Terminable Offense? I Don't Care!

I once had a job that involved working in an area with lots of caustic and toxic chemicals. Through various federal regulations regarding health and safety, it is a violation to have consumables in the area where we used these chemicals. The area is pretty clearly defined. Most of the store has off-white floor tiling. The "No Consumables Beyond This Point" area has black flooring. Shall I break this down further? Don't take anything meant to be put in your mouth onto the black flooring. No drinks, no food. Simple, yes? This means we cannot take consumable merchandise over that threshold, nor can we take personal food or beverage over that threshold.

I had been finding drinks back in the No-Food-or-Drinks area on occasion. Mistakes get made, so I just mentioned it to the folks in my department. "Hey, I don't think it's anybody in the department" (even though I fucking know it is) "but don't let anybody take their stuff back here." 

So, one day, my relief, who we'll call Andrew, came strolling in, a few minutes late, with an iced coffee. Now, I'm a caffeine addict. I like drinking things. And I don't like wasting money. So I would never tell somebody "Hey, throw out that delicious-looking beverage that you clearly just spent a nice little chunk of money on. No caffeine for you today." If somebody tucked a drink under their register, I would, and still do, turn a blind eye (assuming it's not alcoholic, of course). But I'm not going to ignore and allow things to happen that can levy a $25K fine. Oh, yes, folks, you read that right. Twenty-five thousand dollars for taking food or beverage into this area. So I said, "Hey, Andrew, don't take that back there."

"Whatever." And kept going.

"No, seriously. That's a huge OSHA violation. I don't care at all if you leave it by this register, but please don't take it back there."

"Meh."

"Seriously. If the health inspector were to walk in and see that, it would be a $25K fine. And as your friend, I'm telling you that I don't think our boss would let somebody keep their job after earning the store that type of fine. Or being found risking that type of fine."

"Yeah...I don't care."

So, you just flat-out told your supervisor you don't care if you violate health and safety policies, earn the store enormous fines, and/or get fired? Fucking seriously? Currently, I've been working a second job that I don't give half a shit about, while caring a lot about my current job. But I have also been seeking a better second job and recently found out that I am indeed being promoted. So I am successfully escaping from that job. I successfully escaped from the job I was working at during this story. As far as I know, this kid had not been searching for other jobs. And he's a kid. I have enough work history and enough good references that I could afford being fired one time. I was fired last summer. Less than a year later, I'm being promoted in my new job. He didn't have the history to be able to afford to get fired. He had had one job in the past, which he left on bad terms. He's not going to get any positive references from this job because his attitude was garbage. So let me put it this way: When you have no fucking prospects and are not eligible for unemployment, maybe you should care if you get fired.

Also, asshole, this isn't just a matter of you not doing your job, which you don't, and if it were my decision, your ass would be fired for that alone. You're putting the store in violation of federal policy. You are doing things that could get the store shut down. You don't care if you work? You don't care if you ruin any chance you have of working again? You want your girlfriend to support you forever? Fine. It's your choice to be a worthless piece of shit. But you're *way* out of line doing things that can cause everybody you work with to lose their jobs. Yeah, people make mistakes. I can see "Oh, no, I didn't know that was a huge fine. Let me move this drink." But no. "I don't care if I get fired and take everyone down with me."

And yes, kids, the end of this is that I talked to *my* supervisor. And yeah, it was a write-up. And no, I don't feel bad about it.