Anyone else feel for janitors and others with similar jobs?

[thekunk07]

plus, union custodians probably make more than union teachers in many places.

 

[Piobaire]

Originally Posted by thekunk07

plus, union custodians probably make more than union teachers in many places.

When my wife was a newly minted engineer, she went to work for the state parks system. The receptionist, high school drop out, made materially more money than my engineer wife, as the receptionist had occupied the same (union) chair at the front desk for a number of years. Ain't 'Merica great?

 

[username79]

Not sure about this one.

Several times when I have been sitting in some crappy office at 8 PM staring blindly at a computer screen that when the janitorial staff comes in they are seemingly incredibly happy and personable while I am tired, gaunt, and depressed.

No amount of lame thoughts of monetary compensation or "life status" differences seems to make a difference at that point. I don't understand what they say, but I can make out pretty clearly that they don't envy me in the least.

 

[nootje]

A classmate of mine choose a career that is barely 9 to 5, or more 10 to 4 as he puts it, but its dirty and heavy as hell . It helps him earn enough money to do the things he loves, and as such he is happy. to him the job is a means to an end..

 

[thekunk07]

+1. if you balance cleaning trash up with the aggravation I incur from selfish/clueless/unimaginative clients, they are probably more proportionately happy and better compensated.

Originally Posted by username79

Not sure about this one.

Several times when I have been sitting in some crappy office at 8 PM staring blindly at a computer screen that when the janitorial staff comes in they are seemingly incredibly happy and personable while I am tired, gaunt, and depressed.

No amount of lame thoughts of monetary compensation or "life status" differences seems to make a difference at that point. I don't understand what they say, but I can make out pretty clearly that they don't envy me in the least.

 

[Milhouse]

I met a guy that I immediately envied. He was an engineer by profession for a number of years. Then someone introduced him to rock climbing. Well, no company in the US likes to give sufficient vacation time for any serious climber, and European companies are slightly better, but still not ideal. So he said **** off to his life of engineering.

He's good at languages, so he picks up jobs doing janitorial work, manual labor, cooking, dishwashing, etc wherever he travels (worldwide) and works those for enough money to eat and stash a small bit, then he quits, goes climbing for a month while he slowly burns the stash of cash on food. Then it is back to working those jobs to do it all over again.

He sleeps in a tent and sleeping bag every night. Since he has no rent to pay or bills like cell phone or whatnot, the little bit of money that he earns goes pretty far.

He is essentially homeless and nomadic by choice. But damn was he happy and he had been doing this for several years when I met him. Smart guy, able to do much more intellectual work that he doesn't enjoy, but chooses to be happy instead.

I've heard similar stories about climbing bums in Yosemite and such.

 

[Eason]

Don't forget, if you're ever getting bullied by a 30-year-old senior, you're going to have to learn kung fu from your school's janitor if you ever want to beat him and steal his girl.

 

[gnatty8]

Originally Posted by Piobaire

Philosopher and ploughman
Each must know his part
To bring us
Closer to the heart

My ES staff all seem pretty content with their lot. On many levels, I envy them.

Ewww, just what I needed, a mental image of a man with a ********, middle parted hair, in a white ******* robe, parted to show chest hair.. Thanks pio..

 

[Eason]

Don't knock Geddy Lee, or I'll go Billy Blanks on you.

 

[warlok1965]

Billy Blanks' gym was just down the street from me... closed a few months ago due to bad economy.

I think I get what the OP was getting at and yes I've had the same thoughts. Lots of smart and hardworking people don't get the same opportunities I have had, or were never taught the right survival skills, and end up living lives of quiet desparation. I worked my share of crappy jobs when I was young and it makes me appreciate what I have now. Sure, there are people doing low-end jobs and are perfectly content, but most folks want to improve their situation no matter where they are on the totem pole.

 

[axe]

Originally Posted by Eason

Don't knock Geddy Lee, or I'll go Billy Blanks on you.

 

[rexthedestroyer]

I use to be the Janitor in the dorm that I lived in at college. I washed cars at enterprise when I graduated undergrad. I worked as a cashier in a conveniance store while in grad school. I am not going to get in to what I had to do when I was in the Marine Corps reserves. Everything I did in the past made me what I am today. No need to judge people.

 

[Pennglock]

Originally Posted by KBW

I'm in my office at school (I teach a class while going to school so they put me up in a pretty nice office) and I notice down below that this young nice looking janitor has been working extremely hard for the last several hours. In a few minutes she'll come in as she always does with a smile on her face and ask me if I'd like or need anything. I can't help but think that my mocha whatever coffee drink and pie was more $ than her daily wage (our janitors only work from 4-8 am).

My ? is this...You see people all the time in jobs that have zero prestige busting their ass and you wonder if they have that much work ethic now why didn't they work hard earlier and put themselves in position for a better career? I know some mentally just do not have the ability but I talk to these people quite often and in general a good portion of them are intelligent people. I also wonder why people settle for these jobs. I know sometimes short term when they lose a job they take whatever they can find but often you'll find a decently intelligent person working a poor job for a very long time.

Blows my mind sometimes

KBW, the opinions your express here are so presumpuous, douchy, and factually wrong I don't really know where to begin. Is this a serious post, do people really think like this? Please tell this is some elaborate troll...

First, do you realize the Janitor profession is among the highest-paying blue collar jobs available? The job generally requires knowledge of HVAC, plumbing, electrial, carpentry and an assortment of handyman skills. In K-12 schools the janitor will make more than almost all the teachers. At colleges the janitors with these skills earn pay rivaling the professors. In a large office building the janitor will earn more than most employees below the executive level.

Also, the person you seem to be talking about is the cleaning lady? She is also earning more than the cost of your breakfast.

You also mention "zero prestige" and "poor job." Prestige of a job is something 95% of Americans do not care about, we just don't think in these terms. Why would you use belitting terms to describe a person doing a very valuable job? Do you maybe come from an Asian country? The only place I usually hear such boorish comments on this topic is from Asians/Indians, no offense.

Maybe the most laughable part of your post is your assumption that these people should want to trade places with you in a heartbeat. 40-hour workweeks in a decent-paying, non-stressful job that did not require an expensive education. Is that such a terrible existance? Also, if Im reading your post correctly, you're copping this attitude from the prestigious and highly-compensated position of "teaching assistant?" Get real.

If this is a troll I admit in advance my own douchiness for writing such an earnest reply, but giving some stuff Ive ready on this board, it's probably not.

Also, you seem to write at about a 9th-grade level?

 

[thekunk07]

after this reply and your scott walker thread, you are officially my homie.

 

[k4ppah]

What really makes me feel for janitors, etc most is when people are deliberately lazy because they know there is someone who will clean up after them. For instance, in my dorm last year the trash room was on the first floor, and rather than walking down three flights of stairs to throw their trash out, kids would just dump their **** on the floor of the community bathroom.

That pisses me off to no end...