Incident Report

Review of submitted incident details and evidence.

Report Summary

Incident Title
Accidental Activation of Tucker “Meatball” Grady
Date & Time
May 4, 2025 at 09:47
Reported By
Sam “Raildog” Thompson, Yard Supervisor
Location
Northside Railyard, Track 12
Severity
Moderate
Description

On May 4, 2025, at approximately 9:47 AM, the phrase “GREASE THE WHEELS” was inadvertently uttered during routine maintenance. This phrase is a known activation trigger for Tucker “Meatball” Grady’s questionable conditioned-response protocol. Upon hearing it, Grady seized a grease gun and began applying industrial lubricant to anything that didn’t move—and several things that did—including rail switches, coupling systems, the breakroom door handle, and three coworkers’ boots, creating a Slip ’n Slide effect across the yard.

After about five minutes of chaotic greasing, Grady dropped the grease gun, climbed onto a freight car, and launched into a fully improvised stand-up comedy set. Highlights included a 10-minute OSHA interpretive dance routine, impersonations of the yard supervisor yelling in slow motion, and multiple puns about “slippery situations.” The impromptu show drew a crowd, delayed operations by 90 minutes, and left the supervisor attempting to heckle him off stage without success.

The incident concluded when Grady ran out of material and attempted a mic drop using an actual wrench, which bounced and hit him lightly in the shin. No major injuries were reported beyond sore ribs from laughter and a severely bruised schedule.

Image Evidence
Greased Switch
Rail switch slick as glass
Boot Cleanup
Boot cleanup station in chaos
Comedy Show
Grady performing on freight car
Action Taken
  • Issued a yard-wide memo banning the phrase “GREASE THE WHEELS” in all operational contexts.
  • Escorted Grady off the “stage” and calmed him with two coffees and a firm handshake.
  • Dispatched cleanup crew to degrease all surfaces including rail switches, breakroom handles, and at least one coworker's beard.
  • Scheduled an all-hands seminar on "Appropriate Workplace Humor and Slippery Slope Awareness."
Supervisor Notes

While no serious injuries occurred, this incident underscores the risk of phrase-triggered behavioral conditioning in safety-critical environments. Recommend revising all training protocols, introducing a safe word to terminate Grady’s routines, and potentially offering him open mic time outside of work hours to channel these impulses productively.