An employee for Mort’s Water Company in Latimer was recently called to find out why a well was malfunctioning and when he arrived on the scene, he found himself facing a dilemma. Should he get back in his truck and just drive away? Or should he take a deep breath and deal with the “eight or nine” huge bull snakes that were wrapped around the drop pipe? Bull snakes can grow to seven or eight feet long and weigh nearly 10 pounds. So he was looking at an 80-pound snake sandwich.
Mort’s unnamed plumber didn’t speculate as to why the snakes had clustered around the pipe in writhing, slithering layers or even how he eventually peeled them off so he could fix the well. He did confess, “I would’ve quit on the spot and still had nightmares for a month.” But he was unharmed and the owner’s water is now back on. All’s well that ends well (so to speak).
Earlier this November, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported that contractors working on a pipeline in Jefferson County encountered a 10-foot alligator in a drainage ditch. It was probably not in the job description for a Texas pipe fitter to have to stop and relocate a ravenous, carnivorous reptile the size of a Buick. But, over the years, pet lovers who thought it would be cool to own a little baby alligator were alarmed that the things could grow so big and ended up dumping them in an empty lot somewhere to fend for themselves — which it turns out, alligators do very well.
Livestock deputy Damon Bailey captured the 10-foot monster and took it to the Gator Country Adventure Park, owned by his family and home to some 450 abandoned alligators, boa constrictors and other terrifying vagrant varmints. “Adventure Park?” I bet it is.
Eventually, the Texas pipefitters were able to get back in the ditch and finish their job that day. Nobody got chomped and they all had a good story to tell when they got home. But knowing you came close to being eaten by a giant alligator at work can make a person thoughtful about their career choice. (And employers wonder why workers have been leaving their jobs in record numbers.)
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 4.3 million Americans quit their jobs in August. That’s nearly three percent of the entire workforce. It’s not that we have suddenly become lazy. During the pandemic, many employees either worked from home or suspended their employment altogether — which gave them time to take stock of their situation. Waiters working long hours, scrounging for tips, barely able to pay rent, began considering the alternatives. Delivery drivers, battling the stress of city traffic and trying to meet tight deadlines — all for less than $30,000 a year — realized there was more to life than this. Garbage collector is one of the most dangerous jobs in America with 34 annual fatalities per 100,000 workers. Agricultural laborers, averaging $25,840 have a fatality rate of 20 per 100,000 workers. Crossing guards make around $29,760 and have a fatality rate of 19 workers per 100,000. Sure, every job has its drawbacks. But if you show up to work and your desk is buried under 100 pounds of snakes, maybe it’s trying to tell you something.