Garbage Compactor

Garbage Compactor

n. A usually locked chute down which DEPARTMENTS may toss their garbage whenever the M.O.D. unlocks it and calls a CODE-G.

NOTE:

The compactor is kept locked to minimize SHRINK, which may include the accidental or intentional dumping of viable PRODUCT.

There are stories of rogue NIGHT CREWS (always at some other STORE, of course) who would occasionally trash portions of LOAD rather than take the time to THROW it. Urban legend? You decide.

TRUE STORY: You might never figure out how to start the Garbage Compactor's compacting mechanism unless somebody told you. I sure didn't. When told to empty all the trashcans in the BACKROOM, I stared at that control panel for a long time, pushed and jiggled this and that, and then finally just gave up and had to go ask someone. The secret?

TIP: Push Key to Start. Unusual, but to start the Garbage Compactor, push in the key. That's because it's not just a key, but a key sticking into a button. Pushing in the key thus pushes in the button, and that gets everything going.

Gate

Gate

n. Any of the roll-up tambour-style metal portcullis doors in the RECEIVING DEPARTMENT, which, when unlocked and opened via its hanging looped chain mechanism, provide via an adjustable cross-over DOCK PLATE approximately level walk-in access to the trailers brought by the TRUCK. The normal state of the Gate is closed and ARMED.

NOTE: Obviously, to open and close such a gate, you pull the chain down on one side of the other. But which side?

Answer: to open the gate, pull down on the side of the chain closest to the Gate itself, and the world outside. To close the Gate, pull down on the chain closest to you.

I know, I know—you're wondering why I'm telling you this. Well, sometimes the Gate gets caught or stuck. In those situations, it's not as if you could just tug gently on the two chains to see which does what. Brute force applied to the wrong chain is worse than pointless. So remember:

TIP: “Open = Outside,” and “Close = Closest.”

TRUE STORY: That way, at least you can be spared the embarrassment of someone else easily “fixing” it for you just by pulling on the proper side. (Is my face still red?)

Get Around

Get Around

v. In general, to make a complete circuit of either the entire STORE, or your DEPARTMENT'S area of responsibility. Specifically, to tidy up and BLOCK those areas: “Be sure to get around.” (E.g., at the end of your shift.) See also, WALK THE STORE.