I work in a swamp. Yes, that's right, a swamp. It's cleverly disguised as a newspaper office but really, with the lousy air conditioning system, the leaky roof, periodic flooding of the back room and I'm sure some kind of moldy growth in the walls and ceiling and under the back room carpeting.
The swamp disguised as an office
It's hot and humid and when it rains really hard, there's a waterfall in the middle of the office and the water overflows from the sewer drainage pipe in the parking lot and backs up into the back office. It's happened many times. The worst was during a particularly awful storm over a year ago in May. The electricity went out, the waterfall started behind my desk and it was already after 4 in the afternoon anyway.
Source of office waterfall just behind my desk
We decided to close up shop and leave until we got to the back office to head out. Water was already about five feet into the office from the door. We considered making our escape through the side door in the back room where the drivers pick up the newspaper every morning. That was worse. Then we were told by people who had been back there, there was a smell of gas or something back there.
Oh joy. We called the fire department. They're right across the street so in just a few minutes, the fire truck arrived. Firemen came in, wading through the water and making a joke about the lake we had installed in the parking lot and apparently in our back office office.
After they ascertained that it wasn't gas they were smelling but old ink that apparently had spilled on the floor like oh, I don't know, about 12 years ago at least as that was the last time the paper was printed here - we now outsource. So good news, no gas leak, bad news, the water was still rising. We put stuff up on blocks to keep things from getting soaked.
The editor and one of the reporters were trying to put sandbags in front of the door to see if it would help. Once the lightning started we encouraged them to stop as standing in water coming half way up your calves is not a good thing in a thunderstorm.
So it's dark, it's storming and we're trapped. My worst nightmare is to be trapped at the office. This is a swamp. It was built in the late 1940s and I'm sure there's asbestos in the building. And of course with all the flooding I'm sure there's also black mold. We always joke when someone sneezes or coughs..."It's probably just the black mold."
By the time the thunderstorm passed, the water was half way into the back room. It was still raining but no thunder and lightning. We decided to risk wading through now knee-deep water and get to our cars. The night crew at the paper wished us luck and went back to the front office where the waterfall had slowed to a drip and emptied the trash cans so it could catch more water.
By the time the lightning stopped we found a knee deep lake outside. My car was still drivable. I waded over to it and got it out just in time. I parked at the low end closest to the building and I have never done so since. How odd is it that I tend to park at the farthest point from the building when it rains hardest? Welcome to my life.
I got home and my husband looked at me and asked what happened to me? I rolled my jeans up to my knees and still they were wet. Others from our office swamp survival group had the same problem.
Right now, it's cooled off and there is respite from the swamp. I'm hoping it stays cool until it gets downright freezing around here. That's the only way the office is tolerable. Sure we have to sometimes wear our jackets/coats because the heat isn't all that great either.
Why do we put up with this crap? Because otherwise we wouldn't have a job. Someone remind me what a dumbass I am when I come down with some disease thanks to black mold and potentially asbestos being released from the broken ceiling tiles. I'd call OSHA but what's the point? If they shut down the damn building we'll end up having to go work at a sister newspaper located out of town. I just know those cheap assholes as corporate wouldn't want to cough up the money for another facility. They'd rather spend it on hiring people who's sole purpose is to hold fucking webinars where they repeat the same thing over and over again in a different manner to make us think they're saying something new.
Okay, rant over. I'm just really stressed out I think. I hate hot.
The one oasis of calm in my office is this:
Oops..not quite...this is my crappy cubicle
This is it! The Mac computer and the desktop
photo of my three angels
All right. I'm feeling better now. Will try and make a happy post soon. I think if the weather keeps trending cool, things will be looking up.
[NP: 10,000 Maniacs - Cherry Tree]
3 comments:
You're back! I keep checking for updates from you. You had told me before about the waterfall in your office when it rains, but I had no idea it was this bad. My office is in a VERY old industrial building and used to be a paint factory, so I don't even want to think about all the crap I'm inhaling on a daily basis. The HVAC is difficult to distribute evenly, so I freeze in the summer and suffocate in the winter. We have had a couple of water main breaks in front of the building that have resulted in water-soaked carpets in a few offices and two or three potential sink holes have almost opened up in front of the building, which makes one careful as to where she parks her car. But, like you say, it's a job, and I get paid a TON of money to do mine, so I'll stick it out for a few more years. Again, good to have you back, and I always enjoy your rants because you always have something worth ranting and reading about.
OMG! I cannot believe you guys have to work in such horrible conditions. I am truly worried about your health the the health of your coworkers.
Sounds like your office is as horrible as mine, BobbyG. Wish I got paid good money. I'm paid and that's good enough for me in this economy and where I live. I just got tired of having to bring in my own desk fan to keep myself cool and with winter coming, I'll probably have to find fingerless gloves as the brick walls aren't well insulated. lol
And yes, JoJo, in the back of our minds, we all worry but really, the only thing that will happen if the building is condemned is that we'd all end up having to work out of another office located out of town, I'm sure. Some of us can't afford to make the commute. :-/
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