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?

[Peachyx2505]

I work in care and often care for residents in their last days of life.

It's the most rewarding area of my job.

We talk to the resident as if they were still with us when providing care after they've passed. We will also open a window and place a flower if appropriate. Even when taking the undertakers into the person, I still knock the door before entering.
Some relatives don't wish to be there for the final stages, and that's ok. No one will judge you. I will do everything I can to make sure your loved one is peaceful.

The care doesn't stop.

I agree with the CPR thing too. Having to perform it on an elderly person is brutal.

[hellenbackagen]

confused I worked a marathon shift last week for the exact reason you're friend said....I had something I need to hand over to next group after us. They had not one spare officer for me to handover to so I had to work 15 hours.
Same week 3 of us went to work and had 4 prisoners. They out numbered us. They often do.

[tiredvommachine]

hellen have you got Athena though?

[Puzzledandpissedoff]

Some relatives don't wish to be there for the final stages, and that's ok

Please can I ask a sensitive question, Peachy?

Everyone I've ever known who's missed a loved one's last moments was told that "a nurse was with them, holding their hand at the end". Now, I know staff are extremely skilled at recognising such things, but I also know they're also extremely busy

So is what they're told likely to be true, or is it just a soothing fiction?

[girlandboy]

I work in aviation too OP!!
If a bird strike happens in/through an engine in flight it will often leave no more evidence than a greasy smudge. Poor bird.

Aircraft fuel tanks have to be periodically drained and cleaned out. This is achieved by someone going in with a bucket and some cloths. Not very technical.

[SheSnapsThenSheFarts]

I work in hospitality. Very very little food is made from scratch these days, and a low 'scores on the doors' doesn't mean a dirty kitchen, normally it means poor record keeping.

[Littlejayx]

Hotel worker!

Your lost property, if you leave something behind like toiletries, spare change or alcohol this is kept for a week then fished out between the housekeeping staff.

If a item such as a phone, iPad laptop etc is found reception try and contact the guest, this is kept for 3months, after witch the housekeeper who cleans the room keeps said item. ( one of my girls found 3 brand new in box I phones and kept them after 6 months of being lost)

Also if a bedroom extremely dirty (poo in the bath, used condoms and fluids around room etc etc) extra money is offered to bribe staff into taking extra soiled rooms.

[chatnicknameyousuggested]

Mine is similar to spiritedfaraway: I am a judge, and sometimes, after a not guilty verdict, on a murder trial, I get seized with a sense that the person was really guilty. Colleagues have it too. Never before, never while applying the law. Just briefly afterwards.

[chatnicknameyousuggested]

@Peachy that's really comforting.

[ScabbyHorse]

I work in primary education. Sometimes we chuck work away when it's not been stuck in the book at the right time. But we always keep letters and pictures from the kids forever. And I'm afraid I judge the parents of the kids whose homework books smell of fags.

[chatnicknameyousuggested]

@Backwoodsgirl I live in this area-ish, and yes, you are 100% correct in the bike lock example.

[TrotEsio]

@ScabbyHorse I'm a primary school teacher and I (and everyone else I've discussed this with) throw away all pictures etc at the end of the day.

[How2Help]

I work in medical research testing new medicines to see if they work and what the side effects are. We really do record every sniffle, cough, stubbed toe or similar that we are told about to try and establish if it is the new medication is causing it.

[Laska2Meryls]

Crosser Thanks for posting that that , I am feeling very sad this evening because of the loss of my DM a few months ago now , but we were there when she died after being in hospital for a few weeks and I did experience the nurses talking to her ,moving her gently telling her what they were doing , and stroking her hair after she was no longer with us .. At the time it was traumatic but now looking back , it was so lovely and caring of them even if we didnt notice at the time and you have reminded me of that .. Thank you and for all that you do ..

[Shookethtothecore]

Best thred ever.

[Coldhandscoldheart]

@squeefy i remember "rose cottage" (i also worked in a hospital ). is that all hospitals??

Where I used to work patients would go to the tenth floor. There were only nine physical floors.

[LettuceP]

I'm a waitress.

If you are really nice then we will do whatever we can to make sure you have a good meal. Extra care taken to do your drinks, asking the chefs to make your food first, making a huge effort to fix any problem you have, choosing you the biggest slice of cake etc. If you are rude then we will do the bare minimum and you can forget any extras.

Please don't take drinks off a tray that a server is holding, totally messes up the balance and is really tricky not to spill everything.

Servers have sections (groups of tables) that are their responsibility to look after. The amount of staff on duty is dependant on how busy it is expected to be so if we don't have much staff on then we will have sections in the easiest part of the restaurant to serve and leave further away sections unmanned. If you sit yourself down on a random table in an unmanned section (because its quieter) then you are probably going to get slow service because we are busy in our section and it doesn't cover your table so we can't get to you as easily. If you don't want slow service and the restaurant is quite busy then just wait to be seated and sit where the server takes you.

And it is so bloody annoying when people cheer or clap when they hear a plate smash, please don't be one of those people that does it. Usually it's a new starter that smashed it and it draws even more attention to it and makes them feel shit.

[Laska2Meryls]

Mum had been moved to a private room and had a butterfly picture pinned to her door ..Im sure that was a signal

[RedSippyCup]

Food manufacture.

The list of ingredients on the packet doesn't always include everything in the food. Things that are legally considered 'process aids' don't have to be on the list. So that's things that are only in there to make the product easy to manufacture.

For instance - Dimethylpolysiloxane anyone? Sounds tasty doesn't it? It's an anti foaming agent. It's also what silly putty is made of.

Or food safe lubricants that are definitely going to get on the food. They won't hurt you, but they won't tell you about them either. And they're probably made of palm oil.

Food in supermarkets is sold with a massive profit margin. I mean hundreds of percent. Something costing you 3 quid probably costs tesco 50p. At the very most.

[olderthanyouthink]

I'm a developer/programmer/coder whatever

The lack of applying standards and ensuring security is shocking. Either data your not supposed to get is returned or data is secured with crap passwords. The ones that I can thing of are being redone or have just been pulled out of service because GDPR is scary.

We are copy-pasting code from online and googling things you'd think we'd know, makes you feel better about yourself when you see someone way more senior doing it

I can tell when you haven't tested/looked at the app you have harassed us for access to.

I judge when clients at too lazy to learn to do the basic bits themselves, it's a massive waste of my time and your money to have me update your blog, especially when I've showed/given instructions on how to do it.

[SnugglySnerd]

A lot of teachers are teaching outside their subject specialism because there aren't enough teachers in some subjects.
Many teachers teaching sex ed, drugs ed etc have had no training whatsoever in those subjects and are only teaching it because they had space on their timetable or are teaching it as part of their school's registration time activities.

[Gunpowdertea]

If you hear 'would inspector sands please go to the main concourse' or words to similar effect at a station. It means fire alert. 100% true. Dont panic though it is usually not an evacuation!

[hunibuni]

@Puzzled ex nurse here. If we knew a patient was likely to pass before family arrived then someone would sit with them until they passed or family arrived. When you work in certain wards for a while you'll find that there is always someone who has an almost uncanny sense of when it's likely to happen.

I remember my first death as a student nurse and being taught how to provide care after death. YY to opening the window and talking to the patient.

Currently in pharma. Some sales reps can be loose with their interpretations of drugs and I can tell a newbie from an experienced rep based on their call logs.

[NoShitHemlock]

I just wanted to agree with PP upthread and say thank you to all the nurses and care staff

Watching this thread with interest - I dont have anything interesting to add as I am a civil servant doing a techy job, but I can confirm that I drink eleventy billion cups of coffee a day

[ButterflyBitch]

crosser you’ve made me tear up too. My nan died in hospital and I’d like to think she was looked after like this.