to feel upset that they 'felt sorry for me'?

[GamoraT]

I'm a cleaner in a big train station. I didn't dream of becoming a cleaner and it's by no means my ideal job, but it's mine and I do it well. A bunch of women walked past me on my shift recently and I heard them say that they felt sorry for people like me, doing jobs like the one I do. This has stuck with me for a few days now and I feel I need to post about it. Do people really see those who are doing jobs such as mine as less? People they need to feel sorry for? I just don't know how to feel about that comment and am gutted that that's how I was categorised...

Everybody is just a cog in society which keeps it ticking along.
The trolly boy at the supermarket to the big ceo it just ticks it along.
Tbh op i do feel sorry for you. Not in a sorry your a cleaner but sorry you have to clean some of the disgusting mess.

I have looked at people sweeping up in the walk-in centre/hospital waiting areas and thought, good on you for actually taking the job, I don't feel sorry for them, I admire them for getting on with it and perhaps they are doing it to actually live, or maybe they are hoping to get another job one day.

Too many people will look down on others, they are people, just the same.

I honestly am baffled as to why you are surprised that some people feel sorry for cleaners.

I mean really - who likes to clean shit encrusted on to toilets in their own home? let alone public train station toilets utilised by thousands every day.

It’s getting down and dirty with excrement and I feel sorry for myself when I have to do it after my beloved son has used the toilet so hell yes - I feel sorry for public cleaners!

It’s a job that has value though. No doubt about it.

My measure of a job is 'Would it make an impact if you didn't turn up'? Toilet cleaning, station cleaning, care assistants, surgeons, teachers- hell yes, it would.
Advertising, marketing, city lawyers - probably not.

Advertisers sell products...so you a choice...making products creates jobs...

Lawyers...sue people (Hillsborough, Buncefirld explosion, negligent doctors), assist in mergers and acquisitions which often help create jobs...

Every job has an impact...you wouldn’t get paid for it if it had no value

Thunder... I went to respond to that daft PP but stopped myself. Never going to change their mind!

YANBU OP. They were rude to say it within earshot.

The job you do does NOT define you.
I admire people who do shitty jobs that a lot of people would refuse to do - it takes guts. Well done you that you have a job, especially one where it is hard to reach your natural potential.
It does not matter what other people think of you, it is more important what you think of you.
I wish you well in your life and thank you for cleaning up after the general public, it can't be much fun.

When I see people with jobs like yours, which are essential and uphold the efficiency of a system we all use, I feel thankful for your hard work and grateful you’re doing it.

Fuck those patronising people.

I know how you feel, I've had people patronise me and say they feel sorry for me. I have very seldom not challenged them on it though.

I feel sorry for people who do jobs like yours because the general public can leave things in a disgusting state. At the same time I feel incredibly thankful for people doing these jobs. Would I say I felt sorry for you in earshot? No, because that is rude and belittling. Would I say thank you to you? Yes.

Not read all replies as I like to reply first (and then go back and read) so as to not influence my opinion.

I think that it's not as clear cut as everyone feeling sorry for someone else for their job as we all have different views of what is awful. Some days I could end my shift covered in all kinds - vomit, urine, faeces, so the same kind of things that you might face. However, I'm a midwife which is a job that most people say they think would be a dream job and they would love to do it. People don't necessarily understand what is involved in other people's jobs. I like cleaning so I don't really see that I would be unhappy doing a cleaning job but there are plenty of people who would. It's horses for courses and I'm sorry that they've upset you with their comments. X

No one should ever feel embarassed for having a job. Ignore them

I think there’s a difference between feeling sorry for you in your work role and for you as a human being. It doesn’t sound as though you need pity for the second aspect. 😲

I had a friend who was dying of cancer. I felt sorry — distraught, at times —- for her being in the position of someone whose life was ending too soon but not as a person, if you see what I mean. As a human being she was someone to admire and love.

Oh I get this a lot. I left a good job and became a house keeper in a care home because I had an unexpected baby. The way some of the residents families speak to me and talk about us as a team makes me embarrassed for them quite honestly.

The job is 9 - 3 and two roads away from school and nursery, meaning I can still be there at the start and end of the day for my children.

Alternate weekends with two days off in the week, meaning I can still take my baby to baby groups etc.

Gave me time in the evening to complete my Masters degree with the OU.

Gives me my sanity away from the kids for a few hours each day.

Husband earns a decent wedge and my wage on top means we live fairly comfortably.

If people want to think I’m an uneducated, poor desperate person worthy of pity then they only make themselves look ignorant.

Why is it ok to clean shit up if you're a nurse but not as station cleaner.

It's a physical job with a result at the end. Great.

Some of these comments are exactly why we have a poor work ethic compared to other countries.I can't abide job snobbery. You don't become a better person for earning shed loads or having a better job. As long as you can do whatever it is well and you can have a life outside it, I'd say you were winning.

" Do people really see those who are doing jobs such as mine as less?"

Yes, some people do, but they're probably not the ones who feel sorry for you. They're the ones who think that some people are happy with jobs they themselves would hate.
I do admin support and some of the people I've worked for over the years have definitely seen me as inferior to them and of course, purely in economic term, they're right or I'd also have a skilled job.

People they need to feel sorry for?

Yes, I do feel sorry for people whose jobs I think are bad jobs. It's because I don't think they're less and I think they deserve to have a job that fulfils them. I'm happy to hear your enjoy your job, but I do think there are probably lots of people doing what you do who don't enjoy it.

"Nobody wants someone to feel sorry for them. "

I don't agree with this. If I have to do something I hate like lugging really heavy boxes around, I want people to feel sorry for me.

I’ve got a lady who cleans my house. She’s my hero and has stopped all arguments between me and my husband (we argued about cleaner a lot before her)!!! These woman are just nobs ignore them

"I can't abide job snobbery. You don't become a better person for earning shed loads or having a better job. As long as you can do whatever it is well and you can have a life outside it, I'd say you were winning."

You're conflating two different things here.
There is nothing wrong with saying that some jobs are better than others, it's COMPLETELY different to say that people doing some jobs are better than others.

It's Tory ministers with good jobs that go on about job snobbery, saying people should be happy to do unpaid work experience in unskilled jobs. It's a way of keeping the population in its place and telling the masses that we shouldn't aspire to anything more.

We argued about cleaning not the cleaner 😂

Gwenhwyfar Why are you trying to sideline your political views into this post 😂😂😂

FreeMantle used the expression 'job snobbery'. It's one that's been used by Tories recently to justify workfare so it's definitely political.
In fact, this whole discussion is political so it's not me bringing it in.

Gamora T, I think it was very patronising of them. I totally hate it when people say they feel sorry for me for any reason, whether it's justified or not. It makes you feel low and powerless and less than.

And I do think many people don't really feel sorry for you anyway, they just want to make themselves feel better. It's more about them, not you.