A cautionary tale

Just a brief story to show just how careful you have to be about what you say.
A group of us were sitting in the Rajah Indian resteraunt in Bewdley, enjoying a curry after an exhausting day, and discussing things that had happened in our past on the Severn Valley, and how we had dealt with them.
Suddenly, four pints of beer appear on the table.
"For you sirs" said the waiter.
"Er, mate, we haven't ordered these," said one of my collegues.
"No sir, they are from the gentleman on the table behind you."
"Sorry lads," said one of the occupents of the table behind us, "But I could not help over hearing your conversation, and you all clearly work for the railway."
We confirmed that this was right, but were still bemused as to his interest.
"Well," the gentleman replied "I work for HMRI."
He went on to expliain that we had not said or done anything wrong, and he was impressed with the way we had discussed situations and how we had handled them, and therefore, broadened each others knowlage and experience, and how he wished more railway men would do the same, but it did leave us all wondering what the out come would have been if we had said anything wrong. I don't think we would have got any drinks if we had!

 

In the early 70's I was Third Engineer on a ferry called 'Eagle', running from Southampton to North Africa, via Spain & Portugal. We used to have organised engine room visits for passengers who were interested. One visitor took a great deal of interest, asking all sorts of questions about how equipment worked, was it reliable, how was it maintained etc and the watchkeeping Engineer took his questions at face value and answered them honestly. The ship was a mess really, with unreliable prototype main engines and generators that were an Engineers nightmare and the Engineer told it like it was. The Chief Engineer was not amused when he received a very stroppy letter from head office as unfortunately the man was a Department of Transport Marine Inspector. We didn't have any more engine room visits after that!

 

Good job we got it right then, else we would not be visiting the curry house again