One time, to make a point, ’somebody’ got a crew together and took the couch that she was sleeping on [at an externship setting], down the freight elevator in the building to the loading dock. We had no idea what was being done on the dock that day, we just thought she’d get the point if she woke up outside. As I said, we didn’t know the plans of the workmen, so we were as surprised as she to find out that she later she awoke to the sounds of bridge supports under tires! They’d loaded her onto one of the trucks and were taking her out to long term materials storage!

She was a little bit annoyed by this experience but this didn’t phase her, as she explained that she’d been a victim of harassment. She continued her indulgent siestas.

I was advised later that her habit got her into a little trouble. She was stationed in a maximum security setting where she took a mid-morning nap and found herself being carried over the shoulder to the cell block by a resident on light duty privilages.

I wasn’t there, but I was advised that she changed her sleeping habits, thereafter. Sometimes it just takes a subtle push with some people…

Kinda like the secretary my supervisor had in a facility I use to work in years ago, now. She refused to do any filing, refused to take phone messages or tell you when someone had entered the waiting room, and spent most of her time studying for her school exams. After growing weary from her studying, she’d sack out right at her desk in the main office.

My supervisor tried to release her, but his boss’s mother was a golfing buddy with her and refused to support any action he took to correct her habits and lack of productivity. Things just started to get worse; she started coming to work with a blanket and pillow. Once my supervisor’s boss came in and saw her mid snore and said she could take the rest of the day off, with pay, because we’d been working her too hard.

Some time later, when we’d been normalized to the situation, I heard a scream from down the hall. I went down there and she was grabbing at her own ear rather frnatically, looking all shook up. It seems a relative of an inmate had come by to visit his brother, residing with us at the time for commission of serial sex offenses. The relative had a history of the same and had decides to start doing things to the secretary in question while she was slumbering, including but not only, the thing that finally woke her up; tonguing her ear. He explained that since he was having to wait so long in the reception area, and the magazines were so out of date…

She quit shortly thereafter. This was after initially demanding that she be provided a guard to watch over her when she slept in the office. My supervisor’s boss did not seem to be able to justify that in the budget. We were asked whether we’d help out; a request that did not meet very strong enthusiasm. My supervisor was quite pleased with her departure, though it had never occurred to him to have tried that as an incentive to be rid of her.

As I said; sometimes people just takes a little push…

The DC

That couch is lookin’ mighty good!

Matt, that sticker sure does look like it says that, hmmm.

I used to have a Spanish teacher in high school that had an air horn she used to wield like a gunslinger if anyone would fall asleep in her class. Guess it did its job because I was scared to death to fall asleep. Hopefully production was a little kinder on these daytime dozers!

Did I just see a “D.A.R.E. To Say No To Doug” sticker on one of those monitors?