Don't take advantage, it might cost you!

[Ian Smith]

I was a Galley Boy with the Port Line in 1957 on my first trip to New Zealand on the MV Port Dunedin.
After the lunch time work was over the Chief Cook must have felt a bit frisky, because he started to pelt me with fresh eggs whilst I was washing up the pans. It was a big joke to him and the other cooks all laughed as they then all left me while they went to have their two-hour rest time, whilst I finished up cleaning the Galley and preparing the veg for the evening meal. My two hours started when they returned. These little jokes was becoming a habit, so I decided to do something about it.
I went into the Chief Cooks cabin (he had the door wide open) during hie break while he slept, picked up one of his clogs and chucked it overboard! He came hopping back to the Galley after his break, demanding his shoe back, I told him I had chucked it overboard some 15 miles back! He was beside himself, he could not believe I would dare to do such a thing. I told him it was just a joke like he had been playing on me!
He had to buy a new pair from the ships store, I was never taken advantage from him again. Not so the others, but that's another yarn for later.