Tuesday, March 03, 2009

What's A Printer To You?

In the ladies' toilet, I overheard something that bothered me greatly.

Two colleagues were talking about how they prefer not to buy printers for home use. Instead, they do all their printing in the office. And not just their personal stuff. In a public toilet, they freely shared that they used the office copiers to churn out assessment books, print research pages and stuff for their children, husband, sisters, brothers, other relatives even. The tone was so sanctimonious.

I have done the occasional printing of air-tickets for personal vacations and stuff like that. We all do that. But I don't print my son's entire 100-page thesis or the pre-school's annual 50-page syllabus in full color. Let's not go into taking the reams of 80g A4 paper home for those who own printers.

(I'm still digesting the fact that many don't own printers at home. I mean, a printer is so convenient, yes?)

I know this sort of behavior is common. But from the conversation I overheard, that would be considered a blatant and wilful mis-use of office property isn't it? Or rather, since when is it okay to just use office property at will?

It's none of my business to tattle. I'm not going to do that. The conversation simply set me thinking. It's so reflective of human nature. It says so much about their characters. Glad I don't work with these two that often.

8 comments:

sinlady said...

since NEVER is it ever ok to make someone else pay for personal stuff, even if the someone is a company. yup, it's another case of questionable moral character.

Violet said...

speechless... i admit i do occasionally print personal stuff in the office (for convenience), but only 1-2 pages at most.

by the way, one rim of 80g A4 paper (500 pcs) only costs less than $5 from Challenger lor...

Anonymous said...

free, so take lor.

imp said...

sinlady: oh well. some people think it's since forever they can.

hersheys: i also do that wat. maybe 10 pages sometimes. wahahahha. S$5 also money mah. 1 yr take 10 reams, save S$50 already leh.

meteor: or rather, nobody see, just take/do. even see also so what? !!!

Jo said...

freeloaders! terrible.

Anonymous said...

Scarly next time each dept got to "indent" printer paper!

Sigh, some people are just like that. Like how people plug in their mobile phones to charge at fastfood restaurants? I can understand laptop, but charging mobile phones??

imp said...

jomel: EEK.

lms: so terrible to have to indent stationery. they do that to print cartridges for sure. but not reams of paper just yet. haizzz. it's like that lor.

Dawn said...

On the OTHER hand, the firm I used to work with used to make us log every page we photocopied in a book and then checked to make sure we didn't make any extra copies.

The next firm I went to, I used to bring in food for the clients and also other things. The bosses knew it and remarked on how appreciative they were - but not to the point of reimbursing me.