If you got bored in retirement, would you work as a fast food worker?

[Carpediem]

The Culver's near us has many senior workers on staff and in general, they're much nicer to interact with than the younger folks. But the older ones are a little slow on the cash registers.

[CowgirlUp]

Nope....

[CaptTom]

I'd try it - but only for a short time.

I've always been curious about how they do things. They've perfected their efficiency and speed to the point where I'm sure we'd all learn something.

But I've worked in food service before. No interest in staying any length of time. Just long enough to understand their processes.

[Which Roger]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dtail Just would not do it. Would have to be at the end of all my alternate plans before doing this. To me, I don't ever wish to work again except volunteering.

+1 I avoided retail like the plague, even in my grunt job days. Did warehouse and maintenance work. Come to think I've it, being a software engineer my entire career, I pretty much avoided dealing with (external) customers my entire working life.


This reminds me of how I react when I see threads about running one's own business. My reaction is always "that would be fun, as long as I didn't have to deal with customers".

[Midpack]

Quote:

Originally Posted by iloveyoga I would wait tables first but I don't want to do that either!

I waited tables in college and actually enjoyed it, and I made very good money on tips too! But it's no fun anymore as many/most restaurants use runners and several "servers" now, so waiting tables is more like a production line than it used to be. You do see classic wait staff at some higher end restaurants, but even some of them use runners/servers...

[RAE]

I've been retired for almost 10 years now, and I haven't really been bored yet. I might get frustrated now and then when the weather doesn't allow me to do the things I'd like to do, but I can't say I have ever been without things to keep me occupied. So, the answer is no. I don't eat fast food anymore either, so there would be zero appeal to getting free/cheap food from working there.

[MRG]

I always thought I'd enjoy doing that, however I have zero experience. A trusted friend told me that was the stupidest thing I'd ever said. He went on to describe an azz-chewing he had received a decade prior over a 2 dollar hamburger.

[Dash man]

I’m sorry...but what is “bored?”

[Mdlerth]

Fast food places are hard on your feet, involve repetitive motions for hours at a stretch, congested work areas, and periods of frantic activity chock full of impatient customers. It's rough enough on a young person, but when you're 60 and up it's gotta be brutal.

Also, the constant aroma of french fries would be calling to me like the sirens of Odysseus. I'm trying to lose 30 pounds, not put on an extra 30.

[SumDay]

I did that in high school. Didn't enjoy it then, but I am seeing more & more people my age working at fast food joints. I always hope it's because they want to, not because they need the $$.

If I had to go back to work at this point, I think I'd go with Costco. 24 hours a week and you get health insurance.

[ziggy29]

If I were bored enough to want a (very) part time gig to do something and earn a few bucks, the most important consideration to me would be flexibility in setting my schedule -- how many hours a week, how many days a week. The second would be that it has as little contact with customers as possible. Most of them are fine and appreciative but you get that 2-3% with a massive entitlement mentality ("the customer is always right even if they are unreasonable jerks") that ruin it.

[Spock]

I enjoyed being a dishwasher/busboy in high school. Just showing up as scheduled was dependable enough to be made an assistant manager. Never going into management EVER again.


But if I were to work in the food industry now, it would not be fast food.
I could definitely go for being a pit master or fire tender and a BBQ smoke house with an employee discount....

[garyt]

I wouldn't want to do it, but I will say all the seniors I see working at fast food places seem to be happy and enjoying it. Maybe they do it just to talk to people, etc.

[ziggy29]

Quote:

Originally Posted by garyt I wouldn't want to do it, but I will say all the seniors I see working at fast food places seem to be happy and enjoying it. Maybe they do it just to talk to people, etc.

I'm sure. I can especially see it for people who are widowed and bored.

[ocean view]

Fast food, no way. But there is a grandma who used to work at our local movie theater collecting tickets. That wouldn’t be too bad. Air conditioned, stool to sit on, free movies...

[Teacher Terry]

Fast food in high school was bad enough. It was next to a bar and drunks would come in and puke and sometimes pee themselves and we had to clean it up. Buses would come and it would be insane. Not enough money to ever do that again.

[W2R]

I am retired, completely and forever, and have no intention of ever working again. You'd have to put a gun to my head.

I *DESERVE* my retirement. I worked so hard for it and I wouldn't give it up without a fight.

Not only that.... with the internet (A.K.A. The World's Biggest Encyclopedia) at my fingertips, not to mention my online friends, and video gaming and other various hobbies, and amazingly fun conversations with F to look forward to every day, how could I ever get bored in the first place? So bored that I wanted to hang out at a fast food joint and even work there? Whew, I can't even imagine that level of boredom.

After my 1998 divorce, I did a lot of introspection and thought a lot about where my life was going and what I really wanted in life. I'd recommend that to anybody who retires and then thinks they are bored in retirement. It's nice to become acquainted with oneself.

[brett]

Free meal? In a fast food joint like McDonalds? Not me. Not even if it was free. We are trying to maintain good health and good eating habits in retirement.

Besides, the after tax take home would be very low. I would sooner volunteer with some worthwhile organization. I suspect those seniors who are working at fast food joints, or as greeters at Walmart or Home Depot are doing so more out of financial necessity that out of boredom.

[RonBoyd]

I spent about 15 years in management at McDonald's/Burger King. I can tell you it is not a place for any other than the very young -- teenagers. One would be amazed at how fast the pace is. Unless you are in top shape physically (athletic) you would not have the stamina to go the required full speed for a whole shift... no matter how short it might be. Case in point, crew performance is judged by how few seconds (not minutes) it takes to complete an average order. (I spent many hours on both sides of the stop-watch.)

[scrabbler1]

The one job I had in high school and in college which I liked was a page at my local or school library. Quiet setting, A/C in the summer, heat in the winter, very little interaction with the public. Flexible hours, part-time. I was able to sneak in my Walkman so I could listen to music while I shelved books for a few hours.


Over the years, whenever I see a book out of sequence while at the library, I put it into the proper order if it is nearby. Old habits die hard.