Even The Rich Reuse And Recycle
Yesterday I attended a rather high-profile press function in Cape Town. (I won't say any more about it, specifically, in order to protect the guilty.)
As usual, we were all given those plastic name tags into which the PR lady or, more likely, her junior, junior assistant, inserts a piece of paper with your name and who or what you are representing printed on it. If you are lucky. If you are unlucky and have fallen off their little list (or have arrived without replying to and accepting the invitation prior to the event) you end up with a hand-written piece of paper that other guests usually squint at when they try to read it, as the handwriting is usually illegible. It immediately makes you more of a social outcast.
These particular plastic name tags were the variety that only have the safety pin at the back, and no clip. I am no fan of safety pins in these situations because you usually have to find some way to attach the name tag to yourself in a rather hurried manner, and you usually have to try about three times before you get the thing remotely akin to something one could call straight. In fact, one person at the event, it seemed, was incapable of doing this and ended up wearing her tag vertically, which I found most amusing. Being a safety pin, of course, you also actually have to insert the damn thing through your clothing, which makes holes. Usually this is not particularly problematic or permanent as the pins are sharp, unless a situation arises such as that which happened to me yesterday - the safety pin was blunt. It took me a number of attempts to try and get the thing through my T-shirt, and all the while I was trying to hold a conversation with a colleague and avoid the gazes of the wait staff who were desperately looking for someone to serve.
A while later, still not satisfied with the outcome of my attempts and thinking that the badge was a little low (it was drawing gazer's eyes to an area I'd prefer they would not needlessly have to gaze towards...not at a press function, anyway), I decided to remove the badge and try again. To my horror, I found a huge hole in my T-shirt, so I had to put the badge back almost exactly where it was to try and cover up the hole.
At this point I would also like to point out that it is one of my favourite T-shirts although, thankfully, not one of my expensive ones.
The function then proceeded (20 minutes late, but that's normal for an event held in Cape Town) and later, on the way out, we were presented with our press packages, which were given to us in exchange for our plastic name tags.
Suddenly it all made sense. The safety pin was blunt because the badge had probably been used about 15 times before at other events, and the PR agency obviously doesn't have a safety-pin sharpener and polisher employed to maintain the quality of the tags. I can think of no other answer, as this has never happened to me before.
Now, I'm all for recycling - after all, I have amassed a small collection of these plastic badges at home from previous events, as no one's ever asked for them back and throwing them away seems so wasteful. I'm thinking of holding a press function at my house just so that I can get some use out of them. However, reusing these badges to the point at which they no longer have a point is a little ridiculous.
And my favourite T-shirt now has a strategically inconvenient hole in it, which really doesn't make me feel happy.
As usual, we were all given those plastic name tags into which the PR lady or, more likely, her junior, junior assistant, inserts a piece of paper with your name and who or what you are representing printed on it. If you are lucky. If you are unlucky and have fallen off their little list (or have arrived without replying to and accepting the invitation prior to the event) you end up with a hand-written piece of paper that other guests usually squint at when they try to read it, as the handwriting is usually illegible. It immediately makes you more of a social outcast.
These particular plastic name tags were the variety that only have the safety pin at the back, and no clip. I am no fan of safety pins in these situations because you usually have to find some way to attach the name tag to yourself in a rather hurried manner, and you usually have to try about three times before you get the thing remotely akin to something one could call straight. In fact, one person at the event, it seemed, was incapable of doing this and ended up wearing her tag vertically, which I found most amusing. Being a safety pin, of course, you also actually have to insert the damn thing through your clothing, which makes holes. Usually this is not particularly problematic or permanent as the pins are sharp, unless a situation arises such as that which happened to me yesterday - the safety pin was blunt. It took me a number of attempts to try and get the thing through my T-shirt, and all the while I was trying to hold a conversation with a colleague and avoid the gazes of the wait staff who were desperately looking for someone to serve.
A while later, still not satisfied with the outcome of my attempts and thinking that the badge was a little low (it was drawing gazer's eyes to an area I'd prefer they would not needlessly have to gaze towards...not at a press function, anyway), I decided to remove the badge and try again. To my horror, I found a huge hole in my T-shirt, so I had to put the badge back almost exactly where it was to try and cover up the hole.
At this point I would also like to point out that it is one of my favourite T-shirts although, thankfully, not one of my expensive ones.
The function then proceeded (20 minutes late, but that's normal for an event held in Cape Town) and later, on the way out, we were presented with our press packages, which were given to us in exchange for our plastic name tags.
Suddenly it all made sense. The safety pin was blunt because the badge had probably been used about 15 times before at other events, and the PR agency obviously doesn't have a safety-pin sharpener and polisher employed to maintain the quality of the tags. I can think of no other answer, as this has never happened to me before.
Now, I'm all for recycling - after all, I have amassed a small collection of these plastic badges at home from previous events, as no one's ever asked for them back and throwing them away seems so wasteful. I'm thinking of holding a press function at my house just so that I can get some use out of them. However, reusing these badges to the point at which they no longer have a point is a little ridiculous.
And my favourite T-shirt now has a strategically inconvenient hole in it, which really doesn't make me feel happy.
Labels: At The Office
posted by Mandy J Watson at 1:18 PM
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2 Comments:
I've found this cool recycling company in cape town called www.clearer.co.za. they give you different bins for the different products and come to pick them up from your house! they make it so easy! Roy C
Well, usually I'm not fond of blatant corporate spam (or any spam, for that matter), but your comment may remain for now, should anyone be interested.
Go green! and all that.
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