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The Day I Quit the Piggly Wiggly--a kind of funny memory
Posted on 7/5/14 at 8:25 am
Posted on 7/5/14 at 8:25 am
About 28 years ago, after I graduated from college, the only job I could get was working for $3.35 an hour at the local Piggly Wiggly.
I worked as the potato man in the produce department. Although I was bummed out about making so little money, I enjoyed the hard labor. I was getting strong tossing 100 pound potato bags into a tilted bin that aided rolling them into 10 pound bags.
I did this mindless labor for 6 hour shifts. The managers were all uptight about giving 15 minute breaks...they only gave us 10 minute breaks because they counted the 5 minutes it took to walk back and forth to the break room. Talk about slave drivers and cheap skin flints.
The working atmosphere was hostile. A big gorilla like man was always sexually harassing me but I stood up to him. The women who worked there ignored me which kind of depressed me. My direct boss was a retired Marine sergeant.
On December 23rd I had the day off, but the retired Marine drill sergeant called me in to work. I had been looking forward to getting stoned and going Christmas shopping that day.
Before I was supposed to finish packing the potatoes, he had me rework the apples--moving the old apples on top of the new apples. I didn't move too fast because all I had to look forward when I finished this taks was packing potatoes, an unnecessary task because we had a huge table full of potatoes that were turning green under the lights on display.
The Sergeant told me I was too slow. Suddenly, the task literally bored me to tears. The $3.35 an hour no longer motivated me to stay there.
I clocked out and started to leave. The Marine sergeant couldn't believe a grown man could be bored to tears. He told me he was giving me "constructive criticism." I didn't think telling someone they were too slow was constructive.
I left despite his peptalk.
I got stoned while I drove to the mall. I went Christmas shopping, then stopped at a fancy restaurant bar in the mall and got drunk.
I got so shitfaced, I couldn't find where I parked my car in the mall parking lot. I started circling the mall to try and find it, and I fell down a steep hill, skidding and rolling to the bottom. Too bad there was no youtube video back then.
I picked up a 6 pack of big cans of beer and brought them to my parents house where I was living at the time. My mom always told me I could drink in the house, so I wouldn't get a DUI, but of course, she gave me a hard time about drinking huge cans of beer in the house.
She urged me to grovel for my job back which I did not.
I played Led Zeppelin's "I can't Quit you baby" in my room.
If I had to do it exactly over like I did that day, I would do it again.
I never regretted quitting the Piggly Wiggly.
I worked as the potato man in the produce department. Although I was bummed out about making so little money, I enjoyed the hard labor. I was getting strong tossing 100 pound potato bags into a tilted bin that aided rolling them into 10 pound bags.
I did this mindless labor for 6 hour shifts. The managers were all uptight about giving 15 minute breaks...they only gave us 10 minute breaks because they counted the 5 minutes it took to walk back and forth to the break room. Talk about slave drivers and cheap skin flints.
The working atmosphere was hostile. A big gorilla like man was always sexually harassing me but I stood up to him. The women who worked there ignored me which kind of depressed me. My direct boss was a retired Marine sergeant.
On December 23rd I had the day off, but the retired Marine drill sergeant called me in to work. I had been looking forward to getting stoned and going Christmas shopping that day.
Before I was supposed to finish packing the potatoes, he had me rework the apples--moving the old apples on top of the new apples. I didn't move too fast because all I had to look forward when I finished this taks was packing potatoes, an unnecessary task because we had a huge table full of potatoes that were turning green under the lights on display.
The Sergeant told me I was too slow. Suddenly, the task literally bored me to tears. The $3.35 an hour no longer motivated me to stay there.
I clocked out and started to leave. The Marine sergeant couldn't believe a grown man could be bored to tears. He told me he was giving me "constructive criticism." I didn't think telling someone they were too slow was constructive.
I left despite his peptalk.
I got stoned while I drove to the mall. I went Christmas shopping, then stopped at a fancy restaurant bar in the mall and got drunk.
I got so shitfaced, I couldn't find where I parked my car in the mall parking lot. I started circling the mall to try and find it, and I fell down a steep hill, skidding and rolling to the bottom. Too bad there was no youtube video back then.
I picked up a 6 pack of big cans of beer and brought them to my parents house where I was living at the time. My mom always told me I could drink in the house, so I wouldn't get a DUI, but of course, she gave me a hard time about drinking huge cans of beer in the house.
She urged me to grovel for my job back which I did not.
I played Led Zeppelin's "I can't Quit you baby" in my room.
If I had to do it exactly over like I did that day, I would do it again.
I never regretted quitting the Piggly Wiggly.
Posted on 7/5/14 at 9:56 am to samson'sseed
So much for the value of a UGA degree.
Posted on 7/5/14 at 9:58 am to Pavoloco83
your poor pocketbook.
This post was edited on 7/5/14 at 9:59 am
Posted on 7/5/14 at 10:04 am to samson'sseed
28 years should be enough time to swallow your pride and go ask for the job back.
Posted on 7/5/14 at 10:12 am to PowerTool
That particular store closed down a few months after I quit.
Chances are, I would have gotten laid off anyway.
Chances are, I would have gotten laid off anyway.
Posted on 7/5/14 at 10:22 am to samson'sseed
Did Morgan Freeman get his canned Salmon from this Piggly Wiggly since the Pork Chop Jessica Tandy left him was dried out?
Posted on 7/5/14 at 10:45 am to samson'sseed
That's an interesting story. Was getting drunk in a mall restaurant back then as lame as it would be today?
Posted on 7/5/14 at 10:57 am to samson'sseed
Well at least you didn't get on the road and drive shite faced drunk
This post was edited on 7/6/14 at 11:20 am
Posted on 7/5/14 at 12:25 pm to Pavoloco83
quote:
So much for the value of a UGA degree.
Odds are he doesn't have one.
Posted on 7/5/14 at 12:35 pm to samson'sseed
Do you still live at your parents house too?
Posted on 7/6/14 at 7:15 am to Crimson G
Wasn't lame.
There was a window facing the mall, so I could watch all the good-looking women walk through.
This was before the internet when you can look at good-looking women at the click of a mouse.
There was a window facing the mall, so I could watch all the good-looking women walk through.
This was before the internet when you can look at good-looking women at the click of a mouse.
Posted on 7/6/14 at 7:15 am to Thurber
Nope.
Moved in with my girlfriend then wife in 1993.
Moved in with my girlfriend then wife in 1993.
Posted on 7/6/14 at 7:48 am to samson'sseed
I quit my job at Carmike Cinemas because my dumb count of a manager kept me late and the UT vs US game was starting.
We lost
We lost
Posted on 7/6/14 at 8:29 am to samson'sseed
I worked at Piggly Wiggly for about 4 months between high school and college. It was a long time ago
To this day, it is the only job I have ever been fired from in my life.
I can pretty much tell when you worked there
To this day, it is the only job I have ever been fired from in my life.
quote:
$3.35 an hour
I can pretty much tell when you worked there
This post was edited on 7/6/14 at 8:31 am
Posted on 7/6/14 at 8:35 am to LanierSpots
Yeah I remember my boss at the service station bitching about the jump from $3 an hour to $3.35
This post was edited on 7/6/14 at 9:23 am
Posted on 7/6/14 at 9:10 am to Agforlife
My first job was bagging groceries at Kroger making $4.15 an hour.
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