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Cartoon: Rule of the Road

Posted on August 19, 2024May 23, 2024 by x423931

Editors note: This is the second in the “Pacey Pratt the Sabo Cat” series. Enjoy this primer on work-to-rule!

A 14-panel comic titled "Pacey Pratt the Sabo Cat"

Page 1, Panel 1: Six people are hard at work loading trucks in the snow and someone off-panel says "Listen up drivers. We have a new rule in effect."
A worker hauling a box in a beanie hat and sweater says "Oh great. This guy again..."

Page 1, Panel 2: The Boss, a rodent with a long snout, holds up an orange jacket with a price tag while seven more employees around him are working. The Boss says “Only company-branded coats may be worn over your uniforms during deliveries. Each driver will need to purchase one for eighty dollars.”

Page 1, Panel 3: A worker with a mustache in a warm puffy coat can barely contain his anger and is being restrained by two of his fellow workers, one of whom has long black hair and wears a yellow cabby hat, and one of whom wearing an orange beanie. He says “Chill, man.” The mustachioed worker says “Eighty dollar coats on what YOU pay us!!! We’re eating ramen noodles every night and we gotta buy flimsy wind breakers to wear in the snow?” At the bottom of the panel, The Boss says “Watch your TONE, driver – rules are rules.”

Page 1, Panel 4: In the upper part of the panel someone wears a black cat costume and says “EASY Fellow Workers, don’t overheat.”

The mustachioed worker with the warm puffy coat is being comforted by the two fellow workers who had previously restrained him. He says “What’s the difference? I can’t afford to drop eighty dollars on a coat, so I’m as good as fired anyway. May as well let them have it.”

His fellow worker wearing the yellow cabby hat on the left says “it’s Pacey Pratt…” and the orange beanie fellow worker on the right says “–the Sabo Cat!”

Page 1, Panel 5: The mustachioed worker in the puffy coat adds, “And besides that, I’m pissed off!”

Sabo Cat replies “Sure you’ll get fired if you go alone. But IMAGiNE if you stuck together – what then?” The worker in the orange beanie to the right of the mustachioed worker says “We could ask to wear our own jackets, or–”

In the bottom of the panel he adds “we could demand they provide us warm coats, for FREE…as a group–”

Page 1, Panel 6: The workers collectively reply, “As a UNION!” Sabo Cat says, “Now how could your union apply pressure on the company to WIN that demand?”

Other workers appear to approach the small group around Sabo Cat.

The bottom of the page says "X423931" and "Page one of two."

Page 2, Panel 1: A delivery truck weaves through traffic.

Page 2, Panel 2: The delivery truck appears unable to pass the cars in front of it.

Page 2, Panel 3: Sabo Cat is sitting at a table with a coffee. He asks, “Staying safe out there, Fellow Worker?” The mustachioed worker in the puffy jacket replies, “You KNOW it– I drive safely and follow the rules.” Off panel, a voice yells “What are you doing to ME!?!”

Page 2, Panel 4: The Boss marches in between the trucks holding a computer tablet high in the air. He shouts, “EVERY delivery is late! EVERY customer wants a refund! EVERY driver is costing the company MONEY!”

In the bottom part of the panel he asks, “What do you have to say for yourselves?”

Page 2, Panel 5: The mustachioed worker in the puffy coat says “Relax boss, the rule-book says to drive under the speed limit when it snows–”

The worker in the orange beanie adds, “The roads may be icy–”
The long haired worker with the long black hair says, “We are just following the rules.”

The Boss looks infuriated and three exclamation points appear above his head.

Page 2, Panel 6: The Boss is getting into a delivery truck. He says “I know what this is–you Wobbly scumbags want to ruin me, but I’ll replace you all! ANYONE can drive, SEE?”

Page 2, Panel 7: The Boss is swerving the truck so badly that it appears to be doing a donut on the ice. The worker in the orange beanie covers his eyes and says “I can’t look!”

Page 2, Panel 8: The truck has crashed into a brick wall.

The worker in the orange beanie looks shocked. The worker with long black hair says with a smile, “He forgot his coat,” and holds it up.

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