Car 7

232
Mr Peter Morse

Outward appearance

Young black man. Hair close-cropped in zig-zag patterns. Under an index finger, he hides a grin.

Inside information

Dishwasher at the lower staff canteen in Pall Mall Oil. Peter fires a hose of steaming water at the crocks before they're run through the main dishwashers.

Mr Cerbasi, the manager, has been trying to take the canteen upmarket. Customers can see into the dishroom. The dishroom staff talk and joke. That is not upmarket. So Cerbasi has put a bloody great chuck of lavender plywood across the tray window.

This reduced the space through which dirty dishes can be pushed by about two-thirds. Instead of resting on shelves, they avalanche either forwards into the dishroom or back over the canteen floor. And since there is no flow of air, the dishroom is a regular 45 degrees.

What he is doing or thinking

Yesterday, Peter heard a crash of trays the other side of the window. Mr Cerbasi, fat and pale, ran in, grabbed the hose and tried to prove that if you worked in a continual panic, you could, just about, keep up with all the trays. Sweat poured off him.

Peter shrugged, walked off, peed, and came back.

"Where were you?" Cerbasi demanded. "I'm allowed to pee," Peter replied. Cerbasi left.

Inspiration struck and to the tune from Handel's Messiah, Peter began to sing, "Hallelujah! Cerbasi! Cerbasi! Hallelujah!" Everyone in the dishroom joined in. It was quite merry. Then Peter rang the Health and Safety Executive and shopped the canteen.

He's looking forward to today's talk with Cerbasi.

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