$40 the Hard Way

Don’t know what the term “swamper” refers to? Let me enlighten you! A swamper is a labourer who unloads transport trucks. I got the opportunity to be one today as I seem to have worked my way into a job. The agency I worked for cleaning up McMahon Stadium took a shine to me and the fact that I am one of the few clientele with a full set of teeth. I showed up at 7:00pm with my hard-toed steel boots, was given a neon-coloured reflective vest (good thing, too, as less than 2 weeks ago a worker died after being run over by a truck at Western Grocers), and was driven to an industrial park with 3 other gentlemen. I asked where we were going and was told it was AG Foods or something….near Western Grocers. A lump rose in my throat.

You would not have guessed it but one of my co-workers had a shoulder bag embroidered with The Millionaire’s Club. I had no idea I was in such fine company. At first I was enraged that this rich guy said he came from the D.I. (short for Drop-In Shelter, a nearby refuge for the homeless). What nerve for him to be so ridiculously frugal as to take a bed there! Then I realized he is probably writing a book or something and needs to keep a low profile. Sorry, man….you’re busted. I saw the shoulder bag.

I worked from 8:00pm to midnight unloading pallets of food destined to be on store shelves very soon. The irony of people not accustomed to eating 3 square meals every day moving thousands of pounds of food did not escape me. I learned the job on the job through my mentor “Joe.” Joe’s story is that he once owned several houses but the pesky government came after him for over a million dollars in back taxes and penalties. Fascinating guy. He taught me how to look up the UPC code on a sheet, count the boxes, and put them on a wooden pallet. Repeat hundreds of times. Hundreds.

With stomach growling, I moved boxes with around 40kg of swiss chocolate. Midnight came. Hours sheet signed off. Got ride back to the labour office…..$40 and one millionaire contact the richer.