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Mmmm hmmm. Yes, it's as difficult as the bar or a CPA exam.
It doesn't mean your husband is a moron, that's not what I was saying. What I'm saying is that this is work for people who can't really do much else, but it pays enough that people with college degrees would forsake a professional career to sign up....I considered it strongly..I almost quit the job I was working to commit to the training full time.
The guys running the training class said that the first exam was the toughest..that the next few would be hard, but not as hard as what we had just gone through. I guess they were lying about that.
I don't blame anyone for signing on, but please, don't try to tell us that it's as hard as becoming a doctor or a lawyer. We've heard that from the SCPD and their disciples ad infinitum here too, no one buys it. The initiation rituals are jacked up to try to weed out those who aren't as committed because everyone knows what jackpot is on the other side of the obstacle course. These are positions that 90% of the adult population are qualified for.
No one can know what it's like unless they go through the entire training. No one buys it because they haven't been through it. And besides, no one would take the word of a conductor or cop, so the only proof would be from a volunteer to go through the process - which t'aint going to happen! When I said verbatim, I meant word for word, from a large thick book of rules. Replace a single word incorrectly (such as "a" instead of "the") and you get the question wrong. Pages upon pages of maps of every little detail of tracks has to be known by memory.
The LIRR is the hardest RR to qualify for. The first test your instructor spoke about was qualifying for ass't conductor/brakeman. The crazy tests begin with qualifying for conductor, which is a few years into their career, upon which they need to study while working.
I don't get why LIRR employees are singled out, when there are other careers much more unworthy of a higher salary. Honestly your local janitor can often be making the same base 75K salary that a conductor does. School lawyers getting multiple salaries. Exxon, Chase bank bringing in billions quarterly. Stock brokers living high on the hog. Really, choose your battles & focus on the real greed. And here on LI, why is a 75K base salary even argued about? It's one of a handful of very high cost living areas.
I understand that people get upset over fares. But really, the LIRR employee is getting anywhere from 0% to 3% salary increases per year. Which ultimately avg's out to 1-2%, since there have been many years that the union negotiated 0%. As for pension & retirement, employees have to pay for part of that, and believe me their paycheck takes a hit. 401K is matched 0%. Teachers get a much better benefit package than the RR (sometimes deservedly so, but sometimes not).
Most of the frustration with the jobs you mentioned aren't due to the base salaries but due to the completely insane retirement pensions from the prevalent "gaming" of the system. LIRR is no exception - 97-98% of staff (including white collar) on disability upon retirement because it was easy to do, and everyone got approved. I admit, I don't blame the LIRR employees for doing it since everyone else was, but c'mon - that's just crazy. Then we have the professions where retirement pensions are based on the last x months of salary, including overtime - so when they know they're about to retire, they rake in the overtime to make sure they get the maximum possible retirement pay. Again, I can't say I blame them for doing it - it was easy to do and everyone was doing it.
I don't get why LIRR employees are singled out, when there are other careers much more unworthy of a higher salary. Honestly your local janitor can often be making the same base 75K salary that a conductor does. School lawyers getting multiple salaries. Exxon, Chase bank bringing in billions quarterly. Stock brokers living high on the hog. Really, choose your battles & focus on the real greed. And here on LI, why is a 75K base salary even argued about? It's one of a handful of very high cost living areas.
You are not living in the real world if you think JANITORS on LI are getting a $75K base salary. Please see what the average FAMILY income is on LI and then tell me with a straight face that people who make little holes in pieces of paper for a living as their primary job duty should be making $75K base because its a "very high cost living area." Frankly, the private sector is SICK AND TIRED of being the "gravy train" for public employees on LI.
Well she did it again!! Headphones on, reading the paper she walks up and taps me on the shoulder. She says "are you doing this on purpose"? I said what, she says "listening to your headphones so loud?" So I tell her lady I'm here everyday same time same volume and I've never had a problem. She then goes on to tell me about hearing loss and "IF" someone complains she has to say something.
Which means to me she took it upon herself to say something. Nobody complained.
I say ok no prob, I turn it down and she taps me again. So I say "Lady, don't touch me" She flips out starts looking at another passenger saying"Let me say something, you are nasty and I feel bad for your wife." She then storms off.
Maybe the answer could be in one word: menopause ???
Maybe she thought you'd fall in love with her when using her nag the man until he relents theory.
Well it's been bulletproof so far.
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