In D.C., snow day separates essential workers from non

[Chris_]

In D.C., snow day separates essential workers from non

In one of the world’s most self-important cities, all it takes is a snow day to separate the essential personnel from those who simply wish they were.

Which are you?

“I’d really rather not say,” said a 27-year-old federal employee who would give only a first name: Rebecca. She’s sipping a mimosa and eating a bowl of corned beef hash at the Coupe coffee shop in Columbia Heights.

“I find that question offensive, the terminology somewhat demoralizing,” said Sara Farley, who heads a global development nonprofit. She was working next to a row of Washington folks seated on stools around the cafe’s long breakfast bar. They all felt compelled to work, even though they didn’t have to.

In this sequester era of looming job cuts and furloughs for federal employees and contractors, being anything but essential is a frightening prospect.

Washington Post

She got her widdle feelings hurt. 

[DumbAss Tanker]

The term is somewhat misleading.   'Essential' is limited to the people without whom something would fail in a rapid and spectacular way, or the people who would actually have to sign something in an emergency or take a flash call, or people required by some law or regulation to be there (Like the guy whose name is on the blame line for a nuke license, or a certified operator for a water purification plant).  It doesn't mean the place could actually operate and do whatever it is supposed to do beyond just answering the phone and taking notes without all the 'Nonessential' people (Many of them, yes, all of them, no way).  Being designated 'Essential' also means, for instance, that you can't be a member of the Reserves.

[NHSparky]

global development nonprofit

I think we know on which side of the "essential/non-essential" fence this little snowflake resides.

People ask me to justify my job.  I usually respond by turning out their lights and ripping out their breaker box.

[docstew]

People ask me to justify my job.  I usually respond by turning out their lights and ripping out their breaker box.

I usually just give 'em a nice long laceration, then stop the bleeding.

[NHSparky]

And oh yeah--coming up on a foot of snow, and here I am.

(sigh)....it's nice to be needed.

[zeitgeist]

And oh yeah--coming up on a foot of snow, and here I am.

(sigh)....it's nice to be needed.

You know you're essential when they send a Deuce w/plow and winch.  Or, in answer to your "but I'm already drunk" you hear "Well, we got coffee on." 

GeezeLouise how some people whine when the roads aren't bare.  Nothing like going sixty miles an hour on slush.  Talk about a magical mystery tour, you just hope the rut you're in goes in the same general direction as the middle of the road and not into the bog where you see that other car because your tires are acting more like slush screws than directional control devices.  Amazing how fast you can go sideways with you two tones pushing the brake pedal through the floorboard.

Damn there goes the friggin wing plow and I just finished If winter comes can mud season be far behind?  I bet the blower belt business is booming today.  Heavy and wet takes the belts out big time.

[NHSparky]

Heavy and wet takes the belts out big time.

There's a solution to that--it's called 50 and sunny tomorrow.

[zeitgeist]

There's a solution to that--it's called 50 and sunny tomorrow.

Yup, nice warm weather for repairing that plow or snow blower.  Or was that not what you meant? 

April is the cruelest month so they say.