Fired pizza-loving programmer wins prize

A software developer who was sacked by a US mortgage firm for snaffling a "leftover" pizza slice has won an internet contest for the most outrageous job dismissal. Jim Garrison, 39, has won a a week-long trip to the Caribbean for two after submitting his story to SimplyFired.com.

The US-specific site, run by recruitment outfit SimplyHired.com, solicits stories about outrageous dismissals offering unfortunate ex-workers "15 minutes of fired fame" and the chance to win a variety of prizes. Grand Prize "Loser" Garrison outdid a programmer sacked for putting a "Stupid" error message in code he developed and and a furniture remover who was fired for fencing with someone else's "adult toys". What a plonker.

Garrison, from Highlands Ranch, Colorado, told AP he never imagined he'd be rewarded over his dismissal. His "crime" was eating two of six pieces of cold (and apparently discarded) pepperoni pizza. Instead of complaining to Garrison, his co-workers complained to management ultimately leading to his dismissal last November, a month after the tasty treat sealed his fate.

Months later Garrison's legacy lives on. "To this day my former co-workers refer to unattended pizza as 'programmer bait'," he writes. ®