Dedication to your job

I've heard of people being loyal to their employer but this is amazing.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4841942.stm

"A Los Angeles man who worked cleaning buses for the Metropolitan
Transport Authority for 76 years has finally called it quits on his
100th birthday.
Arthur Winston was only absent for one day during his working life -
when his wife died in 1988."

I almost cannot comprehend how someone can work until they are 100.
Seems like an amazing chap to know though.

 

Lack of sufficient pension provisions? This is the US, remember.

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There is no suggestion in the article or the press release from the bus
company that he was compelled to work. Even in the US I can't imagine
that you have to work to 100 to generate a decent enough pension or
funds to keep yourself going.

He just seemed to enjoy it and keeping busy and to a routine also
appears to have kept him fit and as mentally agile. The guy's had one
day absence in 72 years ffs.

 

Looks bloody good for his age.

I hope they gave him two gold watches. I'd go spare doing that job (or
any other) for 78 years.
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If your ultimate goal in life was to clean busses, I dare say you would do
it for as long as you could to. Beats picking cotton though.

 

I am curious to know what job he was doing up to the each of 24 before
he got promoted to bus cleaner.

 

Assistant bus cleaner.

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, gomez

You could always try reading the article.

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Amen

 

Active /= working, necessarily. If you want to go on working beyond 65, then
fine. I wanna have some fun....

Ali

 

I realise you're trolling, but 20 days per year? A couple of weeks
holiday, a few track days and waiting in for the washing machine
repairman a few times and that's yer lot. *Very* sad.

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I'm sure he's fascinating company. Probably knows a lot about cleaning
buses or whatever it was.

--

Paul.
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Doing what *you* want to do, anytime, without having to get up at a fixed
time and in a set way. Having space to do the stuff you've not had time for.
Perhaps still doing something that approximates to some sort of work, but
without the pressure. Here's my agenda; I currently have a working week of
about 50 to 60 hours at times to put this in context. The plan is the place
in Sitges, wherein I shall do the following, once we've got the house
straight, which will take time:

- learn Catalan properly
- learn Advanced Spanish
- build a new garden
- grow organic vegetables
- cook more Slow Food
- explore all the bits of Spain I've not seen
- a bit of trading in collectables
- teach English as a second language if I get bored (this I doubt)
- read piles of books
- re-read many books I've not read for years
- paint
- have housefuls of friends over sometimes
- walk a lot, chill a lot

And mostly, Live for me, not some bloody corporate demand.

Ali

 

I think this last sentence sums it up for me.

While I undoubtedly get some personal benefit from work I really don't
wish to work for ever to gain more money. Neither do I want another 24
years of stress. I'd happily retire tomorrow if I could do so with
reasonable financial security - not that I'm paranoid about money it's
just that the damn stuff seems to be necessary in order to survive.

 

Yes yes yes. I know why an individual might want to cease work, so that
they can do lots of interesting and enjoyable things that they can't earn
a living at. And if they have the money to do it, good luck to them.

But why should anyone expect - or be required! - to cease work at any
particular age? Why should giving up work have anything to do with age?
Why not take time off in ones 30s or 40s, then work for another few years,
take another year off etc?

What is the economic or socialogical justification for retirement?

 

Economic probably doesn't exist although making way for new blood with
new ideas is generally a good idea.

Sociological maybe after 49 years you've done enough for society to
deserve some 'you' time?

 

Well, given that you've opted out of work for the last few years I find
this more than a little rich from your hand.

*sigh* I have a horrible feeling that we're all going to die in harness
supporting middle aged students.

 

The Older Gentleman said...

That's a fucking shame

 

I dunno. I just happen to love what I do and I'm not going to stop
writing just because I've had a 65th birthday.

 

Grr.

Come the revolution I'll have you up against the wall.