Gimminy t1_iz1x4w1 wrote on December 5, 2022 at 9:28 PM

Reply to comment by ar243 in Orders delivered sized by subtotal and my earnings in 2022 [OC] by Altruistic_Olives

So the guitarist in my kinda hobby band has been doing this for five years. I cannot understand why. The guy works well over 60 hours a week and can barely afford to pay rent or buy strings for his guitar, even. When we play at a club he misses out on almost a whole day’s pay because of load-in times and whatnot. And because he never has even two cents to rub together it is very stressful for him.

I have tried to explain that he could make more money literally working at McDonald’s, but he likes the “freedom” of gig driving work. What fucking freedom, Steven? You can’t even afford to join the rest of us for dinner or a concert, or buy fun things for your guitar setup, and you have to work almost every waking moment of every day? It honestly makes me crazy.

ar243 t1_iz20oqg wrote on December 5, 2022 at 9:52 PM

I'm right there with you. I don't understand it either.

My best guess is that some people aren't money-driven. For example, a lot of people I went to school with got "useless" majors, and from time to time I would hear them make comments like "it's not about the money", or "I was born to do this". And in their heads, that all takes precedence over the almighty dollar.

And then real life hits them like a freight train, and they are suddenly $40k in student loan debt with a degree that makes no money.

The problem is that these are some of the same people that constantly complain about how little money they make.

I feel somewhat sorry for people like this, but it's also like "did you expect to make a livable wage in Santa Barbara with a Forestry degree, Kevin?".

Some people just don't plan ahead. Idk man.

ArmedPostalWorker t1_iz4bsfi wrote on December 6, 2022 at 11:14 AM

You could say the same thing for all teachers. All of them are severely underpaid, scrutinized very closely, and had to complete at least 7 years of post secondary education. I have a lot of respect for them as they all know this going into their major, yet somehow there are teachers who are resentful of this fact, and a few who don't belong in the education system... Even though they knew it would be crummy pay and unpaid overtime hours.

ar243 t1_iz5zzws wrote on December 6, 2022 at 7:01 PM

My girlfriend is a teacher and she also has this mentality. She complains about not being paid enough, barely being able to pay bills, not being able to afford eating out, etc.

She always knew the pay sucked, but "the job chose her".

I don't get it. Don't choose careers that can't afford the lifestyle you have. She got lucky because she met me and I could help, but what about everybody else?

MaxRoofer t1_iz2d9kq wrote on December 5, 2022 at 11:21 PM

Not having to clock in at a certain time is big for some people. And then what’s worse, is getting not picked by your boss. This is even worse for someone like me, who thought Inwas doing a good job. I hated it when I was younger.

Have my own business now. Sort of miss the ease of an 8-5.

AftyOfTheUK t1_iz58wkz wrote on December 6, 2022 at 4:06 PM

>I have tried to explain that he could make more money literally working at McDonald’s, but he likes the “freedom” of gig driving work.

This is what annoys me about people who attack these jobs. Some people just hate routine, drudgery, or having a boss who tells them what to do and when. They accept a lower wage for delivering things or people because they feel better about life than if they had a higher wage with someone shouting at them because their tie isn't straight, or they didn't scrub the pan hard enough, or they want to take 90 minutes off to watch the game in the middle of the day.

Society seems to have no problem with people saying "I'm going to quit my corporate job and become a baker because even though it only pays one third as much, I feel better doing it" yet the second somebody decides to make a similar choice but going to the gig economy, suddenly it's seen as a problem.

Many of these people couldn't get a "regular" job so having their gig economy job may be better for them than not having it, and many more of them prefer the flexibility and conditions of the gig economy job. Everyone's different.

Gimminy t1_iz5cpij wrote on December 6, 2022 at 4:32 PM

Cool. Here’s the difference. The gig economy is exploitative, he is literally being abused. He has no health insurance, no benefits, is applying no real skill of any kind, and he ends up making roughly six dollars an hour. That is one third of minimum wage where I am at. This necessitates that he works insane hours without any forward progress in his life. It is difficult to watch. The freedom is an illusion.

I would love it if he were to work at a bakery, walk dogs, or became yoga a instructor and taught a couple lessons at various studios as a contractor. At least then he would be learning a skill (not to mention he would be making at least three times as much per hour than he does currently).

I get it that some people just can’t handle normal employment. But there are so many other options that are both fulfilling and provide for the basic necessities of life, even outside the traditional employment context. The gig economy is shit and needs to be regulated. I refuse to use any of them.

AftyOfTheUK t1_iz5h141 wrote on December 6, 2022 at 5:01 PM

>The gig economy is exploitative, he is literally being abused.

That's a strong statement. Got any proof of abuse? Some people like the gig economy because of the flexibility of hours, are they choosing to be abused?

>He has no health insurance, no benefits

Most contractors don't, either.

>is applying no real skill of any kind

Neither are most people working in retail.

>That is one third of minimum wage where I am at.

Yet he chooses to do it, instead of getting a minimum wage job.

>I would love it if he were to work at a bakery, walk dogs, or became yoga a instructor and taught a couple lessons at various studios as a contractor.

Other than (possibly) the bakery, none of those jobs would give him health insurance, or any benefits. Walking dogs is applying no real skill of any kind. Same for yoga instructor, I would argue.

>I get it that some people just can’t handle normal employment.

Exactly. When I was younger, the people who couldn't handle normal employment just didn't have any income of their own. They had no job, and were just a burden on those people around them, or on society. Now many of those people can work (long hours) and make enough money to scrape by. That's an improvement.