I was just reading something in the 'Avin a Laugh section:

So...does anyone know what sort of qualifications you need to be a binman?
Or do you just pick it up as you go along......?



:laugh:

and it got me thinking (I know, shocking isn't it?) about how people actually do become some certain things. The binman thing is a classic example. At what point in your life do you go, "Hey! I wanna be a guy who picks up other peoples trash for a living!" Or do you grow up, wanting to be a binman?

Another example is someone who works as one of those people who wrap your christmas presents at the shops. Is it voluntary work? Because my mother doesn't get paid to wrap presents now does she?

So if anyone knows how to get one of these jobs (or any other one similar) could you tell me because I wanna be a shoe-shiner...:shocking: Nah seriously now, can anybody think how people get these jobs and why they would want to? Feel free to add other ridiculous jobs into the fire:thumbsup: ...

At what point in your life do you go, "Hey! I wanna be a guy who picks up other peoples trash for a living!" Or do you grow up, wanting to be a binman?

Another example is someone who works as one of those people who wrap your christmas presents at the shops. Is it voluntary work? Because my mother doesn't get paid to wrap presents now does she? .

I doubt anyone wants to be a binman, but if you need the money, then you do what you can to earn it. And from what ive heard, binmen are VERY highly paid.

As for wrapping pressies, yeah of course they get paid. I doubt very much though.

And from what ive heard, binmen are VERY highly paid.



Quite right. They have to put up loads of rubbish at work! :wink2:

Quite right. They have to put up loads of rubbish at work! :wink2:

Blimey - the old ones are the best eh Groucho :laugh: :wink_kiss

How much are we talking here?

It's good honest work...but I have no idea how much it pays.
And think how miserable everyone else would be if there were no binmen.
icky!
I would'nt fancy the work myself...but then again, I bet no binmen would fancy what I do.
So don't forget to leave a christmas card for your binman with a tenner in it!

So don't forget to leave a christmas card for your binman with a tenner in it!

God, do people actually do that :huh: I have never given money to the binmen, postman or anyone come to that :wink2:

Tight a*se ... moi :laugh:

Icky indeed. So from what I have gathered, nobody really wants to be a binman, it's just that they can't get any other job. Hmmm, I wonder why?... Maybe coz they have their hearts set on old bananna peels and dirty nappies perhaps...

Binmen have it really easy now with these big, black muckle things on the street - all they do is drive along, hook the bin onto the truck, tip in the truck and drive off!! I would do that for ever how much they get paid!

I think it's all down to money. Binmen get paid a really good wage and as Bella points out, the job is much easier nowadays. In fact, if you don't wheel your bin right to the road, they are not obliged to walk a few yards a drag it

When we had the black bin bags, if it split before it got on the truck it was just left there! They were not allowed to pick it up - instead they had to call the Council and a wee man in one of those wee scooter thingys comes round and hoovers it up! And we wonder where our council tax money goes!:ranting:

I agree Binmen get it easy these days. In my yooof, before everyone had binliners etc. they used to have to come up the steps, through the passageway, down to the garden and hump one of those old galvanised bins on their back, complete with ashes and potato peelings, etc., haul it back out to the dustcart - no crushers in there - and then return the bin, stinking, to the back garden. That's what I call hard work in a street where all the houses had steps up to the front door and were usually multi-occupied!

Nowadays, it's all nicely wrapped and has to be left at the very front of the front garden or on the pavement (otherwise they won't collect it) so all they do in our area is come along with their big wheelie bins, chuck it all in and then put it on the lift on the dustcart to be mechanically emptied into the back of the cart.

I used to leave a card and a fiver (in a plastic bag of course) stuck to the dustbin lid when they collected round the back because there were good about taking stuff that wasn't strictly household rubbish, but since the Council have stopped collections from the back and we have to do half the work ourselves they'll get nowt from me this year.

If I had to choose between being a Binman or a Nurse/Carer (who have to clean up all sorts of unspeakable things) I think the Binmen have the easier job. All praise to nurses and carers for what they do (and probably for less money).

Unskilled people take what jobs they can get to provide for themselves and their families and the choice isn't much so I applaud them for doing it rather than sitting on their butts and claiming dole money like so many other lazy gits.

If I had to choose between being a Binman or a Nurse/Carer (who have to clean up all sorts of unspeakable things) I think the Binmen have the easier job. All praise to nurses and carers for what they do (and probably for less money).

Unskilled people take what jobs they can get to provide for themselves and their families and the choice isn't much so I applaud them for doing it rather than sitting on their butts and claiming dole money like so many other lazy gits.

Exactly Crit! I would even be hard-pushed to be want to be a teacher with the amount of crap that is thrown them not just by the kids but by their parents etc.

I also applaud people for getting off their backsides and doing menial jobs that may not the most glamorous of positions but it is people like my 17 year old nephew who flunked school, gets himself a pretty crappy job, gives it up because it is was b.o.r.i.n.g and now spents half his time in bed, that make me mad!!! Then he decided he'll just join the marines, boy will be in for a shock! The thing is he isn't getting assessed until early next year and he seems to think that just because he has done something about it he can just sit back and do nothing! My other nephew is the complete opposite, stuck in at school but left after 5th year, is now doing a college course in psychology, and when he isn't playing rubgy for his local team he is working in Tescos to earn some money.

They also have to get up at the CRACK of dawn...and they are not allowed, and silly people dont' wrap up broken glass and other shap items properly, so I bet it can be a bit dangerous and dodgy sometimes.
But like you say...so do other people.Fair play to them all...I don't begrudge them a tenner or wotever at Christmas.

but it is people like my 17 year old nephew who flunked school, gets himself a pretty crappy job, gives it up because it is was b.o.r.i.n.g and now spents half his time in bed, that make me mad!!! .

I know its moving off the subject, but this gets my goat too.

My next door neighbour had two sons. One has got a decent job, and the other is just a layabout. He walks around all day smoking his fags and drinking (using money his dad gives him) and doesnt want to do anything. He is 18 years old, and already has 2 kids with 2 different mothers.

The other day he got a job - yipppeeee. His dad was really proud. He was working locally in a windows and doors place. I dont know what he was doing, but it was manual. Anyway, after a week he quit as he found it too boring. I mean, he has kids to support - give it a chance for gods sake :ranting:

Exactly Crit! I would even be hard-pushed to be want to be a teacher with the amount of crap that is thrown them not just by the kids but by their parents etc.


Nice to see somebody who realises that teaching isn't a soft option:thumbsup:

I know a couple of dustmen and I don't think they are paid well, they both have to claim family tax credit (or whatever it is called now) to make ends meet. They both only have 2 children, don't own their own homes, have flash cars or have lavish holidays, so I wouldn't class them as well paid. I do think their job is a lot easier than it use to be years ago but still I wouldn't want to get up at the time they have to, or walk around a 26 miles everday to earn a living.

I have two close family friends who are/were binmen. Neither had a decent education, left school with no qualifications, but were both prepared to do a dirty manual unappealing job to support their families.

They are paid comparably better than other jobs available to them, but they have to work overtime at weekends in order to be comfortably off. It's blummin hard work, out in all weathers, and contrary to popular belief they don't just wander round collecting wheelie bins full of yoghurt cartons. Once they've finished the domestic rounds they start on the trade collections. When they work weekends they have to clean up after the market traders, rotting fruit and veg, and fish and meat included.

It's a toss up which is worse, the freezing cold of the winter or the maggots that come with summer.

I would share the story of the council tenant who used to put his used colostomy bags out with his household rubbish, which then used to burst in the crusher and spray their contents over any binman who happened to be in the vicinity, but hey, that's a bit unpleasant, isn't it? :pooh:

It only takes a strike by binmen Jakey to see how important their job is. I do not consider it a menial job at all and don't like snobbery over certain jobs.

Each persons job is normally important to someone else whether it be a dustman or a brain surgeon.

My husband is a factory worker and will be made redundant on 16th of December and I know he will take any job that comes along however menial it seems.

It needs more people to stop turning their nose up at vacancies that need to be filled preferring to live of those of us that do work for a living. It doesn't stop you looking for something you would rather do in the meantime.

We are now becoming dependant on people fromthe eastern bloc to fill these vacancies. A lot of people complain they are taking jobs from us but the truth is there are too many people that consider themselves above these tasks. Sorry to get on my high horse but feel strongly about those that are just too bone idle to work.

It only takes a strike by binmen Jakey to see how important their job is. I do not consider it a menial job at all and don't like snobbery over certain jobs.

Each persons job is normally important to someone else whether it be a dustman or a brain surgeon.

My husband is a factory worker and will be made redundant on 16th of December and I know he will take any job that comes along however menial it seems.

It needs more people to stop turning their nose up at vacancies that need to be filled preferring to live of those of us that do work for a living. It doesn't stop you looking for something you would rather do in the meantime.

We are now becoming dependant on people fromthe eastern bloc to fill these vacancies. A lot of people complain they are taking jobs from us but the truth is there are too many people that consider themselves above these tasks. Sorry to get on my high horse but feel strongly about those that are just too bone idle to work.


MAz, I appauld you! I hope I didn't come across as looking down my nose at binmen, as you say when they go on strike it shows that they are important just as anyone who does a menial job. To be honest with you, I would much rather be in the company of binmen that high-fuluting lawyers who look down their nose at me!

I have total admiration for these guys and Floopy, you are right too! I am sorry for saying binmen have it easy, as we only see them doing the street job, we don't see what they do afterwards. It's a bit like the teacher thing saying they have long holidays and early days but we don't see them working at the end of the school-day or doing research for the next class school project.

And yes Maz you are right, this country complains when menial low-paid jobs are given to people from the Eastern block but that is as you say, only because our benefit system pays too much and some people think they should be handed good things on plate, like my nephew! I

Although my husband also loses his job on 23rd of this month and he is in IT, he has worked hard to get where he is now and his job is being transferred overseas to India because it is cheaper.

I know a couple of dustmen and I don't think they are paid well, they both have to claim family tax credit (or whatever it is called now) to make ends meet. They both only have 2 children, don't own their own homes, have flash cars or have lavish holidays, so I wouldn't class them as well paid. I do think their job is a lot easier than it use to be years ago but still I wouldn't want to get up at the time they have to, or walk around a 26 miles everday to earn a living.

OK, well that just turns it all around then! For a second there (and a really stupid one at that!) I considered the job but now (from ils' comment) it isn't very good at all!:ohmy:

I do agree though, it is pretty easy now with the big arm thing picking up the bin but wouldn't you be kinda emabaressed if someone asked you what you do for a living and you say trash collector?:mellow:

but wouldn't you be kinda emabaressed if someone asked you what you do for a living and you say trash collector?:mellow:

Probably more embarassing to say you're unemployed though, don't you think?

I'd only be embarassed about saying I were a bin man etc IF I were an awful snob.And I'm not.I would have waaaaaaaaaaaaay more respect for someone who works for a living, no matter what they do, than for someone like the landed aristocracy, or those 'celebs' who get paid ridiculously amounts of money for GOD KNOWS WHAT!!!!!
They really get my goat....grrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Probably more embarassing to say you're unemployed though, don't you think?

That's true though. And celebs get way overpaid for just acting, singing etc. Anyone could do what they do!

There are many jobs I don't envy and being a binman isn't one of them......

I think that teachers, healthcare workers, Police officers and Paramedics have a tougher life....although I have contemplated all of the above!

When it comes to the job I would least like to admit to having it's......a pole dancer/stripper or something of that ilk!

There are many jobs I don't envy and being a binman isn't one of them......

I think that teachers, healthcare workers, Police officers and Paramedics have a tougher life....although I have contemplated all of the above!

When it comes to the job I would least like to admit to having it's......a pole dancer/stripper or something of that ilk!

COASTIE...are you trying to throw us off your trail about your 'second' job??:w00t:

COASTIE...are you trying to throw us off your trail about your 'second' job??:w00t:

Well you know what public service pay is like...I've gotta pay me mortgage somehow!