Four questions for the freeway exit-ramp beggars
1. What’s the best job you’ve had?
2. What’s the worst job you’ve had?
3. What’s the last job you had?
4. What’s your dream job?
Here are the answers………
Damien Cummings
35W and University Avenue
Best job: "Working for Northwestern Bell, back in ’72. Lineman."
Worst job:
"Day labor stuff. Minnesota Barrel, for instance. They’re heavy, you
gotta stack ’em three high and stuff. But it was a job. I did
everything there is."
Last job: "Senior center in Cambridge, doing maintenance work on their facility. I’m a handyman."
Dream job: "I dunno. I really don’t. I’m on veterans’ disability. I was in Vietnam."
Peggy Chambers
35W and Lake Street
Best job:
"A long time ago, I worked at Mystic Lake Casino. I was in
environmental services. That’s a fancy word for janitor. I worked there
a year."
Worst job: "This."
Last job:
"Two years ago, I was a maid helping the elderly [in-home]. I could set
my own hours, and I’d get paid weekly, not like these other jobs where
you get paid every two weeks."
Dream job: "Helping the elderly."
Kevin Holloway
35W and 31st Street
Best job:
"Meyers Printing Company, in Brooklyn Park. Seven years ago. I liked to
do it; it was the night shift. I was a floor technician. I buffed and
shined the floors with a propane buffer."
Worst job:
"I went through a temp service and worked for this metal company in
Minneapolis. It was boring. Sitting down. I like to keep moving."
Last job: "Archer Cleaning Services in ’99 and 2000."
Dream job:
"I would love to start my own cleaning business. It’s a growing
opportunity. You can start out small, cleaning up offices and little
stores, and get a contract and then get some of the big stores."
Roberto Morales
35W and 35th Street
Best job:
"Working for Billy Graham. I was working for packaging and sending
letters and books out. That was before he moved to North Carolina. His
headquarters were in downtown [Minneapolis] and I worked for him for
two years."
Worst job: "I can’t remember."
Last job:
"Assembly [line] work, putting clowns together. You put little signs on
baskets, and a mask. Toy clowns for Halloween. And they had shampoo,
putting caps on bottles. That was 10 years ago. I had PPL jobs, too."
Dream job: "Working for Billy Graham. Helping people."
Alex Rasmussen
35W and 46th Street
Best job:
"Bartender, Timberlodge Steak House in West St. Paul. And I was a
gardener for Phillips Garden for six years. I’ve worked at the Red Sea,
and Grandma’s Saloon. That smoking ban has made getting a bartender job
impossible."
Worst job: "Fast food restaurant in Denver, in ’93. It was called Happy Times or Good Times. Fry cook. It was just gross."
Last job: "Construction. I got laid off in September."
Dream job: "Owning a bar would be nice. A club. I’d have punk rock and alternative shows and serve some vegetarian and vegan food."
Ron
35W and Lake Street
Best job: "I’ve only had the best jobs in the world. I’m a certified welder. That’s what I want to do. I can go to work at anytime."
Worst job: "I’m an alcoholic, Sir. And I’m having a hard time keeping work."
Last job: "Three weeks ago." (Points to his jacket, with the logo of a steel company.)
Dream job:
"If I could find a job I wouldn’t have to carry around my clothing in a
bag and do this. Hey! If anybody out there can hear me…."
Lee Westmoreland
35W and University Avenue
Best job: "Moving furniture for Sears, about 10 years ago. I like physical work, I don’t mind working, and I like earning money."
Worst job:
"Cooking food at McNamara’s. I had a bitch for a boss. But I still
loved her. Actually, I worked at Nye’s. And I met this beautiful lady.
She asked me out for a beer, and it lasted 12 years. She was the light
of my life, and I still love her so much. But I’m standing out here on
a corner like Little Jack Horner. And it’s not feeling too goddamn
good, either."
Last job: "Wickes Furniture, delivering furniture. I got in trouble for wearing a shirt that said, ‘Dicks Are For Chicks.’"
Dream job: "I’d like to be a pirate. I think that would be a good job. Just give me a treasure chest; I’ll be fine."
Jim Walsh can be reached at 612.372.3775 or [email protected]
