• 9point6@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    47
    ·
    8 months ago

    Aaand typically get most of the day off

    Gonna put it out there, I’m starting to suspect big garbage has been waging a propaganda war to push us away from the ultimate job

    • afraid_of_zombies@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      12
      ·
      8 months ago

      I am an engineer who deals a lot with the waste sector. Garbage, recycling, and feces.

      I strongly encourage everyone who is looking for a change or doesn’t know what they want to do to at least consider this stuff. Recession-proof, job security, decent pay, very few and small busy seasons, long vacation time, some really cool people to work with.

      There are obvious cons. I don’t enjoy site visits. I deal with a lot of unqualified clients. Fuck Parsons and Jacobs so very hard.

  • SpeedLimit55@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    43
    ·
    edit-2
    8 months ago

    Yeah my mom told me as a kid that if I quit school I would have to dig ditches for a living. Those guys are union with high pay and good job security because we always need proper drainage just like we always need garbage to go away.

    • 4am@lemm.ee
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      35
      arrow-down
      3
      ·
      8 months ago

      Boomers didn’t describe work to us properly because they wanted to brag to their friends about how we “went to college” and like “are a doctor” or “gonna be the next Bill Gates” or something

    • Acters@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      4
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      8 months ago

      It’s a complex subject. Have to break it down to smaller pieces.

      Being a doctor is glorified because there are huge benefits attached. Especially when you think about the benefits for the people around them, such as family and friends. Not to mention the fact that sounding smart can make others feel inadequate in a doctor’s presence. Knowing you are a doctor means that you know how difficult it was to reach it. However, as you mentioned, it is not as beneficial for the individual. Instead, it is beneficial for society, friends, immediate family, and the rich people. Rich people are more emotionally invested to save their ass than leaving an area that got more dirty, bad food, poor service, or painless transaction. With a doctor, he is the only one who you can rely on to save your ass. So no shitting on those jobs makes no sense, but it does make more sense why some are not getting anyone talking shit about. It’s a different extreme, one where there is a lack of shitting on a doctor vs. other jobs.

      • SkyezOpen@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        3
        ·
        8 months ago

        Doctor can’t get to the hospital to save anyone if there’s a month worth of trash in the streets.

        • Acters@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          2
          ·
          8 months ago

          Yes, but people forget about this often and still have social stigma against thrash men. Good luck saving lives by moving the thrash to a giant pile called the landfill(or thrash dump). Can’t save lives without engineers building the tools. Can’t save lives without funding. Can’t save lives without everyone involved. Yet it’s doctors that get idolized as if it’s the perfect and only right path in life.

      • capital_sniff@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        3
        ·
        8 months ago

        Didn’t we just do a whole pandemic where a bunch of folks were overflowing with rage for doctors and healthcare workers?

  • kamen@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    28
    ·
    8 months ago

    Garbage collector was a dream job to me as a kid. Ended up as a software developer.

  • ExfilBravo@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    24
    ·
    8 months ago

    The garbage collector around my house doesn’t get out of the truck to get the trash it’s all hydraulic arm. Sounds pretty chill to me.

    • gamermanh@lemmy.dbzer0.com
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      2
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      8 months ago

      The ones at my parents are so lazy they’ll write a note saying that 3ft apart ain’t enough, get out of their truck and put that note on the can, then get back in and leave

      With how little is in their cans it’s more work to write the fucking Note than to nudge the can another 2 inches so your lazy ass doesn’t have to aim the arm AT ALL rather than a little bit

      I’ve done trash collection in other scenarios by hand so I’m not just shitting on these guys for their job, too

  • Semi-Hemi-Lemmygod@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    23
    ·
    edit-2
    8 months ago

    The garbage collector has to get up early, go out in most weather, and deal with things we’d rather not deal with, and lift heavy stuff into dangerous machinery all day.

    That being said, when I had a similar amount of hard labor to do I got in the best shape of my life.

    • BlitzoTheOisSilent@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      4
      ·
      edit-2
      8 months ago

      With the trucks that have the hydraulic arms, this isn’t really true anymore outside of major cities with street parking. I remember growing up you could also just out big bulky items out on trash day (mattresses, toilets, tubs, etc) and they’d take it. Now, at least in my town, you have to schedule bulk pickup, there are limits on how often you can do it (I think my town is no more than like 2 times a month or quarter), and there are restrictions on what can be left for bulk.

      Even with the hydraulic arm trucks, they weigh the bin as they pick it up, and will put it back down and leave if its over the weight threshold (meaning you’re throwing away something in your bin you shouldn’t be, and would need to schedule bulk for it).

      Oh, the times, they are a-changin’.

      Edit: When I lived in Baltimore, it was the old school style system of two guys on the back of the truck running to the curb, grabbing the bin, throwing it in the back, returning it, and hopping back on. Outside of that, I’ve only seen the hydraulic arm ones in suburbia for the last 15+ years.

  • RealFknNito@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    22
    ·
    8 months ago

    Me, a facilities worker for a fast food chain, earning less than them all and still getting mystery trash juices on my hands.

    Work hard, kids.

    • Sanctus@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      15
      arrow-down
      2
      ·
      8 months ago

      Dismantle the system that pays you based on someone else’s interpretation of worth, kids. Remember, all those cashiers were essential during a massive pandemic.

      • Sotuanduso@lemm.ee
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        4
        ·
        8 months ago

        I agree, but this phrasing implies that the alternative is paying you based on your own interpretation of worth. Poor depressed people.

        • Sanctus@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          5
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          8 months ago

          We changed the system and now I’m still poor

          You want us to give you a raise?

          No I don’t deserve it

  • umbrella@lemmy.ml
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    19
    ·
    8 months ago

    garbage collecting is seen as dirty and undesirable by society, so for them to want to do it, you have to pay more

    in my country they are badly paid anyway though so fuck it lol

  • istanbullu@lemmy.ml
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    14
    ·
    8 months ago

    In the previous generation white collar jobs paid more than blue collar ones. That is why… But the world is changing.

  • shawwnzy@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    13
    arrow-down
    2
    ·
    8 months ago

    Where do garbage collectors make more than teachers?

    It’s a decent union public sector job and pays decently, but so is teaching and that requires more education.

    • Patches@sh.itjust.works
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      22
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      edit-2
      8 months ago

      Well for starters if both went on full strike as of tomorrow. Society would collapse from the massive amount of garbage first.

      But mostly because Teaching is both a “women’s job” and secondly, it is a “passion” job. Everything that is someone’s passion always pays less because people will accept lower wages for their “passion”.

      Also Garbage Collectors aren’t public sector in many places.

    • Midnight Wolf@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      7
      arrow-down
      2
      ·
      8 months ago

      So what you’re saying is, teachers are actually the stupid ones for wasting time and money at higher education to work longer hours, have to work overtime at home for no pay, often have to buy their students supplies, and get about the same wage as a garbage collector?

      No wonder the majority of my instructors were idiots, it’s a predisposition!

      • shawwnzy@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        7
        ·
        8 months ago

        No, I’m saying teachers make considerably more than garbage collectors as in most places. I know they get next to nothing in deep red states but that’s not the norm.

        Also garbage collection is probably hard on your back and not suitable to do for a whole career, and is probably pretty boring, though some people like a boring job

        • Sotuanduso@lemm.ee
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          3
          ·
          8 months ago

          Well I certainly wouldn’t want my job to have unexpected and interesting events if I was a garbage collector.

    • tocopherol@lemmy.dbzer0.com
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      8 months ago

      A brief search shows in the US the median salary for a teacher is at least 60k, while the median for garbage collector is around 40 to 50, they might make more than teachers in some places but that doesn’t seem typical.