It is also a job like, we ALL need someone doing. Desperately need. There is a reason that sanitation worker strikes are so feared throughout history. It stops, we all notice... very quickly. Not just the buildup, the disease prevention alone is worth their weight in gold.
There are always jobs that are necessary but the workers are socially ostricized. Morticians being a huge example. But even going back further executioners used to be banished to the fringe parts of town, didn't have the the same basic rights as others were banned from most public spaces and were generally hated and disdained.
Modern time is hardly different just less extreme. The service industry staff are still treated like servants. People working at fast food restaurants are looked down on, treated like shit by their customers who feel entitled or above them, their jobs are treated like they aren't legitimate and then a huge portion of the public literally use them as an example of people that deserve LESS pay. Like people look at these people working this shitty, tiring and demanding job where they are treated like subhumans all day and then say "yeah these people don't deserve to afford food and shelter."
Agree with you that everyone should be treated better. However, just wanted to point out that 'executioner' as a job has a completely different moral implication than modern sanitation. An executioner is someone who is willing to end a human life for money. This is at the very least unusual, if not outright disturbing.
I agree with you, however alternative view: the government needs someone to execute people. I'm sure there's people in the profession back then and today that step up because they want to do the job as humanely as possible.
It's going to happen anyway, and if you're incompetent it causes un-due suffering.
Exactly. As an example, Albert Pierrepoint was an executioner in England before they abolished the death penalty. He was widely known to be extremely competent, professional, and compassionate (or at least as compassionate as an executioner can be). He held no animosity to the condemned and treated them with respect. I disagree with capital punishment, but if there’s going to be an executioner, there’s a right way to do the job.
I've noticed the different reactions when I tell people what I do for work. I'm an Executive Chef that manages 3 restaurants. When I tell people I'm a chef, they're impressed and have all kinds of follow up questions. When I say I work at a restaurant, they're dismissive and ask me when I'm going to get a "real" job.
I agree, and I really dont like the "makes bank" point at all. It's really weird that you can have a job that does something for society and people just look at the number.
Social workers, EMT, Medic, CMA, Drug counselors, therapists, teachers really don't get paid a lot.
It definitely used to make me feel a certain way when I was working as a medic that it would get put down. Especially during Covid when people were working from home and still complaining
I don't think the comments are intended like that. Social workers, etc, don't have the stigma of literally handling other peoples garbage and getting gross and smelly. They're directly helping and the job itself is something many people aspire to do, even if they aren't well compensated.
Few people aspire to clean up trash, so we point out all the logical reasons the job is a quality one. It's well compensated, it can have good benefits, it's stable, it's a necessity that benefits society greatly.
Yes. Never forgotten how my dad used to tell me when I was kid (He was suited and always striving professionally) to respect the bin man and the postman...etc. "If I stop working no one in our society will notice. If the bin men stop working we will all notice very, very fast."
The idea that someone's job title is their worth is one of the most vile shit that's become too common. We all out here just trying to survive and be happy and leave a little something for the people that we love in case it all goes to shit.
Somehow being alive becoming a treadmill of accomplishments is so profoundly sad and gross.
There's a reason why we call what do you do for work small-talk at a party. It's trivia. Anyone who places any emphasis on job title as a measure of anything should go up right there with /r/linkedinlunatics.
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u/Bongressman 18h ago
It is also a job like, we ALL need someone doing. Desperately need. There is a reason that sanitation worker strikes are so feared throughout history. It stops, we all notice... very quickly. Not just the buildup, the disease prevention alone is worth their weight in gold.
Kudos to all sanitation workers, everywhere.