Vendor sends this IT pilot fish a cheap digital camera as a thank-you gift for sending business his way. And fish, who has never received any vendor gifts before, shows it to his boss to make sure everything is OK.

“My boss was not happy,” says fish. “He began telling me the company policy about accepting gifts from vendors and told me to send it back — which I did.”

Fast forward several weeks: Fish is solving an email problem on a company vice president’s PC when he notices that this VP is asking a vendor to supply her with complimentary tickets for a local sports event.

Fish returns to his boss and asks for clarification about the vendor-gift policy. Boss reads fish the policy exactly as written. The penalty for failure to follow the policy: termination.

Fast forward several more weeks: Fish is at the sports event with several co-workers when he spots the VP and her husband in very good seats.

And right next to them are fish’s boss and his wife.

“I acted surprised when I saw the VP and walked over to talk,” fish says.

“Seems the VP got the tickets for the boss, the boss’s wife, herself and her husband. The boss suggested that she talk to the vendor to get the tickets.”

Do as Sharky says. Send me your true tale of IT life at sharky@computerworld.com. You can also subscribe to the Daily Shark Newsletter and read some great old tales in the Sharkives.