First Day Back at the Summer Job

[Greenday]

Ah, yes, the summer job at the racetrack. Last year I kept asking myself why I came back. Once again, I'm still asking now that it's my third year. Had some pleasant surprises from management AND the customers, so I'm putting this in General.

We had our first meeting today. The topic of the meeting? Price changes. In the upwards direction. Bottle of water goes from $3.00 to $3.50. Small coffee, 12oz, costs $2.00. Everything went up $.25 or $.50. Except the $5.00 hot dogs and $6.00 burgers are the same, and sausage sandwiches went from $5.75 to $6.50. Beer bottle is $5.50.

And thus comes the customer fun. Upping the prices of the food we sell when they already suck means the customers get pissed. And who do they get pissed at? Us. Many did not tip. But the few who did understand would tip us decently, be it a buck or $1.25. Some guy kept coming up, asking me to fill his cup with ice, which I gladly did since he tipped me a buck each time. Surprisingly I had a decent day with tips. But there were just too many whiners. Trust me, I didn't make the prices go up. The prices go up, minimum wage goes up, but my pay sure as hell doesn't.

[BookstoreEscapee]

I should come to the racetrack and heckle you.

I've actually never been there. I used to work right next door to another local racetrack in my town and I've never been there either.

An ex used to work at your track as a photographer (worked for an outside company, not the track itself), but I'm pretty sure he left more than 3 years ago.

[Greenday]

I'm pretty sure I know which track you are talking about. I don't particularly like that one. The different style of racing isn't as fun for me.

[BookstoreEscapee]

Store1 is right next door. Closest I've gotten is parking in their valet lot on weekends between Thanksgiving and Christmas, as we were forced to do (though if I worked a midshift I would park in our own lot since no one would see me leave, anyway...shh, don't tell..) I always wondered if anyone waiting for valet parking ever said anything about the people who just bypassed the valet stand and parked for free... (Though we parked at the bottom of the lot; there's a gate in the fence between the two lots.)