Capt Lightning
Well-known Member
- Location
- Historic Buchan, Scotland
When I was a student, I used to have various holiday jobs. In the summer, I would work for the local council collecting rubbish, cutting grass in rural graveyards etc.. At Christmas, I would work as a temporary postman. This and other summer jobs, provided an education in human nature that you couldn't learn from a book.
My work was in a medium sized town that stretched over a wide area. There were ordinary streets of houses built in the early 20th century, big traditional houses, modern bespoke houses sitting on well groomed sites - and large (what we now refer to as) social housing estates.
Without wishing to over generalise, the more established ordinary houses were OK. The residents were happy to see the postie coming round with his sack and deliver their Christmas mail. The expensive houses were OK, their owners were 'well to do' and polite. The worst thing was having to walk up a long drive, back again and then up the next long drive etc. (some owners provided a shortcut between houses for the postie).
The bit I hated was delivering to some streets in the housing estates. Often the houses were numbered consecutively round a central green , so you arrange your deliveries 1,2,3,....... up to say 40 where the first and last houses were often side by side. So off I go, no 1, 2... and someone says, have you any for no.36? I'll be with you in a minute. Why can't you look for it now? OK, to shut them up I look. Sorry, nothing for 36. Then I get a load of abuse because there is no mail for them.
On. I go.... no 10, 11... Then somebody shouts at me, Oi, this isn't for me. I check the address - yes I've delivered it to the right house. Another load of abuse because I'm stupid, can't read and should know that the address was wrong. All this from some 'knuckle dragger who hadn't evolved past caveman".
I hated those streets...
My daughter, explained, quoting several philosophers, that everyone needs someone to feel superior to, and people like the postman, garbage collector etc.. are prime targets. Students were just a waste of space and money. People higher up the chain, were much more appreciative of people providing services they didn't want to do themselves.
I learned to appreciate that you should not confuse people and the job that you did. I've met some very clever and skilful people doing manual work.
My work was in a medium sized town that stretched over a wide area. There were ordinary streets of houses built in the early 20th century, big traditional houses, modern bespoke houses sitting on well groomed sites - and large (what we now refer to as) social housing estates.
Without wishing to over generalise, the more established ordinary houses were OK. The residents were happy to see the postie coming round with his sack and deliver their Christmas mail. The expensive houses were OK, their owners were 'well to do' and polite. The worst thing was having to walk up a long drive, back again and then up the next long drive etc. (some owners provided a shortcut between houses for the postie).
The bit I hated was delivering to some streets in the housing estates. Often the houses were numbered consecutively round a central green , so you arrange your deliveries 1,2,3,....... up to say 40 where the first and last houses were often side by side. So off I go, no 1, 2... and someone says, have you any for no.36? I'll be with you in a minute. Why can't you look for it now? OK, to shut them up I look. Sorry, nothing for 36. Then I get a load of abuse because there is no mail for them.
On. I go.... no 10, 11... Then somebody shouts at me, Oi, this isn't for me. I check the address - yes I've delivered it to the right house. Another load of abuse because I'm stupid, can't read and should know that the address was wrong. All this from some 'knuckle dragger who hadn't evolved past caveman".
I hated those streets...
My daughter, explained, quoting several philosophers, that everyone needs someone to feel superior to, and people like the postman, garbage collector etc.. are prime targets. Students were just a waste of space and money. People higher up the chain, were much more appreciative of people providing services they didn't want to do themselves.
I learned to appreciate that you should not confuse people and the job that you did. I've met some very clever and skilful people doing manual work.