Yes ma'm, you're right, I'm worthless

[Jester]

My friend Jack had a take on this very thing. His take was so brilliant, in fact, at least in my opinion, that I am going to attempt to quote him to the best of my memory. This happened a few months ago, after he had been promoted to Head Bartender at a relatively new bar down here in ole Key West. He was going off to us about his friends back in his home state of Connecticut:

My friends back home are always asking me, "When are you going to get a real job?" But you know what? Not only am I happy to be doing what I am doing, I am also making more money than most of them. And a lot of them don't even like what they are doing. I love what I am doing. I don't push papers for a living. And my schedule is flexible. And I don't have to wear a tie. And I live in freakin' Key West. And so now I get to tell them I DO have a real job, and it's better than their so-called "real" job...and to fuck off with their judgmental shit.

Jack later moved back home.

We miss Jack down here.

[Mongo Skruddgemire]

Pax to child: "Now darling, you must do well at school or you'll end up like this lady here."
Flight Attendant: "I actually have GCSE's, A-Levels and a university degree in biochemistry but I do this job because I love it-it's fun, pays well, I get to travel and meet lovely passengers like yourself!"

No no no...try this "Actually I'm writing my Doctoral Thesis on how the caste system is still in effect in the minds of people and how they act around people they assume (falsely at times) are beneath them."

That'd shut her the 'ell up

[Lace Neil Singer]

I remember someone saying something like that to me; not the customer, but the customer's friend. I and the customer then proceeded to have a lengthy conversation about Shakespeare (I think the customer was annoyed at her friend too) which effectively shut the friend up better than anything else could have.

Also at the pizza place I had a customer bark at me, "Guess you shouldn't have dropped out at school!" after I'd refused to pander to their temper tantrum over having to wait 10 minutes for their pizza to pass thru the oven and give them a free pizza. I replied, "Actually, I stayed in school and have 7 GCSEs, 3 A-Levels and 1 NVQ." Result; complete silence from rude man, who probably still struggles to tie his laces and thought that the best fashion item ever was a string vest.

[Jpurple]

Yup, not only did that attitude seriously annoy me when I worked retail, for some reason I STILL get something similar on occasion. I'm sure you've heard the expression' Those who can't DO, Teach'? The next person who uses that one to imply that teaching kindergarten isn't a 'real job' is getting a whiteboard marker shoved somewhere unpleasant- sideways!

Any job that you do to pay your bills and be an independant, contributing member of your community is a real job. Every working person deserves respect, regardless of the job they do or the amount of education they have, because they are part of what is making their country work, as opposed to sitting on their butts collecting welfare or scamming a living without working for it some other way.

[AirHostess]

No no no...try this "Actually I'm writing my Doctoral Thesis on how the caste system is still in effect in the minds of people and how they act around people they assume (falsely at times) are beneath them."

That'd shut her the 'ell up

OMG I love it! Thanks, I can't wait to use that

[CherryB]

Even if you are fortunate enough to have a full ride, lots of scholarship students still work part time. You know, little things-like eating, car insurance, gas money. Unless your parents are made of money. I worked, my parents helped me, I worked.

People who get their jollies by putting anyone down who is doing an honest day's work are small, vengeful and pathetic. There are lots of jobs I personally wouldn't care to do. Being a mortician jumps to to mind. Working in a factory doing assembly line work is another. Wouldn't want to work as a plumber or electrician either. But that's just my preference. I am thankful there are people who do these jobs. They are all necessary and honorable professions.

Just remember that anyone who disses your cashier job is a twit. Or a twat. Or both.

[Becks]

I look at people I work with. A lot of them are going to school. Some have degrees already. Maybe they LIKE what they're doing. Perhaps they work so they can continue their education. Maybe they can't get a job in their field.

Me? I don't see the point in spending thousands of dollars just to end up working in a grocery store anyway. (No offense meant...I say that at work, too.)

[Lace Neil Singer]

I agree with you. There are loads of people at my work who went to university, got the degree... and still are working in a supermarket. Sadly, nowadays just having a degree is not an automatic ticket to a good job anymore.

[MadMike]

There are lots of jobs I personally wouldn't care to do. Being a mortician jumps to to mind.

Ah, but if one of the friends or relatives of the deceased gave you any crap, you could just smile at them and say, "Hope to see you again real soon!"

[Melxb]

I was a receptionist for a few years at an office while I was going through graduate school. College degree or not, not every person can do a job like that. In this particular office there was field staff (who were all college eduated--you needed a particular type of bachelor's degree to even get your application seen) who treated clerical support like s**t. We were just "the office girls" and could do nothing more than type and were all high school drop outs who couldn't get better jobs. This was patently untrue. Most of the us clerical staff were young, yes, but were in school or simply liked doing it and were good at it.

One day, one field worker and I got into it and I flat out told him, "Look, if you think you type faster than me, answer the phones better than me, dispatch calls in a more efficient manner I do, and kiss ass to every single manager that walks through the door while keeping the staff supplied with all their necessary equipment, I will GIVE you my job. Until then FUCK.OFF." By that time, I was so tired of being treated like an empty headed moron, when office work can be very demanding at times. You know, I never had a problem with the field staff after that, but it was a tough thing to do just to gain a little respect.

[flybye023]

I haven't actually had a customer tell me I was stupid but I've had them imply it many times.

On the other hand I did have an older couple ask what a nice, smart girl like me was doing working in "a place like this". ("This" being your ordinary, everyday big box retail store). I gaped at them, stunned, for a few seconds then replied "umm, working while I go to school?" They smiled in understanding and the lady patted my hand sympathetically. Overall, a nice exchange except for the implication that my co-workers were people who did belong in "a place like this." Even though many of them chose to be there and enjoyed it while the others were students like myself.

As far as a scholarship...there are many who need them but not enough to go around. Also, like someone previously posted, scholarships don't automatically come in big enough amounts to cover everything. Also, also, even good students may not qualify for scholarships or other financial aid. The curse of middle class, I guess.

[Crow The Robot]

Urgh how rude! I can't believe people would say that! It can happen on the plane though:

Rude Pax to Flight Attendant: "I bet you wish you'd worked harder at school so you didn't have to do this job?
Flight Attendant: I bet you wish you'd worker harder at school so you'd be flying in Business Class!

And

Pax to child: "Now darling, you must do well at school or you'll end up like this lady here."
Flight Attendant: "I actually have GCSE's, A-Levels and a university degree in biochemistry but I do this job because I love it-it's fun, pays well, I get to travel and meet lovely passengers like yourself!"

Or maybe- i am a psychology major- I amm studying self-important persons with a superiority complex, and delusions of granduer-Thaks for participating!
or
Does my manner offend thee? Dost my actions cause thee harm? Pray, What hast thou to say in this matter?

Grrrr.. People like that make me mad. Just pecause a person is in the service industry or retail, doesn't mean they are stupid. Many, many students i knew in college, worked as waiters, cashiers, stockpersons, you name it to pay for their education. Also a lot of the professors worked their way through school in the survice industry. So yeah that lady was a condecending asshat. She desrves a all-epenses paid trip to the

[Jester]

...when office work can be very demanding at times.

How demanding can office work be? Type a few things, answer some phones, file a few things, make the suits some coffee, take some dictation, sort stuff....big deal. It's EASY compared to all the tough work the executives are doing, you know.





Now, for anyone who thought for a moment that the above paragraph reflected any of my true feelings, welcome to CS.com...you must be new! That was complete sarcasm, tongue in cheek, call it what you will. I have never done office work, but I know what it entails, as my mother was a secretary (or "administrative assistant," as she was called later in her career) for more years than I've been alive, and I remember disco! I have nothing but respect for secretaries, and am in awe of those who do it really well. Mom to this day is still one of the fastest typists I have ever seen. (90+ wpm on an electric typewriter...lord only knows her speed on a computer!) And I have often gotten compliments on my ability to deal with people on the phones...an ability I learned by watching my mother, the master.

Anyone who doesn't think the office support staff does hard and important work, watch what happens when you take a secretary away from a suit. They have NO IDEA how to get things done, things that they took for granted.

By the way, Administrative Professionals Week (formerly Secretaries Week) is April 22-28, 2007. Make a note of it.

[AirHostess]

I used to be an admin officer in the Ministry of Defence and you got lots of crap, especially from all these older men who had been in the armed forces and liked to boss you around and make you do all their dirty work.

There were lots of older ladies in twinsets and pearls who had been there for years and were quite senior and would look down on you. Despite most of them starting their careers as admin staff!

[Anakah]

People like that make me sick. Honestly she's probably living off her husband and wouldn't know a job if it bit her in the ass.

I hate it when they think its okay to use our lives as "bad examples." I hate to break it to her but when that kid gets older the only thing she'll be saying is: "God I hope I don't turn into my mother."