That doesn’t make cents

Oliver Beel gets fired from his job for petty “theft”

A while ago, I was reading a short L.A. Times article under the heading of ‘Odd News,’ but really, it was more along the lines of bizarre news. The news brief was about Oliver Beel, who was charging his Segway using his company’s power source. Evidently, he used up 1.8 euro cents worth of electricity, which amounts to two cents in American money. Well, he got fired.That’s despite the fact that other employees charge their cell phones and digital photo frames using the company’s power, and those things don’t drive anybody anywhere. Certainly, Beel might have wanted to steal those two cents purposefully, but more than likely he simply didn’t want his Segway didn’t die out while he was riding it home, or to the deli, ice rink or to wherever it is one goes on a Segway. Did Beel’s company have a good reason to fire him because he used company outlets like plenty of his coworkers? At the very least they should have known he would sue.That’s like booting a person for using the coffee machine in the break room, using the printer in the copy room, or flushing the toilet in the office bathroom. Not even two cents in euros—math teachers always say that you can’t have a fraction of a cent—and this fellow becomes victim to the value of coins.You couldn’t even buy one Tic-Tac for individual sale with that kind of money. At least wait until Beel steals enough to buy a pack of gum before kicking him out the door. His employers should be embarrassed. To be quite frank, I’m sorry for you, Mr. Beel. Perhaps the money earned from your lawsuit will be enough of an apology from the company that did you wrong.In the case that it is not, I apologize on their behalf.