There was and still is a liquid storage facility called IMTT. IMTT stands for International Matex Tank Terminals and I frequently loaded and discharged there during my career. It is in Bayonne, NJ.
During the middle of the first third of my career the company sent a memo to all tank barges regarding spelling in the various reports we had to send in. The memo was accompanied with a dictionary.
At first I was insulted until I thought about it. We had (and likely still do) have a lot of people in the industry that don't have a lot of formal education. Maybe some of the the rednecks can't spell but I sure learned a lot from them. I guess the way they issued the dictionaries left a bad taste in my mouth because it felt like another little indignity. The office was good for little indignities. (The place I spent the last part of my career was great. They treated us like gold.)
Still I felt the need to get my licks in with the office over that one and decided to bide my time and wait for a really good shot back.
This was before the age of cell phones and computers. Most (but not all) of our communication was through VHF radio and repeaters.
My opportunity came faster than I had figured. We got word via VHF we were being sent to IMTT Bayonne NJ to pick up a load.
I played dumb with the dispatcher who was not known for being quick on the uptake.
"IMTT, huh?" I asked an a voice so innocently and humble that it could not possibly carry any guile. "I know we've had a lot of bad spelling on the paperwork and I want to get this right. Would you please spell the loading port for me?"
"Eye period, em period, tee period, tee period." he replied.
"Thank you," I said in a voice just dripping with sarcasm. "I just wanted to get it right on the paperwork."
Of course the entire on watch fleet heard the exchange. The airwaves shut down for several seconds. Then returned back to business. I had expected hoots and jeers but there was nothing for a while but dead air.
Almost immediately back channel messages got to me for the rest of the tour. Most people thought it was the funniest thing they had ever heard. A handful thought it was a pretty cruel thing to do to the dispatcher and a smaller handful said, "Wow! Dat Piccolo is a ig-rent sumbitch! Why he can't even spell IMTT!"
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