What's Been Your Worst Job? [Archive]

jimkopelli

2 Sep 2004, 08:52 PM

I haven't really had any utterly horrible ones either... but the worst one so far has been tending a family owned blueberry farm. There are two main things I had to do... tend the shack (not too bad, just boring as all hell, and I had to make small talk with hicks that remember me from when I ran around the place in diapers... and without... bah... and tell these same people to PLEASE park on the grass, that's what it's there for, etc.) and do farm labor. That consisted of pruning two acres of bushes, weeding two acres of bushes, picking up what had been pruned/weeded and hauling it off, mowing two acres, and finally mulching two acres of bushes. A farmer, I am not. All for the amazing pay of (drumroll...) room and board. (ba-dum chih!) And occasionally twenty bucks. And... I'm obligated to do this every summer for a month until the end of time. And it's in the middle of nowhere, with no computer, and the food sucks anyway. At least there's all the blueberries I can eat... but you know, I'm not that fond of them... Oh well.

Jezebel

2 Sep 2004, 08:55 PM

I have a few:

Working on a remodelling crew at a construction site at a store. About all we did was move things all day long. Move items from one shelf, to another shelf, then a few days later move them again. Ugh. There was also lifting involved, and I'm not very strong, so I was the slowest one on the crew (but not the only girl). The worst though, were the days that we had to move things in garages outside. This was a summer job and it got very hot.

Data entry. Like the most BORING job ever. Pick up paper, enter information, pick up paper, enter information, repeat on and on for 8 hours per day. This one didn't last long. I felt like I was going to go crazy, and almost completely lost focus as the day wore on.

I've had various retail jobs. I can deal with customers but they're very draining, especially the times I've worked during christmas season.

ohnoaninfp

2 Sep 2004, 10:03 PM

I sold cutco and it really sucked. I had to first make a list of people who I know that are over 25 and employed. The thing is I didn't know that many people, so it was hard for me to get demos. I didn't enjoy doing demos either. I don't like telling people to buy these super expensive knives. I also worked a Burger King and that sucked because the managers didn't care about the job. They just let every one do what ever in the hell they please. Also one of my managers was a pervert. He humiliated me in front of another coworker, who I liked. Well his ass got fired anyways and now I am working at a better place.

indczn

3 Sep 2004, 06:24 AM

I have no more job angst.... tomorrow is my last day.

Spartan26

3 Sep 2004, 07:42 AM

I've had various retail jobs. I can deal with customers but they're very draining, especially the times I've worked during christmas season.

I worked one holiday season at a department store in fashion jewelry. Standing for long periods kinda sucked. Overall, it wasn't as bad as I feared. Working with the general public is vastly overrated. Most were fairly nice. I hated working some place where I knew absolutely nothing about any of the product lines. Just want to clarify, give information, let them pick their own stuff, know what I mean?

I was so worried about theft but I didn't have to worry about that at all. The big bonus was that I was the only male in the department and 85% of the customers were female. :wub: :wub: :wub: :wub: :wub:

I hated inventory. They made us get to work at 6 AM. I wanted to file for worker's comp just for that.

Spartan26

3 Sep 2004, 08:15 AM

I've had good jobs with occasional bad assignments. Like while working at an investment bank I had to help update our department's records and client phone book. Imagine having to call a bunch of strangers and ask for something --Yuh! They were all entertainment companies too. So naturally, the vast majority of the people were rude. The most draining experience of my entire adult life.

I did have to do telemarketing before. Even if I were totally desperate, I'd choose eviction over that again. Unless it was something like for town's major newspaper. hey, would you like a subscription to the Times? no? Ok, click.

I can definitely think of a few horror tales. Actually, I've blocked some out of my memory to prevent any long term scaring. I may just drop them in this thread over time.

The worst one, I don't think I'll never put. I'll start with disposing of hazardous materials. I had to wear a spaceman suit, standing on black pavement in the middle of summer. Actually, it wasn't that hot. Wanna know why? Because my suit had a tear in it! It's a good thing I don't want kids because I probably couldn't have them. I don't know if you ever sat in chemistry class thinking, "I'm not really ever going to have to know this, am I? I mean really" And so you begin to magically cross off careers based on having to revisit the subject again. I shouldn't be 16 and make the decission that I'm never going to be a doctor. I'm not for thought police per se but someone should've been there to slap me out of that.

Anyway, I have no idea what all I inhaled or what seeped into my skin. If I ever do decide to reproduce I can tell me grandkids I know what it feels like to be covered in a chemical blanket. I'm just so glad I f*ed up in the beginning part of the day because they only had three of them. They had one of those funky green ambulances near by. They had so much equipment in back, I don't know how they could fit a body back there. And weird stuff. Not like the crap you see on ER or The Health Channel but more post-apocalyptic crowd control stuff. Flairs, giant tarps with strange designs, something I swear I thought read plastic bullets.

They'd fed us but no matter how many times I washed my hands I never really felt clean. It just had to wear off. Of course I was too afraid to put anything too strong on my hands to wash out of fear some chemical reaction would take place under my skin.

libertarianjim

3 Sep 2004, 02:44 PM

I sold cutco and it really sucked...

Ha! My sister's boyfriend used to do that and he hated it too. Although we did buy some knives, which are pretty good.

My worst was working for my grandfather. I loved him dearly, but washing cars for minimum wage was not particularly enjoyable. I did some other general labor stuff at his garage which wasn't much better.

cloakable

3 Sep 2004, 02:50 PM

Heh, I've only had one job, and it sucked. Cleaning. The only good thing was that it gave me plenty of alone time (usualy with a cup of coffee).

int

3 Sep 2004, 06:13 PM

What kind of cleaning?

Utopmk

3 Sep 2004, 07:42 PM

Laying carpet. Actually, I didn't get to even lay any carpet. I was a whipping boy. My uncle ran a carpet company and was doing a large apartment complex. My job was to carry the big rolls of carpet up and down stairs to be layed, and to clean up after the nasty rednecks who did the laying. It gets hot down here, and it was dead center of July. I was a lazy 15 year old, who had never worked a day in his life. Yeah, I lasted about 2 weeks. I got payed a solid 3.50/hr for my efforts. I'll never talk to that shitty, bucket-headed Uncle again.

:rant:

HairlessBluetick

3 Sep 2004, 08:08 PM

I worked at Sears Portrait Studio for a couple months during the Christmas season. UUGGHHH. The kids weren't so bad, but their parents... *shudder* Retail's bad enough without THAT.

Birnam

4 Sep 2004, 07:11 AM

I worked for a mortgage company. The owner was thrown in jail a couple months after I quit :) But, discounting the people, it was BORING. I had to fill out the forms, and enter data and generally help out in the office. I lasted six months, only because I had said I would before I knew what I was getting into... last time I'll ever do that!

crule81

10 Sep 2004, 09:05 PM

Cashier, Farmer Jack Supermarket.
Did this between fall and spring semesters so I only endured it for a month. The other employees were a lot of fun but the customers were another matter. I cannot believe how petty and cheap people are. Everybody wanted double coupons regardless of whether they were actually entitled to them. And this was in an affluent area. I also didn't enjoy having to engage in small-talk with each customer. The weather, obviously, was the big exciting topic.

My current job runs a close second - associate litigation attorney. Not the area of law for an INTP. Most litigators are probably E_ _ J, I believe. Although I have yet to conduct a trial, I believe I would have a difficult time convincing a jury of F's to make a rational decision in light of the emotional appeals of plaintiff attorneys. On the other hand, by nature I don't argue to convince others, but to further develop my own ideas through verbalization and the reactions of others. Obviously, this is a problem for a trial attorney.

ohnoaninfp

10 Sep 2004, 09:34 PM

I also worked at Burger King, and that sucked because there was a manager who was an asshole and a pervert. He humuliated me in front of a coworker, who I liked. The place was so unorganized and my coworkers were insane.

flan2dave

10 Sep 2004, 11:06 PM

I worked at a frequently understaffed restaurant. I fill in from time to time now, though I'm basically done. I'm surprised I put up with it for an entire year.

Johnny

11 Sep 2004, 02:17 AM

My worst job was doing social work in Atlanta when I was a punk kid in my early twenties...suicide threats, Bosnian war refugees, and child abuse were part of the day-to-day. Social worker turnaround was quite high, and though the benefits were nice the pay was not. I was an old-timer when I left after a year and a half.

27 Sep 2004, 12:14 AM

Peppy overpriced retail store where the slogan is "think inside the box." Horrible place to work unless you are a fulltime "SF" spinster retail type with flippy hair.

CthulhuLuvsU

27 Sep 2004, 12:27 AM

this last year I worked at a Catholic book, statuary, church supply store. I ALWAYS had to restock the Bliss jewelry case. I WILL HATE CHEAP SAINT MEDALS FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE!

I also got to go through the Mel Gibson Passion commotion that rocked our nations catholic community. I was so pissed off listening to these religious idiots go on and on about how many times they had seen the movie while they bought some cheesy $17 coffee table book. One lady even convinced my manager that there was a dead baby that was brought back to life by the movie.

I also have a fear of cheap rubber statues from Italy. The store had this guy come in from italy to sign his rubber, over-priced statues. Have you ever heard of Fontanini? I sure hope you havent. some lady screamed at me b/c i told her we were getting a box for her item in front of the friend she was buying it for as a present.

I WILL NEVER WORK IN A RELIGIOUS STORE AGAIN!!!

BritainOphira

27 Sep 2004, 01:17 AM

Peppy overpriced retail store where the slogan is "think inside the box." Horrible place to work unless you are a fulltime "SF" spinster retail type with flippy hair.

Not all people with flippy hair are that bad, just look at me.

27 Sep 2004, 01:23 AM

Lucas

28 Sep 2004, 06:07 AM

The worst job I've had was working at Mt. Rushmore, dealing with and talking to tourons (moron tourists) all day. I hated it so much! Definitely not an INTP job.
I felt like I was being fake all day, that and I was forced to come off as patriotic (ahem, I mean intense US nationalism). I kept getting in trouble for questioning everything and telling the visitors a slightly more objective version of US and Mt. Rushmore history.

It was entertaining though, hearing all the stupid questions tourons ask. "So, when's the guviment gonna put ol W and Reagan up 'der?":rofl:

-Lucas

28 Sep 2004, 06:28 AM

Boozer

28 Sep 2004, 10:07 AM

McDonald's

ugh. Thanks god it was just a summer job a long time ago...

Claverhouse

28 Sep 2004, 05:54 PM

It was entertaining though, hearing all the stupid questions tourons ask. "So, when's the guviment gonna put ol W and Reagan up 'der?":rofl:

-Lucajavascript:emoticon(':ph34r:')
Phears

:rofl: Awesome. What kind of stuff did you say?

"Just as soon as we've paid off the deficits they caused." ?

Claverhouse :ph34r:

Justin05

31 Mar 2006, 09:44 AM

I worked at UPS as a box-loader and was promoted to part-time supervisor. Paid for 25 hrs a week and worked 32 or so a week. I dealt w/ annoying kiss ass supervisors who would lie about others. I went to hour and a half/2 hr meetings held by SJ's on importance of walking up ladders properly.:wtf:

On the other hand, I was paid 1475 a month, 4000 a yr for college, 401 k, 10 percent stock discount, full medical including vision plan, 1/2 month bonus for Christmas, quarter earning check

de groz

31 Mar 2006, 09:49 AM

Retail assistant. Too much people interaction. At least at my old job in IT, if I didn't feel like talking to people I could lock myself in the server room.

ApeTheDog

31 Mar 2006, 09:56 AM

TV Smasher. I worked there for a week.

You have to take a tv off the conveyor belt, open it up, remove all the copper wires and print plates, put those into their respective containers, remove the glass tube, put that into a container, remove all the other junk (speakers and the likes), put that into a container, and then finally throw the empty plastic casing onto a conveyor belt.

Then you grab a new tv, and restart all over again.

Positive aspects about the job:
- We had a smoke break at 2, and another one at 3, in the afternoon
- Freon gas smells nice

Negative aspects of the job:
- It gets really annoying to have to cut wire, after wire, after wire
- Spiders and other bugs sitting in the tv
- The co-workers were diagnosed retards.
- Time crawls when you're doing repetitive work
- Noise! Everywhere!
- The radio was on a station with music I didn't particularily like. It made me emotional. Really. For some reason, while I worked there, I felt broken hearted and very lonely half of the time. I almost wanted to cry, and needed someone to hold and come home to after work. I had no such person.
- And the radio wasn't playing half of the time either.
- The smell. And the dirt. I had to shower every evening, and was always very tired.

Lucy

3 Apr 2006, 06:01 AM

I worked in the photocopy/print room of a large library once. I filled the photocopiers and fixed the paper jams, etc., but I spent most of the day reading, and listening to customers complain about what they thought was wrong with various things.

To a large extent, my job was to take complaints, but the company I worked for had no intention of acting on them. It was just that customers would be happier if they had someone to complain to when they got angry about something, and it was my job to listen to them politely and pretend that the company might respond.

It took a long time to get to me, but after a while the utter pointlessness of my job got to me more than any of the discomforts of other jobs I have had, and I got really depressed doing it. So this was the worst job I ever had.

Xenophon

3 Apr 2006, 06:36 AM

I have had two really shitty jobs, but I didn't last more than 3 weeks in either.

The first was working the nightshift at a local supermarket. Work started at 11 and ended at 8 in the morning, and we basically had to stock like crazy for the whole night, and make sure everything was pushed up to the front and facing the right way. That was when I was still in high school and one day I just didn't go to work without telling anybody, so I got my ass fired.

My other really shitty job was cleaning Yachts for commision. First of all it was horrible work, they gave us toothbrushes and made us scrub every single crack on the boat. But on top of that, I was way to slow at doing it, so I barely made any money. They would pay like 15 dollars a boat, and would assign two boats a day, but it would take me like 8 hours to finish them. I did that job for like 4 days and left.

A few weeks later I got hired as an IT monkey at a software development house, which was an extremely sweet job. I got to sit in the back room and build computers and fix printers all day.

Ponderous

3 Apr 2006, 06:50 AM

Cleaning house for an ESFJ. And that's all I have to say about that.

Stillwater

3 Apr 2006, 06:50 AM

Boiler-room telemarketing. If you're real good you can trick the simple minded or the elderly into buying crap they don't need. Usually people just hang up with the occassional flourish of swear words. I think I lasted two weeks.

2hype

3 Apr 2006, 07:08 AM

Data entry. It was horrible. I've had jobs that I look at the clock every few hours, wishing it was time to go. When I did data entry I would do my job, telling myself not to look at the clock, and after what seemed like FOREVER, I'd let myself look at the clock and be dismayed that it had only been 15 minutes. It was the most boring, repetitive job I've ever had. I think I lasted about six weeks doing it. I'm amazed I stuck it out that long. I think I'd go on the dole before I'd take a data entry job again.

dubbeltop

3 Apr 2006, 07:42 AM

Working in a sea side 'pleasure' restaurant. So after 2 days The chef and owner start to yelll at me until I do as he's says. The next day i had to clean all the tables and he complimented me and called me 'the director'. Ohoho ........now that was a major hint. Anyway after a week i decided it was over because you have to draw the line somewhere. If i have to say one thing it is that waiters work there butt off and that its also very very difficult to keep a happy face :) :( under severe stress. But working near the ocean can be very nice so...thats my view

Zero Angel

3 Apr 2006, 07:53 AM

azurwarrior

3 Apr 2006, 08:22 AM

I used to work at an Office Services type place back in the day, where word processors were just coming out...
(Yes, I'm that old)...
I had to print out copies, one at a time, and then forge the signature of whoever wanted us to send out bulk mailings for....
This often involved 50-150 pages printed out at a rate of about 30-45 seconds per letter. And the envelopes, one at a time. Then, the stamps...
8 hours a day, 5 days a week. It felt like a torture chamber, and to make it worse, I was expected to socialize with customers as they waited to see the boss.
Aaaaaaaaaaaarrggh!

mancroft

3 Apr 2006, 12:43 PM

I once worked as a teacher in a school run by a lunatic headmaster like some absurd character out of the League Of Gentlemen. http://www.lofg.com/

Managed to get my own back by doing a pastiche (piss take) of his website.

Very satirical, very satisfying.

bergenski

3 Apr 2006, 01:04 PM

Working on the production line in a vitamin factory...you don't know boring until you put little plastic sleeves on bottles by hand over and over more than a thousand times...

papertrail

3 Apr 2006, 02:41 PM

straight out of undergrad and substitute teaching at Jefferson High school in bklyn....http://images1.fotki.com/v291/photos/1/128447/2594528/b018-vi.gif

i don't have the words.

panda

3 Apr 2006, 02:53 PM

I once worked as a teacher in a school run by a lunatic headmaster like some absurd character out of the League Of Gentlemen.
:rofl:

libertarianjim

3 Apr 2006, 05:26 PM

Worst duties: Janitor and gopher for my grandfather's garage
Worst boss/least respect given: proofreader at a court reporting service
Most emotionally wrenching: Teaching. I poured myself into that job and had the idiots who didn't belong there savage me in evaluations while watching supremely talented students throw it away on drugs. It had its payoffs though. I'd go back in a heartbeat and do it exactly the same way.
Most boring: Government statistician.

chander.prb

5 Apr 2006, 12:09 PM

I worked for an outsourcing firm in Delhi. three years ago. it was like 6pm to 10 am in the morning. and the job was to wait for the data to come from US. process it and send it back.

I could not see the sunrise or sunset for nearly 2 and months. also it was the boring , winter of Delhi. there was a retired fellow who gave instructions to do this and that but never taught why should we do this and do that!! and there were 4 mosters called bosses above me.
i left it in 2-1/2 moths of joining .
that was the first and worst job so far!!!!!!!!!!!!!

mancroft

5 Apr 2006, 12:39 PM

that was the first and worst job so far!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Worse will come!

:sadbanana:

chander.prb

5 Apr 2006, 12:53 PM

Worse will come!

:sadbanana:

may be you are true! but after that also i did two jobs.(teaching) they were not bad as earlier and first one. I think teaching jobs are quite cool for me. and as long as i can see daylight and have daytime working routine i do not have any problem.

mancroft

5 Apr 2006, 12:58 PM

may be you are true! but after that also i did two jobs.(teaching) they were not bad as earlier and first one. I think teaching jobs are quite cool for me. and as long as i can see daylight and have daytime working routine i do not have any problem.

Don't want to disillusion you but... I was a teacher once and would rather nail my foreskin to the mast of a sinking ship than ever set foot in a school again.

faith

5 Apr 2006, 07:51 PM

One summer I worked a small town's fast food drive-thru. Hot, greasy, stinky, and too many idiots to count. People actually came to the drive-thru to gripe at me because someone put *sliced* instead of *chopped* onions on their burger TWO DAYS AGO. I discovered the best defense was to unleash Fe on them with a straight face: "How did that make you feel? That must have been terrible. Oh you poor thing; sliced onions can be so disheartening. Thank you so much for sharing that with me. Of course I'm glad you came by..."

Other bad jobs include waitressing at a pizza joint, waitressing at a steak house, and substitute teaching in South Texas on the border.

Prozac

5 Apr 2006, 08:07 PM

Other bad jobs include waitressing at a pizza joint, waitressing at a steak house, and substitute teaching in South Texas on the border.

teaching on the border, that is a monumental task indeed.. what is so comforting to me (personally) is the classic notion which assumes no further commentary is necessary...

imagine being the flea straight out of the circus.. this is newsworthy for sure

the frequency of fog and the cumulative hours of sunshine and rain must have wrecked havoc on the collie's furry back for goodness sake..

but in the end.. it is your compelling flavor that drives me to vote for you as dog's best friend

faith

5 Apr 2006, 08:43 PM

Prozac

5 Apr 2006, 10:37 PM

Does the fact that my post was quoted at the beginning indicate that I am the intended recepient of Prozac's post? And, if so, am I supposed to comment? Because I really don't know what to say... :unsure:

faith, i'm afraid, has exhibited a curious reaction.. which makes me wonder if we should all revert back to a more elemental relationship with jobs and the affinity with smoking pizza joints **coughs**

i mean, just change the definition of the concept.. including, i'm afraid, ourselves maybe

i'm afraid that we are one of the factors that make up the overall terror

this is, i'm afraid, a deeply engrained belief or perhaps its influence is made by the forces of nature

it could be said, i'm afraid, that such awareness sweeps aside the old world.. a sort of sameness and a reflection of the place itself

i'm afraid i don't know what to say...

booyalab

6 Apr 2006, 05:55 PM

my last job, that i just quit by not going in anymore. I HATE being stuck at a desk for hours on end.

kuranes

6 Apr 2006, 06:14 PM

my last job, that i just quit by not going in anymore. I HATE being stuck at a desk for hours on end.

The medical research place ?

I picture you as a trial attorney or a policewoman.

booyalab

6 Apr 2006, 06:17 PM

The medical research place ?

I picture you as a trial attorney or a policewoman.
no, that was only over the summer.

i think i could be an attorney if I didn't value my nightly sleep.
i'm too weak and fragile looking to be a cop.

faith

6 Apr 2006, 06:25 PM

faith, i'm afraid, has exhibited a curious reaction.. which makes me wonder if we should all revert back to a more elemental relationship with jobs and the affinity with smoking pizza joints **coughs**

i mean, just change the definition of the concept.. including, i'm afraid, ourselves maybe

i'm afraid that we are one of the factors that make up the overall terror

this is, i'm afraid, a deeply engrained belief or perhaps its influence is made by the forces of nature

it could be said, i'm afraid, that such awareness sweeps aside the old world.. a sort of sameness and a reflection of the place itself

i'm afraid i don't know what to say...

lol!

Roll my joint with pepperoni; I'll don my overalls of terror and we'll force nature to sort the sameness of sweeping reflections. The old world IS the place itself.

kuranes

6 Apr 2006, 06:28 PM

no, that was only over the summer.

i think i could be an attorney if I didn't value my nightly sleep.
i'm too weak and fragile looking to be a cop.

I was speaking to a female bouncer for a nightclub the other night, and she said that ( in most cases ) guys don't want to threaten/hit her BECAUSE she is a lady, and so it works to her benefit when sorting out fights. I've been pulled over by lady cops before, and my inklings about my ability to personally kick their ass didn't mean much. It's the uniform and walkie talkie.

Of course, there's always those goons that are just impulsive or callous as Hell. But you can run into them as a guy too. Your fellow officers may not think of you first when it comes to settling some big violent fracas. You could also get involved in things that female officers ARE traditionally considered most appropriate for. *ducks*

Stillwater

6 Apr 2006, 06:45 PM

You could also get involved in things that female officers ARE traditionally considered most appropriate for. *ducks*

booya as a meter maid? Better keep your head down, man.

Lovely Rita meter maid
Nothing can come between us
When it gets dark I tow your heart away
Standing by a parking meter
When I caught a glimpse of Rita
Filling in a ticket in her little white book
In a cap she looked much older
And the bag across her shoulder
Made her look a little like a military man

Lovely Rita meter maid
May I inquire discreetly (Lovely Rita)
When are you free to take some tea with me? (Lovely Rita, maid, ah)
Rita!

kuranes

6 Apr 2006, 07:02 PM

I wasn't thinking meter maid. Ha. What's that one lady's name on "Law and Order - Special Victim's Unit" ?

* still chuckling over "little white book" *

booyalab

6 Apr 2006, 07:04 PM

It might be slightly better than being stuck inside and sitting all day, but I think I'd still go crazy and throw rocks at car windows

kuranes

6 Apr 2006, 07:07 PM

I can see you and Mg breaking people down in the interrogation room.

"But if you were there at the time you say, it would have been too dark to see what you're saying you did, since darkness falls two hours sooner in that time zone."

Stillwater

6 Apr 2006, 07:16 PM

Ah yes, the ol good cop/bad cop routine. I'll hazzard to guess the one clutching the riding crop is the 'bad' cop.

Prozac

6 Apr 2006, 10:27 PM

lol!

Roll my joint with pepperoni; I'll don my overalls of terror and we'll force nature to sort the sameness of sweeping reflections. The old world IS the place itself.

primitive actions are alive and well in modern minds, party on soldierette

sbw

6 Apr 2006, 11:55 PM

mcdonalds.

Scott

deus ex machina

6 Apr 2006, 11:58 PM

Every job I have ever had sucked. So I'll answer in terms of my best job...

Sitting in my car from 6 pm to 8 am "watching" a reel of fiber optic cable in random ass areas across new york. I mostly slept, did drugs, played guitar, sang, called people on the phone, imagined monsters were trying to get into the car, etc.

I haven't worked for over a year, and I plan on being a career student so I can continue not working.

sbw

7 Apr 2006, 12:10 AM

I plan on being a career student so I can continue not working.

that seems so much harder than just making money, and retiring.

Scott

Ella

7 Apr 2006, 12:23 AM

Either scrubbing the urinal in the men's restroom in a fast food place or following Patricia Bragg (http://www.bragg.com/aboutbragg/patricia.html) around her garden while she picked stuff off of wherever it was growing and force fed it to me. Blech.

Lurker

7 Apr 2006, 12:32 AM

Sitting for an 84 year old Alzheimer's patient 8-10 hours a day. She would put her coffee in the microwave for 45 minutes or more, so I had to hover around her constantly. Then she would tell me it was her house, she would do what she wanted. Her stories -- repeated every five minutes -- would put me to sleep. So, finally, I just stopped answering and napped while she talked. Sure enough, her asshole son walked in on me nodding off in a chair while she jabbered on, so I was canned.

Rinalee

7 Apr 2006, 07:21 AM

i was a promoter for Beef Bacon Strips at a supermarket, of which 99% of their customers, were Hindus!!!! (for those who dont know, Hindus don't eat beef)
It was absurd. it lasted 4 days. there i was flippin beef bacon strips on a grill while them shoppers were staring daggers at me. i kept thinkin i was gonna get lynched everytime i left work by the back door.

*shudders at the memory*

Shimpei

7 Apr 2006, 07:47 AM

the worst was when I worked for a ukrainian company dealing in human collagen extracted from aborted babies... I realized the fact a few weeks after I had started to work there.

mgb

7 Apr 2006, 09:20 PM

Ah yes, the ol good cop/bad cop routine. I'll hazzard to guess the one clutching the riding crop is the 'bad' cop.

That's what we'd want you to think.

Master O

7 Apr 2006, 11:55 PM

all of them.

airjaw

15 May 2006, 01:01 AM

zhang_bob

15 May 2006, 01:16 AM

worst job ever was Retail: Gap Sales.
I completely didn't fit that job and dreaded going into my 3 hour shift which i only had once a week.
also I got paid minimum wage so i made about $15 a week. Totally not worth it.
being an accountant isn't that great either.
8 British pound = 15.12400 U.S. dollars
So you were getting paid £2.66 a hour. I would not get out of bed for less than £6 an hour.

Edit: How long ago was this.

airjaw

15 May 2006, 01:22 AM

i was paid $6.25 / hour , and i worked 3 hours a week (this was in high school)

After taxes i'm guessing it came out to be around $15 a week.

I forgot to mention my worst job ever though.
These public interest groups called PIRG's across the US (mass Pirg, DCpirg, etc) need people called canvassers to go around asking for donations.
basically they find anyone off the street and send them out cuz more people=more funding.

we had to knock on doors and ask people for donations, all day, everyday.
it was tiring, you had to walk everywhere (killed your feet), you were entirely dispensable, people found you annoying, and you had to sell an idea you didn't completely believe in.

worst part was when i realized that for every $500+ people donate, at least $375/week is going towards paying these canvassers salary. If you only get $375 in donations, the org gets nothing, you get $375, and some poor suckers just paid you to walk around and sucker other people. I wanted to burn that place down after that. I only lasted one day.

zhang_bob

15 May 2006, 01:27 AM

i was paid $6.25 / hour , and i worked 3 hours a week (this was in high school)

After taxes i'm guessing it came out to be around $15 a week.

:wtf: I am glad I am not American then.

Btw Hello and Welcome.

meshou

15 May 2006, 01:28 AM

the worst was when I worked for a ukrainian company dealing in human collagen extracted from aborted babies... I realized the fact a few weeks after I had started to work there.Don't mean to derail, but aborted babies simply aren't plentiful enough. More likely they were placentas.

Waitressing. Unpredictable hours, shitty managers who genuinely didn't give a fuck, intentionally understaffed, and having asshole customers given free food instead of telling them to fuck off, absolutely garaunteeingnon-tipping trailer trash will come there and treat you shitty in hopes of a free meal for their eight kids.

airjaw

15 May 2006, 01:29 AM

:wtf: I am glad I am not American then.

Btw Hello and Welcome.

thanks! i feel at home here already... :)

last_caress

15 May 2006, 01:44 AM

These are all from my short stint as a cashier at a drugstore a long time ago.

One guy thought I'd be interested in seeing his polaroids of him and some strippers while I was ringing him up.
Another time I rang up a tube of KY for a 70 year old woman.
The most surreal incident was when a fellow employee confessed that he dressed up as a woman on weekends, as we were putting prices on items in the toothpaste aisle.

Nighthawk

15 May 2006, 02:22 AM

Cavalry Squadron Adjutant. No autonomy or authority, yet responsibility for everything. You were also the commander's bitch ... as well as his wife's bitch ... and the deputy commander's bitch ... and the deputy commander's wife's bitch. Additional duty as personnel officer (HR), so everybody whined to you all the time about their paychecks, awards, promotions, performance reviews, family problems, etc. Tons and tons and tons and tons of paperwork. Still had to go on field exercises, even though there was nothing to do except ride around in a 120 degree armored command post listening to radio reports.

CoHo

15 May 2006, 02:31 AM

Easy.
Farmer. Well actually it was an apple orchard.

Every girl I knew in Farm Country was stronger then me. Our neighbors were a mile away and smelled like pig shit, and our other neighbors smelled like cow shit... oh yeah, there's a difference. Cow Shit is more... herbal smelling...

Seasonal monotony: Winter-Spring: Prune, Summer-Fall: Harvest.

Highlights:
When the neighbors cows would trip over the electric fence, busting a hole large enough to let the entire herd in our orchard.

Lowlights:
Getting up at 4:30AM to pile boxes of apples on a truck to be sold at the market to up-scale townspeople who had no idea the subtle differences between a Cortland and a Macintosh.

Having two working channels on the television.

Treating the Atari like it was a computer graphic marvel.

Going over to the neighbors house where their son (about my age, porky little sonofabitch) proudly displays their ex-dog-now-biology-display that was shot in the mouth because it was chasing cows.

Having a WOOD FURNACE FOR GODS SAKES. I had to chop wood! MTV was playing around the globe, we have nuclear missiles capable of hitting Russia and I'm out in the back chopping wood with a fucking driver and sledgehammer.

I once got a bloating-rash that prevented me from opening my eyes. HAHAHAHAA! When my mom saw me she started screaming! I was rushed to the doctor who had no idea what happened, but I was proudly displayed to his collegues who all had this <WTF> expression when they walked in the room. I had to go to a one-room school with nuns and farm children and other Ann-Of-Green-Gables bullshit!

Pooja

15 May 2006, 02:34 AM

Babysitting 3 kids..
kid#1: age 6 or 7, with untreated (at the time) ADHD
kid#2: age 5, attention-whore; if left alone for even a minute, will start crying
kid#3: age 1, WOULD NOT STOP CRYING ALL NIGHT...turned out to have severe separaton anxiety.

... making teenage girls baby-sit other people's kids is the most effective way of preventing teen pregnency.
All that, for 5 dollars an hour.

Ferrus

15 May 2006, 04:25 AM

... making teenage girls baby-sit other people's kids is the most effective way of preventing teen pregnency.
Yes, but unfortunately (in this country) generous government housing policy and benefits towards those that do has the reverse effect.

Paul_G

28 Sep 2007, 04:14 AM

I was a contracted security guard at a 'Babies R us'. I had to stand next to the door for 8 hours and look fierce. If you've ever wondered, people who do that job feel like just as big of a lummocks as you imagine they probably would.

I lasted 7 hours, after which I called my company and told them I would never work anywhere else for them again, except for the night shift role at the abandoned prison to which I had become accustomed (which incidentally was my BEST job ever other than the pay).

Anonymous

28 Sep 2007, 04:24 AM

Kmart drone for sure.

Limey

28 Sep 2007, 04:40 AM

I tried following my older brother into the Jewelery manufacturing business. After three weeks of ISxP hell, I was ready to go back to school for a Computer Science degree. It was the kick in the arse that I needed.

Sitting there, with your little "place" with your tea mug and photos and other of what are essentially psychological "happy times/places" that just are there as anesthetic to sooth the pain of being so tied down and mundane like you're drowning.

So, yes, as you may have guessed, I equate repetitive mindless jobs as mini death sentences.

Thankfully I knew exactly what I wanted to do since I was about 18, (we leave school at 16 in the UK by the way - I'm sick of having to explain in the US why I was back in the workplace early at 19, despite having a Bachelors in Computer Science.)
And so, I've been problem solving, troubleshooting, bit of management (blegh) and now architecting/consulting. I'm glad that I knew exactly what I wanted from a young age, but that in of itself is probably more of a J Scheduling function, going back to MBTI.

helium

28 Sep 2007, 07:01 AM

I'm glad that I knew exactly what I wanted from a young age, but that in of itself is probably more of a J Scheduling function, going back to MBTI.

Yeah. I've often wished I could engage my J side a little more, but if that had been the case, I would have chosen Computer Science and gone to the US Air Force Academy (I got the letters of recommendation from the governor and a state senator, and the recruiter said that was all I needed; my ASVAB was well up there). Instead, I waffled and experimented with Biology and Anthropology and Sociology and Psychology and Philosophy and Computer Science (mostly), before I realized that my real love was writing. This P function has taken me some strange places, but I don't regret them at all. I still kind of wish I had taken the chance to be a pilot, though.

Edit: Let me stay in the spirit of the original topic. My worst job was a telemarketing stint doing confirmation calls for people who had been scammed. I was between homes and the tech jobs were flooded with 300+ applicants at a time (so one employer told me). Basically, the only ones getting jobs were ones who had applied many months (up to a a couple of years) prior. At the telemarketing job, I was incredibly sick and had just come back from the hospital for my daughter. I had been up all night. I showed up LITERALLY less than 1 minute late, by their clock, but that counted as "demerits" against my attendance, for which I'd have to work extra to avoid getting fired, so I quit. And then I became violently ill myself.

:P

weasel3o3

28 Sep 2007, 07:23 AM

It's a close call between either my first job in high school at a pizza place where the guy running the place was a arrogant moron, or the clerical bitch internship I had.

Actually the internship wins out, clerical work makes me want to vomit. That last two very painful semesters, than it was kind of mutually decided that I wasn't going to intern there over the summer.

Methofelis

28 Sep 2007, 10:49 AM

Deli counter worker.

Owner was a vicious prick who was often angry and yelling for little to no reason, decided not to bother paying us when he also didn't bother telling us he was closing the store for a week, hit my head on the friend with a phone, (ok, that was supposed to be hit my friend on the head with a phone, but jeeze... how could I dare correct that?)

Amongst other wonderful things... oh! And he threw salami at me. ... and had open sores all over his legs, which was just kinda nasty.

bluebell

28 Sep 2007, 11:11 AM

Swimming teacher

Sometimes the kids were ok, but sometimes I hated them and they hated me. I always got really chilled because you get wet but you're not moving around enough to keep warm. That, and hanging round snotty kids, meant that I was always coming down with colds and sore throats.

Also:
hangover + class of screaming 5 year olds + 7am = worst day at work evah

Arrakis

28 Sep 2007, 11:22 AM

Customer service <shudder> :banghead:

apple

28 Sep 2007, 11:33 AM

I don't think I've ever had a job that was that bad, although my aunt hired me to do some work for her and that was sort of tortuous because she was sort of a slavedriver.

2hype

28 Sep 2007, 02:24 PM

corn detasseling

djm

28 Sep 2007, 03:06 PM

I won't count holiday jobs or anything like that, as they are par for the coarse.

The worst job I have had was working on the night shift at the distribution warehouse of GUS (Great Universal Stores).

I had told my boss where to shove my job, and found myself out of work with a mortgage and a baby on the way. Also I had lost my company car in the process so I had to slum it for a bit whist I got back on my feet.

I bought a car for $250 (an 18 year old ford escort), and took a night shift job to pay the bills whist I looked for something more suitable (it left the days open for interviews and payed marginally better).

I was there for about six months, and in many ways it was good for me. A kind of Nietzchian 'downgoing'.

The work involved sorting goods into bags, and bags into trucks. The site was enormous, and the way it was run was reminiscent of a Kafka novel (maybe I should write it up one day). In fact if I ever do an autobiogaraphy, it will take the form of short stories loosley based on events and be anonymous. A bit like Gunter Grasse did with his book where he did a story for each year of the century.

Anyway the work was mundane, repetitive and pointless. The management was inept, and you constantly wanted to point out where they were going wrong (but couldn't). The staff were mostly rather stupid, and lazy. The aim for most of them was to do as little as possible whilst not being fired.

The union (which I refused to join) was a joke, defending the indefensible. Without the union in place I am sure they could have got productivity up five fold without any worker having to break sweat or be badly treated, They could easily halve the staff count as well. For instance they used to insist that people only pushed one crate at a time, whereas it was easy to push 7. This was purely to keep an artificialy high need for staff.

I was not well liked as I worked as hard as I could and did probably 10 times as much work per hour as the next best worker. Every week you got a productivity bonus, and whilst many staff never achieved one at all, I usualy doubled my money.

Still it kept some money coming in, and I got a better job soon enough.

Ferrus

28 Sep 2007, 03:36 PM

Out of interest, why did you work so hard when others were getting away with minimal effort?

djm

28 Sep 2007, 04:11 PM

Out of interest, why did you work so hard when others were getting away with minimal effort?

Boredom. I was mentaly crawling up the walls, so setting mini mental targets for how quickly I could do things helped pass the time. Plus if you accept a job you have some sort of duty to make an effort.

I forgot to mention they had banal radio piped in all the time, as if it was not bad enough.

Limey

28 Sep 2007, 05:54 PM

My dad once got me a summer job in a factory that made huge metal rings.
It was my job as skinny school kid to crawl under a machine (some of which were operating) and use a small crowbar to pull out razor sharp pieces of metal (known as "swarf") which were also wet with nasty smelling lubricant since they'd just been shaved off a several tonne metal ring which was floating around somewhere above.

Luxury! - I'd get up at 4am after 23 hours down T'Pit, eat a handful of hot gravel and go swarfing until my hands bled.

PS, I really did do the swarfing, The metal rings were actually used to try and build a giant gun in Iraq.

deusXmachina

28 Sep 2007, 06:05 PM

Ha! My sister's boyfriend used to do that and he hated it too. Although we did buy some knives, which are pretty good.

My worst was working for my grandfather. I loved him dearly, but washing cars for minimum wage was not particularly enjoyable. I did some other general labor stuff at his garage which wasn't much better.

what's cutco?:ph34r:

Karl

28 Sep 2007, 10:13 PM

I'm planning to get a job this summer, so I find this topic very interesting... I'm going to derail it a bit though.

I have these ideas so far...

Grocery store cashier. (tried once before and I was too honest to be hired) Benefits: I could get hired.

Doing... something at a library. Even if it's cleaning, at least it's a library.

SPCA (people don't volunteer to pick up animal shit as much, they have to pay people for that)

Of course I'll look for cooler jobs too, I remember 2 years or so ago a glasses store was asking for a "lens technician" and they didn't need me to have experience. Then I got put in the psych ward, when I got back out they weren't hiring...

Patrick_Bateman

28 Sep 2007, 10:20 PM

I actually worked in porn. At a distributor, taking calls for orders, responding to emails from customers where there porn is...

fripping

29 Sep 2007, 11:05 AM

PS, I really did do the swarfing, The metal rings were actually used to try and build a giant gun in Iraq.
whoa you mean this (http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CE5DD1531F93AA25757C0A966958260&n=Top%2FReference%2FTimes%20Topics%2FPeople%2FH%2FHussein%2C%20Saddam)gun? (http://www.amazon.com/Fist-God-Frederick-Forsyth/dp/0553572423/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-6851464-5725404?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1191060342&sr=8-1)

Limey

29 Sep 2007, 06:34 PM

whoa you mean this (http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CE5DD1531F93AA25757C0A966958260&n=Top%2FReference%2FTimes%20Topics%2FPeople%2FH%2FHussein%2C%20Saddam)gun? (http://www.amazon.com/Fist-God-Frederick-Forsyth/dp/0553572423/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-6851464-5725404?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1191060342&sr=8-1)

1990 ! yes, I was 15 working my school summer holiday, helping to make Saddam's gun.

djm

29 Sep 2007, 07:32 PM

1990 ! yes, I was 15 working my school summer holiday, helping to make Saddam's gun.

You didn't keep the plans by any chance?

Limey

29 Sep 2007, 07:37 PM

You didn't keep the plans by any chance?

You should see my kids' new super happy fun slide out in the back yard - it's 136ft long at a 45 degree angle, pointing at the infidels in the city of Durham, NC

nonperson

29 Sep 2007, 07:45 PM

You should see my kids' new super happy fun slide out in the back yard - it's 136ft long at a 45 degree angle, pointing at the infidels in the city of Durham, NC

They have a section of the barrel at Fort Nelson (http://www.royalarmouries.org/extsite/view.jsp?sectionId=83) in Portsmouth, one of my fave museums.

djm

1 Oct 2007, 12:05 PM

They have a section of the barrel at Fort Nelson (http://www.royalarmouries.org/extsite/view.jsp?sectionId=83) in Portsmouth, one of my fave museums.

Ah, but does it have any swarf on it that's what I want to know. Else Limey may have a health and safety inspector heading his way.

Ferrus

1 Oct 2007, 12:19 PM

Ah, nothing like the whiff of grapeshot.

fresh

1 Oct 2007, 12:29 PM

djm

2 Oct 2007, 07:03 PM

One month I was recruited to do my own, uh, shipping and handling. A four-day trip that had me very scared for my virgin cornhole. Luckily, I was never stopped. And now everyone understands that I don't give a damn what drunk skipped out... I'll find someone else to work with willing to take care of that dirty laundry for me. My being paranoid as fuck didn't help.

I am sure I don't have the foggiest idea what on earth that meant. As your avatar is from the same painting as Ferrus' avatar perhaps you are his dark side (the part that uses strange US slang). If Ferrus is Ivan, which Karamazov does that make you?

fripping

2 Oct 2007, 07:19 PM

I am sure I don't have the foggiest idea what on earth that meant. As your avatar is from the same painting as Ferrus' avatar perhaps you are his dark side (the part that uses strange US slang). If Ferrus is Ivan, which Karamazov does that make you?
petrov drugmuleovich

djm

2 Oct 2007, 07:30 PM

petrov drugmuleovich

I wouldn't want to snort something that had been up someones 'cornhole'.

Edit, I guess that means Smerdyakov.

fresh

2 Oct 2007, 09:25 PM

I wouldn't want to snort something that had been up someones 'cornhole'.

Edit, I guess that means Smerdyakov.

Fear for cornhole is over threat of incarceration. I wouldn't bother with a load small enough to stash up my ass. ;)

djm

2 Oct 2007, 09:30 PM

Fear for cornhole is over threat of incarceration. I wouldn't bother with a load small enough to stash up my ass. ;)

That's a relief, it conjoured up some rather unpleasant imagery.

Hermione

2 Oct 2007, 10:42 PM

Okay, boyz, that was really very cute and entertaining and all. I love when nerds get together to discuss assholes, or to talk about running drugs as an occupation -- you know, like they ever lived in 'the hood'.

So my worst was maybe working in my parents' shop under the watchful/critical eye of me mum for alot of high school and college. Although, of course I couldn't have walked into an easier setting or situation, really.

(I could be half in the bag from the night before and so sleepy too, just from being up late in my teens and twenties. But at that job the most I would get was very very bored.)

Just being a teenager and not all that, uh, thrilled with her mum to begin with, and then having her there about half the time.

Good thing I adored my dad and he and I got along too great mostly all the time. He was an istp 'cut up' and mostly just left people the hell alone. Not like mum, no.

Electric

3 Oct 2007, 12:51 AM

Okay, boyz, that was really very cute and entertaining and all. I love when nerds get together to discuss assholes, or to talk about running drugs as an occupation -- you know, like they ever lived in 'the hood'.
:rofl:
There are some well versed and insightful gangstas on this board. Hmmmm there are studies that say that the elite hoodlums are quite intelligent individuals.

Anyways, my worst job happens to be my first job where I worked as a bag boy at a local Albertsons. I liked the fresh experience of "work", but I barely had any responsibilities there. Since I couldn't take a rest because of my ESFJ boss, I came up with a schedule of task that made me look like I was doing really hard work but in reality, I was bullshitting all my time away.

Although I have to say that on some days I would over work. It seemed sometimes that doing the routine work there seemed more entertaining than to sticking with my schedule. I'm glad this job only lasted four months.

fresh

3 Oct 2007, 01:00 AM

Okay, boyz, that was really very cute and entertaining and all. I love when nerds get together to discuss assholes, or to talk about running drugs as an occupation -- you know, like they ever lived in 'the hood'.....

First, I'm no drug runner. Second, living in "the hood," as a drug runner is a stereotype. I happen to know a handful or three of runners, and they come from sleepy, middle-class towns. They are lame-ass white boys.

MadamI'madaM

3 Oct 2007, 01:07 AM

fresh

3 Oct 2007, 01:10 AM

you obviously don't smoke weed

the only drugs generally limited to "the hood" are crack and PCP

Right you are, Ken!

silady79

3 Oct 2007, 01:35 AM

working at a farmstand in the dead heat. oh and as if that wasn't bad enough the boss was a sexist pig who had designs. needless to say I didn't stay at that job too long

Limey

3 Oct 2007, 01:38 AM

I wouldn't dare go near a hood to buy weed, <ahem> hypothetically speaking.
There are perfectly good white boys and girls to act as middle people without risk of getting a cap in my ass from a lower class person that mistakes me, (or hypothetical me) for either a cop or "the man".

djm

3 Oct 2007, 08:03 AM

Limey

3 Oct 2007, 08:14 AM

Hey Small Heath IS a 'hood'.

hmm, Possibly - not in the North American sense though - I would say it's more of a Muslim-Pakistani-Afghan ghetto.

I'm always happy to be reminded that I've come a long way in life fairly quickly compared to the streets that I grew up on. I was around at the right time for a mini NT revolution that was the .com craze and the initial full embracing of technology that kicked it off and I bolted through one or two closing doors of opportunity kicking and screaming into the bourgeois middle class, where the biggest ripples in the water are mundane, tame even when compared to the blue collar that our parents came from, working from paycheck to paycheck and grateful for an annual vacation...anywhere - caravan in a field, whatever.

LUXURY!

Worst job? I were lucky to `ave a job!

Boys from the black stuff, my dad loved that drama.

weasel3o3

3 Oct 2007, 10:06 AM

mancroft

3 Oct 2007, 10:09 AM

Define middle class?

Between them and those.

djm

3 Oct 2007, 10:24 AM

hmm, Possibly - not in the North American sense though - I would say it's more of a Muslim-Pakistani-Afghan ghetto.

I'm always happy to be reminded that I've come a long way in life fairly quickly compared to the streets that I grew up on. I was around at the right time for a mini NT revolution that was the .com craze and the initial full embracing of technology that kicked it off and I bolted through one or two closing doors of opportunity kicking and screaming into the bourgeois middle class, where the biggest ripples in the water are mundane, tame even when compared to the blue collar that our parents came from, working from paycheck to paycheck and grateful for an annual vacation...anywhere - caravan in a field, whatever.

LUXURY!

Worst job? I were lucky to `ave a job!

Boys from the black stuff, my dad loved that drama.

Haha, Shard end (where I hail from originaly) is more a white slum area still. I found it mildly amusing when our geography text book at school actualy used it (along with Aston Newtown) as an example of bad town planning (where they ceared a slum and managed to create a worse one than before).

I guess my existence is pretty middle class these days, however I still consider myself working class. Caravan holidays in Western Super Mare - ahh unhappy days.

Lee

3 Oct 2007, 10:36 AM

This saturday I begin a new job, which I suspect may in time qualify as the worst I have had, as I will be working in the men's department of a clothes retailer. I took the job due to my financial situation, and fortunately it will only be on the weekends.

Ferrus

3 Oct 2007, 12:07 PM

Define middle class?
This explains it all:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=zIfzDyVBG_M

weasel3o3

4 Oct 2007, 02:34 AM

I'd just like to point out that many jobs that would (and in many cases still are considered) blue collar or working class often times now adays make more money than various "white collar jobs". Due mainly to the fact that these jobs still have a sort of lowly stigma around them (and many of them are demanding mentally and/or physically) Many police officer jobs are examples of these. Cops in some cities can make six figure salaries with several years of experience in, and /or some overtime.

Now I don't know what level you would consider 100,000/year salary at according to the US census 100k/year puts you in the top 5% in country. To some people this might seem like alot of money to others and depending on where you live it really doesn't go that far. Middle class is defined as how you perceive yourself, and the area you live in. Thus I find it strange that people who live in households that gross 45k/year and households that gross 150k a year both may consider themselves in the middle class. (btw this is an actual example both family's in the same town)

There's always enough people with more money to make that person with 150k feel like they don't make much.

Limey

4 Oct 2007, 02:59 AM

Define middle class?

I would say middle class is being able to afford a comfortable lifestyle e.g. buy whatever car you want barring exotics and uber models, take vacations, buy things. Basically plenty of money left over after living expense for toys/fun.

I wouldn't consider myself anything other than middle class until I reach what I see as the next wall - Financial independence. If you're financially independent, you pretty much don't need to work again, "set" as most people would call it.
I'm not talking about class as Ferrus pointed out. Living here in the US is fairly classless when compared to the UK. It's purely dollars in the bank over paycheck to paycheck. There is a grey area where financially incompetent high earners meet savvy blue collar/working class/inner city dwellers (UK) but it's largely apples to Oranges between the US and Europe.

Haha, Shard end (where I hail from originaly) is more a white slum area still. I found it mildly amusing when our geography text book at school actualy used it (along with Aston Newtown) as an example of bad town planning (where they ceared a slum and managed to create a worse one than before).

I guess my existence is pretty middle class these days, however I still consider myself working class. Caravan holidays in Western Super Mare - ahh unhappy days.

I lived in Newtown until the age of 9, which is about when all the riots started in Handsworth, also, Newtown became a functional part of Handsworth. One or two of my old childhood friends are dead from Heroin, others in jail, others occasionally show up on my mother's ward at the QE with stab wounds. I don't pity them for a second, they could have gotten out.

I stopped being working class when I stopped using my muscles to work and began earning six figures with no debt, trouble is, it's harder to teach children the value of money with such insulation, so I'm hoping to instill the understanding of survival via external thought and Logic, I think they'll be fine. It's other types in my opinion that cause a waxing and waning effect among as class system driven purely by money, (again, my own current setup - different story in the UK).

Oso Mocoso

4 Oct 2007, 03:21 AM

I would say middle class is being able to afford a comfortable lifestyle e.g. buy whatever car you want barring exotics and uber models, take vacations, buy things. Basically plenty of money left over after living expense for toys/fun.

I think that's a bit better off than middle class. Don't most people in the USA make somewhere around 30 - 40K? That's hardly grinding poverty, but it's not enough to buy a Lexus. I dunno what you think of as an uber model or exotic, but when you put it like that I think of something like a classic Italian sports car.

The worst jobs I ever had were on farms taking care of livestock when I was a teenager. I hated taking care of chickens, cows, and goats. Chickens are fucking jerks. I hate the smell of cows and goats. I've spent more time shoveling animal shit than I care to think about.

--Oso

Nocapszy

4 Oct 2007, 03:48 AM

Bomb shelter test subject.

weasel3o3

4 Oct 2007, 05:29 AM

Comparatively speaking, your average US citizen was doing alot better pre-1970's than he is today. The average salary just hasn't kept up with inflation, real estate prices and the general cost of living.

Back than you could get a decent job with room for advancement into management with merely a high school diploma. Just go into any old manufacturing town in northeast. Or Michigan or that matter.

2007- Unless you know somebody a college degree doesn't count for much unless you have some specific skill...or can convince them you do. Not to mention going to college has become extremely expensive itself.

Given theres plenty of jackasses out there earning bank in the US. A good portion of them probably got their because they knew somebody. Then there are people who struggled to get where they are, but again probably had to meet somebody before they were recognized.

Although I guess we are still better off slightly than the rest of the world I talk to people all the time who came here from different countries, even countries you would think are pretty good.... Sweden, New Zealand, Australia. They just say its easier to make money here then back there. Problem is there also making it harder for us 3rd or 4th generation Americans to get jobs cause of the cheap influx of foreign labor. Obviously half the programmers at IBM are more familiar with Bangalore than they are with English.