Mylanta
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posted on September 21, 2001 03:58:28 AM
When you were a teenager what sort of part time jobs did you have?
I had quite a few over the years. I
I delivered newspapers for a while, but gave that away. It meant I had to start at 5.30 in the morning!
I also remember working for a local butcher, (small English village) and on Saturday mornings had to deliver orders using an old fashioned pushbike with a huge cane basket on the front. You needed muscles like Godzilla to pedal the thing.
Summer time was best. There was always work on local farms, either at hay making time or later in the season, plenty of fruit picking.
Another job I had was at the local coach depot washing the buses every evening. That ended when the bus company installed an automatic drive through washer for the buses!
What did you do?
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nettak
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posted on September 21, 2001 04:16:57 AM
Oh I had lots of different jobs when I was a kid, but most of them did not pay much.
I remember helping out at the corner store, and I think we ate more sweets than we sold.  I also put signs up for babysitting, and I did get a lot of work from that one.
The one job that I remember I had for the longest and also for the least money was in a hairdressing salon. I had to sweep the floor and make tea and coffee ect., and sometimes I would be asked to wash someone's hair. YUKKY POO I hated that particular part of the job. Some of those old ladies used to come in only once every 2 weeks and they did not wash there hair at all in between visits. They used to just brush the hair back into place each day and spray it with a whole tin of hair spray (I am certain it must have been a full tin each day), and wait until the next appointment before it was washed again. It used to make my skin crawl.....hairdressing was definetly not for me.
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pharlap
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posted on September 21, 2001 04:21:33 AM
Believe it or not my first job was being an Avon lady (at 15 years old!) 
I actually made quite a bit of money - I think that my customers thought I was a bit of a novelty  Either that or they felt sorry for this poor kid having to traipse the streets to make some cash
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nettak
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posted on September 21, 2001 04:44:40 AM
Hey Pharlap I could not say that I was ever a real Avon Lady, but does it count that we used to play at being one. You know the old "Ding Dong Avon Calling" routine, god we used to think we were so funny doing that. Do kid's still do that these days?
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pharlap
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posted on September 21, 2001 05:09:06 AM
Well, I used to get a fair bit of ribbing from my friends at school! I didn't mind. I just teased them back for flipping burgers and scanning groceries for half of what I was getting paid LOL!!!
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gravid
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posted on September 21, 2001 05:21:27 AM
When I was about 8 I had a worm farm and sold them as fishing bait for guys driving
past on the busy road we lived on. I found out that if I went fishing myself I could tell
the fishermen what my catch was that I had for sale and if they did not catch anything
they would stop on the way home and buy them.
When I was 11 I sold ice cream off a bike. I also made and sold dart sets and other
toys the other kids wanted. Cash or trade. About then I also planted flowers and sold
them door to door.
When I was 14 I was doing car detailing and making more than my uncle who worked
for North American Rockwell. I also found out a lot of kids my age had train sets and
other toys they did not use anymore so I would swap and trade to get them and resell
them.
At 15 - 16 I was trying to sell some inventions and all was well until my Mom got an
envelope in the mail from Bell Labs about the size of a phone book telling me to desist
because I was infringing on their patents and they were prepared to sue my butt off -
that was the end of that.
In high school I actually tried working for some other people and it was interesting but I
found out I did not like making accommodations for crazy people.
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pharlap
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posted on September 21, 2001 05:33:20 AM
Ok Gravid - I'm curious What did you invent?
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Mylanta
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posted on September 21, 2001 05:41:54 AM
Ding Dong Avon Calling
Knock knock!
Who's there?
Avon calling, Did'ya know your doorbells stuffed!
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gravid
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posted on September 21, 2001 06:59:48 AM
pharlap - I tried to sell them an optical cavity for a solid state laser that had lower loses and greater heat transfer for waste heat than the configuration they were using
- but they were insistant that their patent was written so broadly that it covered any configuration.
It was as if the telephone were new and I suggested making a telephone that looks like a duck. They could not see past the fear of having anyone elso touch their toy to the fact it would be amusing to have it quack.
The corperate mind set immediatly sees enemies instead of seeking allies.
[ edited by gravid on Sep 21, 2001 07:00 AM ]
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fred
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posted on September 21, 2001 09:59:33 AM
The first Job I ever had, was passing out milk at lunch time, from the 1st. grade through the 7th grade. I received my lunch for this. I aso cleaned Miss Parks class room during this period. She bought me clothing & took me to Band concerts.
We moved to Indiana. I got a job shinning shoes.
We moved to Ohio. Got a job with the Columbus Citizen newspaper, cleaning up the newsroom after school.
We moved back to Indiana. Got a job from a Lady setting out garbage, at all the Brothel houses she owned. Did this until I completed high school.
Fred
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thedewey
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posted on September 21, 2001 11:37:33 AM
I volunteered at a hospital when I was 16 years old, and continued until I was 20. Yep, I wore a red-and-white-striped uniform! Technically it wasn't a paying job (at least it didn't start out that way), but I worked four nights a week even as a teenager. I absolutely loved it!
Once I turned 18, they offered me a paid position managing the hospital's gift shop on the weekends. It was minimum wage, but my mom was so proud that she framed my first paycheck. LOL!
Then I got married at 20, and got a "real" job that I ended up hating, and quit five years later to go into business for myself.
If I could, I wouldn't mind volunteering at the hospital again!
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spazmodeus
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posted on September 21, 2001 12:28:41 PM
I ran away with the circus.
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gravid
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posted on September 21, 2001 12:31:33 PM
spaz - I ahve never stole anything that BIG. How did you hide it?
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Microbes
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posted on September 21, 2001 12:33:54 PM
LOL
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spazmodeus
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posted on September 21, 2001 12:43:06 PM
You'd be surprised what you can fit in those clown cars, gravid.
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RoseBids25cents
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posted on September 21, 2001 12:49:28 PM
Gravid has led the most interesting life - I always look forward to his posts
First Job - from age 12-22 I was the world's busiest babysitter. By 14, there were over 50 families that called for my services. I was in high demand and often had a job every day of the week. There was no chance of getting me for New Year's Eve unless it was arranged before September. It was good money for work I loved doing. The downside was that I had absolutely no social life, but it was loads better than sitting at home bored.
Rosie
*There is no conclusive evidence that life is serious*
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bunnicula
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posted on September 21, 2001 12:55:53 PM
The biggest PITA job I've ever had was when I worked in a car wash. I quickly grew to hate cars with automatic locks--people would get out to pay & the #$@!&%$# car doors would *lock*. And the owners, of course, never had spare keys on them. Happened several times a day. We had to keep a wheeled jack handy so we could jack up the cars & push them out of the way until the auto club or locksmith could come. Oh well, as a college job, it beat the Der Wienerschnitzel I worked at for a couple of years hands down.
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Microbes
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posted on September 21, 2001 01:02:33 PM
Back when I was 12 or 13, my folks had a B&M auction house, and I ran the snack bar in the back. Made a wopping $2 a night plus tips. (Tips amounted to about 3 times what my folks paid me).
It was a GREAT job, I had a chance to dig threw all the "box lots" before they went up for auction. I wound up with the largest slot car track in town before it was done.
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sadie999
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posted on September 22, 2001 05:46:32 AM
Babysat once in a pinch for my parents' friend on New Year's Eve - hated it and never did it again.
First p/t job: checker at a dept. store. They thought I was such a hard worker - I snorted meth the entire time I worked there. They got a lot of labor out of me for minimum wage.
Next: p/t bookkeeper for a slaughterhouse. Never saw the inside of the abbatoir, but the time cards often had blood on them.
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jt-2007
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posted on September 22, 2001 08:17:28 AM
waitress, 2+ years at a florist in a funeral home, hotel desk clerk
At 21 I held the corporate liquor licence for a 300 room Ramada Renaissance Hotel.
At 23 I was asst. manager of a 9 story Sheraton Hotel.
At 33 I was an "unemployed" junk dealer.
T
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MrsSantaClaus
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posted on September 23, 2001 11:17:25 PM
10 - 11 Sold metal social security cards
14 - 17 Ran a monthly newsletter for a local C.B. club, staff reporter for another national C.B. club magazine.
14 - 18 Candy Striper at the local hospital
14 - 17 Babysitting
17 - 20 Taught Disco Dancing - Got 2nd place in a disco contest sponsored by Wolfman Jack (remember him?)
18 - 20 Waitress
19 - 35 Night Club Disc Jockey also, a Wedding DJ (My Personal Favorite ... I was just offered this job back anytime I want it )
21 - now Own/Operate Screen Printing Co. and Fundraising Company.
23 - 26 Worked at a deli, later managed it
27 - now Own/Operate A Video Store
Now you all know why I am so different
BECKY
[ edited by MrsSantaClaus on Sep 23, 2001 11:19 PM ]
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gravid
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posted on September 23, 2001 11:32:32 PM
Interesting overlaps
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pania
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posted on September 24, 2001 09:41:01 PM
LOL..I was just thinking about this just this week!
In 4th grade my brother and I sold lemonade and we gave them a free vanilla wafer too. We actually did quite well with this.
5th grade I sold 'pretty-shiny' rocks I found by my house! I still remember how excited I was when a neighbor bought one for a whole $1.!(My Dad was a highway patrolman..and a judge lived on our street...I think I embarrassed my folks with this one! hahha)
6th grade I'd go to the school playground and sift through the sand and get all the lunch money that dropped out of the kids pockets when they played on the equipment.
Made tons doing that.
Now I'm 50 and I STILL get a twinge when I pass a school playground to go and sift thru the sand!
Pania
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yeager
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posted on September 25, 2001 02:54:56 AM
I did many things to make money as a kid.
When I was about 10, in 1968, I started cutting grass in the neighborhood. We lived in the township where the lots were usually 1 acre, sometimes slightly more. I got about $1.50 per yard. That year I saved $30.00.
We bought seeds from the wholesalers for 25 cents per pack and sold them for 50 cents.
We used to water the lawn at dusk, wait for the nightcrawlers (worms) to come to the surface and capture them to sell to fishermen.
Shoveled snow here in Michigan.
Collected pop bottles for the 2 cent return.
Collected aluminum beer cans to sell to the scrap yards.
When I was 13, I worked at a fruit market doing almost everything.
At 14, I was the paperboy.
At 16, worked under a county employment program for teenagers as an janitor's helper.
At 17, I worked at a local ice manufacturer in the giant freezers stacking bagged ice. Inside it was about 15 degrees, outside in February it was 35 degrres. It was soooo nice outside on our breaks. I stayed only a week. Too cold for me!
At 18, I worked at a automotive salvage yard helping to disassemble cars for their parts.
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Linda_K
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posted on September 25, 2001 06:14:34 AM
Fred - Brothels in Indiana??? Well, I never.... I sold hot chocolate at recess (elementry school) in order to get a free cup myself. It cost a whopping $.05.
I had to buy my own clothes, from a young age, so I took any job I could find.
First jobs = Babysat each and every weekend and sometimes during the week.
Also sold Christmas cards (with the families name printed on them) door to door.
Had a family that I cleaned their house for each Saturday.
One summer I had a fun job selling corn dogs and lemonaid at a small beach front store. They only sold those two items and each were $.25.
Had a ball meeting the blond surfers....
In my junior and senior year of high school, I worked at a local hospital (4 hours after school) setting up the patients dinner trays and delivering them to their rooms.
After graduation, my first job (1966) was in an office and I was paid $1.67 an hour. Boy...was that good money for clerical work. Believe it or not, I supported myself and a tiny apartment on those wages.
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gravid
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posted on September 25, 2001 09:17:33 AM
One of the things I did as a young man was work as partners with my Dad in a plumbing business. We got a commercial job to do all the plumbing and heating system in the renovation of a large motor lodge out in the country. We had set terms and agreed to do the job and then the fellow said well there are going to be some extras but don't worry we will pay well for any problems they create. First we want a bidet in every bath and we will want to buy colored fixtures instead of white. Just make them all red or all black in every other room. My Dad and I just turned and stared at each other because we realized we had just committed to remodel a house of ill repute.
Have to say they paid cash money every week and never fussed about an expense.
We eventually did another job and had trouble getting paid because the fellow tried to hold our money for himself and not pass it along. When his boss got wind of it that nonesense stopped in a hurry - and eventually we did a third job for them that was very interesting.
It was a shocker though when we first realized what the place was.
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MrsSantaClaus
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posted on September 25, 2001 10:21:41 AM
Gravid,
Mom's video store used to have customers who came in dressed extremely well for the small part of town they were in. According to my brother they were absolutely beautiful. They all rented under the same account. One day he asked where they worked ...
Well, maybe you put those bidets in? lol
Anyway, they asked him if he could fix a clothes dryer for them. He obliged ... and was offered trade ...
He took the money
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noteye
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posted on September 25, 2001 08:17:12 PM
Hauled hay during the summer months - 25 cents a bale - seined for crawdads 5 bucks for 5 gallons of crawdads - plucked chickens to earn money to pay for my oldest Sisters graduation ring - my brother and I worked all summer plucking chickens - then when I turned 16 I got my first 'real' job - after school and summers at STUCKEYS - my first official paycheck and the first place I worked that had a 'two-way' mirror!
Somewhere I still have a t-shirt we had to wear that read "Eat Here and Get Gas".
My thoughts on this issue have gone 'Un-Surveyed' and may not be of importance to the P.T.B.
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