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Big Red Button Disasters?
FredDC asks: "The Daily WTF has a story about a Big Red Button disaster. What Big Red Button disasters have you experienced? Which ones have you caused? Are there any that you've heard about, or do you know of any that can happen any day now?"
Fresh out of high school I was a janitor who happened to clean the data center at a big business. I was in this job because I needed to raise money for college (it paid $12/hr believe it or not, which was a fair sight better than pretty much any other job I could have landed at the time). It was a foot in the door, and I eventually worked my way through college and up the corporate ladder in the very same company. Now I'm responsible for the servers which occupy that same space which I used to clean.
Fortunately the guys working in the data center weren't as narrow-minded as you; while working as a janitor I would regularly take a few minutes to help them diagnose some problem with their Windows boxes or just help them put together some new hardware. While it's possible they were patronizing me because they saw in me some spark of what they saw in themselves, I also genuinely believe that they were grateful for the assistance, and at the very least at least they didn't judge me because of my position in life.
I have never since worked as hard in my life as I did while a janitor. I have never since in my life been looked down on by as many people. You cannot imagine how being constantly surrounded by people who look down on you saps your self confidence and opinion of yourself. Working to clean the filth that other people generate, and in service to these people, they will often not even acknowledge your presence even if you address them directly. It was one of the worst periods of my life, and I also regard it as one of the most valuable.
Today I use people's attitude toward janitorial or maintenance staff as a litmus test of their personal character and it has yet to let me down. For example, once while interviewing a job candidate, the janitor came into the room to empty the trashcans. The candidate showed obvious distaste, and I recommended against this person for the job. They got the job in spite of my recommendation, but within 8 months they were shown the door; this same attitude, which they were not even able to mask during an interview infested the rest of their inter-personal relationships. They were a nightmare to work with or even just be around.
Whenever you think you are better than someone else because of what they do or because of who they are, that self-same thought makes it not so.
Slay a dragon... over lunch!