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Author Topic: Sitting While On the Job Pravin Ratnam Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 844 From: Atlanta, GA,USA Registered: Sep 2002 posted 07-18-2004 02:36 PM                     Some people need to sit down , even if it's just for a minute every now and then. Unless I am doing a lot of running around, I need to sit down if I am standing or walking just a little bit in one area. It has nothing to do with laziness. Laziness is when an employee goes through the motions, regardless of whether he looks busy or not, througout the day. It's like naps. I like to take a 10 minute nap at lunch . At one of my jobs, one lady didn't like it , as if it was worse than people taking fequent smoke breaks, and we had a lot of tension. In fact, the bitch would even go to the extent of saying it isn't a good idea to even nap in my car. I started looking for another job and I am no longer working for that moron. When I worked as an usher during a summer job in the late 80s at the RKO Shore Quad , Long Island, I had breaks where i just sat and did nothing. Also we were asked to sit in the back row to observe the movie to make sure everything was fine. So, luckily I wasn't in a position to stand all the time. By the way, I think our ticket sellers actually sat in their seats and no one found it unprofessional.  |  IP: Logged Jeremy Fuentes Mmmm, Dr. Pepper! Posts: 1168 From: Corpus Christi, TX United States Registered: Jan 2004 posted 07-18-2004 05:22 PM                     quote: Jason Black There is nothing, I repeat NOTHING, in a theatre that is so demanding that you'd have to work to the point of passing out. So youre telling me that it is impossible for him to have possibly worked a double the day before, a double that day, had to run a 20 screen booth, by himself, had someone call in sick, and had to help clean theaters, and on top of all that, he is the assistant manager, and a projector went down, and he had to run around giving rain checks or passes to 200 people. All that seems theater related to me. But since you have said enough on the subject, I wont be expecting a response.  |  IP: Logged Dean Kollet Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 591 From: Florida State University Registered: Jul 2003 posted 07-18-2004 06:05 PM                     quote: Jeremy Fuentes was the last to post There is nothing, I repeat NOTHING, in a theatre that is so demanding that you'd have to work to the point of passing out. I've seen it happen with perfectly healthy people, it's called working your ass off and possible being dehydrated and exhausted. Have you ever had to swap out 10 prints in an hour during a walk in while trying to help concession and ushers? The 100+ lb. LOTR prints ring a bell.  |  IP: Logged Paul Mayer Oh get out of it Melvin, before it pulls you under! Posts: 3836 From: Albuquerque, NM Registered: Feb 2000 posted 07-18-2004 06:10 PM                        Wow, in almost 40 years of living here I've never heard Nevada being described as having liberal labor laws on par with the PRC (People's Republic of California) . Both states are 'at-will' states but that's about where the similarities end. California recognizes closed-shop rules and is not a 'right-to-work' state. It's relatively union-friendly compared to Nevada which requires open-shop rules and is a 'right-to-work' (for less) state. Nevada still has no income tax and only a very part-time (biennial) legislature. California has both an income tax and a full-time legislature. Over time as more people move here (still running about 5,000 newbies a month, mostly from California) Las Vegas' politics will be forced to become more liberal. But Nevada's overall tradition and history has been anything but that. We're still much like today's Los Angeles Times' description of the people of Wyoming, a "state with its proudly ornery population [that] has a strong anti-government, libertarian streak [...] not given to over-regulation." Despite regulations that require two 15-minute breaks and a minimum half-hour lunch break per 8-hour shift (for hourly workers), I would hardly call Nevada's labor laws liberal. Yeah, I suppose a ticket-taker sitting on a stool when things are busy might look "ghetto", but business that night was very light. They had only the one guy stationed in the middle of the lobby tearing tickets for all 14 screens on both sides. And as I mentioned before, the box office counter there is at desk height, not standing height, so the cashiers sit--even when it's busy.  |  IP: Logged Jason Black Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1723 From: Myrtle Beach, SC, USA Registered: Nov 2000 posted 07-18-2004 08:05 PM                        Mr. Fuentes (as you like to be called): I didn't say it was "impossible" fo rthat to happen, however, were that the actual situation, I'd say that there were far greater problems present with all that you quote going wrong. Even on my worst day, and I've gone thru some real winners, I've never had *that* many things go wrong.. Dean: If you had to swap out 10 prints in an hour then I say that either you or your manager/supervisor were simply ill prepared for what should have been known had to be done well before the hour you had to move prints. As far as your dehydration theory, yes, it is possible for someone to be dehydrated, but it seems to me that one would monitor their fluid intake to prevent such. Maybe I'm wrong, who knows? I will agree that heat exhaustion can creep up on someone, however, under most normal circumstances, a theatre atmosphere would not be so hot as to cause this problem. * Note* I said normal conditions... Obviously, I am in the minority here.. but that's ok.. I am a minority..  |  IP: Logged Jeremy Fuentes Mmmm, Dr. Pepper! Posts: 1168 From: Corpus Christi, TX United States Registered: Jan 2004 posted 07-18-2004 08:17 PM                     quote: Mr. Fuentes (as you like to be called): quote: Jason Black I am a minority.. Hey, me too! But thats not important. Anyways, yeah, youre right, that its very rare, for that many things to go wrong. But neither one of us were there, so I guess we wouldnt know. Only our buddy Thomas P. knows the real story, so I guess we'll wait to hear it from him. I'm sure he posted it somewhere, but I am entirely too lazy to search for it.  |  IP: Logged Daryl C. W. O'Shea Film God Posts: 3977 From: Midland Ontario Canada (where Panavision & IMAX lenses come from) Registered: Jun 2002 posted 07-18-2004 08:46 PM                        quote: Jason & Jeremy I am a minority.. Me too! I'm the only Canadian working with a bunch of people from minorities.  |  IP: Logged Jason Black Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1723 From: Myrtle Beach, SC, USA Registered: Nov 2000 posted 07-18-2004 09:19 PM                        Mr. Fuentes (You like that, don't you? ) quote: Jeremy Fuentes I'm sure he posted it somewhere, but I am entirely too lazy to search for it You and me both... Are you online in the booth, or do you simply not have anything better to do??  |  IP: Logged Emma Tomiak Expert Film Handler Posts: 238 From: Carrollton, TX, USA Registered: Aug 2003 posted 07-19-2004 12:07 AM                        I've passed out from exhaustion at work before. I was at door tearing tickets, and I passed out mid-ticket. Hit my head on the floor and had some wicked vertigo for about 3 days. Ouch. I also think I scared some customers. Hehehe.  |  IP: Logged Jeremy Fuentes Mmmm, Dr. Pepper! Posts: 1168 From: Corpus Christi, TX United States Registered: Jan 2004 posted 07-19-2004 06:28 AM                     quote: Jason Black Are you online in the booth, or do you simply not have anything better to do?? I didnt have anything better to do.  |  IP: Logged Jason Black Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1723 From: Myrtle Beach, SC, USA Registered: Nov 2000 posted 07-19-2004 07:46 AM                        Emma, Could that have had anything to do with what you may have done outside of work? Lack of proper diet or something? Trying to burn the candle at both ends? Just curious... 16 years, many, MANY long days with little sleep and I've never passed out, nor had anyone pass out, from exhaustion.  |  IP: Logged Thomas Procyk Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1842 From: Royal Palm Beach, FL, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 07-19-2004 11:30 AM                     Yeah, I posted the whole story before. It's got its own thread as far as I know. But just a recap: Double-shift. Yes, I worked a double-shift+ the night before, building up prints of Matrix Reloaded. The booth is not air conditioned. I've complained about it many, many times before but management didn't care. Even the DM insited the air in the booth be kept off to save costs. So the booth is about 85-87 degrees when the shows are NOT running. Projection is not allowed to stay in booth for any period of time other than to thread and start. They have to help floor: Clean theaters, help concession, etc. No time to sit for even a minute. When it's about 10 minutes to showtime, back to the hot booth. At the end of the night, Projection has to close concession. This is the most fucking rediculous thing I have ever seen! 3 concession employees go home at 10:30pm and ONE booth employee has to clean up their shit, fill ice, lock everything, AND clean the popper. Like I said, Carmike HATES for their Production Units to be idle. So the only "break" I got was between the two double-shifts when I went home to sleep/nap. The day it happened, I had just had my highly-anticipated 15 minute break to scarf down some food and drink. At least in my mind, I felt perfectly fine. Hydrated, but very tired. I chalked it up to working 30 hours in 2 days. I went upstairs, threaded all the shows, and was called downstairs almost immediately to help seat people in the auditoriums. I came downstairs, started finding seats for people ---- and woke up soaking wet on the lobby floor, surrounded by people and my side hurt real bad. Apparently I fell over some customers in seats, and their drinks got all over me. I wasn't breathing for a while, was completely cold, and had to be given CPR by a customer. THANK GOD the customers knew what to do because the GM was too busy looking for me to yell at me for not answering my radio. The report from the emergency room concluded that it was an onset of "Heat Collapse" -- a type of exhaustion where the body doesn't feel hot, and you don't feel it coming. No dizzyness, no pain... you just DROP. They said it can be fatal if the person isn't recessitated. Everything else was FINE with me... blood pressure, heart, liver counts, etc. No medical condition that would have caused it for any reason, except dehydration. The doctor said I was taking in enough fluids for a "normal" day, but working in those conditions, I should have been constantly drinking water. But there was no way I would have felt it -- that's how Heat Collapse creeps up. You don't feel anything wrong, even if you're at the edge. It's like spending a day at the beach -- you could go for hours without a drink and not feel hot because you go in the water and there's a breeze. It was VERY scary. I've never passed out before. I've never been in a hospital before. My parents were hundreds of miles away, my friends were out of town. I was there, alone in the emergency room, trying to figure out where 15 minutes of my life had gone. After the weekend I get a call on Monday from the GM to give me the new schedule -- after essentially dropping dead in her theater, she schedules me 42 HOURS in 3 DAYS!! I told her I needed the week off, and started looking for another job. So Jason, while my other post wasn't nearly as bitter as I feel about this situation, let me say that when the Carmike Cinemas Corporation is burned to the ground by the Wrath of God, I shall at that moment have my vengeance. Please proceed to the nearest exit. =TMP=  |  IP: Logged Jeremy Fuentes Mmmm, Dr. Pepper! Posts: 1168 From: Corpus Christi, TX United States Registered: Jan 2004 posted 07-19-2004 11:34 AM                     See, Jason, I told you! Sorry to hear about that Thomas. That has got to be the biggest load of crap ever. I mean the way things are run there. The projectionist having to close concession, and not being allowed in the booth.  |  IP: Logged Jason Black Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1723 From: Myrtle Beach, SC, USA Registered: Nov 2000 posted 07-19-2004 02:13 PM                        Thomas, Ok, I'll go so far as to say I understand now how/why you passed out. I can see your bitterness toward Carmike, in general, but, rest assured, I REPEAT, reast assured that not ALL Carmike locations are operated under the same manner. The older locations always seem to be run under a more stringent set of guidelines. While I understand this menatlity for the 'bean counters' I do not agree with it for the public perception is yields. As with ANY chain, be it theatres or fast food or hotels, you get different service from different locations, plain and simple. It boils down to local level management and the manner in which they choose to run the business. There are to ways to run a business... 1) You run it effectively 2) You run it into the ground. And Thomas, be glad you passed out on a conservative.. a 'Lib would have surely sued you for spilling their 'frosty cold drink' on them, thereby causing considerable bodily discomfort and personal trauma...  |  IP: Logged Thomas Procyk Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1842 From: Royal Palm Beach, FL, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 07-19-2004 02:54 PM                     Actually, I didn't ask the person's political affiliation, but are you implying that I should have sued Carmike? =TMP=  |  IP: Logged

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