What makes people make stupid mistakes like this one?

You just carried out her instruction, what is wrong about that? It’s not your fault/problem!

@ZEPHYRA I didn’t carried out her instruction really. Instead of a cushion I brought back a tiny sponge, because I allowed someone to influence me.

I agree with @ZEPHYRA, nothing about this was your fault. The person is her son, you had every reason to assume that he knew what he was talking about. I’m not sure why you’re so embarrassed, was your boss upset?

If you are concerned, you could make a suggestion to her son to get his mum “something a little more comfortable”.

I could be mistaken, but I was always under the impression that the phrase “something a little more comfortable” insinuates nudity or something less innocent than a back cushion.

@TheOnlyNeffie @ZEPHYRA Im not sure if you guys understand thank you for the words of confidence She asked me for a cushion like one of those couch seats and I brought back a piece of a sponge. Yes she was upset. I cant believe I was so nieve. Her son really laughed at me and so did everyone else.

Gullable. I am too. It is because we trust people. I think people who grow up in a home who had parents who were honest and caring, coupled with not likely to play practical jokes; we are likely to fall for things like this.

Ahh, yeah, that sounds like a different story. He was being a smartass, then? Deliberately trying to make you look foolish.
That’s a shame. You shouldn’t feel badly, then, he should. @JLeslie is right – it is a matter of trusting people, which should be a good thing. It’s not very nice when people take advantage of it.

Was she mad at you? Because I’m pretty sure she should be mad at her son and embarrassed in front of you, as that child was the one who wasted everyone’s time.

I know exactly how you feel…rather humiliated, but it’s not your fault… I think it shows that you are more focused on helping someone and being caring and thoughtful rather than making smart ass jokes ;-) xx

She should’ve been upset with her son, not with you. Why should you question what he tells you? How were you supposed to know that he was messing with you?

I agree with most of the other answers here.

In addition to them, why couldn’t she have asked her son herself, or brought her own cushion?
Does your job description include cushion gofor?

Luckily for me I was in a good union, so I didn’t have to take crap from a thoughtless boss or their misbegotten offspring.

Well, have you ever given it a thought that maybe the two set you up for a joke?

I agree with all who said the son is the poopyhead. But the boss should have laughed or gone after him. She raised him.

I don’t understand how you feel because I’ve never made a mistrake.

Thank you all of you for your answers but I still felt that I should have been more logical and less gullible. Yes he is at fault but I could have prevented embarrassment by being more sensible. In the future that will not happen to me so easily again though.

@Eggie I think it is sweet. I understand why you are embarrased, but it is not nice when people try to trick you. If your boss did not laugh with you, and tell you not to worry about, then the whole thing seems mean spirited, which makes them mean. That stands out more in my mind, than whether you should have figured out they were pulling your leg. I used to work with a bunch of guys who used to love to sit back and watch me spin my wheels with customers they knew were a pain in the neck. We called them chronics. They would see the customer coming, step back, and let me do my little spiel, all happy and excited they wanted to try on a bunch of clothes. After the customer left, sometimes having bought stuff, sometimes not, but if they did, most of it was coming back in a week, they would crack up, and let me in on how annoying that customer was going to be, and how I just wasted a lot of time catering to them. But, I loved those guys, and it was like an inside joke, and was not mean spirited in the end. They did tons to help me all of the time, and they did that stuff to everyone.

@JLeslie the boss did not laugh with me and she sure as hell did not say its ok. In fact this were her exact words “You really have no sense at all do you?”

@Eggie Fuck her.

@JLeslie Lol…..thanks!!!

Maybe that is why her kid does things to make other people look dumb. He spent his childhood being told he has no sense, and to make himself feel better, he purposely tries to trick other people. Typical insecure Napolean complex bullshit. You’re fine, they are the ones who need a brain modification.

I absolutely hate practical jokes. The are designed to make one person feel like a fool in front of everybody. There are few people who can laugh when others play a trick on them.

Hindsight, maybe take the sponge and the cushion just in case. Now, at least you know what kind of people they are, and you can take precautions next time.

Eggie, you might consider sending her an email asking how making you the object of a practical joke serves the goals, or the working environment of your employer.

Perhaps that way you can elicit from her and save some information or evidence of her behavior, that might be potentially damaging to her.

@Brian1946 I think someone like his boss has no self awareness. She will just think he is making to much of it in my opinion. She may see it as a challenge, she obviously is somewhat of a bully. Maybe, if the right opportunity comes up, the OP can respectfully ask to not have practical jokes pulled on him. That he has never been a fan of practical jokes or surprises. The two usually work together I think. They still might see it as weakness though, depending on how obnoxious they are.