I hate to be Darcy Doom here but I'm starting to think that a Depression - that's right, the 'D' word - is in our near future. I was discussing this recently with my neighbor, Tim, and said, "When I start to see photos with people in long lines, that when the imagery will start to become eerily familiar." Then, the next day I see this photo by Tim Chapman of the Miami Herald showing over 1,000 people lined up TWO DAYS EARLY to apply for 35 firefighter jobs. Yeesh.
Or this from Kentucky:
And let's not forget all those shameless folks lining up in their pajamas for a free breakfast at Denny's:
I also heard there was a line at the Returns Desk of Neiman Marcus but no photo available.
6 comments:
I have to tell you in the 90's when I was feverishly testing for firefighter, I stood in many of those lines. Even spent the night in front of a few city halls to get one of the 100 applications being handed out. Stood in line to test with LA county, along with 20,000 other people. Yup, 20,000. Matter of fact, guess you can say I stood in line for 17 years before I finally got the job I wanted. Whew! My feet hurt!!
FO
Oh, man! That's right - you have paid your dues, sister. I am so proud of you. I wish we lived closer so you could save my ass regularly. Glad you have finally reached The Dream.
The firefighter lines are not uncommon. I stood in one in '99 for DC and I took the ex to one in 03. Both of us got turned away for them "being full" before we actually got to even take the written tests.
Craziness.
Look at it this way: if another Depression hits us, then the U.S. may cease to be a nation of mollycoddled frivolous whiners and become a land of clever, crafty, creative women and men.
MD - Good to know I can count on you to use the word "mollycoddled" with a straight face.
But yes, I have thought of this concept before and think it will do us good to get back to our scrappy ways. It might even take care of that obesity problem once and for all.
Great photos. But we're a far cry from the Great Depression. I mean, people were lying down and dying of starvation. We're not there yet. Knock on wood.
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