(no subject)
Work has been pretty good all around. Some nights are busy as can be, some are absolutely dead, and I've yet to figure out any rhyme or reason to it. Weekends aren't even necessarily busier than weekdays! o.0 Dunno what's going on with that. Ah well. I now have proof that there are as many illegal aliens in Idaho as most people think. At least, I presume it means they're illegal when I card them and the only ID they have is a current Mexican ID card. No green card, no Idaho ID, no Laborer's ID, no nothing. I've seen two green cards in my whole time working there, and one was very obviously forged. We get as many as do because there's a labor camp just down the road. There is some bad feeling towards illegal immigrants in Idaho because it's felt that they piggyback off of "the system" without paying taxes or otherwise 'giving back' (a prejudice that in some unfortunate cases has spread to include all Mexicans who can't speak English, legal or not), but I always argue that, well, if we lived like they do in Mexico, we'd do anything we could to get to America, too. Legal or not. And as for costing the system, well, if they weren't willing to work in the fields for $2 or $3 an hour (Idaho grants exceptions to the minimum wage law for farms), then we'd be out there doing it. And prices would be a lot higher for farm stuff. And all the farms would go bankrupt. And then we'd all starve to death. :-3
I don't hold any prejudice against them (at least not that I know of?) but it's still kind of funny to watch their antics at work. I remember one time a guy who very obviously couldn't speak any English at all went over to use the restrooms. Now the restrooms are set back in a little alcove with the men's on one side, and the women's on the other. He stands there for a little bit, obviously thinking, then he looks at the men's side and the sign on the wall next to it. After a moment, he turns at looks at the women's for a bit and the sign next to it on the wall. Then he goes back and looks at the men's again. Then the women's again. I'm sweeping the floor at the time, and after he does this three or four times (with a comical expression of confusion on his face), I grin and point to the men's bathroom for him. :-3 Apparently they don't use the same symbols for Men's and Women's Restrooms in Mexico?
The labor camp workers (well, I presume they work there, anyways) all seem to smoke the same kind of cigarettes, too. Marlboros. One time one guy ordered Marlboro Lights. That's as much variation as I've ever seen. But because their English isn't that great, they can't pronounce it. So they ask for "one pack Marbles." :-3 Once I even had someone ask for "one bab Marbles". That caused some confusion, as you can imagine. But we got it sorted out. Much thanks to Fiona for teaching me some Spanish survival phrases every gas station attendant should know. Neciecito Mas Dinero!
Err...I realize this is a sensitive topic, so please don't take anythign I said personally or offensively. I mean no disrepect to legal or illegal immigrants, other peoples, or anyone's personal beliefs.
I don't hold any prejudice against them (at least not that I know of?) but it's still kind of funny to watch their antics at work. I remember one time a guy who very obviously couldn't speak any English at all went over to use the restrooms. Now the restrooms are set back in a little alcove with the men's on one side, and the women's on the other. He stands there for a little bit, obviously thinking, then he looks at the men's side and the sign on the wall next to it. After a moment, he turns at looks at the women's for a bit and the sign next to it on the wall. Then he goes back and looks at the men's again. Then the women's again. I'm sweeping the floor at the time, and after he does this three or four times (with a comical expression of confusion on his face), I grin and point to the men's bathroom for him. :-3 Apparently they don't use the same symbols for Men's and Women's Restrooms in Mexico?
The labor camp workers (well, I presume they work there, anyways) all seem to smoke the same kind of cigarettes, too. Marlboros. One time one guy ordered Marlboro Lights. That's as much variation as I've ever seen. But because their English isn't that great, they can't pronounce it. So they ask for "one pack Marbles." :-3 Once I even had someone ask for "one bab Marbles". That caused some confusion, as you can imagine. But we got it sorted out. Much thanks to Fiona for teaching me some Spanish survival phrases every gas station attendant should know. Neciecito Mas Dinero!
Err...I realize this is a sensitive topic, so please don't take anythign I said personally or offensively. I mean no disrepect to legal or illegal immigrants, other peoples, or anyone's personal beliefs.