In Our Gun - Gomez

Ever been so wound up in work that you have walked out? No? You should try it - it's quite liberating, although I don't recommend this course of action as a long term career strategy. I must add, however, that I've only done this once and I'm still quite ashamed of it. I was provoked though....

I was working as an Assistant Resident Engineer for LCC and we were about half way through the construction of a new motorway junction and reaching a critical point - the laying of the surface material on two of the slip roads. So far, so what. The surfacing gang were due to start surfacing the first one at 0930 so I had come in early to check their setting out. I had nearly a mile of it to check so the pressure was on - really on. I started working down the slip road, checking the levels as I went. About half way down I saw the surfacing machines arrive on site. Sh*t - I was behind. The only thing I could do was go even faster. It was getting ridiculous but faster I went and managed to finish the checks with five minutes to spare. Then I noticed that the surfacing gang we setting up on the other slip road. Surely there had been some mistake? So I headed up the hill to check with the Resident Engineer.

There was no mistake - he had just omitted to tell me, which was an unusual lapse of his usual impeccable judgement.... and then he said I had five minutes to check the "correct" slip road. I flipped. I'd had enough. I stormed out of his office into my car and headed for home. As I turned on the ignition 'Ruff Stuff' from this album started playing. So I sped home accompanied by Gomez's fine third album. They say you shouldn't drive whilst angry. I'd gone beyond that and had totally wigged out..... If only I'd stayed around for a few seconds more, I would've seen a smile on my bosses face - he'd been joking. Although there had been a change in plans he knew I couldn't make the checks in the time that was left and was trying to make light of the situation. Needless to say I didn't notice and saw red. Bright red.

I spent a few hours at home and, when i was calm enough to drive, returned to site later in the afternoon. Surprisingly my boss apologised to me for being insensitive!

So 'In Our Gun' will always be linked to my one and only 'Betty Davis' moment.... well perhaps my only one....