Sometimes rules are not made based on common sense.
The rule:
Everyone can do procedure X on machine 1.
Only certain pre-determined seniors are allowed to do procedure Y on machine 1. I am one of them.
The reality:
Worker A uses machine 1 almost everyday and needs someone to do procedure Y frequently.
Worker A is focused, smart and a hard worker.
Worker A is not a senior, but I secretly taught worker A how to do procedure Y. If I hadn't done it either worker A wouldn't be able to work as much, or I would spend my time in machine 1 (or on the way there since it's 6 floors away), not doing my own work.
The situation:
Worker B requests me to do procedure Y at 11 am, mentioning by chance that Worker A is using machine 1 until then.
I agree to do it.
When Worker B leaves my office, I call Worker A and ask to do procedure Y, since Worker A is already at machine 1. I tell worker A to say, if asked, that I passed by and did procedure Y myself. In this way, the three of us save time. Worker A doesn't need to switch off machine 1. Worker B waits less time, since it's faster this way. And I don't have to stop what I am doing.
The conclusions:
This attitude should be rewarded by our superiors (I don't think it is and I don't want to test that).
These kind of rules should be based on skills and not hierarchy.
I spent the time I saved writing this useless post. However, I will be working the next 200 times I will save time again.