Christopher Brouelette · Follow
Ok, let's expand on this example just a little more to make it more "real life," shall we?
First off, Bill's office has a group people that were elected by the workers to make decisions for bettering employee's morale and overall happiness at work. One day, that group decides the office needs a soda machine. There was no vote in the office, just a vote in the morale group, and they bring in the machine. Upon doing this, they also decide that if there's a soda machine that EVERYBODY in the office needs to have a soda. Everyday. Whether they need it or not. Everyone must have a soda. On top of that, they wont tell the employees what kinds of soda are in the machine until it arrives, or how much it will cost. The group decides, and the soda machine arrives.
Now Bill is just an employee. He drinks soda occasionally, and likes a certain brand because he knows it's good, but he doesn't drink it everyday because that's expensive. When Bill finds out that soda is now mandatory at work he gets outraged and petitions to remove the soda machine, because Bill doesn't have the budget to buy a soda everyday. The morale group campaigns that everyone needs soda, and manages to even convince people that don't drink soda that they need to. Now more people that don't drink soda are becoming aware of the rule and try to opt out. "You can bring in your own soda," they are told, "to keep from buying a soda from the soda machine every day. If you don't bring a soda, and don't buy your own soda from our machine, you'll still be docked the cost of a soda per day from your pay. It's only fair to everyone." When the machine arrives, they finally disclose that the sodas cost employees $2.50 each, but you can't see what soda you get when you push a button. It's just random luck that you'll get what you want. On top of that, they secretly neglect to tell people that the best price they could get on soda was $4 a can, but they sell them at $2.50 because they believe everyone can afford that, regardless of if they can.
Bill is in accounting and knows math, and he will not stand for people having money deducted from their paychecks that are not actually drinking or bringing soda. He also recognizes that the company's money is being spent frivolously and the cost is far more than the return. It will eventually bankrupt the company. After numerous petitions to have the machine removed, he finally stops processing payroll, and will not resume until the machine is removed. The morale group will not budge, and refuses to remove the machine, or change any rules surrounding it. The company is at a standstill, and must close down until the issue is resolved.
Bill isn't such a jackass now, is he?
