What was your very first job with a non-family member (even extended family) ?

[steve2470]

At age 11, Shakey's Pizza in Orlando "hired" me to make pizzas (probably illegal but I digress) in exchange for plenty of soda and pizzas to be consumed by me. At age 11, that was a hell of a good deal LOL Of course, I could not serve alcohol and had no desire to do so. I even learned how to cook pizzas in their commercial ovens and how to make dough, stow perishables in the fridge, and chop up meats and veggies for the pizzas. I learned how to wash dishes well too. This was back 1969-1970, before Walt Disney World transmogrified the area.

I vividly remember an embarrassing mistake I made (why I did this, I have no clue, temporary juvenile insanity). I spit in the ice cube container for the sodas, under the spigots. OMG just the idea of doing that today horrifies me, but alas. Of course, my "manager" made me dump out all the ice and scrub it really clean with some bacteria-killing stuff. The things you do when you're really young and "stupid".

Ok, your turn. Yes, an embarrassing incident too (joking)

[Rhiannon12866]

1. I was hired to be Cinderella at an amusement park.

[steve2470]

2. awesome! 😊 nt

[Rhiannon12866]

8. It was not a popular job there, standing out in the hot sun in a long dress.

I really did ride around in a pumpkin coach, with a driver and real horses. It was impossible to go to lunch or even on a bathroom break without somebody stopping me to take a picture with their kids.

[steve2470]

10. bummer 😒 nt

[Rhiannon12866]

13. I worked there six summers, eventually got the job driving the train that went through the jungle

I liked that a whole lot better. I was friends with the girl who became Cinderella after me and she used to complain to our boss that I could still do it sometimes - and he'd say "she's put in her time..."

[steve2470]

14. good for your boss :) nt

[Rhiannon12866]

17. He liked me since I was a good sport

And I loved my train, took great pride in always getting it back to the station - unless it derailed, which happened a lot.

[steve2470]

18. it derailed a lot ? Wow.... that's amazing

Not your fault I assume!

[Rhiannon12866]

23. It was an older train (bought used in 1952!) and had mechanical problems

I could keep it going to get it back to the station, but if it derailed, I couldn't pick it up, LOL. It was quite embarrassing to have to ask everyone to get out and walk back out of the "jungle." There were three carloads of passengers and it was a popular ride. And I'd have to call the mechanics to put it back on the track. It took several of them...

[steve2470]

24. sounds like penny-wise pound foolish management to me

Bummer you had to endure that! 🤦

[Rhiannon12866]

25. I thought it was one of the best jobs, I got to sit down and ride through the woods.

Sometimes we'd see animals, like woodchucks, so I'd stop and point them out. It was purple and there were actually two of them, we ran both of them when we were busy. I'd show up early to polish the engine and go around and wax the tracks so it wouldn't screech on the corners.

[femmocrat]

3. Babysitter.

I watched several neighborhood kids. Then when I was 15, I lied about my age and got a job at a theater concession stand. That was a great job!

[steve2470]

5. work can be SO much fun when you are a kid

Of course almost everyone treats you nicely because you are a kid. Too bad adult jobs are typically not so fun :/

[femmocrat]

11. I got to see all the movies.... over and over!

That was the fun part. That and "making out" with one of the cute ushers.

[steve2470]

12. yay! 🙌 nt

[Siwsan]

4. I managed a Baskin Robbins store, to pay my way through school

I learned how to decorate cakes, in the process, and have been doing that for family celebrations, ever since. I even made two wedding cakes.

[steve2470]

6. free Baskin Robbins for employees ? nt

[Siwsan]

20. Two scoops a day

I'd save mine up and bring it home for the weekend.

[steve2470]

21. yum! nt

[ret5hd]

7. I (along with another kid) worked at a pool hall when I was 16...

We would stay open as late as we wanted, locking the doors at 2:00 AM and run it like an underaged speak-easy. We would buy a bottle or two, sell drinks under the table. Lots of pot, harder drugs. Those of us without real homes would just sleep there all night. We also had burgers, fries, etc, so with the proceeds of the liquor, we could also eat pretty well.

The mid/late '70s were kinda fun.

[steve2470]

9. fun! nt

[blogslut]

15. Car Hop

At a root-beer/burger place that was not A&W. Just the same, nothing tastes better than root-beer in a frosty mug.

[steve2470]

16. free food ? nt

[blogslut]

19. I honestly can't remember.

I think the shift meal was free up to a certain price. The owner was notoriously tightfisted.

[steve2470]

22. free food was one of the great parts, too bad :/ nt

[CountAllVotes]

26. Typing envelopes

The pay was one cent per envelope. I manged to type 1,250 of them and I never got paid for all of that work!

[steve2470]

53. wow that sucked, no pay ?! nt

[CountAllVotes]

62. no pay is correct

and yes, here I am some 40+ years later and I am still pissed about it!

My "girlfriend" got me this crap job, collected up the envelopes I'd typed, took them to the person that was supposedly paying for this job and did she get the money? I don't know but I sure never got a cent of it.

After that I cleaned houses briefly and quit. It too was a horrible job for $2/hr.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

27. Paper route... age 7 or 8.

It was only a weekly newspaper, but I delivered to hundreds of houses.

The man who hired me looked at me admiringly, like I was a real go-getter at such a young age, but I didn't want to do it at all! My mother, who was a child during the Great Depression, was simply a nut about "working" and she made me do it.

I recall my mother getting upset because:
(1) She insisted one day that I try to get more customers. (I later discovered that wasn't my responsibility.)
(2) She was upset at me because, after I tried to obey those orders, I revealed to her that I asked potential customers if they'd like to "buy" the newspaper. She yelled, "You don't ask if they'd like to buy the newspaper! That implies buying the company! You ask if they'd like a subscription to the newspaper!"

She was upset another time because I didn't know how to fill out a bank check around that age. "What are they teaching you at that school?!"

[steve2470]

51. bummer your mom was so demanding nt

[Buckeye_Democrat]

56. She was wonderful in other ways.

Any kids who spent the night at our house were amazed by the huge spread of food she prepared. Some kids, at their homes, typically ate Pop Tarts for breakfast and later ate hot dogs and macaroni for dinner.

Her "you should know this" attitude about some things was very puzzling. On my first day of kindergarten, she simply pointed me to a school building with no instructions whatsoever except I was now starting school, and I wandered around the hallways until a curious janitor stopped to ask me some questions. He directed me to a kindergarten classroom, and later that teacher had to seek out my assigned teacher. Maybe Mom assumed it would be like her old one-room schoolhouse? I don't know. She seemed very negligent in some ways, but the opposite in others.

[LeftInTX]

58. Your mom sounds kinda like my mom

I joined Brownies, while all the kid got rides to Brownies, my mom made me walk to and from Brownies. It was after school and was about 2 miles from the school. This was Seattle and it gets dark early there. So, I would have to walk home in the dark. The leader would offer me rides home, but I wasn't allowed to accept them. (My mom wanted me to be "responsible&quot

A few years later, I was in Girl Scouts. She made me get up real early on Saturdays to sell cookies by myself. No adult was allowed to accompany me.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

60. That's indeed similar.

I think my mother was trying to promote "responsible" and independent behavior too, but I think it actually made me feel insecure in many ways.

There were some problems that I encountered as a kid in school and elsewhere, but I never even mentioned them to my parents despite how I needed some help/guidance from an adult. It was never anything too serious, like molestation, but it would've been helpful to speak to them about a teacher bullying me about my red hair (which I had for a few years as a kid) or whatever.

Edit: My mother was frequently hungry as a little girl, lucky to eat a single potato for an entire day sometimes, so that's probably why food was her primary focus as a parent.

[yallerdawg]

28. Door-to-door newspaper "NOT subscriptions" for...

the now defunct Houston Post. Early exposure (15) to the psychosis of sales!

I look back at all the jobs I had since '70's right through to today - all the companies and employers now gone.

It really feels strange how our personal histories are becoming as if they never existed - while we exist.

I guess that isn't part of "the Dignity and Fulfillment of Work." We need a 'middle finger smilie.'

[Hoyt]

29. Neighborhood yard work. Then grocery store (bagging to bathroom maintenance). Life Guard. eom

Sounds dumb now, but I really liked waxing floors at the grocery store. You finished on the same day (no long-term projects), and could stand back and look at this shiny floor with pride. Nowadays, it takes months to finish a project and success is determined by no one griping.

[Freddie]

30. Babysitting

Friend of parents kids. Little girl was sweet and the boy was a brat. First "real" job was sewing cuffs at a blouse factory one summer for $1.85/hr. Place mysteriously burned to the ground a couple years later.

[Hayduke Bomgarte]

31. Dishwasher

In a little downtown diner. The summer I was 13. Lied my age saying I was 15.

[CrispyQ]

32. Ironing.

Back in the day when people actually ironed their clothes! My friends all did babysitting, but I didn't like little kids. I did the ironing in our family & my aunt stopped by one day to see my mom. She asked me if I would be interested in doing ironing for her & next thing I knew I was ironing for four other ladies. We had a huge old farm kitchen & my mom's sewing station was in one corner along with a small TV & stereo. I'd watch soap operas or listen to rock-n-roll while I ironed. When I got a little older, my friends were all jealous, cuz I had my evenings free. Then a Dog-n-Suds opened in town & I got my first official job as a car hop.

[steve2470]

54. great stories! nt

[liberal N proud]

33. Baling hay

Want to sweat? Try baling hay on a hot summer day.

[Iggo]

34. Comic book store. Can't remember the name.

Cleaned up twice a week in exchange for merchandise.

Mom found out and she was PISSED!

[steve2470]

55. why was she pissed ?

She thought you were too young ? Hated comic books ? *scratches head*

[Iggo]

66. She was pissed because I took a job that wasn't paying me money.

[steve2470]

67. oh! nt

[TexasBushwhacker]

35. Other than babysitting my first job was at Dairy Queen

I would come home smelling like the fry grease, so my mother made me come in through the garage, take off my uniform and put on a robe, then straight to the shower for body and hair washing.

It was 1973 and I was paid $1.25 an hour. My mother made me a deal that if I saved my money towards something big, she would match it. So I decided I wanted to go on one of those 3 weeks on a bus student trips to Europe. I did it! I went the summer of 1974, between my junior and senior years in high school.

For all you country music fans, Robert Earl Keen was another one of the students.

Oh, and I made the best curls on top of the cones, so my boss had me make all the freezer items like Dilly Bars.

[Zorro]

36. Other than the usual kid stuff (paper routes, mowing lawns, shoveling driveways)

my first "corporate" job at 16 was dishwasher at a Howard Johnson's restaurant ($1.25/hour, actually below the federal minimum wage of $1.40 at that time). How I aspired to rise to the rank of busboy to get away from the steam and caustic detergent!

[HockeyMom]

37. Stenographer for Steamship Company Lower Manhattan in 1966

after I graduated HS at 17. Very boring but I suppose the money was good ($6/hour) for those days.

Before graduating, I just babysat my cousins, and cat sat (fed, changed litter, played with) for neighbors upstairs when they went on vacation.

[Laffy Kat]

76. Do you still remember your shorthand?

I've been trying to use it more lately for nostalgia's sake. Love the way it looks and nobody knows what it is!

[Runningdawg]

38. At 14

I worked for a ballet company as an assistant to the dresser. I got the job because I could sew like lighting. Wardrobe "malfunctions" have been with us a lot longer than Janet Jackson.

[catbyte]

39. I was 13, hired as a "nanny" for 3 brats at a resort club in northern lower MI for the summer.

[Stuart G]

40. Working full time at a Midas Muffler factory...making Midas Mufflers..

Very hot work, dusty..etc..but ...we made mufflers....$1.73 an hour. in the mid 60s..in today's money..depending on how you convert it...about.. $10-12 an hour (it was a summer job, but...many full time workers, ( doing things exactly the same as me ) had been there for years..

[Solly Mack]

41. I worked in restaurants for family from about age 5 and at 16 I worked for

others in a restaurant. I prefer family. You don't get fired for calling someone an idiot.

[rurallib]

42. grocery bagger and stocker at a grocery store age 14

[Aristus]

43. A paper route, age 14.

I got up early, delivered my papers, and got done quickly enough to go back to bed for a snooze before getting up for school.

It gave me pocket money for a while. And as long as I delivered all my papers without customer complaints, and still got to school on time, my mother decided I wouldn't need an evening curfew. That would have been great if I had been a popular partying dude. But I was an enormously unpopular nerd who was never invited anywhere, so that was a waste.

After my parents separated, my Dad split the country, leaving my mother with a huge mortgage and three kids to raise. My paper route became part of my employment trifecta that helped us make ends meet. Paper route in the morning, McDonald's after school, and caddying golf on the weekends. Plus odd jobs around the neighborhood.

I kept falling asleep in class because of all of that. My teachers knew what my home situation was like, and didn't give me a hard time about it.

[steve2470]

49. much respect to you, sir

My childhood, upon reflection, was very privileged. My work was just for yucks. I really honor people like you.

[Aristus]

61. That image is a little misleading, I'll grant you.

My brother and I were talking together a while back. And we agreed that until the early 80's or so, our childhoods could be described as idyllic. Nothing but happy memories.

In 1981, my Dad retired from the Army, and went to work in a high-pressure corporate job. The loss of the secure life in the military, coupled with the stress of his career and the first effects of what I imagine was PTSD picked up in Vietnam really did a number on him. He began behaving erratically, and it tore the family apart.

My mother held us together and got us through it. It was probably the hardest thing she's ever done. But she did it.

I have an enormously rewarding career. My brother is a successful businessman, and my sister is a beloved teacher with two beautiful daughters. Life is good.

[3catwoman3]

44. Other than baby sitting, in the early and mid...

...1960 for 50 cents an hour, my first payroll job was at a JC Penney's in the women's clothing section. 60 cents an hour. When I asked for a raise after a year on the job, they bumped me up to 65 cents an hour.

When I started babysitting, my mom suggested I only charge 45 cents an hour, to make my services more appealing. I told her the math would be too difficult.

[steve2470]

52. 45 cents an hour, wow.... talk about inflation! nt

[3catwoman3]

65. In an interesting full circle kind of way, the last...

...raise I got at my nurse practitioner job reflects my raise at Penney's. Our pediatric practice went thru some lean times a few years ago (at least, according to the managing partner), and no one got any kind of raise for 3 years. OK - times like that happen.

I have been there for 20 years now. 3 years ago, at my yearly evaluation, the managing partner said things were looking up some, so I would be getting a small raise. I was also informed at that time that I had "topped out" the max pay level for my career field, so it would be the last raise I would ever get.

She wasn't kidding when she said small. I was thinking maybe a couple of dollars an hour. I was shocked to hear that the small raise was small indeed, damned small - 65 cents an hour = 1.3%. Rather insulting. Having great self control, I said nothing, but my brain was snarling, "If that is all you can afford, just fucking keep it."

If I were not into my early sixties at the time, I might have quit, but nearing retirement is not a great time to be starting over at a new practice.

[LeftInTX]

45. I babysat when I was 14, but I've got an embarrassing incident:

They kept a stash of porn on top of their fridge, along with a copy of the Sensuous Woman. After the baby would go to bed, I would whip out the stash. One night they came home very early and caught me reading their stuff.

[jack69]

46. Stacking loose hay for a neighbor.

[GReedDiamond]

47. My first job was driving an Ice Cream Truck...

...an old converted step van with one of those freezers that had the slide open windows on the top, like you'd usually see in a convenience store, at least back in 1971.

The name of the company was "Georgie's Happy Time Ice Cream," which I thought was a silly sounding name.

One day I stopped for a group of 10-12 y.o. boys, and they basically took control of the truck and stole ice cream out of the freezer.

The most important rule "Georgie" had was, before you drive away, you had to be 100% certain that no kids were anywhere near the truck, or, most importantly, standing on the rear bumper of the truck.

A couple of the little monsters would get up on the bumper, forcing me to exit the truck to get them off of the bumper.

While I was doing that, two or three more would go into the truck and snatch the goodies outta my freezer. I'd run back inside the truck to try to stop them, they'd jump up on the bumper again.

I was stuck there for probably 20 minutes, until the older brother of one of the hijackers showed up and yelled at them to leave me and my truck alone.

I went back to the truck garage and quit on the spot.

After that, I worked for a couple years making vinyl car tops, but that's a whole 'nother story.

[steve2470]

50. wow great story, little bastards! nt

[GReedDiamond]

68. I think, in retrospect, it was a good thing...

...because it freed me up to go on to my career in vinyl car top manufacturing, which, as we all know, is one of the great and everlasting aspects of modern car design.

(insert drippy sarcasm emoji here)

Also, if I had to listen to the weird music box kiddie music that I had to play while cruising around the various neighborhoods, I think it would have driven me mad! (Would have?)

[LeftInTX]

59. Sounds like something out of a Cheech and Chong movie!!!

Hilarious...

[GReedDiamond]

69. Speaking of Cheech & Chong, I knew a guy - a driver for Georgie's...

...he told me about the job opening for driver - so I blame him.

Anyway, this particular driver was selling weed outta the ice cream truck, just like an episode of Dragnet I saw in the 60s.

BTW, I've had the pleasure of meeting Cheech several times, as we are both collectors of paintings by the artist known as Germs.

[steve2470]

48. anyone else ? nt

[northoftheborder]

57. Summer job typing in an office

Fun, even though I wasn't a very good typist. Since this was an extra temporary position, my desk was in a room full of college engineering students drawing electric lines on drafting tables! When I finished my typing work they would talk me into helping them with their assignments drawing, which was more fun than typing. They got into big trouble for that! Funny.

[doc03]

63. Harvesting hay don't remember my age probably 12 or so. Worked at Holiday

Inn as a bussboy when I got my license at 16. Got 50 cents for every load of hay we brought in. Got 75 cents an hour at Holiday Inn and 50 cents from waitress tips was big bucks back then, the steel mill only paid $2.00 an hour then.

[PearliePoo2]

64. My first job in the late 60's at 16 years old was a car hop at an A&W at 29th and Grand, Spokane, WA

I was a really shy kid and I was terrified and a nervous wreck for my first day at work at a real job!
Pat McGuire, the manager, was this REALLY old guy about 23. But even though he was older than dirt, he WAS kind of cute (dark curly hair and really blue eyes).
He told me he wanted to give me new hire instructions and to follow him to the back of the restaurant. So we're standing by this big group of huge co2 bottles and he's telling all about root beer and how it gets its fizz, when he suddenly opened up the valve on this spare co2 bottle and blasted me right in the face! That scared the crap out of me! He's standing there laughing and I'm horrified in disbelief! He says all the new employees get this treatment!
Now, since I survived that, it was time to learn how to properly scoop hard ice cream. OK, done.
Next up to show him I could make change from that belt coin changer thingy. That was a little difficult, since my math skills sucked (and still do) but I eventually figured it out. The job went OK, I gained confidence daily and I became less shy and even started getting tips now and then.
One day, my boss, Pat said i needed to run an errand and go pick something up (I forget what it was) and to take HIS car!
Wow...ummm, yeah! He had this beautiful, dark blue 1965 Ford Fairlane 500 Coupe. It was a V-8 with bucket seats, fancy chrome wheels, loud exhaust and a radio (KJRB AM 790)! Oh man, I'm in heaven! I knew how to drive but I did NOT yet have a driver's license but he never even asked!
I was so excited I couldn't STAND it, so of course the first thing I did was go by my friend Jan's house and pick her up. Her jaw dropped and she said, "Where did you get this car?" I explained what was going on, that I was on an errand, but first we HAD to go "cruise the drag" and show off!
Down to Riverside Ave. with the windows down, radio blasting the Beach Boys and The Supremes, it just does NOT get any better than this! Finally, I realized I had to get back and returned to the Drive-In a little nervous. Pat, my boss was PISSED! He said he was about to call the police and report me! I apologized, figured I was going to be fired but I told him I HAD to drive around downtown to show off his cool car...the coolest car in the entire town! My explanation must have appealed to his vanity and ego, since he just looked at me for a while and then he asked me if I would go out with him. What?? You mean like on a date? With YOU? "Yeah, with me."
I was totally freaked out and I said I had to ask my mom and dad. Their answer was an emphatic NO WAY!
We never talked about "a date" again, summer was over and I started my senior year in high school that fall.
My next job the following year was working full time at the Spokesman Review Newspaper as a courier in the ad department. I left Spokane, moved to Seattle and my third job was working for AT&T downtown at 3rd and Bell for a few years. I've had a ton of jobs since then and I just recently retired from Washington State Dept. of Transportation. Yay for Unions and PERS-2!
I never saw Pat McGuire again but I'll never forget that car of his. I wish I had it today!

[steve2470]

81. was he disappointed he could not have a date ?

You were a super good kid to ask your parents instead of sneaking around! On the other hand, um, no offense to you of course, but he was 23. In a few more years, it would not have mattered, of course.

[sakabatou]

70. Martial arts instructor

Or at least, that's what I think it was. That's the one where it was disconnected with family.

[Kaleva]

71. At the age of 14, shoveling chicken shit for a $1.50 an hour

Chicken shit, along with pig shit, is about the worst kind of shit you'd be standing ankle to knee deep in trying to shovel.

[tazkcmo]

79. Hot shit.

Literally!
Shoveled my share of chicken shit. Loved over loading the compost with it so it would start smoking. Cheap thrills.

[Quietman64]

72. Sold night crawlers to the local bait shop in early spring.

I'd go out and catch them at night. For a couple weeks before his normal supplier could get them to him. Got 25 cents a dozen. Plus I mowed 4 lawns which paid anywhere from a couple bucks to $5 depending on yard size. When I wasn't mowing I was hunting golf balls in the corn or bean field along the number 3 fairway. And would sell the balls at the number 4 tee. Saturday and Sunday mornings was the best time to sell the found balls. For a kid back in the mid 70's I was making out pretty good.

[steve2470]

74. quite an entrepreneur :) nt

[JonLP24]

73. Data Entry for Global Fulfillment Services (GFS)

I processed rebate forms mostly for HP products and various stores like Best Buy, Fry's Electronics or Staples for examle. Scanning barcodes & such. Never made an error believe it or not (only time I did get something back from QC they made the error and I pointed it out to them. A lot of times consumers mail incomplete information like a receipt, barcode, etc. The ink cartridge receipts were the easiest, those were my favorites.

[Laffy Kat]

75. Sandwich maker at the Super Submarine Sandwich Shop..

In Memphis. They had shops all over Memphis and I worked them all. It was fun.

[tazkcmo]

77. roofing n/t

[Binkie The Clown]

78. My first year of college, worked at pizza delivery for one night.

Tight parking lot behind the store.

Backed the delivery truck into the boss' new Cadillac.

Decided that was not the job for me.

The boss agreed.

Found a nice quiet job at a Venetian blind repair shop where I took blinds apart, cleaned, and restrung them.

[WheelWalker]

80. Ranch hand. 1965. 15 y.o. Sheep, cattle, hogs, hay.

[jberryhill]

82. Elementary School Janitor

Vacuum the floors, empty the trash, scrub the restrooms, and then address the day's "creative" problem.

[Broken_Hero]

83. Bag boy at a local grocery store, nt

[Wolf Frankula]

84. Doing Heavy House Maintenance (Gutters and more)

and some yard work for the woman who had been my fourth grade teacher. She was drop dead gorgeous, unmarried and VERY grateful. I won't go on, I don't want to hint at illegal matters.

Wolf

[retrowire]

85. Hey Steve nice topic!

I was probably 18 when I had my first job in the electronics section of Target.

No embarrassing moments for me.

[steve2470]

90. thanks! nt

[Skittles]

86. glass factory in Illinois

you know, back when factories were in America

[BluesRunTheGame]

87. Corn detasseler.

I was 12 or 13.

[Zing Zing Zingbah]

88. Cashier at a grocery store

Pretty standard... nothing too exciting about it.

[Tikki]

89. Here:

Tikki

[Rhythm]

92. Yard work around the neighborhood... a couple of paper routes (starting at age 10)

I did stuff for assorted relatives way before then, but decided to take my energy and drive and recruit assorted regular customers during the spring-through-fall mowing season... i had maybe a half-dozen folks for whom i would mow (thank goodness for a mower that was self-bagging), trim hedges, edge the driveways and sidewalks, etc... raked leaves in the late fall, too.

Along with that, i had a 50-customer route for the Charlotte News (afternoon daily paper) and a 200-house route for the misnamed, twice-a-week freebie 'Charlotte Weekly - East'.

I did both of those, plus picked up babysitting jobs here and there until i was 16, and could get a job at one of the fast-food joints down the road. Wendy's hired me on the spot, and i worked at that same location for about 3-4 yrs.

[hay rick]

93. Usher in a movie theater.

In 1962. I was 16. I saw Hatari! about 200 times. After that I knew I was a survivor. That was my first job working for somebody else. Before that I mowed lawns in the neighborhood and saved enough to buy myself an alto sax. I loved playing the sax. Unfortunately, I found out I couldn't save enough to buy real musical talent.

[DFW]

94. Official title was "laborer" at a U.S. Geological Survey map warehouse

It was in Arlington, Virginia, and the job consisted of moving heavy stacks of 500 large topographical maps printed on dense, slick paper, either to their places in the storage racks or to the shipping department for (DUH) shipping. It was a shitty job, because whatever ink (or whatever it was) they used to color print those maps gave off heavy chemical fumes that made me so sick, I gagged. Probably toxic as all hell, but no one cared about a teenager getting nauseous at a warehouse in those days.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

95. Cleaning shit out of abandoned storage lockers

No treasure, just a lot of old Christmas trees and musty furniture.

I actually found a better job but it was at the airport but my parents said it didn't pay enough to be worth driving me there. That job would have just been cutting old baggage tags off people's suitcases.

[benld74]

96. Carpet installer assistant

Myself and another worker had to take a 24 foot roll of carpet 2 1/2 foot around, up a 3 story staircase.
Which ended at a 90 degree left turn into a hallway. Which eventually had to be installed in a room on the right side of said hallway.
Took us 2 days to get it up the stairs, and bent enough to make the first left.
Then bent again to make the right into the room.
I knew nothing about carpet installation. The other guy had 1 year on the job.
While fitting the carpet inside the room, the other guy accidentally snipped off a portion of a finger tip while snipping carpet to fit along the far wall.
I can still hear the play-by-play
Just a little bit more.
And now just a little snip.
OH DAMN!
Mother Hubbard!
Bisquick!
My finger!!!
End of that job
Just the installation job
Carpet store owner finished it himself
After his wife found out he let 2 teenagers attempt the job.

[lapucelle]

97. Checkout girl at the supermarket.

There was never a lull, you had to be able to tell the difference between all the leafy greens (for the prices), and someone was always arguing that you overcharged them a penny.

[KentuckyWoman]

98. I was 9 - delivering the "mailers" (store ads)

It paid about $5 a week back in the stone ages and for a 9 yr old I thought it was good money.

Amazing how heavy 200 plastic bags full of paper can be....