The number of places that I find this particular phrase in is, to my supreme irritation, on the increase. Take, for example, the official mail that came in today at my workplace. The administration department regretted to inform us that, irrespective of the fact that it has started pouring cats and dogs, those of us who wished to commute in our four-wheelers should fend for themselves when it came to finding parking space for their vehicles.
What they were effectively trying to tell us, in other words, was, "Folks, we appreciate - although reluctantly - that you try to come to work for us even in the face of severely trying, and often impossible, road and weather conditions, but if you think we're going to lift a finger trying to help you park your vehicles safely, then we urge you to think again. We're not used to doing things like taking such spaces as may be available on lease in order to make your lives easier; no sir (or madam - we always like to be politically correct, and urge you to follow our example)! Besides, we're busy doing whatever it takes to make our top management's lives easier, not to mention fattening their already fat pay-cheques. You see, that's how we can score brownie points, not by such mindless and cost-incurring activities like replacing broken floorboards near your desks, faulty air conditioning systems that may freeze you or make you sweat, or highly uncomfortable chairs that may make your backs sore. (In case you're wondering, that's also why we require nothing less than two approvals - manual, no less - from your immediate manager, and from his immediate manager, for addition of RAM on your team's development PCs. You see, we know from past experiences that such "approval-seeking" behaviour will make you realise that you're fighting against powers that are infinitely more patient, more immune to negative feedback, and hopelessly more bureaucratic than your puny self ever imagined us capable of being)
"In fact, we'd like to bring to your attention that since we never asked nor encouraged you, by word or deed, to buy four-wheelers as opposed to fuel-efficient two-wheelers, it's entirely up to you to find, using your wit and other resources that may (or, what's more likely since you work for us, may not) be at your disposal, to butt other people's vehicles out of their parked spaces and park yours. Yes, we're conscious of the degradation of our ecology caused by these smoke-billowing, fuel-guzzling broad roadsters, and are doing our best to discourage further ruin of the environment by these beasties. We're sure you appreciate our concern for the greater good.
"Oh, and in case you thought we didn't, we deeply regret the inconvenience that this may cause you."
