What would you do if you found this note on your Pri

I agree with others that I would ignore it. This person is just trying to get a rise out of you and trying to bring you down to his level. I would try to take the high road which just makes him look worse.

I had an hourly guy at the gatehouse at work ask me one time if I was the owner of the Prius. When I said yes, he started laughing and said "That is the ugliest damn car I have ever seen". Of course several of his buddies were standing around and all started laughing.

I knew the guy and I also started laughing and said that I could understand that comment. Then I proceeded to explain that the purpose of the design was for aerodynamics and mpg. He asked what mpg and when I told him 48 average he said no way. I told him to follow me to the car and I would show him the display. Suddenly the laughter turned in to other, more sensible questions. Now when I see the guy he usually has a couple of more questions for me about the car.

 

I agree. Either respond with a note of your own (preferably with humor), or just let it go. Escalating the issue only adds to this stereotype the letter writer apparently has. A note on the windshield isn't property damage.

You can't have a thin skin if you drive a Prius. Get over it.

 

Nevertheless I live across the Ocean from you, I have had a similar experiences. So what I did I 'catched' guys while they were walking beside the work and I asked to go with me for a 1minute ride... They were all amazed by: ''... how the hell this thing goes until the traffic lights without the engine even starts?...''

Keep the note_ good lab technicial will pick fingerprints and trace from what printer it has been printed, also good trace IT tech will match it it IP of the suspect... It's nearly a case.

 

If it were me and there was a chance of finding out the d-bag who left the note I would want to know. Just to have the information. Sometimes information can be power. Not a national offense though leaving a note.

 

Responding to the cowardly anonymous wanker that left the note would be on the same level as barking back at a yappy little dog that barks at you from behind a fence. Either one is OK if you find that entertaining, but why bother?

 

oh believe me ... any company whose I.T. department is even worth HALF their salt . . . . you use a printer? you log on (likely) with YOUR I.D. ?? no way they can hide. It just showd how dumb the note writer is ... unless they printed it at home.

 

What would I do if I found that note on my Prius?

Well I picture myself walking into a common office area, just slightly late, so everyone has settled at their desks. I’m breathing loudly in massive breaths. I have my shirt off, revealing a tattoo in the shape of a heart with the words Pulse & Glide within the heart.

I stride forward to the common bill board area, and clear away a space moving notices and pictures. Using an oversized rusty nail I attach the offending note while simultaneously letting out a ear piercing war scream.

Now that I’m sure I have everyone’s attention? I take 8 steps back from the billboard. Strapped to my back is a huge machette. I carefully take aim, and throw the machette at the offending note. The loud impact results in a razor perfect slice of the note. ½ of which floats silently to the linoleum floor.
Loud enough to be heard by everyone, I exclaim, 50 mpg…and DONâ€T TOUCH MY CAR!

That should do it…and I bypass Human Resources involvement…..Win/Win...

 

...Wow, that's very cinematic.

That note would make me laugh. I'd take a picture of the note and post it on Facebook. I'd probably even pin up the note in my cube.

Don't take it personally at all. Just laugh it off and keep workin'.

 

This is harrassment and bullying.

Give the note to HR and move on. Don't discuss it with anyone and don't give it any more thought or effort.

HR has a copy should this progress into something nasty and if it does, they need to handle it.

This is a workplace issue and the poster made it so.

He's really stupid.

 

I agree with those that have said something should be done to
document the incident. It is likely that if the perp is totally ignored,
he/it might be inclined to escalate the harassment.

I would:
* Persue checking security tapes if available.
* If the incident is shown, and the perp can be identified, ask to have
the tape or an extract saved.
* Have a still photo taken from the tape showing the note being placed
on the car.
* Have HR send the perp a letter or email with the photo stating that if
there are any more such acts, against the car or yourself, formal action
will be initiated.

If there are no tapes, then the perp cannot be verified, and any action
through the company is speculation and not likely to be taken seriously.

At any rate, security tape or no, just for fun, I'd post a note inside the
vehicle facing the suspected perp's usual parking place that says in large
print:

This car gets 50 MPG,
$0.XX per mile driven...

Yours?

(Subtle sexual inuendo intentional. )

 

While I would never take the time to write a note (nor am I enough of a douchebag to directly challenge someone's legitimate consumer choices) I'll admit to being amused when I see a little econocar all dressed up like a dragster. We see LOTS of Civics and Sentras with Big Boy Mufflers, for instance. The most comical was a Yugo with spoilers, air dams, mags, etc. No doubt the aftermarket crap cost far more than the vehicle.

 

You are in management. It is competitive, full of type A personalities and everyone has a bigger d--k (figuratively speaking). You better man up or you won't survive. Just go with it, laugh it off and not take yourself so seriously.

 

Having a bigger dick and being one are not causally related.

 

At the end of the day, do you really care what someone else thinks about your car???

Chris

 

It is easy to fall into the trap of being dominated. If you do go to HR, chances are you will be labeled as a snitch or tattle tale.

As others have written, the note was childish and immature.

I think the best thing to do is to simply ignore it. Incidents such as what you described come from those who are insecure. That type of an individual thrives on attention. If they don't get any response from you, chances are they will leave you alone.

Give it some time and see if anything else happens. Then you might want to consider escalating it if you still choose to follow that path. HR always keeps files on everyone, including yourself. Anything you do goes in your file, and HR can use your file to either help you or hurt you.

 

You will only be labeled as a "snitch" or a "tattletale" if

A) You advertise you went to HR with the note.

B] HR actually "catches" the person who did this.

This is a workplace. A business. A professional place of employment. This is not grade school. Please note: all the put downs and advice to not do it all center around being labeled in grade school terms (cry baby, snitch, tattle tale, etc). Workplaces do not like to be sued, therefore do not tolerate harassment. And whether or not the note was intending to be "fun" or harassing, it had a negative impact (and it is reasonable to see why it would have a negative impact).

If you went to HR with the note and nothing else happened, then nothing was gained, but nothing was lost either.

If you went to HR with the note and the person was found out, they would suffer some form of punishment (verbal reprimand and/or beyond) that should act as a deterrent if they are wise.

If you don't go to HR and the harassment continues, you only have yourself to blame for it. Better to let HR handle it than you. Otherwise you may be on the wrong end of the HR desk. (see advice about slashing tires)

If you don't go to HR and the harassment stops, then you are merely lucky.


BTW, do you think you are the only person there that is receiving harassment? There might be others. The more frequently it gets reported, the more likely the HR group will do something about it.

 

There's a book called "All I ever needed to know, I learned in Kindegarten". There are certain truths that don't change, whether it's in school, the family, business or in politics. (take turns, put things away, don't hurt others, don't talk about people behind their back, listen to the teacher, etc.) One of those lessons is that making a big deal about a fairly minor situation is unlikely to make the situation better.

One letter is not "harassment". Harassment is where you feel threatened about your job, your property, or the personal safety of you or your family. If one short letter about your car from an anonymous idiot really makes you feel threatened, then you have bigger issues to deal with.

If this happens frequently, or the letters get nastier, then, yes, take it to HR. But as of now, just deal with it with humor or else forget it.

I like the approach of posting this letter on your cube wall (office wall). Put a note of your choosing under it. Then it opens dialogue with your co-workers, they know what's going on and also learn about the Prius. Just don't be bitter about it.

 

I do agree that yes, it is a workplace, a business, and a professional place of employment, to a certain sense. One has to remember that since everyone is an individual, there really is no way for any workplace to be 100% perfect.

People talk to one another, and people see things in a light that other's will not. It is very easy to start a rumor or label/tag a individual over something that the observer has no idea of what is really going on.

It is like a group of people who witness a motor vehicle accident. Not everyone who reports what they saw will say the same thing.