Are You Blue Collar?

[DrGonzo]

Didn't grow up blue collar but my dad did, then he became upwardly mobile because it was expected of him (lawyer) but it didn't make him happy. I did a lot of blue collar jobs in my teens and twenties. The worst was a minimum wage gig in a brick factory making the kind of concrete patio furniture you see outside Taco Bell - the stuff with some exposed rock on the outside. Then I started to hit my thirties and decided maybe I should be middle class so I got a masters and board certification in occupational therapy. It's a middle class career in terms of the "professional" credential and pay, but a lot of the work is very physical and it's killed my body. Picture a 350 pound dude who has been on a ventilator for three weeks, might die but he lives, then a doctor says time to make him get up and move. I get home and the dogs want to go for a walk and I just want to space out on the couch.

 

[BlackHawkPaul]

I am 100% with you nvan. I can't say I miss everything about the blue collar work I have done. I typically had the most terrible mind-numbing blue collar work just to get myself through school. Apartment maintenance, video store, landscaping, waiting table, cook, washing dishes. The only thing that got me through that boredom was knowing school was taking me somewhere. There are plenty of blue collar jobs that require thought and require a ton of skill, I just never had one of those.

The worst thing about the "cubicle" job I have now is that work never ends. My brain is occupied by work all of the time, and you can never just leave your job for the weekend. When I mowed lawns, I was done when I was done.

I worked blue collar gigs while going to school on the side.
Union gigs, grocery stores, night crews.
Got my degree and moved to Chicago to work 4 years documenting weddings (video). Some of the most soul sucking work there is.
I have a nice cushy job at a university now, and I'm fine with it. It beats working outside changing billboards in sub zero temps. **** that noise.

 

[Cerebral]

I suppose you can say I'm blue collar. I've been a machinist for almost 10 years now. If you enjoy your tv or cell phone, you're welcome.

 

[Dogstar]

... video store...

Worst... job.... ever.

Didn't help that the one I worked in had an adult video section. Guys jerking off in the room, people bringing their kids behind the curtain, and I never will forget the time someone dropped a deuce on the floor... and I'm not talking about a playing card. I called the manager and told him I'll make your fucking collection calls and kick out all the perverts, but I ain't picking shit up off of the floor for $5.50 an hour.

 

[Dr. Manhattan]

I run machinery, doomed to working 48-60 hrs a week, decent money though.

 

[winos5]

I've done blue collar work in the past, fast food, pizza delivery, retail sales clerk. Last 20 years though, strictly tie wearing professional job. Love my work, wouldn't change it, and have no regrets.

 

[BlackHawkPaul]

Worst... job.... ever.

Didn't help that the one I worked in had an adult video section. Guys jerking off in the room, people bringing their kids behind the curtain, and I never will forget the time someone dropped a deuce on the floor... and I'm not talking about a playing card. I called the manager and told him I'll make your fucking collection calls and kick out all the perverts, but I ain't picking shit up off of the floor for $5.50 an hour.

I worked at a grocery store in a poorer part of South Bend, IN. There would always be lowlifes using the public restrooms and shitting on the floor, in the garbage can, the sink or on the walls. Yes, the walls. It looked like brown stalagmites protruding from the walls, and luckily I was in charge so I could tell some other 16 year old to clean that shit up.

The worst find ever? Aborted fetus. My buddy, who worked with me, gave me a look and said, "If you make me clean this up, I fucking quit and I will burn your house down to the ground."

He didn't have to clean it up.

 

[Scoot26]

I worked at a grocery store in a poorer part of South Bend, IN. There would always be lowlifes using the public restrooms and shitting on the floor, in the garbage can, the sink or on the walls. Yes, the walls. It looked like brown stalagmites protruding from the walls, and luckily I was in charge so I could tell some other 16 year old to clean that shit up.

The worst find ever? Aborted fetus. My buddy, who worked with me, gave me a look and said, "If you make me clean this up, I fucking quit and I will burn your house down to the ground."

He didn't have to clean it up.

Wouldn't you contact the authorities about that one?

 

[Dogstar]

I worked at a grocery store in a poorer part of South Bend, IN. There would always be lowlifes using the public restrooms and shitting on the floor, in the garbage can, the sink or on the walls. Yes, the walls. It looked like brown stalagmites protruding from the walls, and luckily I was in charge so I could tell some other 16 year old to clean that shit up.

The worst find ever? Aborted fetus. My buddy, who worked with me, gave me a look and said, "If you make me clean this up, I fucking quit and I will burn your house down to the ground."

He didn't have to clean it up.

You win.

 

[BlackHawkPaul]

Wouldn't you contact the authorities about that one?

Yes. the authorities were called out.
A hazmat team was called out too. I had to give a statement and have the pleasure of looking at the aborted fetus again.

 

[Jester]

Worst... job.... ever.

Didn't help that the one I worked in had an adult video section. Guys jerking off in the room, people bringing their kids behind the curtain, and I never will forget the time someone dropped a deuce on the floor... and I'm not talking about a playing card. I called the manager and told him I'll make your fucking collection calls and kick out all the perverts, but I ain't picking shit up off of the floor for $5.50 an hour.

Yeah the video store I worked at had one of those rooms as well. What made it worse was that it was a large room and the manager played the XXX rated movies in there as well. We saw all kinds of activity back there including couples having sex. No poo though thankfully. BUT, many many drunk people.

I actually liked the job though, met a lot of women there (not from the xxx rated section lol). It was a good place to meet women because it was so easy to break the ice so to speak.

 

[BlackHawkPaul]

Did I also mention the coat hanger that was attached to one of its arms?
Yeah.
When people get into "grossest things ever encountered" contests, I look at my wife and go "I'm shutting this thing down now."

 

[BlackHawkPaul]

Yeah the video store I worked at had one of those rooms as well. What made it worse was that it was a large room and the manager played the XXX rated movies in there as well. We saw all kinds of activity back there including couples having sex. No poo though thankfully. BUT, many many drunk people.

I actually liked the job though, met a lot of women there (not from the xxx rated section lol). It was a good place to meet women because it was so easy to break the ice so to speak.

I wanted to work at a video store so I could play "Randal" from Clerks.
I realized all I had to do is be an asshole at my current job. It did the trick.
Note: I was only an asshole to the customers that deserved it. There's no need to deal on people that aren't dicks to you.
I just don't understand how some people can be utter cunts to people in the service industry. I never **** with wait staff, etc., probably because my wife did that while working in Chicago. Customers can be the biggest asshole fucktards in the universe. If your 9-5 is giving you grief, don't take it out on some poor schmo trying to earn his/her keep. Go directly home and insert your penis into a light socket (females- take a bath with a toaster).

 

[Jester]

Yes. the authorities were called out.
A hazmat team was called out too. I had to give a statement and have the pleasure of looking at the aborted fetus again.

A hazmat team? LMAO.

 

[BlackHawkPaul]

A hazmat team? LMAO.

It was 2 dudes in suits. Gotta clean up the blood somehow. I could tell like it wasn't the first time for those guys, and not going to be the last time.
Probably because of all of the fecal matter on the walls.
The customers were disgusting fucks. Every time I was on the front end managing the registers and saw a person use the bathroom, I was like "Shit, what am I going to encounter tonight. Hopefully not a C.H.U.D. baby."

You win.

Trust me, I wish I could come in about 16th place on that one.

 

[Jester]

It was 2 dudes in suits. Gotta clean up the blood somehow. I could tell like it wasn't the first time for those guys, and not going to be the last time.
Probably because of all of the fecal matter on the walls.
The customers were disgusting fucks. Every time I was on the front end managing the registers and saw a person use the bathroom, I was like "Shit, what am I going to encounter tonight. Hopefully not a C.H.U.D. baby."


Trust me, I wish I could come in about 16th place on that one.

Now hazmat would be a rough job haha.

 

[LordKOTL]

I'm not blue collar, but I don't think I fully qualify as white-collar, either. I consider myself technical, which means I'm waged like blue-collar, but I'm stuck in a cube farm like white collar. That being said I like what I do even though work, itself, sucks because in just about any job you have to deal with eunuchs all day long.

I do agree, BHP, that there is no reason to be a dickweed to service personnel unless you have an inferiority complex. While there are some service personnel that do indeed deserve a sheet-lightning enema, for the most part they're decent people who have no problem accomodating you if you're not a jackwagon.

 

[BlackHawkPaul]

I'm not blue collar, but I don't think I fully qualify as white-collar, either. I consider myself technical, which means I'm waged like blue-collar, but I'm stuck in a cube farm like white collar. That being said I like what I do even though work, itself, sucks because in just about any job you have to deal with eunuchs all day long.

I do agree, BHP, that there is no reason to be a dickweed to service personnel unless you have an inferiority complex. While there are some service personnel that do indeed deserve a sheet-lightning enema, for the most part they're decent people who have no problem accomodating you if you're not a jackwagon.

Pretty much this ^^^^^^

 

[ijustposthere]

I worked at a grocery store in a poorer part of South Bend, IN. There would always be lowlifes using the public restrooms and shitting on the floor, in the garbage can, the sink or on the walls. Yes, the walls. It looked like brown stalagmites protruding from the walls, and luckily I was in charge so I could tell some other 16 year old to clean that shit up.

The worst find ever? Aborted fetus. My buddy, who worked with me, gave me a look and said, "If you make me clean this up, I fucking quit and I will burn your house down to the ground."

He didn't have to clean it up.

Yeah, I worked in retail. Seen all that shit too. Except the aborted fetus. They asked me to clean it up once and I told them it doesn't say custodian on my name badge. It got so bad that we had to hire a cleaning service and eventually put code operated locks on the bathroom doors.

 

[BlackHawkPaul]

Yeah, I worked in retail. Seen all that shit too. Except the aborted fetus. They asked me to clean it up once and I told them it doesn't say custodian on my name badge. It got so bad that we had to hire a cleaning service and eventually put code operated locks on the bathroom doors.

We eventually had keys made. I had to hold onto them, which meant I got pulled away every time some person needed to shit on the floor in the bathroom. I felt bad one time-- I got a Pat. What is a Pat? I got someone that I couldn't tell the gender of ask me to use the bathroom. I had a 50/50 shot of getting it correct. Guess what? I failed. I did one of those "Oh, of course-- been a long day" excuses.