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Wed, 12 Mar 2008 14:06:21 -0700

Graveyard-The Hardest Shift in America

Are you always the last to leave a party? Enjoy countless infomercials and old movies? Do you like laughing at the people getting up at 6 a.m. because you're on your way to your warm bed? Don't look now, but you may be the perfect night shift worker.

I started working graveyard shift more than 2 years ago, and it's been an experience to say the least. At first it was strange, getting up at 4 in the afternoon, grocery shopping at 6 in the morning. You get used to it. There's nothing like a midnight barbeque to make the neighbors wonder "what's the matter with him". We are a misunderstood breed. I'll be the first to say that people who work nights lead very different lives. Let me explain.

As a heavy equipment mechanic working from 5 p.m. to 5 a.m., there really is no better shift, especially in the summer. Those poor saps working all day in 100-plus degree heat are doing things the hard way. There's no traffic when I come home from work, no lines in the grocery store, and you always get the absolute freshest doughnuts available. Many of our finest police officers are night shifters; now I know why. That extra dollar per hour shift differential never hurt me either. Us night shift workers are a laid back, easy going group. We don't have to put up with the rat race of the day time and all the big bosses are at home asleep, so the stress level flows along at low speed. Perfect for a single guy. Hard on a family man.

Graveyard does take it's toll. It really is hard to spend time with the wife and kids when you wake up at dinner time and they've been awake all day. A few guys I know switch to a day shift schedule on their days off (an excellent way to ruin your health) just so they can see their families and watch the kids' baseball games. Imagine starting Christmas morning right after the evening news, or eating Thanksgiving dinner when everybody else is in bed. It's not for everybody, but in my industry it's a necessity.

Working graveyard shift really makes for a harder life than most people think. The whole world seems to think that you're lazy because you sleep all day. If you get sick, you have to go to the doctor's office in the day time, which to you is the middle of the night. You sacrifice your family as well as your health. Is it really worth it?

If you're thinking about giving up your day job for the awe and wonder of the night shift life, be prepared. You may give up a lot more than you get. To my brothers on night crews everywhere: Thank You.

mikey777 @ March 12, 2008

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