Wednesday, May 5, 2010

First Impressions Always Matter... Woops...

So it's taken me a while to write this and I apologize. But I've literally been so exhausted that it's difficult to function. But I'm not complaining, I'm enjoying every minute!

I've told some people about my first day of work, but now I'll explain to the rest of you. I was a little nervous for my first day. I didn't know anyone that I'd be working with and I was nervous to get started. However, I had no idea that I was worrying about the wrong thing!

When I got to the TTC (Ticket and Transportation Center), where I'll be working in the Parking Lot, I signed in and met my Trainer. Wren is 24 and from Florida, he seems like a pretty cool guy so I relaxed. He showed me around and he walked me through the whole parking lot so I could get familiar with my surroundings. Then he took me to where the trams were parked. He was going to teach me how to actually drive the tram...

They're not too difficult to drive. It's basically like driving a really slow tractor with a huge back end. It took me a while to get used to driving it but I basically got the hang of it. Then Wren told me to pull out on to the Tram track so I could get used to driving the tram where you pick up and drop off passengers. Then disaster struck...

I was doing EXACTLY what I was supposed to. I was obeying orders to go around a planter with a bunch of trees in the middle. And I was doing exactly what Wren told me to do. But what he didn't put into account was the fact that there was a construction sign on the side of the planter. We thought we cleared it but as the tram was passing it the hitch of the sign was picked up by one of the cars and moved the sign about three feet! We had to stop and get out, then we had to call our manager (who I hadn't met yet) to come down and check everything for protocol's sake.

It was so humiliating! My manager came down in his huge truck and a van full of the old guys I work with came down to see what was going on. And I'm just STANDING there! Completely humiliated! Then my manager told me that I'm officially the first Trainee to crash! Ugh! It was awful! All the old guys were grinning at me and patting the top of my head telling me it's ok, all the while I'm shrinking every second. Eventually my manager told me that because I was perfectly on the line and the fact that the sign shouldn't have been there in the first place, that I wouldn't have to write a report or anything like that.

Well, needless to say, by the time I got back to the break room, EVERYONE knew. And as soon as I walked into the room, Solomon (my favorite little old Jamaican guy) pointed at me and loudly proclaimed "Dat's da gurl!". Now whenever they see me, they give me this pity smile and a pat on my head like a pitiful puppy. But no... that's not all...

On the back of the tram is a platform where the "Spieler" talks and tells the guests to keep their hands and feet inside the tram. Well, I'm learning how to spiel and the tram is loading passengers. The chain next to me wasn't clipped on (my bad...) and the tram made a kick as it started. Now granted I was already shaky from my horrible start of the day, but I fell off!! That's right I fell off the back of the tram! On my first day! My trainer laughed at me and then asked me if I was ok. Normally they would have to call the manager to come and make sure I was ok, but I was really fine and I couldn't stand calling him for another one of my stupid accidents. So I got back on and we kept going...

So I crash the tram, AND I fall off the back of the tram all on my first day!!


My ride... yes it has air conditioning inside

2 comments:

Steve said...

It's all good Holly! I've been embarrassed plenty when I've started a new job. In a while you can smile at new hires knowing that used to be you. :)

Gabrielle Jean Murphy said...

oh holly... what am i going to do with you ;) i told dave about your first day and it got a good laugh out of him. don't worry it'll all be fine in the long run.