Numerically Challenged?

[Jimbuna]

Some of these mistakes people have made defy belief

One of ten great examples...

While working as an accounts assistant for a large sportswear company in the UK, I paid a foreign supplier £300,000 ($500,000) instead of £3,000 ($5,000) for some samples. I realised my mistake on my last day working there but did 'fess up to the boss before I left the building. He already knew.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-27782731

[Wolferz]

While working as a parts man at a GM dealer in Louisville, Ky., I wrote a special order for a small trim part for a customer's car. It came in on the back of a semi trailer. I had transposed one number and got a pick up truck frame instead. The local warehouse was none too happy about us returning it. After which they instituted a call and verify policy for all big dollar parts orders.

[Stealhead]

Happens very often I bet such mistakes. In the Air Force we had a computer automated data system (CAMS go figure) which we used to list the status of our equipment this same system was also used to order parts and even entire new units.

Well because of the chance of someone making a mistake and ordering something they did not want a non-commissioned officer had to review the data put into the system before it was officially sent. The system was very confusing honestly and a mistake could be made easily. I know at least a time or two an entire $100,000 dollar machine was placed on order by accident a few times just in my small unit.Of course a bean counter some place noticed it and called our unit to make sure it was correct.

Anything over $100 dollars in value an NCO had to fill out the order or was supposed to.

As I understand at one time the USAF had a much more lax system then some time in the 80's Air Force OSI and the FBI busted a ring who where using the system to order weapons and other items so they could sell them to black marketers.After that things changed a bit.

[Catfish]

Originally Posted by Stealhead

...
As I understand at one time the USAF had a much more lax system then some time in the 80's Air Force OSI and the FBI busted a ring who where using the system to order weapons and other items so they could sell them to black marketers. After that things changed a bit.

The CIA says this is a conspiracy theory, and a big lie.

Which is partly true: The art of deception and desinformation works well

The lie is that:
a) the USAF did it, which is wrong - the CIA did
b) "things changed a bit", since then

[Platapus]

I remember someone in our supply unit made a mistake in the "units" entry. He thought he was ordering 10 each, but ordered 10 cases.... unfortunately it was not beer.

[Peter Cremer]

In the 60's I was in the Navy and my squadron was at Cecil Field in Florida, close to Jacksonville. We needed some nuts, bolts, washers, cotter pins, etc. for our maintenance crews. After a long, hot day I filled out all the forms and submitted them. About two weeks later a big 18-wheeler pulled up outside the hanger and the driver wanted us to get our stuff off it. When we checked his manifest, we found that I had not ordered '1000' washers but '1,000,000'. I ordered 1000 'lots'. I did not notice that each 'lot' consisted of 1000 washers. All I wanted was 1000 washers. I remember having a long talk with the squadron C.O.........Mostly he talked and I listened.

[Platapus]

Originally Posted by Peter Cremer

I remember having a long talk with the squadron C.O.........Mostly he talked and I listened.

Funny how those "talks" with the CO work out eh?

[Wolferz]

Originally Posted by Platapus

Funny how those "talks" with the CO work out eh?

Not enough back side left to sit on I'd imagine.

[Stealhead]

I bet they did not need to order washers at Cecil for a decade or so.

[Peter Cremer]

Originally Posted by Stealhead

I bet they did not need to order washers at Cecil for a decade or so.

Yeah; that was about 45 years ago and I still have a small supply of those washers (along with some nuts, bolts, and cotter pins).

[Stealhead]

What was always funny to me was the stuff just sitting around that obviously at some point just got forgotten about.

There was a hanger at Ramstein AB like this.My unit used it to store 6 ton aircraft jacks (For C-5s they are about 8 feet tall 6 or 7 feet around at the legs) they took up most of the hangar but there was still and good 40 or 45% space not used part of this was taken up by the seats that they can mount on the floors of KC-135 the rest was just boxes.

I got curious one day and wondered "what is in these boxes?" Tons of stuff was the answer.All manner of unused chem gear MOP suits,various filters even gas masks still in the plastic seals never opened.That was just the top layer of boxes. Mostly stuff stored up for the Fulda Gap battle I recon but never needed so it just sat.I am sure there are places like that all over Germany.A buddy in the Army told me that there where old bunkers all over the place filled with the same type equipment.All part of a bunker system started in the 70's that was never completed what was just became storage.In some places you can find sections that where prefab but never put into the ground they just took sections and placed them on the ground in the woods most of them are just on public German land now.

[Aktungbby]

How about this $125 million OOPS! a classic for the ages! http://www.cnn.com/TECH/space/9909/30/mars.metric.02/ so much science;so little math!

[Armistead]

I got an IRS refund once for over 3K. I had no idea why, called them, looked at my taxes, but the lady on the phone said it was mine....so I cashed it. Turns out it was my my ex wife and the business we had when we were married, but I signed it over to her a few years previous....Not only did I have to pay it back, had to pay interest and penalties on it as well.....and did I try to argue to no avail...