Making sure I go to bed early enough to guarantee a full and restful nights sleep before a 03:43 sign on. Staring at my eyelids for four hours listening to the world outside carry on in summer desperate for sleep.
Conversely, staying awake when getting home after a 03:43 sign on, knowing that if I go to sleep before midday, there is no way on earth I’ll get enough sleep later.
Cope with that lot, dealing with My Adoring Public is easy.
Making sure I go to bed early enough to guarantee a full and restful nights sleep before a 03:43 sign on. Staring at my eyelids for four hours listening to the world outside carry on in summer desperate for sleep.
Conversely, staying awake when getting home after a 03:43 sign on, knowing that if I go to sleep before midday, there is no way on earth I’ll get enough sleep later.
This, constantly adjusting my sleeping patterns and trying to sleep during unnatural times of the day is far harder than most people would know.
Bottle of vodka should help with the sleep.
Not a big drinker personally, not that I would say it's the most prudent course of action. It's an occupational hazard that may employer can instruct me to pee in a cup om demand....
Ha I know, I was only joking, and just had my first ever occupational medical this morning.
Allocated holidays, seriously why is this even still a thing.
Thats the problem right there, you basically have 3 weeks at the beginning of the year and no holiday now until October. Ad hoc leave in the summer is a bun fight and I'm one of those weird people that doesn't want 2 weeks in the summerI'll be honest, I don't mind too much - I've done non-allocated holidays in a shift work role before and it doesn't always work; you can request two weeks off and end up with one day in the middle declined which if you can't get a swap for renders your entire two weeks leave useless. At least the allocated leave guarantees you a summer fortnight, though I get mine in April this year which isn't exactly summer.
Thats the problem right there, you basically have 3 weeks at the beginning of the year and no holiday now until October. Ad hoc leave in the summer is a bun fight and I'm one of those weird people that doesn't want 2 weeks in the summer
driving through very scenic routes when your old job was sat in a stuffy office , even in snow etc it still beats it hands downThanks for all your responses, I'm trying to get an insight into a day at work on the railway. I'm hoping that if I can try to prepare myself for all of the worse aspects, that will stand me in good stead if I eventually get a job on the railway myself.
On the flip side, what would you say are the best parts of your jobs?
Having to deal with people who have a very fixed opinion on a subject matter, who will not consider an alternative opinion that is supported by an overwhelming body of factual evidence.
One of the reasons I joined the forum was to get practice in this.