Today was a first in the six years I have been volunteering weekly at a wildlife sanctuary.
The facility is divided into sections, and it is common practice for them to assign teams of two to a section, and then for the two team members to start at opposite ends of the section and work toward each other. There are two primary tasks to perform on each enclosure in a section: 1) clean the feeding tray and water bowl, then refill the bowl, and 2) remove feces and other objects from the enclosure.
So that's what I did until I got to the middle point of the section. The sections are further divided into subsection based on which enclosures are within reach of which water hoses. I performed the two tasks on one enclosure of a subsection and was working a second enclosure when the other member of my team showed up. She asked me if I had gotten to a certain enclosure, and I answered. There must have been a misunderstanding as to whether it was the one I was working on or an adjacent one in the direction she came from. I explained that I had not gotten to the adjacent one and her response was something like "I see that." While I was still on the second enclosure, she asked another question (Honestly, I don't recall exactly what), to which I answered and her reply was something like "That enclosure WHAT?" My intention had been to finish that second enclosure and move on to the third and final one in that subsection. I don't recall every word of the conversation, but what she was driving at was that she wanted to either clean bowls or rake out feces on all the enclosures while I performed the other task. She wasn't clear about that to begin with and started getting snippy with me as though I was supposed to just know exactly what she was talking about. Then I saw her re-cleaning the bowl on the first enclosure, which I had finished cleaning about five minutes earlier along with removing feces from that enclosure. I had finished that enclosure completely before she even showed up. I tried to tell her that that enclosure was done, and see if she noticed something I missed (the senior staff's biggest observation about me is attention to detail, so it's highly unlikely I forgot, so my asking that was just an in-case courtesy), but she went right on cleaning the bowl. That's when I realized I was dealing with someone with a problem. (A problem with men? A problem with geeks? Didn't like the way I look? Didn't like the way I talk? An attempt to establish dominance even though she is of equal rank? I'll never know.) A few minutes later, she's doing the bowls on the third enclosure. This third one had an exception regarding cleaning out the feces. There are parts of it that are very difficult to reach with the rake, and the two animals living in it are very ornery and too dangerous to risk injury to get the turds in the middle. (A more senior volunteer deals with that every few days.) So, I was finished with my share of the cleaning duties, and (so as not to get accused by this bitch of forgetting turds), I let her know that I am leaving what's in the middle alone and why. This was while she was cleaning the bowls, and she snaps back at me as I'm speaking with "I know. I KNOW!!!" About that time, two more volunteers show up from another section to double-check our work. I kept my cool the whole time, so as not to upset the animals or put on a show for the other volunteers.
I don't think the lady was just having a bad day. I think she might have had some kind of problem with me from the beginning.
When done with a section, it is standard to check with the day's coordinator to see if both members of the team are to double-check another section or if one is to double-check while the other goes to another section. I knew right away that there was going to be more trouble if I had to jointly double-check the next section with this bitch. So, I excused myself to find the coordinator and speak with her privately.
I explained to the coordinator that the lady I had been working with was giving me an attitude for reasons known only to herself, and that it might be best if I get split up from her. She agreed and had me help yet another volunteer with an unrelated task. She described the lady I had been working with as "a serious person". My reply was "So am I, but I at least make an effort not to be fucking rude about it." I apologized to the coordinator for having to bother her with this kind of shit, but explained that it had been my experience in the past that when somebody starts up with me like that lady did, it only gets worse if not dealt with. This was my way of dealing with it at the very beginning.
Bear in mind, I've known this coordinator for the entire time I've volunteered there (six years). The lady I was working with was somebody who normally works weekdays, but had recently started working some Sundays. There are many volunteers there and only a few that I know all that well. This lady was just a vaguely familiar face from the monthly volunteer meetings.
One other observation. From a lifetime of having sociopaths latch onto me and then having to deal with that shit, I've learned a few things. The lady I found myself dealing with today just had that look about her. (We're not supposed to be able to read body language, I know, but for the sake of survival I've learned to recognize the signs of contempt. At least I hope I have.) She and another volunteer (this one a good friend of mine) cheerfully greeted each other in passing, so I figure that's probably a sociopath's skill of seeming okay when it serves them.
This reminds me too much of the summer I worked in a fast-food joint and a sociopathic assistant manager latched onto me and did anything and everything to make me look bad to co-workers and customers. (The same bitch who pulled out in front of me in traffic weeks after I quit.) That was back in 1992.
This is 2009 and, this time, it's just volunteer work, so it won't have any adverse effect on me if I quit. I've already decided I'm not going to be intimidated or otherwise put up with this shit. Hopefully, today's coordinator will quietly pass it along to the other senior staff that I and this lady need to be kept separated, and they'll see to it. If, however, I'm forced to work with that lady or if she finds other ways to give me shit if I'm not working with her, I'll deal with it and make sure she doesn't walk away satisfied. Possibilities may include snapping back and returning the bad attitude, filing a formal complaint with the senior staff, or just quitting. If she embarrasses me in front of other co-volunteers, I'll make her regret it.
