6 ms·

I had a long career programming computers and decided to take a break from it and do something completely different. I had two different driving jobs (because I

I had a long career programming computers and decided to take a break from it and do something completely different. I had two different driving jobs (because I like to drive.) I was shocked beyond belief at how employees are treated as machines and worse for not much pay.

DrJokepu 13y ago
Everyone should have shitty jobs for at least a month or two growing up. When I was doing my degree in mechanical engineering after my first year I had to do this internship in this manufacturing plant in France. I was basically a factory worker. It really sucked. But it kind of put things in perspective. I knew that in a few months I'll be back in the school doing awesome stuff but for most of the folks there being treated like shit for next to nothing was pretty much everything life had to offer. Then one day the entire plant and all the workers have been replaced with a few industrial robots.
- lostlogin 13y ago
  Agreed. I did a stint in a cardboard box factory. I put the lid on a box that came out a machine. 1 per second for an 8 hour shift. Clock in clock out. Management sat in an office above the shop floor and waited for infractions to punish it was soul destroying.
  - redblacktree 13y ago
    Did you ever manage to count to 28,800?
- nilkn 13y ago
  I agree with this. My dad's a surgeon, and he tells me sometimes how he frequently hears many other doctors complaining about their job. He says the only reason they complain about a great job which gets them immense social respect, pays $300k+ in a very cheap rural area, and has rock-solid job security is because they've never known anything worse. It's the only job they've ever had. Most came from well-off families and never worked through high school and college at all.
  - cglace 13y ago
    As a counterexample, my dad is a doctor and grew up working in tobacco fields and he complains about his job. His problem is he loves the being a doctor part but hates the ever increasing paper work.
UVB-76 13y ago
Sad though it may be, it's near enough unskilled labor, with easily measurable performance indicators.
- michaelwww 13y ago
  You sound like you work in management. The attitude is that these types of jobs are unskilled and that electronic performance indicators are appropriate. Let's take the job of a bus driver in a major city, which I did for a year. Everyone is out to get you. People try to stop short in front of you so you'll hit them and they'll collect insurance or they're trying to commit suicide. Drivers always try to get around you and beat you causing dangerous conditions. Passengers complain constantly and look for reasons to sue. Passengers get sick and throw up on your bus. Management sets impossible standards, so if for example you are late due to traffic it's too bad if you need to pee at the end of one trip (where you normally get a 10 minute layover to smoke and pee) because they make you turn right around and catch up. City monitors ride the bus to evaluate everything you do. Company monitors do the same. Passengers call the company and complain if they dont' like you. Cameras are on all the time in the bus and you will get called in and questioned about anything that happened on your shift. City police won't hesitate to write you a traffic ticket. You can have two "incidents" a year before you are fired. It was the hardest job I ever did, but the most rewarding because I made the grade and didn't wash out, and on a good trip (once around) it was very Zen being the calm meditative driver (which is state the job forces you into) All for 12 dollars an hour.
  - girvo 13y ago
    > it was very Zen being the calm meditative driver Cheers for being that driver. I love bus drivers like that. Public transport is brilliant :)
    - michaelwww 13y ago
      Thanks! I recommend anyone try it in a big city. It's really the only sane response to what is essentially a real life action game. Focus, keep calm and carry on. You sound like one of my favorite group of riders: We get to know the regulars even if we don't talk and know which of you has our back.
paganel 13y ago
> I was shocked beyond belief at how employees are treated as machines and worse for not much pay. My brother is a long-distance driver, and while on a short vacation (I'm a programmer) I took the chance of accompanying him in one of his job trips. While you sit in the right-sit as a passenger everything seems nice and beautiful, but then you notice the driver's stress of not making it in time, or how he just tries to "trick" the system "just that little" so that he'd make to the destination without exceeding the allowed gas limit, and lots of things like that. For comparison us programmers have it relatively easy.
- michaelwww 13y ago
  It can be really stressful. Once I had to detour due to an accident. I forgot about it but was called in 3 months later and threatened with a firing if I couldn't explain it. Fortunately I remembered, but I learned after that to keep a personal log.
girvo 13y ago
I alternate between working as a programmer, and working as a salesperson in a retail store. Keeps me grounded, and helps with pitching. I think everyone should work jobs like these, something different, to give a better perspective on life and exit the echo-chamber for a while :) Of course, it will depress a lot of us who have grown up expecting to be treated like royalty due to our skills. Thankfully, if you're a great (top 1%) salesperson, you can still get that, but it takes a tonne of hard work to get there!

DrJokepu 13y ago

Everyone should have shitty jobs for at least a month or two growing up. When I was doing my degree in mechanical engineering after my first year I had to do this internship in this manufacturing plant in France. I was basically a factory worker. It really sucked. But it kind of put things in perspective. I knew that in a few months I'll be back in the school doing awesome stuff but for most of the folks there being treated like shit for next to nothing was pretty much everything life had to offer. Then one day the entire plant and all the workers have been replaced with a few industrial robots.

lostlogin 13y ago
Agreed. I did a stint in a cardboard box factory. I put the lid on a box that came out a machine. 1 per second for an 8 hour shift. Clock in clock out. Management sat in an office above the shop floor and waited for infractions to punish it was soul destroying.
- redblacktree 13y ago
  Did you ever manage to count to 28,800?
nilkn 13y ago
I agree with this. My dad's a surgeon, and he tells me sometimes how he frequently hears many other doctors complaining about their job. He says the only reason they complain about a great job which gets them immense social respect, pays $300k+ in a very cheap rural area, and has rock-solid job security is because they've never known anything worse. It's the only job they've ever had. Most came from well-off families and never worked through high school and college at all.
- cglace 13y ago
  As a counterexample, my dad is a doctor and grew up working in tobacco fields and he complains about his job. His problem is he loves the being a doctor part but hates the ever increasing paper work.

UVB-76 13y ago

Sad though it may be, it's near enough unskilled labor, with easily measurable performance indicators.

michaelwww 13y ago
You sound like you work in management. The attitude is that these types of jobs are unskilled and that electronic performance indicators are appropriate. Let's take the job of a bus driver in a major city, which I did for a year. Everyone is out to get you. People try to stop short in front of you so you'll hit them and they'll collect insurance or they're trying to commit suicide. Drivers always try to get around you and beat you causing dangerous conditions. Passengers complain constantly and look for reasons to sue. Passengers get sick and throw up on your bus. Management sets impossible standards, so if for example you are late due to traffic it's too bad if you need to pee at the end of one trip (where you normally get a 10 minute layover to smoke and pee) because they make you turn right around and catch up. City monitors ride the bus to evaluate everything you do. Company monitors do the same. Passengers call the company and complain if they dont' like you. Cameras are on all the time in the bus and you will get called in and questioned about anything that happened on your shift. City police won't hesitate to write you a traffic ticket. You can have two "incidents" a year before you are fired. It was the hardest job I ever did, but the most rewarding because I made the grade and didn't wash out, and on a good trip (once around) it was very Zen being the calm meditative driver (which is state the job forces you into) All for 12 dollars an hour.
- girvo 13y ago
  > it was very Zen being the calm meditative driver Cheers for being that driver. I love bus drivers like that. Public transport is brilliant :)
  - michaelwww 13y ago
    Thanks! I recommend anyone try it in a big city. It's really the only sane response to what is essentially a real life action game. Focus, keep calm and carry on. You sound like one of my favorite group of riders: We get to know the regulars even if we don't talk and know which of you has our back.

paganel 13y ago

> I was shocked beyond belief at how employees are treated as machines and worse for not much pay. My brother is a long-distance driver, and while on a short vacation (I'm a programmer) I took the chance of accompanying him in one of his job trips. While you sit in the right-sit as a passenger everything seems nice and beautiful, but then you notice the driver's stress of not making it in time, or how he just tries to "trick" the system "just that little" so that he'd make to the destination without exceeding the allowed gas limit, and lots of things like that. For comparison us programmers have it relatively easy.

michaelwww 13y ago
It can be really stressful. Once I had to detour due to an accident. I forgot about it but was called in 3 months later and threatened with a firing if I couldn't explain it. Fortunately I remembered, but I learned after that to keep a personal log.

girvo 13y ago

I alternate between working as a programmer, and working as a salesperson in a retail store. Keeps me grounded, and helps with pitching. I think everyone should work jobs like these, something different, to give a better perspective on life and exit the echo-chamber for a while :) Of course, it will depress a lot of us who have grown up expecting to be treated like royalty due to our skills. Thankfully, if you're a great (top 1%) salesperson, you can still get that, but it takes a tonne of hard work to get there!