tough jobs

[haulingthescoreup]

Over the last week or two, I've seen some people in action in jobs that I'm really, really grateful that someone else does, and not me. Although a couple of these could fit on Discovery Channel's "Dirty Jobs", the rest are just plain tough:

- dressing in the cow suit and dancing through the parking lot in Chick-Fil-A in early summer

- cage cleaner for a veterinarian (I used to do that, among other fun tasks! )

- road crew asphalt-spreader in summer

- roofer in summer

- guy who drives the roadside assistance truck for Tennessee interstates, normally topping up gas tanks and jumping off stalled cars, but seen last Wednesday sprinting across two lanes of 80 mph traffic toward a dead deer, already bloating up

- Sallie Mae consumer advocate during their recent fiasco

- myFICO CSR during the ScoreWatch meltdown, plus for the SM people who thought that their score drops were FICO's fault

Anyone got any other thank-God-I-don't-have-to-do-THAT jobs?

[marty56]

You forgot to add being a Mod in this forum.  Were animals.  I dont know how you put up with us.

[Anonymous]

I used to ride on the back of a trashtruck dumping garbage. Summer was the worst, especially when picking up dumpsters at restuarants. Winter wasn't too bad, unless it was icing or snowing, then you had to keep cleaning your beard/mustache out. Or hope that your step didn't ice over while you were on the ground hooking the dumpsters or picking up trash cans.

[Trishco]

Working in the laundry at a nursing home....ugh!!  Think mattress pads...

I'd go in at 10 p.m. and work until 3-4 a.m. and go home.  Then my husband (then) would go to work and my first born would sleep until 7:30 if I was lucky!  He was only 18 mos old so then I'd nap when he napped! 

[marty56]

DW is a Massage Therapist.  Very demanding physically not to mention cheap clients or ones who are looking for something more than a massage..

[haulingthescoreup]

---

@marty56 wrote:

DW is a Massage Therapist. Very demanding physically not to mention cheap clients or ones who are looking for something more than a massage..

---

A great professional field, and wonderful therapy, but plagued with idiot clients.

---

@marty56 wrote:

You forgot to add being a Mod in this forum. We're animals. I dont know how you put up with us.

---

Nah, I always wind up learning a lot, and none of us would do it if we didn't enjoy it. There are times where it does feel a bit like being a playground monitor, though.

[llecs]

Worked as a dishwasher at a restuarant once. That's not too bad but the restaurant was built inside an old warehouse. The back area where I worked had no ventilation at all. Seemed like all the heat would migrate to my work area. I would drink a minimum of 1 gallon of water every 4 hours just to stay hydrated and would usually bring a change of clothes because I would be soaked head to toe every 4-6 hours or so.

Though not as bad as roofing during the summer. That was bad. Used to volunteer for Habitat and the only time I had available to work were during the summers.

[MattH]

---

@llecs wrote:

Worked as a dishwasher at a restuarant once. That's not too bad but the restaurant was built inside an old warehouse. The back area where I worked had no ventilation at all. Seemed like all the heat would migrate to my work area. I would drink a minimum of 1 gallon of water every 4 hours just to stay hydrated and would usually bring a change of clothes because I would be soaked head to toe every 4-6 hours or so.

Though not as bad as roofing during the summer. That was bad. Used to volunteer for Habitat and the only time I had available to work were during the summers.

---

My two worst jobs were both in food service, as I expect is the case for many people.

My first year as an undergraduate I worked in the cafeteria (then I found a better job!). After a shift washing pots and pans removing the layer of combined grease and soap required TWO showers and TWO towels -- after Shower Number One I would wipe off totally dry with Towel Number One, which immediately went into the laundry basket. Towel Number Two was used after Shower Number Two, and would become Towel Number One after my next shift.

Towards the end of graduate school I ran out of fellowship money so I worked for a while as a delivery driver at a Steak Out (see http://www.steakout.com/). Delivery was OK, but when I was on the last shift of the day then after closing time we'd all help wash the vent filters above the grill. Those got coated with a mixture of grease and smoke that was big fun removing. Being on the last shift of the day DID have one big upside, though: we'd usually get to take home some leftovers (since otherwise they'd just get thrown away), and free food was most welcome for starving graduate students. My wife made a really good potato soup from leftover baked potatoes, for instance!

Message Edited by MattH on 05-18-2008 03:30 PM

[wmarat]

Registered Nurse.

People forgot that hospitals are not hotels for not so good feeling people.

[Anonymous]

I live in Tokyo, and there are little old men here who use these things that look like long salad tongs to clean out the grates that cover the sewers. They pull out old cigarette butts and things. The grates are just at the edge of the crosswalks, so they either get run over by people crossing, or by cars. There's never really a good time for them to do it. They usually scurry over there as soon as the light turns red, and reach from the sidewalk, and hope the cars don't come too close to the curb.