Secrets of your trade.

[Confusedfornow]

I have worked in my current area of expertise for the last 20 years or so. It's in Aviation, can't say exactly what or for who as it's a relatively small community (for my role) and it would be VERY outing. Before this, my only other "job" that I did for a few years was dancing (yes, that kind ). So I don't have massive experience of the world of work.

But I was chatting with some people in a bar over the weekend and conversation turned to jobs and then to my role. I was telling them about some stuff which is perfectly normal to me, but was absolutely news to them.

For instance . .

When a plane is "parked" and everything is switched off, the aircraft is referred to as being "Cold and dark".

If a helicopter has engine failure, it won't just fall out of the sky. The pilots are trained in a procedure called "autorotation" and can usually land safely even if the engine isn't running at all.

All British Airways flights use the call sign "Speed Bird". It's unique and no other airline in the world uses it.

Last one . .

Pilots can't wear polarised sunglasses. They make the electronic displays on the flight deck appear black, and you can't read any information from them.

So, what do you know from your jobs that is mundane for you but which most people wouldn't have a clue/be surprised by?

Yep! It's a balancing act with a huge amount of multitasking. Before having my DCs I had a much more respected job, but it was easier.

When a patient dies, no matter who or why, we speak to them as if they are still with us. We tell them what we are doing and why, we will wash them, comb their hair and put nice clean sheets and gown on them. When flowers were allowed, we would always send them off to “rose cottage” with a flower on their chest

@crosser62

I know you posted here in the theme of the thread, but I just want to thank you for this post. My friends life support was turned off this morning, and I am wasting time and trying to find things to do until i have heard that she is at peace. To read this has made me feel even more emotional, yet soothed in a way. I am hoping that she will be treated in this same manner as you treat your patients. Thank you

Yep gp receptionist = general dogsbody

Ah totally makes sense now

Thanksv

@Mmmmbrekkie, you're welcome.

Shameless place marking - this is fascinating !

Teacher here

We DO have favourites...and it’s not always the nice, well behaved kids. In fact, the opposite is often true. Although for most, professionalism means we don’t treat pupils unequally.

I used to know where a lot of very large companies had their internet lines routed to and from, including several secret Government ones.

(back when the internet was a big thing and these corporations would pay thousands of pounds a year for a 2MB line)

The financial services companies promoting the first versions of equity release knew it was a massive con job. Knew full well, and equally as knowingly went and sold it because there was huge commission to be made.

When the shit started hitting the fan, client notes, documents and all sorts were shredded.

All of this happened under the nose of compliance but they were bright enough never to put anything in writing.

That one about talking to the deceased patients and combing their hair really got to me.

Nurses really should have more recognition.

Thanks for all the fascinating responses. Please please keep it up, I have the next two days off

@buzzbobbly Did the Financial Services Regulator/Authority issue fines?

ForOldLandsEye Did the Financial Services Regulator/Authority issue fines

I don't know. I wasn't party to whether the (then-)FSA even properly investigated, but the in-house dodgy dealing I mentioned was rife in the places I worked. I left the industry entirely not long after.

@ SummersB - that's exactly what happened to DS1! I had a c section and the recovery room was absolutely freezing. They didn't wrap him up much and within an hour he was struggling to breathe with low blood sugar. He was in neonatal for a week after that and I still feel sad and soppy thinking of him being all alone there on his first night in the world (I was too ill to be moved or go see him) . He just laughs when I say this as he's a strapping teenager now, but I wish it could have been avoided regardless.

I work in mortgage compliance, the amount of applications we get where the whole process is fabricated is terrifying, usually it's a whole con to get the mortgage advance.

We regularly catch people buying a house on a buy to let basis to live in, if you're going to do it, at lest change your electoral register details

We have recently had a property valuation come back stating there was hydroponics set up in the basement but that it would be suitable for letting

When a family ask where their dead relative is going from the ward, we say “chapel of rest” never mortuary.

Thanks for all lovely comments.

People don’t know how much we actually care and show love to their relatives when we have them with us in sickness and in death. It’s important. So important.
X

wombatsears that’s what I was coming on to say! Teachers do absolutely have favourites but this doesn’t mean special treatment for them, because you’re usually very aware of not doing it. And yes, it’s rarely the “teacher’s pet” types (although we do of course very much like well-behaved, diligent students!).

I work in a role where being assaulted can be a regular occurrence. I may not like all the other staff I work with, and vice versa, but my goodness, we support each other like family when the shit hits the fan.

Post incidents, we tend to always find a funny side. It's amazing how someone brandishing a weapon threatening you can be so funny.

My job requires very dark humour.

@MumUndone it is but it never stopped us scoffing when our shift was over

From a MH nurse:

You have to be much more unwell than most people imagine to be sectioned. Just being suicidal isn't enough! Generally you need to have a significant history of suicide attempts where you didn't seek help, and have an active plan to do it again.

The next of kin can discharge a section. The responsible clinician can go to court to displace them and prevent them discharging the section, but they rarely do.

Being admitted to a mental health hospital is often unhelpful for people. They are noisy and sometimes scary places. Sometimes patients become too dependant on staff regulating their risky behaviour for them, and if gets really difficult to get back to real life.

I'm a journalist. Once a magazine or newspaper is ready to be printed, we say we're "putting it to bed."

A financial services firm I worked for couldn't decide which of the two fee methodologies proposed by the regulator to use as one would make one set of products more expensive than the market, and the other would do the same for a second set of products.

I'll give you a nugget....I'm a response police officer.

Our cards are the most poorly maintained heaps of shite ever. They are never cleaned and I had to take my own hoover to work. I also use my own sat nav as forces don't provide anything. We use the log book to scrape the ice in winter- there is sod all provided. It's shocking. People think we have the best of everything....we have the cheapest if everything in reality. Our motto is "it's not meant to be good, it's just meant to be cheap!" And it is depressingly accurate!

cars not cards!!

hellen

You sound just like my friend. She's an officer too and it's shocking what she tells me sometimes.

She once told me that sometimes when she's in work on a weekend evening, she has to let people go and can't arrest anybody unless it's extremly urgent because if she did then there wouldnt be enough officers out on patrol. She said it's very common and sometimes there are only two of them to patrol the entire town. And it's a big town.

Shocking.

I was trying to work our what cards you were taking about hellen doesn’t surprise me

Stompy I too woke in MH some MH hospital wards are terribly frightening. Have seen people’s MH seriously deteriorate once in and sadly not having the support needed