OK so first off i want to give you a geography lesson.
I live in the State of Kentucky, which is the 4th poorest state in the United States.
I live in Clay County Kentucky, Which is the poorest county in the state of Kentucky.
The Per Capita Income for clay country is $9,716. (As of 2000 census) Making it the 18th poorest county in the nation. And the poorest "white" County in the United States, Only being beaten out by country comprised mainly of Swamps and Desert in Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas.
And Most notably 10 of the country's that beat out Clay County are Native American Reservations.
So i am by no means saying that people in Clay County are the poorest people in the world.
Simply this. $9'716 per person is about he same (About $10 less) then what people make in Brazil.
My county is a third world nation. Or if i wanted to use Current Policitcal Language i live in a developing county located inside the borders of a developed county.
I can to the epiphany that i lived in a White Ghetto, in the same place i came across almost all of my epiphany's in life. At Disney.
I was in my last apartment, the one i spent the most time at on my 2nd stay with Disney.
The household was comprised of. (I'm only using first names)
Myself. (From Clay County Kentucky)
Jamal. (From Washington D.C.)
"D" (From Chicago Illinois)
Derrik. (From Sweet Water Texas)
Abdulla. (From New York City)
Juan. (From SauPalo Brazil)
So in this house hold we had, Myself, Three African Americans, And two Latino's One from a family that lived in Texas seance before it was Texas, and another from Brazil)
Now even if we had a very mixed household, we all got along fine.
After some remixing on the rooms, putting myself and Jamal in the same room because Im a quite sleeper, and he's a very light sleeper. And putting Juan and Abdulla in the same room, because Juan got up very early for work, and Abdulla got up very early to pray to Mecca.
Now on to Jamal, he had trouble with rooming with Juan early on, because Juan Snores and gets up early. And Jamal is a VERY light sleeper, so much so that i eventually ask him. To which D answered that he had been in "The joint" And was afraid i would shank him in the night. We laughed and then Jamal answered the question. "Because i live in Anacostia" Now i knew what that meant, Anacostia is a WAR ZONE. He explained that on more then one occasion he actully had to dive to the floor because of stray bullets hitting his families house.
When asked why they didn't move away, he answered "Because they can't afford to" He then told us that he was going to college on scholarship, and wanted to get a good job so he could Move his family away from there. Then we started a conversation about high school.
And we both maid a discovery.
Nearly every one that we both went to high school with, was ether dead on in prison. Most of the males. (All of them with my last name) Have been in Jail with the exception of me.
As we kept talking we both came to the conclusion that i live in a white ghetto.
Now there are differences.
Clay county is not a war zone, but there are dangers, if you wander in to the wrong patch of forest, you can be harmed or killed. Something a census worker found out not to long ago.
And for nearly a century the county was run with the same politics that were used in the 1890's.
Two families owning everything, the same family always being major, corrupt judges, voting fraud. Murder, Drugs and corruption.
Wile Jamal's home was more dangerous, he told me he would never live in a place like clay county, we are poorer and less free, until recently we lived in a kind of feudal system.
The family's at the top doling out the wealth and good jobs in the county to family and people who acted as there lap dogs.
The thing is, That clay county, if you Ignore the people could be one of the most beautiful places i have ever been. And if you know the county you can easily stay away from danger. But if you do your almost living apart from the rest of the people.
And just list Jamal's family most people are just to pore to move away.
The only real jobs in the county are state jobs. In particular working at the state pen.
And soon they will be building a Recycling plant that will give jobs to about 300 people.
But again most of the jobs will go to people from the county's around Clay, and people who are in the "Loop" and it comes to my attention that the county's entire economy is built on handling other people's refuse. Human or otherwise.
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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/25/census-worker-killed-by-a_n_299725.html
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The link above shows what i mean by, corruption and human waist.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Monday, November 2, 2009
Working at disney part 3. Transportation.
OK so i covered living at Disney and the basic idle of working there.
Now is one of the jewels of the Disney Program.
Transportation.
OK so let me set it up for you.
When you do the program you have three choices for getting to work. (four if you like $30 cab rides)
#1. Have a car. This can be very handy and will really cut down on your commute depending on were you work. But of coarse it cost money, and the guards can... and DO check the car when you come in and out.
#2. Have a friend who has a car. This is slightly less handy because they might or might not have work when you do. But you can make A KILLING as a cheaper then normal cab service on your day off.
#3. Take the bus. Now there are about 1600 CP's at any given time. More if a short group is in. (Large influxes of college program people doing the program for 2-4 mouths in the summer) And remember that means twice a year, because we get allot of Brazilian Summer program people in the fall.
And seance most people work 5 days a week that means on any day there are about 1143 (Rounded up) People going to and from work. And that's not counting the people just going to the park for the day as guests.
That's OVER 9000!!! (More like 3000) People a day being transported on the buses. Buses start leaving at 6:10.AM. (Zombie Bus One) And end at 4:10.AM. (Zombie bus Two)
And run about every 30 minutes.
The buses are name starting at A-Bus, and ending at the K-bus. (that's about 450 bus trips a day)
OK so stuff you should know about the buses.
#1. They are very punctual.
#2. They are very serious about there time chart. If you get there 1 second after they shut the door, you are S.O.L. my friend.
#3. A bus is meant to hold any were between 54 and 80 passengers. And it can hold ALLOT More. I have seen at least 120+ people on a bus before.
#4.Most of the drivers are ether.
A:Not native English speakers. And wile i am very good at understanding people and it is a requirement for them to speak English. Some of them DO NOT.
B:Are retired and working there to have a little extra money.
#5. Time.
Depending on were you work and were you live, your round trim can take between 30 minutes (EPCOT) And 1 Hour and 16 minutes. (Magic Kingdom)
Wile i have never been on a bus that broke down it does happen. And i have never been on a bus that had a accented, but it does happen. I have on the other hand been on a bus that ran over a wild boar. (There all over the place down there) And it did bust the tire. And i was late for work and they don't care why.
You best bet is that you have a really nice manager that will set your time chart back a hour so you don't half to be at work until a little latter.
All bus drivers fall into a couple groups of driving ability.
First you have the Import drivers who cant drive, cant speak understandable English and talk on there cell phones wile driving. (Illegal and against company policy)
Second you have the Import driver who can drive, Can talk Good English and at least use a blue tooth. (Legal but still against Company Policy)
Third you have the guy who is 60+ years old, who can kind of drive, constantly tells the "Kids" on the bus to quite down. (Something we don't have to do and are not going to do)
And then. Theirs Charles.
OK so Charles is the only bus driver i know by name because he is like the Michel Phelps of Bus Driving. Things i know about Charles from talking to / riding with him.
He is from Saint Paul Minnesota.
He is the youngest son of a family with like like.... 80 kids or something.
His family were dirt poor dirt farmers.
He is at least 65.
He can fit a 10 foot wide bus throw a 4 foot opening without damaging anything but the space time continuum.
The reason i know that Charles is at least 65 is that he flew Jets in the Vietnam war as part of Operation Rolling Thunder from day one. The operation started in 1965. And Charles had the job of attacking North Vietnamese Surface to Air Missile Sights. Witch is allot like bull fighting on the crowd is throwing rocks at you at the same time.
Now this is important to say because most people drive a tour bus like it was a boat or ship.
Charles on the other hand drove it like it was a Multi-Million Dollar Jet Fighter. He always drove the same route, the late Magic Kingdom bus.
A bus that never had less the a billion people on it, they gave Charles this job because they new that if Charles was about to have a crash he would simply Slam on the brakes pull up and let the other Vehicle fly under us before destroying it with a air to air missile.
Charles actually dressed up for the Halloween bus, wearing riding pants, a leather jacket, leather skull cap goggles and a big scarf.
Needless to say if you ride the bus and see a sweet little old man, with white hair, and glasses who's name tag that said Charles. Strap in and enjoy the ride, your in good hands.
Now is one of the jewels of the Disney Program.
Transportation.
OK so let me set it up for you.
When you do the program you have three choices for getting to work. (four if you like $30 cab rides)
#1. Have a car. This can be very handy and will really cut down on your commute depending on were you work. But of coarse it cost money, and the guards can... and DO check the car when you come in and out.
#2. Have a friend who has a car. This is slightly less handy because they might or might not have work when you do. But you can make A KILLING as a cheaper then normal cab service on your day off.
#3. Take the bus. Now there are about 1600 CP's at any given time. More if a short group is in. (Large influxes of college program people doing the program for 2-4 mouths in the summer) And remember that means twice a year, because we get allot of Brazilian Summer program people in the fall.
And seance most people work 5 days a week that means on any day there are about 1143 (Rounded up) People going to and from work. And that's not counting the people just going to the park for the day as guests.
That's OVER 9000!!! (More like 3000) People a day being transported on the buses. Buses start leaving at 6:10.AM. (Zombie Bus One) And end at 4:10.AM. (Zombie bus Two)
And run about every 30 minutes.
The buses are name starting at A-Bus, and ending at the K-bus. (that's about 450 bus trips a day)
OK so stuff you should know about the buses.
#1. They are very punctual.
#2. They are very serious about there time chart. If you get there 1 second after they shut the door, you are S.O.L. my friend.
#3. A bus is meant to hold any were between 54 and 80 passengers. And it can hold ALLOT More. I have seen at least 120+ people on a bus before.
#4.Most of the drivers are ether.
A:Not native English speakers. And wile i am very good at understanding people and it is a requirement for them to speak English. Some of them DO NOT.
B:Are retired and working there to have a little extra money.
#5. Time.
Depending on were you work and were you live, your round trim can take between 30 minutes (EPCOT) And 1 Hour and 16 minutes. (Magic Kingdom)
Wile i have never been on a bus that broke down it does happen. And i have never been on a bus that had a accented, but it does happen. I have on the other hand been on a bus that ran over a wild boar. (There all over the place down there) And it did bust the tire. And i was late for work and they don't care why.
You best bet is that you have a really nice manager that will set your time chart back a hour so you don't half to be at work until a little latter.
All bus drivers fall into a couple groups of driving ability.
First you have the Import drivers who cant drive, cant speak understandable English and talk on there cell phones wile driving. (Illegal and against company policy)
Second you have the Import driver who can drive, Can talk Good English and at least use a blue tooth. (Legal but still against Company Policy)
Third you have the guy who is 60+ years old, who can kind of drive, constantly tells the "Kids" on the bus to quite down. (Something we don't have to do and are not going to do)
And then. Theirs Charles.
OK so Charles is the only bus driver i know by name because he is like the Michel Phelps of Bus Driving. Things i know about Charles from talking to / riding with him.
He is from Saint Paul Minnesota.
He is the youngest son of a family with like like.... 80 kids or something.
His family were dirt poor dirt farmers.
He is at least 65.
He can fit a 10 foot wide bus throw a 4 foot opening without damaging anything but the space time continuum.
The reason i know that Charles is at least 65 is that he flew Jets in the Vietnam war as part of Operation Rolling Thunder from day one. The operation started in 1965. And Charles had the job of attacking North Vietnamese Surface to Air Missile Sights. Witch is allot like bull fighting on the crowd is throwing rocks at you at the same time.
Now this is important to say because most people drive a tour bus like it was a boat or ship.
Charles on the other hand drove it like it was a Multi-Million Dollar Jet Fighter. He always drove the same route, the late Magic Kingdom bus.
A bus that never had less the a billion people on it, they gave Charles this job because they new that if Charles was about to have a crash he would simply Slam on the brakes pull up and let the other Vehicle fly under us before destroying it with a air to air missile.
Charles actually dressed up for the Halloween bus, wearing riding pants, a leather jacket, leather skull cap goggles and a big scarf.
Needless to say if you ride the bus and see a sweet little old man, with white hair, and glasses who's name tag that said Charles. Strap in and enjoy the ride, your in good hands.
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