Confessions of a Corporate Shopaholic

Today is April Fool’s day.  To be honest I don’t quite get why the day is invented, or I should just admit that I am not that much of a fun-seeker in seeing other people’s miseries.  Likewise, I also hate to be pranked when I feel that I have been pouring my heart out to those I care about. 

Well there are however exceptions to everything.  I would be more than glad to see the following on today’s news:

• The entire radiation scare in Japan is nothing but an elaborate drill to initiate awareness of nuclear energy safety;
• The MTR price hike announcement is nothing but an attempt by the bus companies to attract new passengers;
• The rains in southern Thailand, the volcanos in Japan, and numerous other weather abnormalities are one big-budgeted media promotion for the latest Hollywood blockbuster titled “It’s Not Even 2012.”

Of course, unfortunately none of the above are joking matters, and my heart goes out to all those who are severely affected in this daunting time.

The same goes for pranks in the workplace.  When there are those of us who are taking our jobs way too seriously (actually why shouldn’t we?), anyone who attempts to pull some pranks at the expense of our commitment, time and energy is inexcusable.  In the following examples, the pranksters ended up getting sacked.  So, be warned!

“Pushed to the Limit

Ever work yourself into a frenzy worrying about a deadline? That is exactly what happened when Glenn Howlett’s coworkers sent him a memo saying his big report was due early. The “hint” to Howlett should have been the April 1st date on the memo – unfortunately, Howlett received the news while on vacation and didn’t clue in. He cut his vacation short, gathered up the troops and prepared to get to work. However, as the new deadline approached he worked himself up into a panic and started experiencing heart palpitations. He finally collapsed from stress and had to take a leave of absence. When he finally found out this was all due to an April Fool’s prank, he sued the company, resulting in a company-wide ban on future pranks.

Terror Alert

You can see how this April Fool’s prank started out amusing, especially for two teenage boys. Two 18-year-old coworkers at Westlakes in the U.K. decided to pick up and move another coworker’s car from one parking lot to another. This should have simply ended in some frustration and a few laughs — unfortunately they unintentionally moved the car into a restricted parking lot for a nuclear services industry. This resulted in the nuclear company evacuating its entire staff, fearing a terrorist threat. When the truth came out, the pranksters were arrested for unlawful taking of a vehicle and a bomb hoax, as well as suspended from work.

Fiery Fun

Well, who doesn’t think the potential of lava pouring into your home is funny? This must have been the mindset of Boston’s Channel 7 pranksters when they ended a 1980 news broadcast with a special bulletin: The Great Blue Hill – a 635-foot hill in Milton, MA – had erupted and lava and ashes were raining down from the skies. Supposedly a chain reaction from the then-recent eruption of Mount St. Helen’s, the channel played an audio tape of President Carter and the Governor of Massachusetts declaring the eruption a “serious situation.” Footage was shown of lava pouring down the hill. Once again ill-timed, the reporter ended the segment holding an “April Fool” sign, but not in time to squelch the flood of frantic phone calls from viewers. One man, so convinced, even carried his sick wife to safety. Later that night, embarrassed by the tumult their prank had caused, Channel 7 apologized and the executive producer responsible was fired.”

Get the picture now?  When there is so much stress, tension and suffering in today’s world, we really don’t need another senseless prank in our lives.  Read this on Vault.com for the rest of The Joke’s On You: 7 April Fool’s Pranks That Ended With A Pink Slip.