Tell me about your most blue collar job.

[Ritzwatch]

When reading the threads here in the PF, one thing that often comes up is people's jobs.

We have plenty of professionals here: attorneys, educators, entrepreneurs, etc. Those positions are sometimes referenced in policy discussion as providing a unique or specialized outlook that informs a particular poster's positions on issues. I certainly think our work history influences our current decisions, and there is much discussion as to which candidate "relates to" or "cares for" average Americans more. To that end, I am curious what everyone's "blue collar" work experience.

So, what is your most blue collar working experience, when did you do it, why, and for how long? How has that experience influenced your political decision making process, if at all?

Looking forward to hearing what you have to say.

 

[McDad]

Helping my dad in construction. In high school did it because I didn't have a choice.
Restaurants from senior year through college. I needed the money.
Temp jobs for a summer during college. Went back to restaurants.

Restaurants influenced my political decisions bc I was made aware how stupid people are and how intolerable they are. Only half-joking here.

 

[volinbham]

In order from youngest to oldest

News Sentinnel carrier (12 - 14)
Dishwasher (14-16)
Food server/cashier (16-17)
Carwasher (17-18)
Dishwasher (18)
Mover (19)
Kroger Deli (union shop) (21-22)
Magazine Delivery (26)

All taught me if I want $ to pay bills or buy things I need to get off my butt and earn it. No job is beneath me.

 

[hog88]

Grew up on a dairy farm, at 16 after a disagreement with my dad he made me get an off the farm job so I worked for a summer doing auto glass but still had to do the morning and 2 weekend milkings.
Joined the Army after HS, 11B.
After the Army went to work in the environmental field cleaning, installing, maintaining oil water separators/stormwater BMPS, built/cleaned ponds and spill remediation. Then moved into sales and management.
So I have somewhat of a BC background.

 

[McDad]

Grew up on a dairy farm, at 16 after a disagreement with my dad he made me get an off the farm job so I worked for a summer doing auto glass but still had to do the morning and 2 weekend milkings.
Joined the Army after HS, 11B.
After the Army went to work in the environmental field cleaning, installing, maintaining oil water separators/stormwater BMPS, built/cleaned ponds and spill remediation. Then moved into sales and management.
So I have somewhat of a BC background.

I thought yours was more of a BBC background.

 

[hog88]

I thought yours was more of a BBC background.

Had to give that up, my backside couldn't take the pounding.

 

[GroverCleveland]

Cropping tobacco or washing hog **** for five years. Take your pick.

 

[hog88]

Cropping tobacco or washing hog **** for five years. Take your pick.

Tell me more about your time with hogs......

 

[SpaceCoastVol]

- I worked in the tobacco fields at the end of summer cutting. That job suuuuuuuuucks.
- Worked at ER Carpenter company that makes the majority of foam rubber that you use in every day items. One of my jobs there was to laminate a plastic sheet onto rebonded carpet pad. That is the padding that looks like small chunks of pad glued together which is what it is. We did 800+ rolls per shift, two machines running 24/7. For the life of me I do not know how we are not ass deep in carpet padding.

 

[BernardKingGOAT]

Mowing yards from 12-17. Of course it was with a push mower. Started at $5 per yard. By the time I was in high school I was getting $8 per yard

In college, worked at a golf course, mainly hand raking all bunkers, mowing tee boxes and manually cooling greens

 

[GroverCleveland]

Tell me more about your time with hogs......

From when I was nine to fourteen. We raised hogs from farrow to finish. Had a couple of hundred brood sows. Kept me busy after school when I got home

 

[SpaceCoastVol]

Mowing yards from 12-17. Of course it was with a push mower. Started at $5 per yard. By the time I was in high school I was getting $8 per yard

In college, worked at a golf course, mainly hand raking all bunkers, mowing tee boxes and manually cooling greens

Was it a fancy gas powered push mower?

 

[hog88]

From when I was nine to fourteen. We raised hogs from farrow to finish. Had a couple of hundred brood sows. Kept me busy after school when I got home

A sow almost killed me once, dad got rid of the pigs after that.

 

[GroverCleveland]

A sow almost killed me once, dad got rid of the pigs after that.

She have pigs? We had several sows that completely changed personalities when they had pigs. I have cleared a fence or two when asked.

 

[hog88]

She have pigs? We had several sows that completely changed personalities when they had pigs. I have cleared a fence or two when asked.

Yep and I made the mistake of getting into the pen.

 

[volinbham]

A sow almost killed me once, dad got rid of the pigs after that.

when you have a loved one that's been et by pigs you think about stuff like that

 

[GroverCleveland]

Yep and I made the mistake of getting into the pen.

Wonder what the world record high jump would be if it could be figured out how to incorporate sows with pigs into the event?

 

[OrangeTsar]

Summer jobs in high school taking care of the local ball park. Believe me when I tell you that picking up trash under the bleachers and in the parking lots on a 95 degree day is an experience. The smell of dirty diapers and half empty beer bottles that have been baking in the sun for half a day is indescribable
Add to that moving the pitchers mound one wheelbarrow at a time, clearing overgrown brush with a sling blade (and uncovering yellow jacket nests) and mowing the outfield with a push mower and it was quite a set of character building summer vacations. All for $2.25 an hour

 

[SpaceCoastVol]

Summer jobs in high school taking care of the local ball park. Believe me when I tell you that picking up trash under the bleachers and in the parking lots on a 95 degree day is an experience. The smell of dirty diapers and half empty beer bottles that have been baking in the sun for half a day is indescribable
Add to that moving the pitchers mound one wheelbarrow at a time, clearing overgrown brush with a sling blade (and uncovering yellow jacket nests) and mowing the outfield with a push mower and it was quite a set of character building summer vacations. All for $2.25 an hour

It's amazing what pigs people are when they don't have to clean up after themselves isn't it?

 

[OrangeTsar]

It's amazing what pigs people are when they don't have to clean up after themselves isn't it?

Indeed. And as much as I love America and make fun of Europeans; they are 100x better on that front than we are.
The old 70’s Tennessee Trash PSA was and is unfortunately all too accurate

 

[LouderVol]

most blue collar was laying sod for a landscape company. did that for about two summers, and some part time during the school year. did several other various things while working for that landscape company, but sod was the worst of it.

mostly because the sod gets infested by fire ants, and you had to pick up and move a couple hundred slabs a day. the sod was also typically 25-50 degrees hotter than the air. worse if it was left on concrete or asphalt. it was hot enough to burn your skin if you didn't wear long sleeves. I would get home, take a shower, eat dinner, drink some benadryl and go to bed.

taught me I didn't want to do that. also taught me bosses will be jack arses and take advantage of you every chance they can.

 

[Orangeburst]

Janitor..ie Custodial Engineer, at Sears Warehouse, 1984-2023.

 

[DC_Vol]

My dad insisted on putting me to work as soon as possible. I had a variety of blue collar jobs.

My first job was washing dishes before I was legal working age. He had a friend who owned a steakhouse.

I worked as a cart boy for several years before switching to greens crew where I did course setup, tee boxes, sand pro, tractors, weed eater, engine maintenance, sod. Did this through high school.

When I was old enough I tended bar for several years. That was a lot of fun.

If it paid the bills like my white collar gig, I’d love nothing more than work the greens crew for the rest of my days. Outside on the course, left alone with some tunes to do your work, and seeing the results of your work.

I learned I like to own my job. And a lot of the people in the restaurant business are ******* up.

 

[DinkinFlicka]

Oh boy.


11-14 landscaping and hardscaping with my uncle
15-17 spending summers ditch digging for the plumbing company my stepdad worked for
18-22 a slew of food delivery jobs, landscaping gigs, and bar backing
22-33 a mix of bartending, fine dining serving, bar management, and beverage director consulting
33 to present, 35, owning and operating a bar within my LLC.

I have worked for 25 years straight and none of those jobs had a chair to sit in.

 

[Ritzwatch]

Oh boy.


11-14 landscaping and hardscaping with my uncle
15-17 spending summers ditch digging for the plumbing company my stepdad worked for
18-22 a slew of food delivery jobs, landscaping gigs, and bar backing
22-33 a mix of bartending, fine dining serving, bar management, and beverage director consulting
33 to present, 35, owning and operating a bar within my LLC.

I have worked for 25 years straight and none of those jobs had a chair to sit in.

What's your bar? I think you have said it is in Knoxville....I'll have to stop by sometime when I am in for a game.