Catch-22 Lives

Every day one can see examples of Catch-22 working in the grand scheme of things. I maintain that Catch-22, the creation of Joseph Heller, is one of the greatest management texts ever written. In my own words Catch-22 requires that a certain state be maintained. However, once one begins the process of implementation, the desired state is no longer required. Every once in a while Catch-22 drops down to affect daily living.

I noticed that my left rear tire was low and needed air. I pulled in to a Discount Tire shop. Discount Tire offers a free tire check/air fill. The tech came out and informed me that my left rear tire was low and needed air. I knew that. He than informed me that he couldn’t put air in the tire that needed air. He could and did put air in my other three tires that didn’t need air.

He explained it is was dangerous to drive on an under inflated tire. It needed air. However, it was dangerous for him to put air in a tire that was under inflated. If the tire was damaged and needed to be replaced, he could fix it and put air in a tire that was devoid of air. But if the tire didn’t need replacement or repair then he couldn’t supplement the existing air to bring it to the proper pressure.

He concluded by saying that if he did the job he was being paid to do, inflate dangerously under inflated tires he could be fired. If he allowed a customer to drive off on a tire that he characterized as dangerously under inflated then he was complying with company policy.

I didn’t know liberals had taken over the tire business.