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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsTeenager spotted walking 10 MILES in the snow to interview for $7-an-hour job is given work
Teenager spotted walking 10 MILES in the snow to interview for $7-an-hour job is given work on the spot by restaurant owner - who doubled his pay
A teen's luck appears to have changed after a chance encounter with an Indiana restaurant owner during a 10-mile trek through ice and snow for a minimum wage job interview.
It all started on Friday, when Art Bouvier, the proprietor of Papa Roux, a Cajun restaurant in Indianapolis, was laying rock salt outside the establishment after an ice storm earlier that morning. He said he was approached by a teen who asked him how far it was to 10th and Sherman.
Mr Bouvier told WLFI-TV: 'And I'm thinking we're at 10th and Post. I said, "Buddy that's probably six, seven miles." I said, "You'd be better off on a bus especially in this weather." He just said, "Okay, thank you." And he kept going.'
Later, as Mr Bouvier was driving with his wife to a coffee shop, he was surprised to find the same person, still walking. They pulled over, and asked him if he needed a ride.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2284542/Art-Bouvier-Man-spots-Jhaqueil-Reagan-walking-10-miles-job-interview-gives-job.html
Skidmore
(37,364 posts)duplicate this situation over and over again. The goodwill alone engendered by acts of responsible citizenship and fairness would come back to them many times in support for their products or services.
TomClash
(11,344 posts)But you are absolutely right.
Response to Skidmore (Reply #1)
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Schema Thing
(10,283 posts)you are full of shit.
white_wolf
(6,238 posts)But I doubt we will have to deal with you long. People spouting your libertarian nonsense don't last here too long, at least the ones that don't hide it well.
badhair77
(4,218 posts)Businesses need to look at treating employees well, too, instead of sucking the life out of them.
dipsydoodle, thanks for posting this. It's a good way to start the morning on a positive note.
pitbullgirl1965
(564 posts)Christ it's a who's who of douchbags! I saw 1 woman, the rest are men, white men. The CEO of Home Depot created it. He called the Occupy protesters "imbeciles". I know it's wrong, but a small part of me that would have enjoyed seeing them dragged out to the guillotine.
geardaddy
(24,931 posts)ellisonz
(27,711 posts)Baitball Blogger
(46,731 posts)deutsey
(20,166 posts)From a 2010 article: "They just recently gave jobs to a brother and sister from Alabama who would have otherwise been doing some summer shrimping had there not been a devastating oil crisis in the gulf..."
http://doingindy.com/2010/06/03/po-boys-and-stew-at-papa-roux/
Bernardo de La Paz
(49,002 posts)tavalon
(27,985 posts)Would that we could clone him a million times over.
Autumn
(45,105 posts)Thanks for posting this.
tridim
(45,358 posts)Autumn
(45,105 posts)Doubling the wage like he did is a wonderful thing to do.
xchrom
(108,903 posts)Brickbat
(19,339 posts)peace frog
(5,609 posts)but I'm glad to know it nevertheless.
TwilightGardener
(46,416 posts)That's what work ethic looks like.
fasttense
(17,301 posts)What happened to the good old days when just showing up for a less-than-minimum-wage job pretty well guaranteed you would get the job? I mean it's great the kid got a job, and it's great the boss doubled his salary and the kid doesn't have to work for less than minimum wage. But does everyone have to walk 10 miles in the snow for a less-than-minimum-wage job to be able to work for someone?
Let's face it, a job does not give you anything unless you work. All a job does is say you'll get a pay check, if you show up on time and work hard. A person with a job is NOT getting anything for free and he's certainly working for a whole lot less than he is probably making for his boss. And if he doesn't show up on time and work hard he'll probably lose the same job.
What an absolutely insane economic system we have when it takes heroics to get a chance to work hard for pay that is less than the value of the work.
Botany
(70,516 posts)Po-boys and Red Beans and Rice
what a great story
<In addition, Fox 59 reported that IndyGo, the Indianapolis' public transportation authority, has stepped up and given Jhaqueil a year's supply of bus passes.>
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2284542/Art-Bouvier-Man-spots-Jhaqueil-Reagan-walking-10-miles-job-interview-gives-job.html#ixzz2M0yxkfmt
Autumn
(45,105 posts)Lucky you.
Botany
(70,516 posts).... drive through Indy and so I'll make it point to go there.
BTW Black Beans and Rice and Dirty Rice are tasty too.
KamaAina
(78,249 posts)unlikely as that is, and even though Cajun* food served outside Louisiana is seldom all that.
OriginalGeek
(12,132 posts)My wife and have a trip to Indy planned in July. I'm putting this guy's place on the itinerary right now.
I hope I get to shake his hand.
Tommy_Carcetti
(43,182 posts)steve2470
(37,457 posts)Read the comments section. Are the comments mostly pretty right wing, UK DU'ers ?
dipsydoodle
(42,239 posts)I only looked at current ones and only two are from the UK itself - both are complimentary. This must be on the world online edition.
OKNancy
(41,832 posts)I noticed in the article it said:
steve2470
(37,457 posts)SunSeeker
(51,569 posts)Myrina
(12,296 posts)And his shop makes some GOOOOOOOOOD food!
barbtries
(28,798 posts)is mean. this made me cry. it's people who fuck it all up, and people who redeem it.
aikoaiko
(34,170 posts)davidthegnome
(2,983 posts)Walking ten miles in the snow to interview for a 7 dollar an hour job? It makes me think of that old line, usually something like, "Well, back in my day kiddo, we had no shoes. We had to walk five miles in a blizzard (uphill both ways) to get to school. Today's youth is so lazy!"
It would be funny, if it wasn't so damn tragic. Ten miles to get to a job that likely wouldn't enable one to pay rent, let alone thrive. While this is a great story and the people in it are fantastic, think of how many like this teenager are out there looking for work, struggling to get it and then ending up making 7 dollars an hour. Seven an hour, damn hard to find benefits, union jobs definitely not widely available....
Bouvier - and this teen are definitely worthy of our admiration and respect. Yet, so are millions of people working really hard for a whole lot less. Perhaps this is a cynical take on this story, that I focus on those who didn't get this kind of recognition or reward. Perhaps I'm jealous, too.
Anyhow... people like this restaurant owner are few and far between, we could sure use more like them.
marions ghost
(19,841 posts)--yes it's a great story but it makes you think of all those who will not be this lucky, because that restaurant owner is extremely rare. We all KNOW just how rare. And on the flip side we all know that not all small business people are in a position to be a good Samaritan, even if they wanted to. Many small businesses operate on a shoestring, or seriously in debt.
So as heartwarming as this is, it's not reality. But if it gives anyone hope-- then the story is worth something. If it makes any skinflints think about how they could free up a little extra for their employees (who they know are not fairly compensated)--then it is worth something. If it keeps us who are better off aware of (& helping any way we can) the millions who are not, then the story is worth something.
A little too much Tiny Tim in the telling of it. I share that cynicism. Cynicism comes from anger. A healthy anger. A sensitivity to injustice. An understanding of the theft and greed at the bottom of it.
WHY SHOULD THIS RICH COUNTRY FEEL LIKE LIVING IN THE (Bloody) WORLD OF CHARLES DICKENS? !!!!!!
SoCalDem
(103,856 posts)Why?
It was a UNION job, and I knew that once I was "in", I could improve my position...and I did
In 1996 when I left the job (for a move), I was making $16.63 an hour..
I now have a (small but welcome) pension from that 10 year stint in the union
Sometimes you have to suffer at first and to put yourself out there in order to succeed in the end.
annabanana
(52,791 posts)talking to Bush, telling him she had 3 part-time jobs... and his clueless response.."That's what makes America great"...
roxy1234
(117 posts)if he is still pursing an education is to focus real hard on his/her school work. $7hr isnt much but if he lives with his/her parents and still under their health insurance, the $7 is just enough to pay for his/her living expenses. All he has to do now is get good grades so he can be hired immediately he gets out of school.
Also Mr Bouvier should be very careful because a total asshole coworker can bring up an fair payment lawsuit against him and run him out of business.
lovelyrita
(241 posts)That he was looking for a job to help support his siblings. Sadly, education is not an option for everyone.
marions ghost
(19,841 posts)these days education is a luxury not always available. Or, the person starts a program and then something happens on the home or family front to force the student to drop out. This guy apparently doesn't even have a car. How does he work a full time job and go to school without a car? (hypothetical--but many have a serious transportation issue).
People who have never had to live this way can't possibly imagine it.
eridani
(51,907 posts)A great thing, to be sure. But I still can't stop thinking of all the unrescued animals that just get gassed.
firenewt
(298 posts)Indianapolis Star. Sad
lpbk2713
(42,759 posts)Kudos to those involved but what a sad fuggen commentary.
Brigid
(17,621 posts)I'll be eating there soon. Bravo, Mr. Bouvier!
Left2Tackle
(64 posts)Good to know there are still people like this out there.
This should be the norm, not the exception. The fact that it made news is a statement in itself. (Using my old cane voice), I remember walking to work pushing my daughter in her stroller for about 3 miles to a job watching the "job creators" brats at a beauty club of some sort for $1.65 an hour - minimum wage at the time.
I had to wear a white dress, kind of like the old nurse dresses. This was in Long Beach, CA and only took the job because I could bring my daughter - and because we needed the dinero of course. My husband had a crappy job delivering tropical fish to LAX in the middle of the night. Of course, he made a bit more, being a man. Some things never change.
I had to go through a rather sketchy neighborhood to get there. I'll never forget some of the creeps that would pull over to see if I needed a ride. Must have been that short (for the time) white dress. You would think those rich bitches would tip a buck or two for changing their kid's shitty diapers and cleaning up spit up, but noooooo.
mountain grammy
(26,623 posts)There are actually people out here who give a damn how employers treat employees, and try to spend our money accordingly.
raouldukelives
(5,178 posts)They are what this country stands for, or used to stand for I should say. Poor Richard is dead. Long live Rich Richard.
Fuck Wall St.
Populist_Prole
(5,364 posts)You'd think they'd admire his "bootstrappy" behavior but they'd be madder he ended up being paid more than he's "worth" ( since only starch-shirted paper-pushing MBA's who don't produce anything of value have a right to a living wage )
marions ghost
(19,841 posts)that's how they think. This guy doesn't "deserve" that much money. Why, he might be able to join that noisy dissatisfied middle class they are trying to keep in line.
Slavery is back.
SQUEE
(1,315 posts)My fiances boss on FB was the first I saw this, and he is a conservative/libertarian.
He extolled the young mans stick to-itness, AND also the idea of the owner paying for better work. He always pays above the areas standards because he believes better pay equals better employees, and a larger pool of talent to draw from. Many on his little thread have liked, shared and commented in the positive, across the political / idealogical spectrum, this one small story has bridged and connected with many, on both sides.
This is what our country needs, positive and open discourse about how we help each other and ourselves by lifting people up.
valerief
(53,235 posts)840high
(17,196 posts)for our future.
ChisolmTrailDem
(9,463 posts)all the people who are dropping off bus passes, good for all of those people who will see this story and drop on over to Papa Roux to say hi to Mr Bouvier and Jhaqueil and have a meal at the restaurant.
I really, relly love this story. And if I am ever in Indianapolis I will be sure to spend some of my money at Papa Roux. My wishes for their greatest successes.
Liberal_in_LA
(44,397 posts)one_voice
(20,043 posts)Mr. Bouvier is. I'm glad he was able to do that.
On another note, how sad is it that someone had to go to these extremes for a 7.25/hr job. Isn't this supposed to be the greatest country on earth? What's so great about that?
BrotherIvan
(9,126 posts)Mr. Bouvier is a true job creator as is every small business owner. We employ American workers. And as a consumer, anyone who refuses to buy from chains, and megacorps and foreign-made goods is a job creator too!
pengillian101
(2,351 posts)n/t
marions ghost
(19,841 posts)Small businesses tend to respond to the specific needs of a community or neighborhood. And many have been hard hit. We need to value them as community assets, not just think in terms of commodities. But how do you do that in our state of recession, when everyone is cutting costs?
Keep talkin it BrotherIvan
BrotherIvan
(9,126 posts)I may sound like a broken record...
But I'll say it again, consumers need to be taught about cost vs VALUE. Sure, I can go to a chain restaurant (I don't) but you can be sure it's not real food and is not actually prepared by a cook or a chef. It's prepackaged and powdered and loaded with chemicals to taste consistent in all chains. It's dreck.
Local businesses have to pay more for real produce, meat, etc. and they have to cook it on the premises. A small restaurant must be good to stay in business. Though I will agree there are many who aren't the best cooking I've ever tasted, in order for a small business with high overhead and the inability to benefit from economies of scale, it will go under if it doesn't get its act together.
I am developing a product right now for sale to add to our line. We are sourcing and testing the best materials because we have realized that making the absolute best product you can buy is worth it. We can't afford returns or negative reviews as we are a small company. Customers who buy our product are paying more than Walmart crap made in China, and I do understand that not everyone has room in their budget for expensive items. But if they could just see that buying less quantity of amazing quality, they are getting incredible value. Plus I know that when this product comes to market, I will be able to sit in front of any buyer or speak with any customer and confidently say this is the absolute best you can buy. Made by employees who are treated well and paid an excellent wage. That's my business model and I'm sticking to it.
marions ghost
(19,841 posts)where ever I can. Always check to see if there's an American manufacturer of __whatever. You name it. I even have a computer desk made in America.
We have to get back to your quality first ethic as much as possible.
Kennah
(14,273 posts)sunwyn
(494 posts)two years with no luck. And a couple times I saw my interviewing pass me while I was walking. They let me know they would not hire me because clearly I had no transportation. At least there is a boss with a heart somewhere.
ellisonz
(27,711 posts)I wish you good luck - something will give eventually