The Catacombs

The other day some cute young Fireman stopped by my office. (It's a dang good thing I don't work in the Public Safety Building which these guys frequent much more often than my corner basement office.) He needed some payroll stuff, probably for taxes since it's that time of year again.

I explained to him the person he needed was out to lunch and wouldn't be back for another half hour. He almost begged, "Is there anyone else that can do it?" Sorry, no such luck. We have these things we call Controls in Accounting to prevent embezzlement and fraud.

I mentioned he could come back or he could email her with his request. He mulled it over and decided he would call her later. He thanked me and headed out, but peeked back around the corner with one more witty comment.

"I know I'm not getting back in here. You're pretty locked down here in the basement, what with key pads and retinal scans!" And then we both laughed. He's not the first firefighter in search of Payroll who's been lost in the basement catacombs with keypad locks on every door, trying to find any way out.