Teenage Audi mechanic committed suicide after bullying

[dudleybloke]

As its a bank holiday today I have instructed our apprentices to rivet their own scrotums to a workbench then apply a copper grease enema to themselves.
We can't allow statutory holidays to get in the way of training!

[fido]

Slightly to related to this thread .. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-4551934/... .. what is wrong with society?
Maybe the dad is 'on the tools'? Trying to remember if we did stupid things at school - probably did but not to the extent of damaging oneself.

[_dobbo_]

Biker's Nemesis said:

This is todays bullying ^^ passive aggressive white collar email sending, latte drinking go getter of the office world.

So sorry I have picked your reply but I sort of got fed up with all the bullying comments directed towards WW.

Just for clarity - this thread is about "todays bullying". A young man killed himself as a result.

FWIW I don't wear a white collar (unless I'm wearing a white t-shirt), drink latte, nor am I a go getter. I have a job that I do with staff who work for me who I don't ritually abuse for "lols", or ignore when they come to me with complaints or grievances.

I just didn't see how someone who labeled victims of this type of bullying as "sensitive" should go unchallenged. If that makes me a bully in your eyes, so be it.

[spaximus]

_dobbo_ said:

Just for clarity - this thread is about "todays bullying". A young man killed himself as a result.

FWIW I don't wear a white collar (unless I'm wearing a white t-shirt), drink latte, nor am I a go getter. I have a job that I do with staff who work for me who I don't ritually abuse for "lols", or ignore when they come to me with complaints or grievances.

I just didn't see how someone who labeled victims of this type of bullying as "sensitive" should go unchallenged. If that makes me a bully in your eyes, so be it.

According to the coroner who had all the evidence, this guy killed himself, but there was no blame attached to his girlfriend, who had broken up with him, or the garage.

The guy, unfortunately had a history of mental illness and no one but his parents knew. According to his dad, he came home covered in bruises, but no one did anything it would appear.

The garage staff went too far, what one feels in bullying another does not. As other have said, sometimes the problem is the attitude of the apprentice that riles people and a lot of the time it is the parents.

Years ago I had a young lad who was good but he would not do anything he deemed menial. He brought his father down to "sort me out" he was unemployed and went on to say if his son was going to be doing things like sweep up, or make tea, which the other young guy did, he would make him leave.

He left, last time I heard he and his dad were still unemployed. Had he have stayed the resentment of the other young guy and the other mechanics would have grown and if he was unwilling to work as part of the team he was better off not there.

No one can defend setting people on fire, or physically attacking someone and the garage in Reading has a mountain to climb to sort themselves out but in this case they were not to blame for his death.

[SpeedMattersNot]

fido said:

Slightly to related to this thread .. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-4551934/... .. what is wrong with society?
Maybe the dad is 'on the tools'? Trying to remember if we did stupid things at school - probably did but not to the extent of damaging oneself.

The stupid kids, did.

Knuckles? Where they'd take turn whacking each others knuckles with a coin.
Slapsies? If you flinched twice they'd get a free slap.
Conkers? If your conker broke, you'd have to get punched in the face.
Smilies? Using a lighter for a long time then 'branding' your skin with it.
BCG? See who could give each other the biggest whack in the arm without puss coming out.

I never indulged in these games, I was too good at sport and clever enough not to get in to trouble, but it was very common in the late 90's early 00's for 'different' kids, boys and girls, too!

[Dindoit]

dandarez said:

Disastrous said:

dandarez said:

Hi, Mr Dindoit - FYFI, I'm a Tory.
Yeah, Kipper for quite a while - why? it was to achieve an aim. Leave the gravy train. Aim achieved. All over now, as it is for majority of other Kippers.
The ones you and other trolls threw racist and bigot cards still remain Kippers. Not many are there?

Back to your graph.
I know. Prat!
As I intimated, I was here! Were you?

VAST Majority of the previous was NOT here on the mainland.
Show me the concert hall where the single aim of targeting of (maiming, killing) kids on the mainland 'back in the day'.

Incoherent nonsense. Too much time on the tools and not enough in the books?

That graph shows up your assertions as bks yet you claim because 'you were there' you know better??

Hang on Dindoit, why not just answer the questi....

Oh, hang on a mo.
It's an intervention by none other than Disastrous! The PH'r with the apt name!

Where on the graph does it show my assertions are bks?
Of those (political) terrorist atrocities listed, back in the day, which were the ones here on the mainland where they targeted specifically and deliberately 'children'?
And how many of those (political) terrorists were not just bds, but suicidal bds, who didn't give f if they blew themselves up at the same time?
Unlike the f nutjobs of today. Never mind, don't answer.

Now to your 'incoherent nonsense' dig.
Pots and kettles, eh?

You infer, but are not sure, as you pose it as a question, that I'm spending too much time on the tools
For one, I had up until this thread never ever heard the term 'on the tools'.
However, spotting a 'tool' now that is different. Spot a 'tool' I can!
Similarly, spotting a 'troll'. Not difficult. At all.

As for not enough in the books...
'IN the books'?
What is that? A fking conundrum or Mystic Meg riddle?
Or are you just ill?

Don't answer. Again. It's obvious. Pity has overcome me.

I've tried putting this through Google translate. Simplified Chinese, apparently.

[Athlon]

It was st doing any apprenticeship back in the day and I had hoped it was better now.

I was verbally and physically abused as an apprentice mechanic with Lucas for 6 months, beaten, greased, lit up, my jobs were tampered to get me in the st, slagged by the manager for no reason ( he was gay and loved trying to touch me up at any chance) I eventually gave up trying to deal with it and had a word with the upper management that it was a struggle to learn with what was going on, next thing I know I am hauled up and accused of knicking tools from the mechanics... and binned, I told them to call the cops and get them to search the house etc if they were so sure, they replied by throwing me and my bike onto the road and telling me I would never make it .

I eventually worked with some of the best cars in the world and now go it alone, I learned, I was always careful with anyone in my charge, I would hate to think I would be as callous as those pricks were to me, and Wilf, if you are still around, you let me and yourself down by not standing my corner, you were my line boss and knew what was going on, you knew it was wrong but you took the easy way, I hope you shared my nightmares about work.

[oyster]

Having just looked at this thread for the first time, it feels like I've entered some Neanderthal timewarp.

Not sure what to think about this at all. Seeing the odd PH'er recall bullying with a shrug of the shoulders is to be expected, but to see lots and lots of PH'ers doing so, some even reflecting fondly on it, is just horrible.

It's work FFS. How can ANY form of bullying anywhere be acceptable.

How juvenile and pathetic.

[jjlynn27]

oyster said:

Having just looked at this thread for the first time, it feels like I've entered some Neanderthal timewarp.

Not sure what to think about this at all. Seeing the odd PH'er recall bullying with a shrug of the shoulders is to be expected, but to see lots and lots of PH'ers doing so, some even reflecting fondly on it, is just horrible.

It's work FFS. How can ANY form of bullying anywhere be acceptable.

How juvenile and pathetic.

It's self-defence mechanism. What other options would they have? To admit that they are pushovers too afraid to stand up for themselves?

[Tonberry]

And suddenly all the usual bks spouted on NP&E makes sense.

[xjay1337]

spaximus said:

According to the coroner who had all the evidence, this guy killed himself, but there was no blame attached to his girlfriend, who had broken up with him, or the garage.

The guy, unfortunately had a history of mental illness and no one but his parents knew. According to his dad, he came home covered in bruises, but no one did anything it would appear.

The garage staff went too far, what one feels in bullying another does not. As other have said, sometimes the problem is the attitude of the apprentice that riles people and a lot of the time it is the parents.

Years ago I had a young lad who was good but he would not do anything he deemed menial. He brought his father down to "sort me out" he was unemployed and went on to say if his son was going to be doing things like sweep up, or make tea, which the other young guy did, he would make him leave.

He left, last time I heard he and his dad were still unemployed. Had he have stayed the resentment of the other young guy and the other mechanics would have grown and if he was unwilling to work as part of the team he was better off not there.

No one can defend setting people on fire, or physically attacking someone and the garage in Reading has a mountain to climb to sort themselves out but in this case they were not to blame for his death.

Defend the garage all your like, but it's totally out of line for this Audi garage. I don't know the kid personally but his face probably "didn't fit" .........

In my opinion and that of many people, Audi contributed to his death.

[Vi16v]

Four skin washers, is one we used on our apprentice in motor factors. He would be asking round different departments for them.

I knew a VW apprentice years ago who had been locked in these cages, you know the type used in supermarkets, and they had then clipped batteries to it. Meaning he had to stand perfectly still until allowed out. They also had a length of wood, with his name written on it as his punishment stick.

I think a lot of the blame has to lie with management, yes the guys are wrong but if one hasnt seen what another has done, they wont see the accumlative affect it has obviously had.

Worst ive seen in motor factor side of the trade was one apprentice being cable tied to a shelf, in the brake relining room, lights turned off and left for 30 minutes. He was never cheeky again after that.

This setting on fire is criminal though.

[spaximus]

xjay1337 said:

spaximus said:

According to the coroner who had all the evidence, this guy killed himself, but there was no blame attached to his girlfriend, who had broken up with him, or the garage.

The guy, unfortunately had a history of mental illness and no one but his parents knew. According to his dad, he came home covered in bruises, but no one did anything it would appear.

The garage staff went too far, what one feels in bullying another does not. As other have said, sometimes the problem is the attitude of the apprentice that riles people and a lot of the time it is the parents.

Years ago I had a young lad who was good but he would not do anything he deemed menial. He brought his father down to "sort me out" he was unemployed and went on to say if his son was going to be doing things like sweep up, or make tea, which the other young guy did, he would make him leave.

He left, last time I heard he and his dad were still unemployed. Had he have stayed the resentment of the other young guy and the other mechanics would have grown and if he was unwilling to work as part of the team he was better off not there.

No one can defend setting people on fire, or physically attacking someone and the garage in Reading has a mountain to climb to sort themselves out but in this case they were not to blame for his death.

Defend the garage all your like, but it's totally out of line for this Audi garage. I don't know the kid personally but his face probably "didn't fit" .........

In my opinion and that of many people, Audi contributed to his death.

I have consistently said that the garage was wrong. However, the coroner heard and saw every bit of evidence and went out of his way to say that his death was not as a result of the actions of his girlfriend or the garage. He said their behaviour was unacceptable but that was as far as he went.

So regardless of what you and others think, his death was not their fault. If you read his summing up, the kid was unfortunately ill, he had looked up fearing he had cancer and spoken about death. He had a history of mental health issues and clearly was troubled, but not enough to raise concern in his dad's eye it would appear until it was too late. Indeed it was only after his death that the notes he left on his Ipad suggested anything was wrong, unless you take the allegations he came home black and blue but his dad did nothing as fact.

It is also not Audis fault! It was a garage who has an Audi franchise and maybe that may change in the light of what has happened.

Banter is part of life, bullying should not be the trouble is where the line falls. As on here many feel it should be accepted others do not, bullying is never right but being so sensitive that you can never be told off, is not acceptable as well.

[Trabi601]

Vi16v said:

Four skin washers, is one we used on our apprentice in motor factors. He would be asking round different departments for them.

I've never done any time 'on the tools' - always been in retail / account management.

A couple of the more memorable things we asked newbies to look for:

Fallopian tubes (we had a few blown fluorescent tubes in the shop)

Pork Wings or Leg of Salmon (took one girl half an hour of searching in the coldroom for those)

[V8 Fettler]

Ritual imprisonment, burning and general beating should be all part and parcel of any apprenticeship; it's much like public school, only without the Latin.

[Vaud]

V8 Fettler said:

Ritual imprisonment, burning and general beating should be all part and parcel of any apprenticeship; it's much like public school, only without the Latin.

Or the sexual assault by a priest/housemaster/nurse [delete depending on school].

[anonymous-user]

Vaud said:

V8 Fettler said:

Ritual imprisonment, burning and general beating should be all part and parcel of any apprenticeship; it's much like public school, only without the Latin.

Or the sexual assault by a priest/housemaster/nurse [delete depending on school].

I went to a posh school. I never got touched. Must have been an ugly child.

[Vaud]

OpulentBob said:

Vaud said:

V8 Fettler said:

Ritual imprisonment, burning and general beating should be all part and parcel of any apprenticeship; it's much like public school, only without the Latin.

Or the sexual assault by a priest/housemaster/nurse [delete depending on school].

I went to a posh school. I never got touched. Must have been an ugly child.

Sorry, it was a lazy stereotype on my part.

[Halmyre]

OpulentBob said:

Vaud said:

V8 Fettler said:

Ritual imprisonment, burning and general beating should be all part and parcel of any apprenticeship; it's much like public school, only without the Latin.

Or the sexual assault by a priest/housemaster/nurse [delete depending on school].

I went to a posh school. I never got touched. Must have been an ugly child.

Now *that's* mental cruelty!

[ninja-lewis]

Perhaps an outcome of the attention on the original case:

Fife Today said:

Alleged assaults at Fife garage

The assaults included spraying paint in his face (Donnelly), placing him in a metal container and preventing him from escaping (all three), restraining him with cable ties and shaving off his eyebrows (all three), restraining him and shaving off his hair (Donnelly and Watson), striking him on the body with a screwdriver to his injury (Watson), forcibly removing his outer clothing and forcing him to walk in a public place in his boxer shorts (Donnelly and Glancey), repeatedly punching him on the body (Donnelly), spraying him with brake cleaner, striking him on the body with a spanner and punching him in the face (Donnelly).

Read more at: http://www.fifetoday.co.uk/news/crime/alleged-assa...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-40744527