‘What is the most heinous example of someone being a jobsworth you have witnessed?’ – 21 people who were super petty at work

Going to work on a daily basis is bad enough, without having to put up with people who enjoy wielding the usually very small amount of authority they have at the expense of colleagues and customers having a nice day.

They’ve been talking about these types of Little Hitlers on the AskUK subreddit after user Seth4602 asked:

What is the most heinous example of someone being a jobsworth you have witnessed? I’ve done my time in retail so I’ve got countless small annoying ones. However, have you witnessed anything that’s been severely bad, or perhaps just really got under your skin?

Read on if you want to be infuriated by people who seem to enjoy being irritating beyond belief.

1.

‘The woman at Morrisons who Challenge 25’d me for Jack Daniel’s BBQ sauce. I explained it doesn’t contain alcohol, didn’t even flash on the screen for an ID check (she came over for a scale issue) and then when I produced ID she still refused to sell me it because I apparently don’t look 25. Even her own colleagues were puzzled wtf she was up to.’
–Milam1996

2.

‘I once got refused some alcohol at a Morrisons because I had a provisional driving license, not a full one. I asked for the manager and he also doubled down. Absolutely baffled by it.’
–durkbot

3.

‘Went to a shop to get a Red Bull on my way to work. Got asked for ID. I was about 28 at the time, but carried ID everywhere, as this kind of thing happened often.

I’m also a wheelchair user. When I handed her my driving licence, she looked very confused and refused to believe it was a real, valid licence simply because I was a wheelchair user.’
–Miserable-Avocado-87

4.

‘Council worker once claimed I didn’t have enough poo bags. I had a filled one and two spares. Threatened me with a fine and acted like they were doing me a favour when they didn’t.’
–Neddlings55

5.

‘Was refused access to my local tip because I arrived on foot (trying to get rid of a bed frame). Rules were you had to arrive with a vehicle. This included a bicycle. So I returned literally wheeling my bicycle. Guy at the gate let me in. Douche.’
–PippyHooligan

6.

‘Binmen refusing to empty a bin because the lid is a few cm’s open at the top, even though the machine isn’t remotely affected whether the lid is open, closed, hanging off its hinges etc.

I don’t understand the mentality behind it. Ah yes, you’ve got too much rubbish, so to solve this problem we’re not going to take your rubbish away.’
-Carinwe_Lysa

7.

‘We have to put our bins out with handles facing the road. One of our neighbours once left her bin not-quite-handles-out (I’m talking less than a quarter turn short). They refused to collect the bin. ‘
–TapeBadger

8.

‘Got age checked in Tesco as I apparently didn’t look 25 when buying some booze. Showed my UK driving licence and my EU passport card, thinking that was that. Still refused! She said I’ve obviously borrowed my older brother’s ID. I was 47 at the time.’
–Apollo_Greedo

9.

‘The older lady working the self scan checkout at my local Tesco. She scanned one of my items twice because she couldn’t keep track and then had the nerve to say I’d not scanned something. Had it out with her and her manager and when they did the full re-scan it came back with no issues. No apology for accusing me of being a thief either.’
–tweaked9107

10.

‘I was accused of shoplifting by a security guard jobsworth. The basis of her accusation: ‘The screen on that self-service checkout looks different to how it normally looked so he’s clearly hacked into it to get stuff for free!’ She was referring to the mode the attendant activated to verify my purchase as I was buying wine. No apology, nothing.’
–ThrustersToFull

11.

‘Got married at a museum, which understandably had security to get into the areas not open to the public. We had a permit for the best man to drive past the security gate and for the car park.

The jobsworth security guard claimed there was permission for him to come in to get to my wedding, and permission for the car to be parked for my wedding, but not for me, the bride, to be in the car. He expected me to be chucked out near the main entrance and hike through the place to reach my own wedding. Which we were already late for.

It’s the only time in 30 years I’ve heard my best man shout. Within a minute they had the venue coordinator on the phone. I could hear her yelling from inside the car! Within another minute they let us in, and had a team of staff at every door and junction to usher us to the right place as fast as possible. And had got someone to assure my mum I was in the building and hadn’t run off with the best man.

I’m not sure if jobsworth was still employed by the following week.’
–DameKumquat