So you think you know me? Well… do you know that I used to work at a couple of factories back when I was younger? (17-20) I bet you also didn’t know that I was well versed in handling tools (notice I said tools not tool). I started out working 40 hours a week back before there was labor laws for minors. I was a janitor, then quickly moved up to a preventative maintenance technician, which is a really long title for a glorified gofer for the real maintenance men… one of which was my dad, which was how I got the job and moved up so quickly. I think it was my dad that taught me how to hide from my boss. I think the saying was “avoid the boss at all costs” and I did it like I was being paid for it. This went on for about 7 months. It was then that a lack of business for the company, and a lack of work on my part, got me moved to 3rd shift. I soon quit after about half of shift, to go to the next town over and get a job at a bigger factory that did parts for honda and toyota.
This next job was way better because there where more places to hide, and about 450 more employees so nobody can find me in that sea of people. Did I mention that the pay was higher and I got a desk with a real working computer, it was awesome… for about a month. I soon made friends with the other maintenance men by following them around and fetching tools for them like, but not limited to, a “wire stretcher” and a “10 ounce uterus punch”. Or I was made to fill the drinking fountain. These are just a few things that I was asked to do and then I stopped hanging around those guys for awhile. About this time is when I started my own daily habits such as:
1. get to work a half an hour early and secure my parking spot
2. go to the break room for a cup of coffee and a cheddar wurst on a stick
3. grab a seat in the office for the morning briefing
4. go to the compressor room and get warm if it was cold out
5. or go to the back offices that where vacant and read a magazine if it was warm
6. next I would grab a clipboard and wander around looking for something to write down
7. off to 9 am break where I would endure jokes about my hair or baggy jeans
8. back to the grind of wandering around looking for hiding places
9. lunch time we would sit in the office from 12pm to 12:30 for our pre-lunch break
10. 12:30- 1pm lunch
11. I would soon find myself actually finding work to do so that I looked busy for the bosses daily rounds
12. 2:30 break time
13. mill about for a half an hour
14. 3pm end of day briefing
15. 3:30 out the door at 3:29 to beat traffic
If you are working at a factory you can try some of these things but if you work at a specific machine or area then you are most likely screwed. Otherwise you can try my schedule as it proved to be very boring but the best $9.95 an hour I ever made!
What to do about working at a factory?
Sleep
Read
Hide
Take A Break
Play frisbee on the roof ( it happened twice)
Enjoy!
