My wife went on a business trip U.S - Rome with her boss. When they arrive in Rome she discovers that the boss (who had traveled very little and never been out of the country before) evidently considers travel expenses to be the absolute worst form of evil, and is proud to have selected lodging for them that does not even rise to the level of an average hostel (I am not exaggerating). If I recall, the per-night rate was about $10-15 or so. The next day as they begin to discuss plans for lunch, the boss pulls out a bag of peanut butter sandwiches. During the trip, when free time offers opportunities for sightseeing, the boss wants nothing to do with it. Evidently it's somehow disloyal to the employer if you are able to enjoy yourself while traveling on business.

Now, you'll all think, "man, she should've quit rather than work for such an oppressive organization." In fact, the organization is a truly wonderful place to work. They have some reasonable standards of what constitutes excessive expenses, but they also have codified minimum standards, and the boss in question had to violate company policy to achieve her nefarious goals.

So anyway, the one bright spot of the trip for my wife was that a dear friend of hers had recently moved to Rome, and my wife would be able to briefly meet up with her friend at the airport prior to departure, because the friend worked there. As a matter of fact, the friend worked for the departing airline, and upgraded my wife for the return flight.

My wife says her boss didn't even make eye contact with her as she boarded and saw her there in a seat "worth" several thousand dollars, but we imagine the moment must still feature in some of her most horrifying nightmares.

Happily, my wife does now have a different boss.