It’s true. Not for twice my salary. Throughout my career I have found two groups of individuals who have thankless, low-paying, difficult, and absolutely critical jobs. The first are 9-1-1 dispatchers. Think about this; they have to deal with all the idiocy that is my job, and yet they have no recourse. No arrests, no pepper spray, no “driving away” because this moron won’t shut up. They just get to listen. And to boot, it is all on tape for later evaluation. Brutal.
So I was pleased by this post on the outstanding 5150 world blog. I have it listed on my sidebar, and recommend you check it out. This post about the wildfires really hit home.
If you ever have occasion to call the police or fire department, give the call taker a break. Maybe even say “thank you” for the work they do. No cop, fireman, or paramedic can help you if they don’t know where you need them. A sobering thought, no?
Oh, I almost forgot. The second group I wouldn’t touch with a ten foot pole? Firemen. More on that later…
Nov 4, 2007 at 4:15 pm
I thanked a guy once for sweeping my apartment building’s floor, and he said, “This ain’t me, it’s you.” The implication was that since I pay rent, and he’s paid by my landlord, that I’m paying him to work, and so am essentially doing his work for him.
But that way of looking at things deprived him of his agency, as if it wasn’t he who was doing the work he was doing. I still believe in thanking people for doing what they’re paid to do, especially if they do it well.
Otherwise you end up with an “entitlement mentality” and aren’t grateful for anything.
Thanks for the post!
Nov 4, 2007 at 10:00 pm
Well said. Thanks for speaking up!
Nov 6, 2007 at 10:46 pm
Thanks for the shout out, both for my blog and my job, it really does make a difference to hear it.
Dec 14, 2007 at 11:49 am
I was a 9-1-1 operator/dispatcher for several years. I loved that job. And yes, it was hard not to tell people that they were being idiots! But the first time I helped find a lost child made it all worth it.
Dec 14, 2007 at 8:27 pm
DRC
Well said.
I think that is the point on a lot of these issues: The one or two good ones make it worth the drudgery…
PC
Jan 8, 2008 at 10:37 pm
We take you all for granted– we think you should be at our beckon call because it is your job– Not–
Who is the police officer here in Az which is burnt to a crisp– he is my hero–