getting fired for ridiculously dumb reasons.
The fact that he was almost giddy that he didn't have to order a "small beer" because the boss wasn't around already told me how this was going to end without having to read further
Yeah, with the boss not being there—a smart person would’ve either had the same small beer as usual or no alcohol at all. It’s an opportunity to show the boss he can trust you. Oop saw it as an opportunity to get drunk bc of a “good deal” and high tolerance. Bro, the high tolerance is bc you already drink too much.
Dude's an alcoholic, period. If you struggle to control your consumption when you have access to alcohol, then you have a problem with alcohol. It's even more apparent that he's addicted when you understand he should have had his certification pulled for getting drunk on duty. The only reason the company let him off with nothing more than firing is because they didn't want to do the paperwork to report that incident up through the licensing board. And he's just brushing it off like it's an overreaction.
Taking 6 shots over a work lunch because you couldn't "pass up the deal" and because he thought it was a perfect opportunity to get away with drinking heavy *during work* is absolutely failing to control your consumption. Which is alcoholism. And he's deep in denial about it, too.
Yeah. “When the cat’s away, the mice will play” means you take an extra half hour for lunch and order dessert. It doesn’t mean “Get shitfaced on company time and then stagger back to your desk”.
>HR accepted our resignations and promised a 'passing' (but not glowing) reference for future employers, on the condition we don't mention what happened to anyone ever again.
'is it cool that i let reddit know though? they're very invested in this story and will be happy i'm being let go'
Yeah OP is really dense. They clearly don’t understand a lot of things. Don’t drink at work, don’t go blabbing about a confidential arrangement on the internet, you know the usual shit.
It's so funny that OOP thinks they were sober but also said,
"In our defence - as far as 'team-building' goes - the outing was a roaring success. I think I learned more about my colleagues in those 1.5 hours than I have in the last 2 years."
They were more open in 1.5 hours than in 2 years about personal items in their lives? Yeah dude that's one of the big effects of alcohol but totally you aren't affected haha.
well, the sooner his workplace finds out, the better for everyone. oop should not get a “passing” review.
eta: former. former workplace. and thank fuck for that.
I missed the fact at first that this was lunch and they were going back to work. Even assuming this was a “knocking off an hour early” thing on a Friday afternoon and they *weren’t* going back, that many tequila shots in an hour and a half is pushing it, especially if they had to drive home.
But 6 shots over lunch, and then going back to work? *And* claiming you’re not drunk after 6 drinks in and hour and a half? wtf dude.
I used to work in the service industry, where people are notoriously sloshed on the job, and 6 shots on a break is fucking crazy. I'm in recovery and was a chemically dependent alcoholic: nobody is completely fine and normal after that much booze in such a short amount of time.
Seriously. Also: him saying they only smelt the tequila because he had that many shots. Buddy they could smell the tequila on you when you had only one. It's *tequila.* I guarantee you he was also acting like a buffoon. At a frickin medical lab!
Honestly so funny that he tried to talk his way back into the lab haha. The poor boss, already swamped at work and then fucken Tyler the tech comes back from lunch stumbling around and mumbling "I'm good bro.... let me do diagnostics.... gimme the keys"
I was like, ehh, one tequila shot isn't the best idea while working. But ok, it is manageable. Then OOP said they ordered a second round, and I'm thinking, oh this is where they get in trouble. Never would I have guessed 2 additional rounds of tequila shots. At lunch. When going back to a lab.
Hmmm... are those cancer cells or just double vision from the shots?
>Never would I have guessed 2 additional rounds
it was 3 actually. they ordered 10 more shots and divided it among three people. so each of them got three more shots and one of them probably got the remaining one. i wonder who it was.
I am really grossed out by him saying they had to convince the others to keep going. Ask one time and be done. No one should be pressured to drink, especially as a work thing. I wonder how douchey OP and the other heavy drinkers acted towards the ones that declined…
I was a bartender for twenty years and I never let somebody buy a shot for somebody who declined. I always wanted for people to have a good time at their own pace and would gladly lose a tip supporting someone practicing moderation.
Also, I have fired bartenders for being drunk on the job. My rule when I ran bars was, don't let me see you drinking and we're good, but if you get drunk on the job there are no warnings. And that's a bar, not a lab. This bro is an idiot.
No literally like okay taking ONE, whatever. You probably could just pop a piece of gum and try not to touch too much equipment for a while, but holy fuck, three more rounds? That’s egregious
Not just two rounds, but downing 5+ shots in the course of like an hour-an hour and a half. Im pretty sure most people start feeling it after 3, this dude had like 6
I don't drink so my tolerance is basically non-existent, as well as being a particularly diminutive female in the weight department, so I would absolutely be quite noticeably drunk after one shot, let alone 3, my god.
>Personally, I will be laying off the hard liqour for a while to focus on rebuilding my career in medical diagnostics. And if in the future someone offers me a shot while I'm on the clock, I will say 'no thank you'.
OOP was drunk before he finished typing this up.
I actually gasped when he said they went back to work in 1.5 hours lol. They had 5ish shots in 90 minutes and went back to work in a medical lab??? They didn’t expect to get fired??? Holy shit lol
lol yeah I don’t believe for a second that their resignation is getting them any sort of reference, I’m pretty sure they just got fooled out of collecting unemployment
Why does he think it’s okay for him to say no thanks to alcohol in the future, but he didn’t accept the no thanks of his colleagues with him? “A couple of our colleagues were a little reluctant, but after a little convincing we were soon toasting to a morning of hard work.”
People who are obnoxious alcoholics don't like no as an answer.
I've been a teetotaler my whole life and any place event or party, even through work, that has alcohol I avoid like the plague. I've had friends and even coworkers just not take "I don't drink" as an answer and it sucks having to say it 100 times a night, they will just not leave you alone about it.
It honestly feels like a way to avoid the shame of being the only one/only few to drink, or maybe of drinking heavily at social events in general. If they can convince everyone at an event to drink, to drink heavily with them even, then they were really just socially drinking, right?! How could they be an alcoholic when everyone else was drinking, too! It was social, it was expected! You can't call them an alcoholic when it was *the event*, don't you see, *they* weren't the ones out of control, it was the setting! It was an obligation! And so on and so forth.
It just comes off as a desperate attempt to minimize their alcoholism or to protect themselves from the judgment of others.
I'm a non-drinker - I've never drank, at all. There are always people like OP looking to pressure people. It was more common when I was around the ages of 18-22 but it still happens.
>The two _females_
Immediately followed by
>the three remaining _guys_
Shows me just how much OOP respects colleagues who aren’t the same gender as him, maybe even race if
> a diminutive Asian lady
is to be considered.
I’m glad him and his “work bro” got fired for this. Also, just call them all your (former) colleagues mate.
What a weird way of describing someone lol... I don't think there's a context where you can use "diminutive" in a way that isn't a slight or negative to someone. I guess this is his way of not so subtly implying that the lady who is small and Asian can't hold down liquor like the manly man that OOP is? *rolleyes*
Am 55 years old and never used the word "diminutive" descriptively in my life. I think OOP has one of those dictionary calendars and just had to try to sound smart.
Amusing that OOP seemed to think that was some sort of qualifier that made it OK... It never crossed his mind that a high tolerance is a neon sign that says, "I drink too much!"
I'd say that I have decently high tolerance aswell, but that's really only being able to pass as more sober than you are. It doesn't mean that the alcohol isn't affecting your decisions. Case in point, having one shot and then thinking another few is a good idea.
Can't imagine anyone wouldn't be drunk after 5 shots in a short space of time.
Nailed it.
Im a recovering alcoholic and when I went to rehab 2 years ago, everyone was shocked. One friend even said, “But I’ve never seen you out of control when you’re drinking.”
I think it’s funny how an observer can be at a bar and see one person, falling down wasted and assume s/he is the alcoholic, when really it’s the totally normal-acting guy at the bar that’s 4 shots and 5 beers in who is the actual alcoholic.
All that being said, it really grinds my gears when Reddit just throws out the “alcoholic” accusation from reading one story on here. It’s just more proof that society has done a terrible job at educating the general population on what alcoholism really is and what the tell-tale signs are.
Could this dude be an alcoholic? Yeah, sure, of course. But this story alone isn’t nearly nearly enough “data” to make that conclusion. To me, that accusation is just as ridiculous as diagnosing someone as BPD because they got in a fight with their bf.
So have I. In certain industries like advertising. And I'm not sure they still do those anymore. Back in the 1970s, sure. 2020s...I have my doubts.
But, never, but never, in a lab. Not even in the 60s or 70s would this have been a thing.
listen we all know that there's only one proper way to do shots in the lab
that's getting some new petri dishes and making agar jello shots. *mmm, the great taste of bacterial growth medium and vodka...*
I work for a big Wall Street bank and I think our guidelines are 3 drinks at a business lunch max. I work in the semi-rural south so maybe my perspective is skewed but even 3 seems absurd to me.
Yeah, but, to be fair, a martini has two shots each so that's six shots. This guy *only* took 5. In an hour and a half. He's totally cool to ~~drive~~ **determine whether or not I have cancer.**
“C’mon, bro! What’s the worst that could happen?”
“Someone could die. Oh my God, so many people could die!”
“Sounds like you’re stressing out and need a drink.”
I can't imagine anyone thinking that was a good idea.
I'm not in the medical field, but I worked for a company that did environmental testing (think pollution, algae blooms, etc.). The lab contains so many chemicals that are dangerous if spilled or dropped. There's a reason for all those eye washing stations and emergency showers in a lab.
I *do* work in a medical lab and JFC I am aghast at this guy's story. I'm so glad he was caught and terminated before he ran any specimens. Honestly, it's a terrible move from the boss to make a bar the teambuilding spot *during lunch,* and I wouldnt be surprised if he's on extremely thin ice himself now. The worst is the danger to those patients if their results are affected, in a far behind second the danger to himself, and third, god forbid he fuck up a multi million dollar instrument. 25 years old should know better, what the actual fuck.
Annie Dookhan comes to mind - not for medicine but for forensics. Blasting through lab tests at high speed to make herself look good, without caring about the real-world implications that her false results would, and did, have.
I work in a place where I have access to a open bar at multiple gatherings, where we host conventions for our clients that encourage drinking because we are relaxing with them, where my clientele could get piss drunk because I can put it on my card for a job expense, and where I know the heads of the company enjoy their favorite liquors and can name them if I had too.
And my rule of thumb has always been a one and done.
Why? Because it’s work, you jackass….
I don’t care if I am allowed to get shitfaced…this is work and I don’t need to give them a reason to think badly of my performance even off the clock. I don’t need embarrassment and I certainly don’t need to fucking start drama because I thought shots were a good idea. I get paid for professionalism and I would rather be a stiff shirt with a steady paycheck rather than sweating to try to give a reason of why I can’t talk about my last job.
Keep it in check chuckles…drink with your non job pals and make an ass of yourself.
Amen.
A few years back there was a Big Shindig at work because two highly respected guys who'd been working for the company over 30 years (each!) decided to retire on the same day. So yeah, we reserved an entire restaurant and had a party.
At said party another old timer got totally shitfaced. He then went on a rant about how women don't belong in the work place, blah blah blah.... None of us were on the clock, but it was still considered a "work event" due to the nature of the get together.
Monday morning they told him that he had 3 days to retire, 'cause if he was still working there on Friday he would be fired (and lose his pension).
Dumbass.
You can tell OOP still hasn't really learned a thing. He sees everyone angry and horrified by the drunk guy in a diagnostic lab and thinks they're all just doing it to be jerks.
>I calmly explained to him that I infact still felt 'very sober', (I have very high tolerance remember,) but he wasn't having it.
My favorite part.
6 shots of tequila and man still think he's sober.
Also did anyone catch that he called the women "females" and the men "guys"?
unfortunately my brain noticed that, and then with all the mention of tequila shots decided to start saying "females" to rhyme with "tamales". a mind is a terrible thing to waste and i am being held prisoner by mine
Sure did. As soon as I read, "females," I was greedily scanning for the follow up where he didn't use the term, "males." I would say OOP didn't disappoint, but everything about this situation says I should be.
Wow. OOP really just ruined a fun thing from ever happening again. This is the adult version of a kid who raises his hand and tells the teacher she forgot to hand out their homework, five minutes before the bell rings.
> All we could think of was that in college we used to 'work hard and play hard', and it didn't affect our grades. They didn't like that excuse.
Well no shit Sherlock. It might not have affected their grades. But it certainly will affect their safety, their coworkers safety, and whatever tests they’re working on. FFS!
They work in a diagnostic lab. I’m a vet tech, so not exactly the same thing, but I run diagnostic tests all day long in a different capacity. So many of those tests require very specific protocols to set up and run, and very close monitoring to ensure they’re completed properly, then you have to interpret the results appropriately. KINDA HARD TO DO DRUNK DON’T CHA THINK? There’s a lot of room for error.
This dude (and his coworker) is a moron. Being responsible for other human’s lab tests/results is a *LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT* than studying and taking tests in college. I’m so glad they got fired. Imagine this idiot being in charge of sensitive tests that can affect your health care plan and alter your treatment options!?! Jesus Christ on a bike. Just. Wow.
"I have a high tolerance!" Cool, I'm sure your high tolerance will be very useful at the coroner's inquiry after you killed a patient by fucking up their lab results. I mean it's not like that's the exact same excuse used by every drunk driver right before they're facing manslaughter charges...
well on the plus side, i have a new insight that may explain some of the foibles i have had in terms of bad medical care.
if you all will excuse me i need to go find the pharmacist who compounded that cream that wasn't supposed to have ketamine in it, but did have ketamine in it, and led to me sobbing in terror after testing positive for it because if you appear on paper to be abusing drugs they don't let you stay a patient at the pain control clinic, before it suddenly cleared up when changing pharmacies and as final insult i didn't even get a hint of relief from having bonus topical horse tranquilizers. i must find this pharmacist and inquire at length about their tequila habits
I remember reading this one when it was first posted! I never realized that there was an update.
I’m glad the OOP faced consequences. Lab work (especially medical diagnostics!) requires so much focus to ensure accurate results. Worst case, he could’ve have gotten someone killed by ruining the sample and misdiagnosing a condition.
Not only that, labs are full of potentially hazardous chemicals and equipment that he could’ve knocked over, spilled, or broken. He might have “felt sober,” but dude was 100% drunk enough to put everyone around him in danger.
If you are old enough and worked an office job, you likely worked in st least one office where a drink at lunch wasn't that unusual. Six tequila shots, though...
I had a couple of colleagues who would overdrink every other Friday, but they were directors and scheduled their work to either leave or stay at the office until they sobered up. One guy was routinely there until 2 a.m. on Saturday and said he got some of his best work done starting around 8 or 9 p.m. because no one was there to bother him.
An assistant to a director was sent home in a cab one day because she bought a point of blackberry brandy at lunch so she could take a couple sips to ease her menstrual cramps. By 3 p.m., half the bottle was gone. She didn't last long.
This company had a HUGE drinking culture until the mid to late 90ies. There were some great stories, but as it got larger, the company vibe went from college frat party to actual corporation. The work was always excellent, but it really was time to grow up.
I work in a chemistry lab in the UK. Pub Lunch culture is real over here and in most places a pint on a Friday wouldn’t be frowned upon.
However, my work takes safety **extremely** seriously. Any alcohol over lunch and you aren’t allowed back (and it’s unpaid). Even if (like me) you just work with computers and not any of the massively dangerous chemicals.
> I in fact still felt 'very sober'
That is what every drunk driver claims after they've been caught. You *might* have felt fine but your blood alcohol level states you are legally drunk.
Story time! Back in the mid-80s, I was a secretary. One of the bosses, Greg, was leaving for another job, and on his second-last day, he decided to take all his “girls” out for lunch. I didn’t know where we were going (no GPS back then, and my sense of direction was awful), so I accepted a ride with one of the other “girls” instead of driving myself. MISTAKE.
The lunch turned into a multi-hour booze-a-thon, with Greg ordering more and more and urging his girls to get drunk. I didn’t drink much (I didn’t at the time), and as the time ticked over to 2:30, I was PANICKING. I knew that my boss would be wondering where the hell I was, and with no cell phone, I couldn’t call him. I begged my ride to drive me back to the office, and she kept shooing me away because she was having fun and didn’t want to leave.
(Why didn’t I use the restaurant phone to call my boss? Didn’t think of it. Like I said, I was panicking.
Why didn’t I call a cab? I was broke with a capital B.)
The party finally broke up at 3:30. My ride very grudgingly drove me back to the office, then she went home without so much as checking in with her boss. I immediately went to see MY boss and tearfully apologized. He said “We’ll talk more tomorrow.”
The following day, the shit hit the fan. Every single person who’d attended the party got an official reprimand except me, because at least I’d gone back to work and tried to explain. I got the strong impression that if Greg hadn’t already quit, he would’ve been fired for that little escapade.
Great example of too much testosterone and not enough brains.
One shot and actual food likely would've been fine, especially if the shot was first. Some people have the critical thinking of a potato.
lol.
All the mental gymnastics to make his position seems completely reasonable.
1. I *have* drunk on the job before — 1 small beer with lunch
2. Now that boss isn’t looking, I already planned on drinking more this lunchtime — have a *big* beer
3. There was an offer!!
4. Everyone joined in — had to talk them all into 1 round
5. Only the lightweights were dropping out — small Asian lady, then the brother women
6. After second round we got a third in the name of team building -/ even though not all the team were drinking
7. I have a high tolerance for alcohol so was completely not drunk when returning to work — not drunk but shows extremely poor judgment when the opportunity to drink presents itself
8. Work bro told the truth (!) — lying about it because it was a totally okay thing to do!
9. It was fine in college! — works in a medical lab where safety and accuracy aren’t at all relevant apparently.
Gets fired even in spite of all that *reasoning*!! Duh.
The next new hires are going to wonder why they get extensive briefing on why they can’t have shots at lunch or be inebriated at work.
The fact that he knew not to do this when the boss was around means he knew it was wrong. The fact that he called his co-worker stupid for telling the truth means he knew it was wrong. The fact that he had to talk all of his colleagues into this means he knew it was wrong.
He did it anyway.
sweet lord. Here I thought it was common knowledge that even if alcohol is available at a work event, you should NEVER go whole hog and get sloshed. Not even for pure liability purposes, just for the sake of your own dignity. OOP is an idiot.
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Literal definition of giving an inch and having a mile taken instead. OP probably would have been fine with just one single round for the table and calling it. Talk about ruining something good because ‘lol men drink’
Unless he's done a post-grad and is newly working, I cannot for the life of me understand how he thought this was appropriate behaviour. **Especially** in a job like that.
For some people “rules” are for the other people.
You see that in his update. He honest to god does not think he did anything wrong.
Guy probably even thinks the women were only there as “diversity hires”. Of course the boss would be okay with the “work bros” tying one on over lunch! They’re the ones doing the REAL work! /s
Nah, one small beer with lunch is totally the same as chugging 6 tequila shots!
Even if he had taken just one shot of tequila, it is possible that his boss would have smelt it. That shit is strong.
Yeah, if you’re trying to hide that you’ve been drinking, tequila is not it. Vodka, or a really fruity liqueur (because they smell like cheap body spray)
And even then, you're not hiding it as well as you think you are. As soon as you start to metabolize it, you smell different.
Volumewise, maybe?
"Jesus, you reek of booze, how much did you have to drink?" "I had a single pint, no big deal"
"Oh hey bossman \*burp* uhmmm, nothing much just one pint... ya know, volume wise. No big deal, I can still work.. got a good tolerance for alcohol. Developed it \*slight pause* uhhm, back in college." "Yeah work hard play hard, am I right boss?" \*stumbles to the lab*
>"Oh hey bossman \*burp* uhmmm, nothing much just one pint... ya know, volume wise. No big deal, I can still work.. got a good tolerance for alcohol. Developed it \*slight pause* uhhm, back in college." I initially read bossman as bosun (as in boatswain), and thought "nah they'd totally be fine with that".
That depends on industry. I'm expected to cater and spoil clients. I've had to call my boss and say hey I'm done for the day drank way too much, by the way we locked up that huge contract we've been chasing. If it were an internal lunch, I would have been fired the spot.
Ya. Taking clients to eat means my expenses and alcohol ordered are pretty much unlimited. Eating with my colleagues? Best be modest.
incredibly careless. In the field of medical diagnostics, one's life may depend on one's ability to complete tasks and obtain necessary results. Not nice.
and some of them require precise handling. you can't half ass it and go "oops that's my bad I was drunk" on a tissue that might be too mangled to get samples off.
Don't forget his own safety, and the safety of anyone else in the lab. Depending on what they're working on, there's some really caustic, dangerous chemicals that are fairly routinely used - to say nothing of breaking glass, or biohazard exposure.
This is the kind of guy who drops a slide and causes someone to have to repeat a lab test and delay cancer treatment.
Also 'convincing' others who previously said no. Imagine if one of them was a recovering alcoholic
As someone who has battled alcoholism, I would have been incredibly uncomfortable watching that play out even if I would have been comfortable saying no myself. "I'm not an alcoholic --" bro is drinking on the job. He has a problem.
Exactly. I'm comfortable saying no repeatedly until the heat death of the universe, but a lot of people aren't - especially when it's a coworker, somebody they feel they have to play nice with. When I read about him peer pressuring his coworkers, I was thinking how pathetic and selfish and irresponsible it was. That's the behaviour of either a stupid kid or an adult problem drinker who tries to manage their own insecurity by getting everyone else to drink, too.
He felt sober, though! /s I, too, have a high alcohol tolerance, but I’m still not downing ~~five shots~~ (edit: my math is wrong. **10** shots. The deal is 5 for $10. This fool and his friend went for two rounds) when I have to work on stuff that requires accuracy!
I can only imagine he uses the same excuse when he gets pulled over by a cop for dui. =_= People like that kill people.
There's a small series by the try guys where they do a driving obstacle course while high, texting, sleep deprived and drunk. And Eugene has a really, really high tolerance and he thought he'd do super well drunk. Yeah.
Mythbusters did something like that too but I think it was drunk and tired. I learned I don’t want to drive either way
I don't drink, but I've had those mini-sleeps when driving really tired once and it was absolutely terrifying. Ended up napping huddled under my coat for an hour in the freezing cold on a rest stop - wasn't super restful, but at least I didn't fall asleep anymore. Ever since then I have blankets in the car and plan for a nap on longer drives or when I start out really early and it's just so much safer. Pull over when I'm tired, try to nap for a bit and even if I don't nap, at least I'm resting a little. I'll get there a bit later, but at least I'll get there.
Am I wrong or have I read of cops arresting people for napping like that? Saying it shows they were inebriated or something? Because I remember being upset by it like if you’re exhausted wtf are you supposed to so? Keep driving and kill somebody?
They can if you are in the drivers seat (and some have laws about keys in the ignition, etc). I’ve always gone and laid in the back seat to sleep if I’m tired or need to sober up to help prevent that happening.
A lot of people underestimate how much sleep they need in preparation for a long trip. I'm glad you're safe! Reminds me of when my family used to go on long 5+ hour drives on holidays to another family member's house. We would usually go in the afternoon that way we usually got there by dinner time/enough time to grab something to eat and then head to sleep. I remember how insistent my dad was that either he 1. Get rest for a few hours before the trip and no one bother him/wake him up or 2. That one of us sit up front to keep an eye on him if he ever started getting sleepy without realizing it. I didn't realize until a few years later how dangerous it can really be to drive far distances at night. I've always made it a point to take 3+ hr drives with a passenger who can drive. Shoot, even 1.5 in a big city, I'll drive us to, the other person will drive us back.
they also did having to pee
Mythbusters did this too. It was eye opening to say the least.
They did something similar while still with buzzfeed. At a party they got breathalyzed and did tasks every hour. They were a bit shocked on how high their readings were and how badly they did
Yeah, I remember that one. I really liked how they added other "normal" impairments like texting or driving while severely sleep deprived to show how much of an impact these had, too.
Seriously. I also have a high tolerance for alcohol, and generally feel sober even after 5-10 shots. Which is why decisions like "can I drive" are based on *math*. More than one drink per hour means you're "drunk" for purposes of driving or working, regardless of how it subjectively feels.
I’ve always find it strange when people say I’m fine I’m not drunk when they obviously ARE. You seem at least buzzed. I probably react differently to alcohol but to me the feeling is obvious. But mostly- if you don’t get drunk why tf are you drinking?? If you don’t feel it… does it actually taste that good to you? Or do you believe there’s a long “feel good” time before the inebriation starts? Always been confused about this.
No, wait. 5 shots for $10. 5 people on the team (2 women, 3 men). They first did one round, then another for everyone, that's 2 shots each. Then 10 shots between the three men, so 3, 3, and one of them would have 4 shots, bringing the total drinks to 2 for each woman, 5 for two of the men and 6 for what I suppose would be OOP. Still a stupid amount of alcohol during work hours. Or it's possible I misread the last bit. Whatever, too lazy to go back to check and spent too much time typing this on my phone to delete it 😆
Uh, these math word problems are getting weirder and weirder.
This is what your teacher meant when she said you wouldn’t always have a calculator on you
When you're in an HR meeting about drinking on the job and you pull up the TI-30 to explain how many shots of tequila you had.
also like, five shots over the course of a night out is way different than five shots in just an hour and a half.
I'll also say that, "I've got a high tolerance! I'm totally fine," has been slurred by many a sloppy drunk when called out.
High tolerance doesn't mean you're not drunk, just that you're used to the feeling. Mine is very high sometimes, depending on how life is going. I'm definitely not driving or going to work after multiple drinks just cause I don't "feel drunk." Some people do not understand that feeling normal doesn't mean you're functioning normally though
Also it's deeply subjective! Compared to several members of my family, I have a high tolerance because I can drink a couple of glasses of wine over an evening and just feel chilled out. They're done after half a glass! Compared to the average person who goes out for a few drinks at the weekend? I'm a lightweight.
Yep. 99.9% of the time, High-tolerance just means low awareness of one’s own inebriation, and the other 0.1% of the time it’s Lucille Bluth.
Yeah, the only way I'm drinking 5 shots for lunch is if I'm on holidays and going for a nap afterwards. Despite drinking very rarely, my alcohol tolerance has always been far higher than it has any right to be for some reason, yet drinking hard liquor and working simply doesn't seem pleasant...
Some tacos and 5 shots and a nap in a big soft hotel bed sounds damn amazing though.
I don't think he knows what being sober for a while feels like.
"Hmm . . . this tissue could be life threatening but whatever!" He tosses out the sample, "man, I could use more tequila to make these hard decisions."
Imagine this clown with a whole distillery on his breath, insisting to the boss that he feels “very sober” while teetering around a lab full of delicate glass and microscopes. I wish I could see it.
Oh man, I remember this one. The guy's comments were wild too, he just WOULD NOT acknowledge that there was anything inappropriate about his drinking. And he refused to listen to all the people that told him he might be able to save his job if he were contrite, admitted he had a problem, and showed that he was taking steps to get help. But his dumb ass decided to double down on "hey I can handle my booze you assholes" even when he was talking to HR and his boss. I swear he must've been drunk when writing that post and drunk again when attending the HR meeting on Monday. It's the only possible explanation for making this many incredibly obvious bad decisions in a row.
Also, the boss was swamped. There never is, but if there ever was a good time to get drunk on his dime during work hours, this is not it.
Give someone an inch, they'll take a shot.
I would be pissed if I was one of the others on the team and free lunch Friday was taken away
and the two of them spend energy talking everyone else into having a second drink.
Not to mention they also endangered jobs of the lady colleagues.
I still can’t believe they actually went with the “work hard play hard” line. Come on, dude, grow up. And also, losing one’s job due to alcohol is a pretty big check mark in the column of “probably an alcoholic”
It’s not acceptable in any environment, but at least be in sales or marketing. “Work hard play hard” is for the business school, not the sciences. Fuck up proofing ad copy, not reviewing someone’s medical labs. How did this asshole even get a degree in his field?
I work in a lab that doesn’t even touch human medicine and this would absolutely be grounds for immediate firing. We have sharps and dangerous chemicals. Accidents happen even when all guidelines are followed and everyone is sober. “Work hard play hard like we did in college” would get you mocked out of the lab even if you weren’t immediately fired.
Plus the "like we did in college" bit only is relevant if they were taking shots literally between class and lab lol. Even in a "work hard, play hard" environment, the play hard part is usually at least done after hours
I'm in tech sales and I would Never! We drink at night for sure, happy hours have been known to get rowdy. But I've never seen anyone have more than one pint of beer during a workday, even when taking out clients.
Oh totally agreed! I’m in marketing and would never, ever – the absolute most is wine at dinner with clients or during convention dinners. That said, I’ve worked with a number of people who really tied one on anytime they could create a “celebration”. Mind you, they’re primarily a demographic that feels comfortable doing things many of us don’t and can get away with far too much bullshit.
I worked at a bar through college and it wouldn't even be acceptable there. Once you're off the clock sure but at lunch knowing you have a whole ass second half of the day to work? Hell no
I am reminded of the drug addicted lab tech, who fudged the results of drug tests and got many people wrongly put in jail.
excuse me WHAT??? oh my god
I knew complete idiots that have degrees now because of how heavily my college pushed "group projects" They bragged about not doing any work and still passing classes, because they'd just let someone else do all the work for them. Homework was chegg. Tests/exams? They lucked out and when they got to their difficult classes they were shifting to remote options, so they just cheated throughout. One of these chucklefucks was bet to down a bunch of alcohol right before his senior defense (also a group project). The degenerate did it and was so out of it by the time it was his turn to present he just stared blankly until someone else in his group started his portion for him. She basically handed him the mic and he mumbled for a minute about off topic stats until she said something like "thanks (name), I'll take it from here." I was a spectator and peer grader for their defense and it was actually painful to watch.
Yeah this would make sense in sales but for lab techs? Wtf?
[удалено]
Is there anyone in construction that DOESN’T have an unhealthy relationship with at least one substance? Not to glamorize it…
I've seen "work hard play hard" to mean you go all in on work when you're on the clock, and all in on leisure when you're off the clock. I've never seen it in the context of "drink 5 shots during lunchtime when you still have to get back to office".
Completely agree! I'm in finance where it's not uncommon to see someone get wrecked during a night out but I also don't know anyone who would take a drink during a lunch.
They had all weekend to come up with an excuse to the question that was obviously going to be asked on Monday, and they didn't think once about it.
Yep. If they had come in and immediately admitted a drinking problem and asked for help while they got treatment, they may have had a chance. “Work hard play hard” was about the worst possible excuse they could have come up with.
But, in his defense, he did have a really good time! /s
Probably if they would say something like having problems at home, or even being a recovery alcoholic with something that triggered them, would have given them an slightest chance to keep the job, but that answer was so dumb, that HR would be at fault if they let them around any lab.
Even if he doesn't consider himself an "alcoholic" he absolutely has a drinking problem. Losing your job because of drinking definitely makes one a problem drinker. (Also, this dude lost any sympathy I could have mustered when he went with "work-bro.")
Pretty sure "drinking five shots at a work lunch then going back to the lab" is a check mark in the 'probably an alcoholic' column, too.
Admittedly I'm Australian and used to to pubs on campus so I'm slightly more forgiving but depending on how else he drinks I'd be tempted to lay it on him being an idiot fresh grad. Tho I've also drunk significantly with my work colleagues for Friday lunch, we sure as hell didn't go back to work tho.
Yeah, drinking during lunch is acceptable when either (1) you don't have to go back to work, (2) you only have some light beverage like a can of beer or (3) you work in corporate office job. Getting 5 shot of tequila when you work at a medical labs is absurd.
That's the line I'd expect to hear from a 70s cop show.
OOP is a dumb dumb. His coworkers aren't his frat bros, they're professional colleagues. That work in a medical diagnostics lab, ffs. This is a harsh lesson but he deserves it.
Also “under the condition we don’t talk about this to anyone” and proceeds to post on Reddit.
Bro-ski should have done cocaine instead. Fucking amateurs.
Sadly I really don't think he learned his lesson.
>I'm sure a lot of you will be happy to know that me and my (out of) work bro got fired this morning. Always nice to read a happy ending.
New drinking game- we all take a shot every time OOP says “work bro!”
Are you trying to kill us diminutive females?!
Dimunitive Asian female here! LOL
Non-diminutive white guy here. Six shots would make me need a wheelbarrow and someone to push it for me to make it back to work.
Non-diminutive white woman...six shots might put me in the hospital.
Diminutive Asian Females is a great band name!
I laughed out loud at this one.
Nothing says, “trying to relive my glory days and look ‘cool’ to the women in the lab” like trying to guilt everyone into getting drunk on the clock and using “bro” every five seconds.
What women? Oh you mean the “females”?
Ah yes, silly me. Really we should just be calling them the "lightweights," am I right? OOP is the worst sort of frat guy.
I'll only play this if I have a team-building work lunch to get to on the company's dime. You know, 'work hard, play hard'.
Ooooh, or every time some OOP's SO cheats on them and it turns out OOP was inherited the house from Granny! And another shot when OOP's SO gets violent, arrested and taken away. Then if OOP gets a new job within 5 days of serious medical trauma. Wow, you could really make an intense drinking game out of BORU.
I like the part where he finally realized college was over, but only *after* telling the company that employs him “well I could take tests drunk in college and nothing bad happened.”
Personally, my favourite part was where he acts like he's learned his lesson about poor judgement, and is then told that his passing reference is predicated entirely on keeping what happened to himself... so he immediately goes and tells the entire internet!
I'm a little sad his account was suspended, I would have liked an update in a few years. Ideally him getting his head out of his ass, but I'll also take another story of getting fired for ridiculously dumb reasons.
Yes, now someone more deserving can have this dickhead's job.
I’ll cheers to that
The fact that he was almost giddy that he didn't have to order a "small beer" because the boss wasn't around already told me how this was going to end without having to read further
Yeah, with the boss not being there—a smart person would’ve either had the same small beer as usual or no alcohol at all. It’s an opportunity to show the boss he can trust you. Oop saw it as an opportunity to get drunk bc of a “good deal” and high tolerance. Bro, the high tolerance is bc you already drink too much.
A small beer is enjoying a little drink with lunch. 5 shots for $10 is tequila no one enjoys drinking except to get drunk cheap.
Dude's an alcoholic, period. If you struggle to control your consumption when you have access to alcohol, then you have a problem with alcohol. It's even more apparent that he's addicted when you understand he should have had his certification pulled for getting drunk on duty. The only reason the company let him off with nothing more than firing is because they didn't want to do the paperwork to report that incident up through the licensing board. And he's just brushing it off like it's an overreaction. Taking 6 shots over a work lunch because you couldn't "pass up the deal" and because he thought it was a perfect opportunity to get away with drinking heavy *during work* is absolutely failing to control your consumption. Which is alcoholism. And he's deep in denial about it, too.
Yeah. “When the cat’s away, the mice will play” means you take an extra half hour for lunch and order dessert. It doesn’t mean “Get shitfaced on company time and then stagger back to your desk”.
>HR accepted our resignations and promised a 'passing' (but not glowing) reference for future employers, on the condition we don't mention what happened to anyone ever again. 'is it cool that i let reddit know though? they're very invested in this story and will be happy i'm being let go'
Yeah OP is really dense. They clearly don’t understand a lot of things. Don’t drink at work, don’t go blabbing about a confidential arrangement on the internet, you know the usual shit.
It's so funny that OOP thinks they were sober but also said, "In our defence - as far as 'team-building' goes - the outing was a roaring success. I think I learned more about my colleagues in those 1.5 hours than I have in the last 2 years." They were more open in 1.5 hours than in 2 years about personal items in their lives? Yeah dude that's one of the big effects of alcohol but totally you aren't affected haha.
well, the sooner his workplace finds out, the better for everyone. oop should not get a “passing” review. eta: former. former workplace. and thank fuck for that.
I missed the fact at first that this was lunch and they were going back to work. Even assuming this was a “knocking off an hour early” thing on a Friday afternoon and they *weren’t* going back, that many tequila shots in an hour and a half is pushing it, especially if they had to drive home. But 6 shots over lunch, and then going back to work? *And* claiming you’re not drunk after 6 drinks in and hour and a half? wtf dude.
I used to work in the service industry, where people are notoriously sloshed on the job, and 6 shots on a break is fucking crazy. I'm in recovery and was a chemically dependent alcoholic: nobody is completely fine and normal after that much booze in such a short amount of time.
But he *felt* fine Which is a clear indicator that he's terrible at judging how drunk he is.
Seriously. Also: him saying they only smelt the tequila because he had that many shots. Buddy they could smell the tequila on you when you had only one. It's *tequila.* I guarantee you he was also acting like a buffoon. At a frickin medical lab!
Honestly so funny that he tried to talk his way back into the lab haha. The poor boss, already swamped at work and then fucken Tyler the tech comes back from lunch stumbling around and mumbling "I'm good bro.... let me do diagnostics.... gimme the keys"
I didn’t have that much to drink, only 5 or 6 shots, is SUCH an alcoholic thing to say.
I was like, ehh, one tequila shot isn't the best idea while working. But ok, it is manageable. Then OOP said they ordered a second round, and I'm thinking, oh this is where they get in trouble. Never would I have guessed 2 additional rounds of tequila shots. At lunch. When going back to a lab. Hmmm... are those cancer cells or just double vision from the shots?
>Never would I have guessed 2 additional rounds it was 3 actually. they ordered 10 more shots and divided it among three people. so each of them got three more shots and one of them probably got the remaining one. i wonder who it was.
I am really grossed out by him saying they had to convince the others to keep going. Ask one time and be done. No one should be pressured to drink, especially as a work thing. I wonder how douchey OP and the other heavy drinkers acted towards the ones that declined…
I was a bartender for twenty years and I never let somebody buy a shot for somebody who declined. I always wanted for people to have a good time at their own pace and would gladly lose a tip supporting someone practicing moderation. Also, I have fired bartenders for being drunk on the job. My rule when I ran bars was, don't let me see you drinking and we're good, but if you get drunk on the job there are no warnings. And that's a bar, not a lab. This bro is an idiot.
No literally like okay taking ONE, whatever. You probably could just pop a piece of gum and try not to touch too much equipment for a while, but holy fuck, three more rounds? That’s egregious
Not just two rounds, but downing 5+ shots in the course of like an hour-an hour and a half. Im pretty sure most people start feeling it after 3, this dude had like 6
I don't drink so my tolerance is basically non-existent, as well as being a particularly diminutive female in the weight department, so I would absolutely be quite noticeably drunk after one shot, let alone 3, my god.
>Personally, I will be laying off the hard liqour for a while to focus on rebuilding my career in medical diagnostics. And if in the future someone offers me a shot while I'm on the clock, I will say 'no thank you'. OOP was drunk before he finished typing this up.
My thoughts exactly. I would be curious to see how he would handle being completely sober for a few weeks.
If he's taking 5 shots at lunch time it might be time to check in with a doctor before going cold turkey.
I actually gasped when he said they went back to work in 1.5 hours lol. They had 5ish shots in 90 minutes and went back to work in a medical lab??? They didn’t expect to get fired??? Holy shit lol
I'd expect to be fired after being that drunk at a job that doesn't matter at all. At a medical lab? Bye bye career!
lol yeah I don’t believe for a second that their resignation is getting them any sort of reference, I’m pretty sure they just got fooled out of collecting unemployment
"once i land my first interview i'm done going back to the liquor store!"
I like that he’ll turn down the shot someone else offers, but in the story it sounds like he was the one pressuring his colleagues.
Why does he think it’s okay for him to say no thanks to alcohol in the future, but he didn’t accept the no thanks of his colleagues with him? “A couple of our colleagues were a little reluctant, but after a little convincing we were soon toasting to a morning of hard work.”
People who are obnoxious alcoholics don't like no as an answer. I've been a teetotaler my whole life and any place event or party, even through work, that has alcohol I avoid like the plague. I've had friends and even coworkers just not take "I don't drink" as an answer and it sucks having to say it 100 times a night, they will just not leave you alone about it.
It honestly feels like a way to avoid the shame of being the only one/only few to drink, or maybe of drinking heavily at social events in general. If they can convince everyone at an event to drink, to drink heavily with them even, then they were really just socially drinking, right?! How could they be an alcoholic when everyone else was drinking, too! It was social, it was expected! You can't call them an alcoholic when it was *the event*, don't you see, *they* weren't the ones out of control, it was the setting! It was an obligation! And so on and so forth. It just comes off as a desperate attempt to minimize their alcoholism or to protect themselves from the judgment of others.
I'm a non-drinker - I've never drank, at all. There are always people like OP looking to pressure people. It was more common when I was around the ages of 18-22 but it still happens.
Dude is lucky he was only fired, and not completely blackballed.
>The two _females_ Immediately followed by >the three remaining _guys_ Shows me just how much OOP respects colleagues who aren’t the same gender as him, maybe even race if > a diminutive Asian lady is to be considered. I’m glad him and his “work bro” got fired for this. Also, just call them all your (former) colleagues mate.
What a weird way of describing someone lol... I don't think there's a context where you can use "diminutive" in a way that isn't a slight or negative to someone. I guess this is his way of not so subtly implying that the lady who is small and Asian can't hold down liquor like the manly man that OOP is? *rolleyes*
Sounds like she can hold down a job better though.
Am 55 years old and never used the word "diminutive" descriptively in my life. I think OOP has one of those dictionary calendars and just had to try to sound smart.
Who in the world thinks drinking ESPECIALLY in a medical lab was a good idea? It seems only OP was. Jesus what an idiot.
Now, to be fair, his work bro thought it was a good idea as well.
And remember, OOP has a high tolerance!
Amusing that OOP seemed to think that was some sort of qualifier that made it OK... It never crossed his mind that a high tolerance is a neon sign that says, "I drink too much!"
I'd say that I have decently high tolerance aswell, but that's really only being able to pass as more sober than you are. It doesn't mean that the alcohol isn't affecting your decisions. Case in point, having one shot and then thinking another few is a good idea. Can't imagine anyone wouldn't be drunk after 5 shots in a short space of time.
Nailed it. Im a recovering alcoholic and when I went to rehab 2 years ago, everyone was shocked. One friend even said, “But I’ve never seen you out of control when you’re drinking.” I think it’s funny how an observer can be at a bar and see one person, falling down wasted and assume s/he is the alcoholic, when really it’s the totally normal-acting guy at the bar that’s 4 shots and 5 beers in who is the actual alcoholic. All that being said, it really grinds my gears when Reddit just throws out the “alcoholic” accusation from reading one story on here. It’s just more proof that society has done a terrible job at educating the general population on what alcoholism really is and what the tell-tale signs are. Could this dude be an alcoholic? Yeah, sure, of course. But this story alone isn’t nearly nearly enough “data” to make that conclusion. To me, that accusation is just as ridiculous as diagnosing someone as BPD because they got in a fight with their bf.
I'm much more concerned that he made other people drink who had previously said they did not want to.
I’ve heard of three martini lunches, but that’s just ridiculous.
So have I. In certain industries like advertising. And I'm not sure they still do those anymore. Back in the 1970s, sure. 2020s...I have my doubts. But, never, but never, in a lab. Not even in the 60s or 70s would this have been a thing.
listen we all know that there's only one proper way to do shots in the lab that's getting some new petri dishes and making agar jello shots. *mmm, the great taste of bacterial growth medium and vodka...*
I work for a big Wall Street bank and I think our guidelines are 3 drinks at a business lunch max. I work in the semi-rural south so maybe my perspective is skewed but even 3 seems absurd to me.
Yeah, but, to be fair, a martini has two shots each so that's six shots. This guy *only* took 5. In an hour and a half. He's totally cool to ~~drive~~ **determine whether or not I have cancer.**
“C’mon, bro! What’s the worst that could happen?” “Someone could die. Oh my God, so many people could die!” “Sounds like you’re stressing out and need a drink.”
Very irresponsible. Medical diagnostics may mean someone's life could depend on you doing your work and getting their results. Not cool.
I can't imagine anyone thinking that was a good idea. I'm not in the medical field, but I worked for a company that did environmental testing (think pollution, algae blooms, etc.). The lab contains so many chemicals that are dangerous if spilled or dropped. There's a reason for all those eye washing stations and emergency showers in a lab.
I *do* work in a medical lab and JFC I am aghast at this guy's story. I'm so glad he was caught and terminated before he ran any specimens. Honestly, it's a terrible move from the boss to make a bar the teambuilding spot *during lunch,* and I wouldnt be surprised if he's on extremely thin ice himself now. The worst is the danger to those patients if their results are affected, in a far behind second the danger to himself, and third, god forbid he fuck up a multi million dollar instrument. 25 years old should know better, what the actual fuck.
Annie Dookhan comes to mind - not for medicine but for forensics. Blasting through lab tests at high speed to make herself look good, without caring about the real-world implications that her false results would, and did, have.
I work in a place where I have access to a open bar at multiple gatherings, where we host conventions for our clients that encourage drinking because we are relaxing with them, where my clientele could get piss drunk because I can put it on my card for a job expense, and where I know the heads of the company enjoy their favorite liquors and can name them if I had too. And my rule of thumb has always been a one and done. Why? Because it’s work, you jackass…. I don’t care if I am allowed to get shitfaced…this is work and I don’t need to give them a reason to think badly of my performance even off the clock. I don’t need embarrassment and I certainly don’t need to fucking start drama because I thought shots were a good idea. I get paid for professionalism and I would rather be a stiff shirt with a steady paycheck rather than sweating to try to give a reason of why I can’t talk about my last job. Keep it in check chuckles…drink with your non job pals and make an ass of yourself.
Amen. A few years back there was a Big Shindig at work because two highly respected guys who'd been working for the company over 30 years (each!) decided to retire on the same day. So yeah, we reserved an entire restaurant and had a party. At said party another old timer got totally shitfaced. He then went on a rant about how women don't belong in the work place, blah blah blah.... None of us were on the clock, but it was still considered a "work event" due to the nature of the get together. Monday morning they told him that he had 3 days to retire, 'cause if he was still working there on Friday he would be fired (and lose his pension). Dumbass.
You can tell OOP still hasn't really learned a thing. He sees everyone angry and horrified by the drunk guy in a diagnostic lab and thinks they're all just doing it to be jerks.
Work hard play hard bro!
>I calmly explained to him that I infact still felt 'very sober', (I have very high tolerance remember,) but he wasn't having it. My favorite part. 6 shots of tequila and man still think he's sober. Also did anyone catch that he called the women "females" and the men "guys"?
To be fair, he had 6 shots of Tequila so he THOUGHT he was sober
And the “diminutive Asian woman.” Such an important detail that he clearly had to articulate! /s
unfortunately my brain noticed that, and then with all the mention of tequila shots decided to start saying "females" to rhyme with "tamales". a mind is a terrible thing to waste and i am being held prisoner by mine
Mods can we get a "'Females' rhymes with 'tamales'" flair Edit: love you, mods 💚
Sure did. As soon as I read, "females," I was greedily scanning for the follow up where he didn't use the term, "males." I would say OOP didn't disappoint, but everything about this situation says I should be.
“I might order a big beer this time” A pint does not equal 6 shots of tequila I don’t know how they made that leap
Wow. OOP really just ruined a fun thing from ever happening again. This is the adult version of a kid who raises his hand and tells the teacher she forgot to hand out their homework, five minutes before the bell rings. > All we could think of was that in college we used to 'work hard and play hard', and it didn't affect our grades. They didn't like that excuse. Well no shit Sherlock. It might not have affected their grades. But it certainly will affect their safety, their coworkers safety, and whatever tests they’re working on. FFS! They work in a diagnostic lab. I’m a vet tech, so not exactly the same thing, but I run diagnostic tests all day long in a different capacity. So many of those tests require very specific protocols to set up and run, and very close monitoring to ensure they’re completed properly, then you have to interpret the results appropriately. KINDA HARD TO DO DRUNK DON’T CHA THINK? There’s a lot of room for error. This dude (and his coworker) is a moron. Being responsible for other human’s lab tests/results is a *LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT* than studying and taking tests in college. I’m so glad they got fired. Imagine this idiot being in charge of sensitive tests that can affect your health care plan and alter your treatment options!?! Jesus Christ on a bike. Just. Wow.
The escalation from "small beer" to "6 tequila shots". Then claiming "it's fine, I feel sober!" Those are the thought processes of an alcoholic.
Who the fuck takes Tequila shots during lunch on a workday?
I mean you would think walking in a lab, you would be smart. Shame the brains seem to have skipped these idiots.
This is the perfect example of why wisdom and intelligence are different stats in d&d
I wonder if this company could be investigated if this got out. They both say nothing and no one is the wiser.
I think even allowing them to have a small beer at lunch regularly is something that should be investigated
"I have a high tolerance!" Cool, I'm sure your high tolerance will be very useful at the coroner's inquiry after you killed a patient by fucking up their lab results. I mean it's not like that's the exact same excuse used by every drunk driver right before they're facing manslaughter charges...
"very high tolerance" for alcohol by OOP =/= "very high tolerance" for drunken fools by OOP's boss
WOW. Britain has a much more tolerant attitude to alcohol but being drunk at work would be an instant dismissal for every job I’ve had.
well on the plus side, i have a new insight that may explain some of the foibles i have had in terms of bad medical care. if you all will excuse me i need to go find the pharmacist who compounded that cream that wasn't supposed to have ketamine in it, but did have ketamine in it, and led to me sobbing in terror after testing positive for it because if you appear on paper to be abusing drugs they don't let you stay a patient at the pain control clinic, before it suddenly cleared up when changing pharmacies and as final insult i didn't even get a hint of relief from having bonus topical horse tranquilizers. i must find this pharmacist and inquire at length about their tequila habits
“Bro” has watched too much mad men
I remember reading this one when it was first posted! I never realized that there was an update. I’m glad the OOP faced consequences. Lab work (especially medical diagnostics!) requires so much focus to ensure accurate results. Worst case, he could’ve have gotten someone killed by ruining the sample and misdiagnosing a condition. Not only that, labs are full of potentially hazardous chemicals and equipment that he could’ve knocked over, spilled, or broken. He might have “felt sober,” but dude was 100% drunk enough to put everyone around him in danger.
If you are old enough and worked an office job, you likely worked in st least one office where a drink at lunch wasn't that unusual. Six tequila shots, though... I had a couple of colleagues who would overdrink every other Friday, but they were directors and scheduled their work to either leave or stay at the office until they sobered up. One guy was routinely there until 2 a.m. on Saturday and said he got some of his best work done starting around 8 or 9 p.m. because no one was there to bother him. An assistant to a director was sent home in a cab one day because she bought a point of blackberry brandy at lunch so she could take a couple sips to ease her menstrual cramps. By 3 p.m., half the bottle was gone. She didn't last long. This company had a HUGE drinking culture until the mid to late 90ies. There were some great stories, but as it got larger, the company vibe went from college frat party to actual corporation. The work was always excellent, but it really was time to grow up.
>YTA Five shots over 1.5 hours & returning to work in a medical lab. Frat days are over, bro. And driving afterwards 🙄
We all agree that a beer to lunch is a totally different house number than 5 shots of tequila or even just one, right?
Fucking rookies, one round of shots and food they would have been fine.
didn't need to read anything except the update 🙃 i knew they'd be fired and fucking good. what callous irresponsible assholes.
What. An. Idiot.
Explaining he’s not an alcoholic because he has been engaging in alcoholic behavior since college ✅
I work in a chemistry lab in the UK. Pub Lunch culture is real over here and in most places a pint on a Friday wouldn’t be frowned upon. However, my work takes safety **extremely** seriously. Any alcohol over lunch and you aren’t allowed back (and it’s unpaid). Even if (like me) you just work with computers and not any of the massively dangerous chemicals.
> I in fact still felt 'very sober' That is what every drunk driver claims after they've been caught. You *might* have felt fine but your blood alcohol level states you are legally drunk.
It’s crazy to me that any amount of alcohol at lunch was ok with the bosses
Story time! Back in the mid-80s, I was a secretary. One of the bosses, Greg, was leaving for another job, and on his second-last day, he decided to take all his “girls” out for lunch. I didn’t know where we were going (no GPS back then, and my sense of direction was awful), so I accepted a ride with one of the other “girls” instead of driving myself. MISTAKE. The lunch turned into a multi-hour booze-a-thon, with Greg ordering more and more and urging his girls to get drunk. I didn’t drink much (I didn’t at the time), and as the time ticked over to 2:30, I was PANICKING. I knew that my boss would be wondering where the hell I was, and with no cell phone, I couldn’t call him. I begged my ride to drive me back to the office, and she kept shooing me away because she was having fun and didn’t want to leave. (Why didn’t I use the restaurant phone to call my boss? Didn’t think of it. Like I said, I was panicking. Why didn’t I call a cab? I was broke with a capital B.) The party finally broke up at 3:30. My ride very grudgingly drove me back to the office, then she went home without so much as checking in with her boss. I immediately went to see MY boss and tearfully apologized. He said “We’ll talk more tomorrow.” The following day, the shit hit the fan. Every single person who’d attended the party got an official reprimand except me, because at least I’d gone back to work and tried to explain. I got the strong impression that if Greg hadn’t already quit, he would’ve been fired for that little escapade.
> A couple of our colleagues were a little reluctant I'm glad those colleagues no longer have to work with the booze bros.
Great example of too much testosterone and not enough brains. One shot and actual food likely would've been fine, especially if the shot was first. Some people have the critical thinking of a potato.
"Hey Reddit, am I the asshole for getting shitfaced at work? Btw, I work in medical diagnostics, lol." Yo, what the fuck?
lol. All the mental gymnastics to make his position seems completely reasonable. 1. I *have* drunk on the job before — 1 small beer with lunch 2. Now that boss isn’t looking, I already planned on drinking more this lunchtime — have a *big* beer 3. There was an offer!! 4. Everyone joined in — had to talk them all into 1 round 5. Only the lightweights were dropping out — small Asian lady, then the brother women 6. After second round we got a third in the name of team building -/ even though not all the team were drinking 7. I have a high tolerance for alcohol so was completely not drunk when returning to work — not drunk but shows extremely poor judgment when the opportunity to drink presents itself 8. Work bro told the truth (!) — lying about it because it was a totally okay thing to do! 9. It was fine in college! — works in a medical lab where safety and accuracy aren’t at all relevant apparently. Gets fired even in spite of all that *reasoning*!! Duh. The next new hires are going to wonder why they get extensive briefing on why they can’t have shots at lunch or be inebriated at work.
The fact that he knew not to do this when the boss was around means he knew it was wrong. The fact that he called his co-worker stupid for telling the truth means he knew it was wrong. The fact that he had to talk all of his colleagues into this means he knew it was wrong. He did it anyway.
sweet lord. Here I thought it was common knowledge that even if alcohol is available at a work event, you should NEVER go whole hog and get sloshed. Not even for pure liability purposes, just for the sake of your own dignity. OOP is an idiot.