Neanderpundit

John Venlet talks about Coal Mining, and dangerous gigs. While I’ve never been in a mine outside of the one at the Museum of Science and Industry, I spent more than my share of time around coal. It’s not fun stuff to deal with, even above ground.

His post, though, links to an article in the Business Insider regarding the 15 most dangerous jobs in America, and i find that I have done two of them. I was a roofer in 1978 for most of a summer, and I did iron in 1979-1980. The #4 and #10 most dangerous gigs.

Roofing never scared me, because I had not at that time fallen. Heights didn’t concern me because I was young and lithe and flexible, and could balance on anything. I didn’t see any danger but I didn’t see anyone get hurt, either. We had a good boss and good workers and were very safety conscious for 1978. Iron was another story, I saw lots of accidents and remember several times standing shivering in fear on a beam as someone who had been doing the same job I did got injured or killed, someone I considered an old hand while I was young and inexperienced. There are good reasons why a lot of steelworkers used to be alcoholics, and i was on small buildings, eight, ten stories. The guys who slung high iron, real iron, were a breed apart, and still, for the most part, are. A friend left a job where he climbed a ladder each day to the cab of a crane 90 feet above the tallest point of a skyscraper; he made enough money in five years to retire comfortably though modestly, and I don’t blame him that his home is a single story bungalow.

A lot of what I do is to prevent people from having to do dangerous jobs, but some can only be automated so far. Some dangerous jobs will always have to be done.

blows more shit up in Oslo.

Not confirmed yet, but I imagine it wasn’t any blondheaded Dutch Reformed kids.

So I thought to myself, were money no object, what cars would I own?

First and foremost: A 1932 Cord Phaeton.

Next: a 1934 Auburn Boat tailed Speedster

A Lincoln Zephyr

A Porsche 916. I’ve always loved the marque, but the “traditional” porsches (the 911, 912) didn’t appeal to me as much as the ugly porsches, the 914/916 and the 928S4. I LOVED the 928, and the 916 was a fast, well balanced little mid engine that- while slow by todays standards- was an amazing piece of engineering.

A Morgan Aero 8. Preferably the fixed head, the convertible is just too damned ugly.

A Lotus Europa. I can’t get in one at all, but I still think they’re cool.

a Unimog. The perfect vehicle for the coming Zombie Apocalypse.

There are a lot more, but those are the predominant ones that spring to mind.

Money being no object, what rides do you lust after?