some people

We went to the beach last weekend. It was lovely. Originally I had asked my supervisor who agreed, and then a couple of days before I asked a new co-worker (who had never been there - to the best beach in Liberia - despite living here for years?).

When you start work where we do, there are briefings. Security, administrative, etc. Transportation is another briefing, where it is said that it's possible to check out a company car for personal use and it costs about 30 cents a kilometer and $3/hour for the driver, and please arrange a few days in advance if possible.

New Colleague said he needed a wakeup call on beach day so I called him when I got up. No answer. I kept calling until he finally answered at 7:15, saying he was just about ready to head out. I wasn't anywhere near ready because we weren't set to meet until 8:00, so I said to take his time - I didn't want him showing up when I was in the shower, ya know? Well, at 8:15 there's no sign of him and his phone is off. Everybody's ready to go at 8:20 and he's nowhere to be found. I text and we start driving way out to his house to get him (what we were trying to avoid) and FINALLY he calls at 8:45. "You said to take my time, so I did." Um, I said that at 7:15, meaning DON'T BE TOO EARLY. What? You made us wait for you? Why?

So we get to the beach and everything's fine. New Colleague orders a whole bunch of shots and puts it on the tab with us (I paid for the first round but then I was done) and then was nowhere to be found when it came time to pay up and go. I let Supervisor handle it since she'd started. I just pointed out that New Colleague had run up a good part of the tab, and she ended up giving me change.

That's fine, maybe he really did have to go looking for his wallet and then go to the bathroom for long time. OK. NO problem.

When we get back I ask the driver (who is my Paramour), can we pay you later or do you need it now? "Whatever," he said, which made us all giggle. But I handed him cash privately later because I knew he needed it then. But on Wednesday I sent an email to Supervisor and New Colleague, reminding them that we were out for 12-13 hours and that's $36-$39, and how will they pay?

New Colleague went to Supervisor and said, "What? Why would I have to pay?" Oh, I don't know - because the driver WORKED ON A HOLIDAY? And we're talking $12-13. In Liberia for international staff who make $8000/month, that's nothing. For Liberian local who makes $300/month, that's a ton.

He told her he didn't have the money and she said to skip lunch. He was aghast. He's leaving the country tomorrow for another continent and said he'd pay when he got back. She said she would cover and he would pay her back.

Then he came to me and said, "Your gangster friend is trying to extort money from me."

IT'S TWELVE DOLLARS.

New Colleague says he was never informed of these rates and he shouldn't have to pay. Driver is very clear in remembering having that conversation. And besides, did New Colleague that because it was my idea I was paying for everything? The man was born and raised in the US - don't you know that you volunteer to put in your share, or you're a parasite?

So, as it stands: Supervisor is paying Driver for her and New Colleague's share, and when he gets back from vacation she will pester him endlessly until he pays her. And all those other forays he wanted to take with us? Oh, hell no. We are done. And we're lucky because it only cost us $12 to realize what a leech he is.

Supervisor and I are both indignant and outraged. It's nice to have somebody see it the same way as me. I'll really miss her when she leaves - I'll be all alone in this crazy place.