WTF in America Part 2
Sep 19th 2023, 12:19 am
#226
Oscar nominated
Joined: Jan 2008
Location: Moncton, NB, CANADA
Posts: 50,913
Re: WTF in America Part 2
Well that was where United Biscuits delivered its products, I just picked orders and loaded the lorries, and orders were marked by the shop and the specific location, which was either a town, or a suburb/ area of a larger city. Small towns only had a Gateway, or a Co-op, larger places had Tesco, Sainsbury's, Somerfield, Safeway, etc.
Smaller shops and shops in small towns (most Co-ops, plus Spar, VG, etc.) received their orders in a van with shelves in it, so 15-20 orders were all stacked together and the delivery driver removed individual boxes and used a hand dolly to deliver them inside, so I never saw the names/ locations of the small shops, but anywhere from Worcester to Penzance or Swansea that had a Sainsbury's or Tesco, I remember because of the orders I picked and loaded.
Smaller shops and shops in small towns (most Co-ops, plus Spar, VG, etc.) received their orders in a van with shelves in it, so 15-20 orders were all stacked together and the delivery driver removed individual boxes and used a hand dolly to deliver them inside, so I never saw the names/ locations of the small shops, but anywhere from Worcester to Penzance or Swansea that had a Sainsbury's or Tesco, I remember because of the orders I picked and loaded.
You should have teamed up with David Nobbs. I reckon that would work quite well in a novel. He already wrote the biscuit factory sitcom Rich Tea and Sympathy and there are similarities with Dogfood Dan and the Carmarthen Cowboy.
Sep 19th 2023, 1:16 am
#228
Joined: Dec 2001
Location: Dixie, ex UK
Posts: 52,448
Re: WTF in America Part 2
Working there was an interesting experience, on several levels. Working nights, the people I worked with, the warehouse staff v drivers tension (there was little love lost there!*), the sheer quantities of food that were delivered twice a week to large supermarkets, week after week. 
* I was actually fairly popular with the drivers as I stacked tidy pallets, and wrapped them well with plastic. One day I loaded the 40ft artic for the driver's shop steward, and at the end of the day, having driven Gloucester to Plymouth and back, he came into the warehouse office and asked who had picked and loaded his deliveries as he wanted to go and thank them! .... He was generally known to be short-tempered and difficult, so this in itself was unusual.
The charge hand (deputy foreman) who was a friend of mine, having trained me on my first day, told him who was responsible for his load. His face fell, he said nothing, and he turned and left the building, got in his car and drove away.
The charge hand told me what happened, as he felt I deserved to know that I had done good work, and we both had a good laugh at the drivers shop steward because he had proved what we knew, that he was an a-hole.
And his beef with me was that he hated temps, as they were non-union, and he could not bring himself to thank a non-union worker for a job well done. 
* I was actually fairly popular with the drivers as I stacked tidy pallets, and wrapped them well with plastic. One day I loaded the 40ft artic for the driver's shop steward, and at the end of the day, having driven Gloucester to Plymouth and back, he came into the warehouse office and asked who had picked and loaded his deliveries as he wanted to go and thank them! .... He was generally known to be short-tempered and difficult, so this in itself was unusual.
The charge hand (deputy foreman) who was a friend of mine, having trained me on my first day, told him who was responsible for his load. His face fell, he said nothing, and he turned and left the building, got in his car and drove away.
The charge hand told me what happened, as he felt I deserved to know that I had done good work, and we both had a good laugh at the drivers shop steward because he had proved what we knew, that he was an a-hole.
And his beef with me was that he hated temps, as they were non-union, and he could not bring himself to thank a non-union worker for a job well done.
Last edited by Pulaski; Sep 19th 2023 at 1:41 am.
Sep 24th 2023, 12:06 am
#230
Oscar nominated
Joined: Jan 2008
Location: Moncton, NB, CANADA
Posts: 50,913
Sep 24th 2023, 12:10 am
#231
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Jan 2022
Posts: 1,273
Sep 24th 2023, 12:19 am
#232
Oscar nominated
Joined: Jan 2008
Location: Moncton, NB, CANADA
Posts: 50,913
Re: WTF in America Part 2
I bought a box from Amazon once.
Sep 24th 2023, 1:57 am
#233
Heading for Poppyland
Joined: Jul 2007
Location: North Norfolk and northern New York State
Posts: 14,554
Sep 26th 2023, 1:30 am
#234
Joined: Dec 2001
Location: Dixie, ex UK
Posts: 52,448
Re: WTF in America Part 2
And nobody in the warehouse touched the Terry's - it was a firing offence, as one guy found out. Very little was damaged, as everything was delivered in robust cages, but damages were returned to the factory, not sold to employees.
Having worked in a biscuit warehouse, I can assure you that it's a miracle that any biscuits arrive in one piece.
Last edited by Pulaski; Sep 26th 2023 at 1:41 am.
Sep 30th 2023, 7:33 pm
#237
Joined: Dec 2001
Location: Dixie, ex UK
Posts: 52,448
Re: WTF in America Part 2
Last edited by Pulaski; Sep 30th 2023 at 8:27 pm.
Oct 18th 2023, 12:05 am
#238
Oscar nominated
Joined: Jan 2008
Location: Moncton, NB, CANADA
Posts: 50,913
Re: WTF in America Part 2
You don't need to know anything about mechanical things as a catalytic converter is not a mechanical device, it's about chemistry...So to your question, why steal a cat? The catalyst in a car's catalytic converter is comprised of platinum and rhodium, which is rarer and more valuable than platinum. .... The amounts of these precious metals are very small, but if you can find a dodgy scrap deal to take a cat, it's worth a few bucks.
So not about car parts for cars then. Thanks.
Funnily enough, after posting the question I read in my newspaper that the theft reports in these parts doubled last year compared to 2021.
So while not new, the increase certainly is.
I had just been thinking of it as parts for cars and dodgy mechanics, but it appears unrelated and is just another crime to get money like stripping copper stuff.
Funnily enough, after posting the question I read in my newspaper that the theft reports in these parts doubled last year compared to 2021.
So while not new, the increase certainly is.
I had just been thinking of it as parts for cars and dodgy mechanics, but it appears unrelated and is just another crime to get money like stripping copper stuff.
California family members plead guilty to role in $600m catalytic converter ring
Catalytic converters are easily stolen and contain precious metals including platinum.
“Some of these precious metals are more valuable per ounce than gold, and their value has been increasing in recent years,” the US attorney’s office said. “The black-market price for catalytic converters can be above $1,000 each.”
“Some of these precious metals are more valuable per ounce than gold, and their value has been increasing in recent years,” the US attorney’s office said. “The black-market price for catalytic converters can be above $1,000 each.”
Oct 22nd 2023, 12:12 am
#239
Oscar nominated
Joined: Jan 2008
Location: Moncton, NB, CANADA
Posts: 50,913
Re: WTF in America Part 2
Oops...
Woman returns from vacation to find family home mistakenly demolished
Woman returns from vacation to find family home mistakenly demolished
Susan Hodgson said in an interview Saturday with the Associated Press that she found a pile of rubble in place of what used to be her longtime family property when she returned from vacation last month.
“I am furious,” Hodgson said. “I keep waking up thinking, ‘Is this all a joke or something?’ I’m just in shock.”
She said a neighbor called her while she was away and asked if someone had been hired to tear down the vacant house.
“I said ‘no’ and she said, ‘Well, there’s someone over here who just demolished the whole house and tore it all down,’” Hodgson recalled.
“I am furious,” Hodgson said. “I keep waking up thinking, ‘Is this all a joke or something?’ I’m just in shock.”
She said a neighbor called her while she was away and asked if someone had been hired to tear down the vacant house.
“I said ‘no’ and she said, ‘Well, there’s someone over here who just demolished the whole house and tore it all down,’” Hodgson recalled.
Oct 23rd 2023, 10:50 am
#240
Concierge
Joined: May 2006
Location: ex ex-pat, in Taunton
Posts: 27,220
Re: WTF in America Part 2