689. Hoisted by his own petard

Quite frankly, the younger staff members at the local newspaper were fed up. The rule said “In the event of a tie, the oldest in age shall be considered the winner.” This rule was as old as the hills. It applied to whenever the staff voted as to which journalist got to go on a mission to an interesting event.

There was one interesting event annually vied for. It was to the Wearable Arts Festival in Wellington. It was well-nigh impossible to get a ticket. Year after year, the staff vote equalled oldies versus youngies. And the same bloody fuddy-duddy old fart got to go every year.

Young Tristan had a plan. At a meeting of staff when they reviewed the paper’s constitution, he suggested that the rule be changed to the youngest winning in the event of a tie. It passed! Yes! He was set to go! The Wearable Arts Festival was coming up. The staff voted.

Tristan got half the votes. Natalia got half the votes.

Tristan was the winner! Yah! Yah! Hurrah! Oh, wait a minute… We forgot. We changed the rule. Natalia wins! She’s the youngest.

Yeah. Tristan thought Natalia needed to go. She might pick up a few ideas. She dresses like a slut.

(The photograph above is of the Wearable Arts Festival in Wellington, New Zealand).