DannyBoyinExile

They say that in wartime, you should always expect the unexpected – and this is doubly true when you work in the hallway.
I was at work the other day (like I am EVERY day!), expecting nothing more unusual than making my way to the commissary line to pick up my eComm. The first unusual thing I saw was a drug dog being led down the hall by his handler. There was a time when the mere sight of him would have sent my blood pressure and heart rate skyrocketing – but these days I don’t get involved in anything that would arouse their interest. I love dogs, though, and always notice them when they’re in my vicinity. TDCJ has canines on most of its prisons, for drug detection as well as to help track inmates in the event of an escape, so the sight of one in the hallway isn’t all that uncommon.
What was far more unexpected (and DID send my heart rate up!) was when a friend of mine yelled my name and gestured down the hall. I looked, and the aforementioned mutt was copping a proverbial squat, and taking a dump – right in the middle of my hallway! His handler tried to yank on his leash, but it was already too late, and that only served to leave about a foot-long pile of poop on the floor – just as they were running showers, and there were about a hundred people walking up and down the hall.
The onlookers found it hilarious, by the way, because they knew exactly who the poor guy was who had to clean it up: yours truly.
What could I do? Getting mad wouldn’t have helped, because it still had to be cleaned, so I just kept a good attitude and laughed. I told his handler, “WTF? Y’all can train this dog to smell meth from a mile away, and you can’t even potty train him?”
And I don’t know WHAT they had been feeding him, but the entire hallway REEKED! I did the only thing I could think of, and kicked him as hard as I was able, right on his mangy butt… (Just kidding – that would’ve only gotten my boots dirty, too!)
I grabbed an empty cardboard box, tore a few of the flaps off, and scooped it up the best I could. Then I found some old, torn-up clothes and wiped it up as best I could. Then I poured Pine Sol (quite liberally, for sure) and scrubbed it with a deck brush, followed by a thorough mopping with yet more Pine Sol.
A few other guys made comments about how they WOULDN’T have cleaned it up, as cleaning dog shit wasn’t part of their job description, but I just got it done and went about my business. Then I took the cardboard box full of waste, and placed it behind the desk for the guard to find. Just kidding. I took it completely outside the building, and had the trash crew guys toss it in the dumpster for me.
In the end, even the dog handler apologized for his bad-mannered dog, and thanked me for taking care of it. Rather than whining or complaining, I kept a good attitude, and got the job done – even if it was the last thing I expected to be doing that day. I pride myself on being a good worker, and that means I have to be a good worker EVERY day – even when the doo-doo hits the fan… So says DannyBoy.