I have been told, gently, “You know you don't have to do that''. People have sniggered at my “gullibility'' and said: “You actually do that!''
Others have irritatedly reprimanded me, saying “Are you crazy? No one leaves a tip in a food court.''
But why shouldn't I? Most restaurants charge for service. Then it's your decision whether you tip the server or not. In a food court, do you clear the table of your half-eaten plate of lasagna or uneaten French fries? Or wipe the drink or ketchup you have spilt?
Don't we all fly into a rage when we see a dirty table at peak hour, with the cleaner nowhere in sight?
Well, I feel a bit of loose change wouldn't make much of a dent in my purse but will sure bring a smile on the lips of the person I wish to thank.
Janitor
The one who keeps all those places clean where you would refuse to step otherwise
Public toilets the world over are the most disgusting places, especially when one is left with no choice but to use them. If the toilets are not clean, we screw up our noses and condemn the people who “don't do their job''.
But have we ever stopped and thanked them for keeping it spic-and-span and smelling fresh?
Oh, but that's “their job''.
There's nothing like a nice, clean home to return to after a long day of work. We all feel proud — we've done our duty by keeping the house clean and dumping the stinky garbage down the chute.
But in case your overstuffed bag of garbage misses the skip and crashes to the floor? Do you go to clean up the mess you've created?
Chheeee! What are the janitors and the garbage collectors for? OK, it's their job but do we ever thank them for cleaning up the mess we've created?
Similarly, do we ever realise what happened to the chocolate wrapper we may have thrown out of the car window, how the roads are never dirty, the bin outside the building never full?
Watchman
The person who ensures you peaceful sleep at the risk of his own life
How could I forget the man who stays awake all night so we can sleep peacefully, the man who supplements his meagre income by washing our cars during the day?
Baggage handler
At the airport, he's the one who lugs all your “fragile'' knick-knacks and luggage from the airport to the aircraft to the airport
Oh, I love travelling! And I'm sure you do, too. We visit lots of destinations and come back with suitcases full of goodies that we show off to friends and families.
Each airline provides us a weight limit. But do we follow that? We don't mind paying excess baggage.
But have we ever thought how those heavy suitcases get transferred from the airport to the plane and then back again to the conveyor belt?
In most countries, the bags are still picked up from the carts and put on the aircraft and on the conveyor belts manually.
Nurse
A person who looks after you and helps you get better
I hate hospitals. Even the best and cleanest ones scare me. They remind me of the one reality no one can change.
Yet, there are those there who work selflessly, taking care of people like us, look after sick elders and change dirty nappies and feed our newborns while we rest.
Dentist
A person who encounters last week's shawarma while treating your teeth
Ever wondered what goes through the mind of the man peering down your mouth, drilling and filling in those cavities?
If he or she were to write a book, it would turn out to be horror story!
There are still many who have not been mentioned here but who make a difference in our lives — all those delivery boys, office helpers, men who toil in the summer heat to provide us our luxury shelter, farmers who work in the fields so we can have the best of nature's wealth, soldiers who keep our borders safe — men and women who deserve a standing ovation for their contribution to mankind.
We salute you.
- By Manjari Saxena, Sub-Editor
Ever heard of a chicken sexer, a wrinkle chaser or a fantasy broker?
You get to be an Odour Judge if a) you have a taste for the oddest of smells b) you have a wacky sense of humour or c) you are really, really desperate for a job.
Here's what a typical day at the workplace means: Smelling armpits to help make deodorants that will work well with customers.
Ewwwwww! So every time you use a deodorant, remember to say a silent prayer for the person who made some very crucial decisions on the job.
Wrinkle Chaser
Ever wondered why shoes off the shelf are wrinkle-free but with wear and tear, start looking like weather-beaten monkeys?
Here's the answer: A Wrinkle Chaser — a person who chases away shoe wrinkles to ensure the texture is smooth when you buy them.
Chicken Sexer
There's actually a job that needs you to sort through baby chickens, separating the males and the females.
Now, how does one know the difference? Apart from knowing the technicalities that determine the sex of the chicken, you need to be able to do some smart running around and catching the chicken in the first place.
Actor For a Haunted House
This sounds like a fun job but it's difficult to understand why anyone would want a fake ghost in a house that's already supposed to have real ones.
Maybe real estate agents like to keep them handy -- after all, you can't trust spectres.
And maybe there are people for whom owning a haunted house is similar to others' wanting to own a house by the sea or a penthouse in, say, New York.
And if these people don't get to see the USP, they probably walk out in a huff and don't buy the house.
That's why we assume there's a designation like An
Actor For a Haunted House.
Fantasy Broker
Some fantasies can be ordered straight from the factory and it's the Fantasy Broker's job to make it come true.
Want to fly from Dubai to Dallas in a microlight or bungee jump in an Amazonian rainforest? It's possible.
Pioneered in Chicago by an advertising executive, fantasy firms do brisk business in several cities today. Of course, fantasies come for a price, but at least they come true.
Furniture Tester
There are some furniture companies in the United States that employ people to check out their wares.
That sounds like just the relaxing job most of us stressed-out souls need. And if you happen to snooze off on a bed, the product is clearly a winner.
- By Juliana Lazarus, Pages Editor
Dangerous
Negotiator: Usually handles hostage and suicide situations and use their negotiating skills to avoid potential fatalities.
Even though armed officers, tense crowds and confusion rule the situation, they are expected to keep their cool and create a “safe'' environment for the hostage-taker/suicidal individual.
In hostage situations, the negotiator has to establish communication, find out the number of hostages taken, and their health status, as well as the demands and emotional state of the hostage-taker.
They should also find the right balance between being authoritative and understanding. If the hostage-taker will not bargain, the negotiator also has to determine the right moment to involve armed forces.
Fireman: Every time they report to duty, they could be risking their lives. Whether it's rescuing someone from a burning building, extinguishing fires or providing medical support — it is no wonder they are often described as real heroes. Their duties vary from on-scene communication, pump operation, forcible entry, ventilation, locating victims and rescuing them, clean-up and equipment maintenance.
Paramedic: As part of the Emergency Medical Service and ambulance crew, paramedics are trained to provide on-scene medical attention or crisis intervention and transport patients to hospitals and trauma centres.
When necessary, they provide basic and advanced life support, including oxygen support, cardiac life support, therapy for seizures, trauma assessment and communication.
Peacekeeper: Often entering conflict zones across the world, peacekeepers are tasked with stabilising situations on the ground, maintaining ceasefires and resolving or preventing dangerous situations.
A peacekeeper's assignment could vary from human rights monitoring, security and disarmament to humanitarian, legal and demobilising missions.
Conflicts can often be unpredictable and risky.
Bodyguard: Risks their lives to protect others. Bodyguards or security professionals can specialise in various areas — such as close protection, asset protection, surveillance, witness service, risk and threat analysis — and can be assigned foreign or domestic projects or form part of advanced security teams.
Field reporter: Not only are they under immense pressure to meet deadlines, field reporters, at times, must also investigate, research and gather information from risky locations.
Whether the story is of a country at war, a volcanic eruption, an earthquake or a hostage crisis — they often risk their lives and work long hours to keep people informed on the developments.
Crane operator: They need to have excellent hand-eye coordination to manoeuvre heavy machinery at construction sites, docks and railway yards.
Crane operators have to constantly stay alert to dangers, which include power lines and the prospect of their machines turning turtle.
Repairing hydraulic lines and changing the oil and filters when necessary are also all in a day's job.
Fisherman: A fisherman's job may not look dangerous but has many potential hazards.
These include unpredictable weather conditions that could result in the boat capsizing. Others involve the risk of injury while handling and maintaining equipment and fishing gear.
And if anything goes wrong, the nearest hospital or port could be hundreds of kilometres away.
Correctional officers: In a maximum-security penitentiary, they cannot let their guard down even for a second because most inmates feel they have nothing to lose.
Stress comes with the territory as they have to maintain security consistently.
They are also expected to file reports on any strange incident and security breaches.
- By Maey El Shoush, Staff Reporter
