I would like to make an effort to blog a bit more and I've thought about this post for quite a while. I think now I may issue this in installments because the memories from these three years that I worked in Bensonhurst will come to me in.....well, installments. I worked as a porter in an large apartment complex in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn from 2003-2006. More "lovely" details will emerge as these posts come out. This first post will be "general memories".
General memories will begin with my boss at Shorehaven. Granted my sister's ex got me this job because he knew my boss and he did what folks in Brooklyn called a "favor." This is how you get a position like this. No college degree. Maybe no high school diploma. No reading or writing skills? No problem! (No joke) As I said, you have to know someone. So, my boss was a wannabe mob guy. I'd heard through my sister's ex that he had a felony on his record for racketeering. A small-timer. In the mind of a kid from Texas who lived in New York for only a year he did seem a bit intimidating. I'm sure he was intimidating to others, as well. I remember coming to Bensonhurst to meet him for the first time. I was in a suit and tie (totally unnecessary as I look back) because I had just come from an interview in the city. A little smile crossed his face as I walked in and introduced myself. I was a bit nervous, but he was a nice guy and had me fill out the usual paperwork. Then, he basically asked me whether I would prefer to work 8am - 4pm shifts or 4pm - 12am shifts. The porter shift being the day shift and the evening shift was as a doorman. At the time I was 24 and thought that I'd still love to sleep in until noon, but decided on the porter shift. 8:00am in the morning it would be, then.
Overall, my boss did well by me since he knew my sister's ex. The only thing that pissed me off was that I got screwed out of vacation time that I thought I had earned. It was one of those you've only worked here for so long and your vacation time doesn't kick in for another couple of months. Bunch of crap and I remember walking up to him and asking him about it. Now, granted I've learned a ton about how to handle myself with employers since then, but basically he gave me the excuse that I hadn't worked long enough to earn the time off. I don't remember exactly how he put it, but he was intimidating when he did it. To a newbee from Texas the bum on the street corner in New York can be intimidating.
He did give me the job, which I was thankful for. I never properly thanked him when I left, which I regret a little. I am glad that I worked there because it paid $18/hr with full, union benefits. It also made me realize that I needed to go back to school and get the hell out of blue-collar work. You would not believe some of the guys that I worked with. Most of them were really good guys who would give the shirt off of their backs for you. Some were scum. More stories about "Shithaven" to come...
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