What is your occupation?

[glenn k]

1/ At 15 worked for a builder offered an apprentice but went on to become professional student then odd jobs.
Then Maths Science teacher,
House renovator then worked down the docks.
Chemist in a precious metal refinery
Too many fumes so bought a plant nursery in bush
Back to working for a tree surgeon for extra money (been doing this since student days)
Back to school to be a qualified arborist (in the first lot trained in Australia)
Got a Lucas Mill to save some good logs
Got a wife put her through medical school as a retirement plan after she specializes she leaves.
Now after 3rd degree she's doing masters in philosophy and doing drama.
I'm still making saw dust in many forms.
2/ I do like it most of the time, but hate trying to repair trees after tree loppers and working for idiots.
I write a lot of tree reports now but will probably climb trees till I die.
Used to be into computers a bit but I'm told Fortran is not used any more.

[Caliban]

1. Police officer.

2. Hate it.

3. Been doing it for 26 years and am fed up with having to deal with the dregs all the time, and with being canon fodder for the mongrel organisation I work for.

Geoff
I realise the Silent one beat me to it, so it probably sounds lame but I too thank you for a thankless task. I just managed to talk my daughter out of being a cop for exactly the reasons you've outlined.
I quit the NSW public school service for pretty much the same reasons. I now work for a poverty stricken Catholic school, work harder, longer but don't have to hit the bottle everynight any more because of ars3holes, so I really understand your predicament (just on a lesser level) I threw away 20 yrs of long service etc and the best super scheme in the country, but I might still be alive to see retirement this way, just with no money to enjoy. Hang in there, be the good cop and try not to be jaded, we need all the good ones we can get.

[AlexS]

Last week, i was a hydrographer (like a surveyor with water).
This week, I'm a hydrographer on holidays in Japan.
In 2 weeks time, I'll be a retired hydrographer - just have to turn up at work for one day after my leave.
Then, get the sparky to rewire the workshop, collect & assemble the tablesaw, and into a new career in sawdust manufacture.

Enjoyed being a hydrographer for most of the time (37 years), except the last few when I was stuck behind a computer working for a bunch of rent-a-managers who saw the organisation I worked for as just another notch on their CV.

Best things about the job were the travel, the people, the brainwork (I actually enjoy maths) and the VR package at the end.
Worst things - rent-a-managers, AKA seagulls - they fly in, make a lot of noise, on everyone, take what they can and fly out again.

[DanP]

1. Police officer.

2. Love it most of the time, hate it with a passion all the other times.

3. Was a fitter and turner in a previous life. Wanted something to fall back on if policing wasn't for me. I won't be going back to that I can tell you. Eight years a copper and will be for a lot more if the internal bull doesn't get the better of me.

Dan

[Wood Borer]

Dan,

Something that you might be able to answer for me.

Most police cars and ambulances in Vic, NSW, QLD and WA have the red lights on the left and the blue lights on the right side of the car. This is consistent with navigation lights on ships and planes (except of course ships and planes use green for starboard). In SA I noticed they are the opposite - red on the right and blue on the left!

Are there reasons for this and SA got it wrong or perhaps I am just too bored when I am on the road? Is it something to do with SA being the only state not to have convicts landed there.

- Wood Borer

[HappyHammer]

Maybe they got hold of a cheap job lot.

They could be up for receiving!

HH

[ozwinner]

Rob, I think you had better give the wacky backy away.


Al

[Wood Borer]

Then I would have no reason to be looking in the rear vision mirror.

- Wood Borer

[Bob Willson]

Wood Borer


This is a really sad question. Is this really the epitome of your life that you have been reduced to wondering about the side that the colours are displayed on police cars? I mean c'mon, get a life.

[Wood Borer]

These days I stick to the speed limits and on a long trip with the cruise control and on good roads there isn't much else to do.

Like most people I have my doubts about 61 in a 60 zone being a serious breach of the law. You will get booked in Vic or NSW for such an offence which costs money.

So every time I see a cop car and I am sticking to the limit I think to myself there is a another couple of hundred bucks I can put towards another LN plane.

I haven't been booked for over ten years now (touch wood) and this half baked wacky philosophy is keeping me on the road and in good tools.

All I need to do now is to make an arrangement with Dan so I drive past him five or six times when I have SWMBO in with me and hey presto another LN plane will be in the mail.

Now just how sad is that Bob?

- Wood Borer

[minis4meau]

Oooh, you fellas seem awfully well qualified to me. Well qualified for what I am not sure! Me, well I have a degree in Home Management (self taught) and guess I will be in this job till the day I die. I'm not complaining mind you, the pay's not so great but the hours are flexible. And it's just a short walk to the shed!
Barbara

[Munchkin]

Getting a bit bored at work, so it is time for a post.
Tell us
1. What you do for work
2. Do you like it
3. Why

1 Trained fully qualified Fitter & Turner, now employed as a CNC machinist/programmer/setter.fficeffice" />>>

>>

2 Love it, I cannot believe they pay me so well for having so much fun.>>

>>

3. I work in one of the largest metalworking CNC workshops in NZ.>>

>>

The machine I am currently using is a Mazzak 60/160. (means the work table is 60 inches wide by 160 inches long) The main machine casting weighs in at 26.5 tonnes! Yep she's a big beast and there are 2 others that are larger in the workshop! >>

>>

The hours are long, averaging over 60 hrs a week but get paid very very well. The main thing is the workshop is very Tim Allen "Tool Time" where the motto of MORE POWER is always a must. So I get to take large lumps of steel and cut them with much serious intent into somewhat smaller big lumps of metal. Out put in a day is measured in cubic meters of swarf made. >>

>>

The co that I work for manufactures one of the main componitens needed in the assembly line to produce computer chip. Yep and it’s here in ffice:smarttags" />ity>lace>Aucklandlace>ity>, home grown and holds about 80% of the worlds business for this one item.>>

[gatiep]

Quote

Most police cars and ambulances in Vic, NSW, QLD and WA have the red lights on the left and the blue lights on the right side of the car. This is consistent with navigation lights on ships and planes (except of course ships and planes use green for starboard). In SA I noticed they are the opposite - red on the right and blue on the left!

Are there reasons for this and SA got it wrong or perhaps I am just too bored when I am on the road? Is it something to do with SA being the only state not to have convicts landed there.

- Wood Borer
************************

Maybe they are really meant to drive on the right in SA but nobody told them!

[fxst]

OOPS :eek: u mean I should drive on the left ................bugger so much for ....look at those idiots drivin on the wrong side.......... :confused:
Oh well bit of networking and they will have me retrained
Pete

[Toggy]

DanP,

You're only a toddler at it yet. Give it time & you too may end up on the scrapheap like a lot of others if you are unlucky.

Coppers are like proctologists; dealing with ar*eholes all the time.


As to occupation, just say that I have early retirement from the above.
Probably part hermit now would describe it

Do I like it. Yes, cos I get to wake up another day on bonus time. And no political & departmental bullsh** either. I even get to do some woodworking at times.

The pay. Well I won't get rich, but at least it lets me buy some toys occassionally. Actually the geeks probably pay more tax than my super.

The hours are long 24/7, but I get to "work" from home . I even get to sit down on the job. Also there is nobody looking over my shoulder all the time (unless SWMBO has a day off.)

Ken