At a standstill over stationery
"The person who had to email a request for a new pen reminded me of 1975 when I was a foundation staff member of a newly established, quasi-government agency setting up office in Auckland," writes Malcolm Bell of Forrest Hill. "We were to be supplied with stationery and office equipment by the Government Stores Board so I trotted along to the board's Auckland depot with a list of our needs. An officious little man behind the counter told me that he could only supply items requisitioned on an official form with the serial number TY128. I explained that I didn't have any TY128s and asked that a pad of them be added to my list. I then asked if he would let me have one form from the pad he was going to supply and I would then copy out the list onto the form."
"Can't be done mate." he said. "More than my job's worth. Can't let you have even one TY128 unless you requisition it on a TY128."
"Recognising that I was well and truly snookered I left without our supplies. The issue was resolved when the supply clerk from a friendly government department gave me a blank TY128 form and I was able to go back to the GSB and requisition a pad of my own."
