Day 48 - Randomocity

Take a look at this photo.



Do you see why I took a quick photo with my phone? Take a second look at it. Yeah, that guy in the center of the photo has his laptop at the game. This was about 5 minutes before the game started. He was working away on it and every time I walked by this section throughout the game he was still on his laptop.

Just one of the many random things that took place at last night's game (Monday 8/10).

So I didn't blog at all last week...sorry...there is something about taking a break from this that feels good while I'm not working at the stadium.

The way this night went, I'm not going to waste any time and get right to the stories.

"What Not To Wear" - Sometimes I wonder what goes through people's minds when they are getting dressed before a baseball game. Is there even anything going on in their head? Too many girls wearing too little clothing... Usually I don't comment about this, but there were these two girls who must have thought it was a good idea to wear see-through tank-tops, shorts that were so short that the pockets stuck out past the shorts and knee-high socks...now most guys would like to see that on a girl or their wife...however, these girls weren't attractive by a long shot, it was just flat out disgusting... People, we are facing an epidemic...too many girls think it's a great idea to wear clothes 13-sizes too small! Stop the madness!

"Obama Happens" - During the 7th inning, I had a guy ask for 2 bottles of water. I looked in my tub to only see the one bottle and I didn't see another beer man in sight to possibly get this man both of the bottles of water he requested. So I let him know that I only had one bottle left, but could go find someone that had more. He looked at me and said, "no, that's okay. we'll take the one bottle." I apologized to him that I didn't have another bottle of water for him. He looked back at me and said, "well, Obama happens." I don't really know what he meant...I have interpreted it as him saying Obama (beerman) says he has things (water bottles) people (fans in the stands) want...but only gives half. I dunno...what do you think he meant by that statement?

Knee Pads - On my way downstairs to clock out, I was walking through the crowds of people when a guy yelled over to me. I looked his direction and he was just looking down at my knee pads. (I usually wear knee pads because we have to take a knee when selling during game play and concrete hurts the knees...after i'm done working, i usually pull the knee pads down and they rest around my ankles till I get home.) He said, "hey, are those knee pads?" I said, "yeah." He looked at me with the most serious face and said, "give me one of those knee pads. I need one of those." I just shook my head telling him i needed them for work and kept on walking. I think he might have had a few too many. I have been asked for many things while working at the stadium, but my knee pad is a first.

Hot & Humid - I have worked during several near 100 degree games...but tonight's humidity might have been the worst yet. The 83 degree air felt warm, but that humidity is what destroyed me and the other beer men. One veteran beer man from my commissary went home because he got sick from the heat. There were a few times I felt really dizzy walking down the steps of a section. I would take a quick break and drink some water before going down every few sections.

Totals thus far:
73 Bags of Cracker Jacks
110 Bottles of Water
198 Bags of Peanuts
2823 Bottles of Beer

Day 46 & 47 - Stupid People

I didn't blog last night because I was too pissed off to blog.

I'm not going to go into it that much and I'll start it off with one simple statement:

-I hate stupid people and wonder why we allow some people to reproduce.

I was at a stop light downtown trying to get to the parking garage when a ticket scalper started to buy tickets from a car that was at the red light in front of me. The light turned green and they continued to bargain back and forth. I laid on the horn. That didn't help. Finally the guy got the money/tickets for what he was wanting and just stood in the middle of the road...my night was starting off great.

My tickets were messed up while vending. Was it a simple mistake/simple fix...yes...I should have caught that my tickets were all under someone else name...was it frustrating to deal with when the error was caught...yes.

Sales were also very awful for me on Friday night. The worst night of the week so far...the whole week was backwards...I did better on Monday and Thursday's games than I did on Friday....oh well...Saturday night has got to be better...right?

now that I have that out of the way...Onto tonight's game...

I just kept telling myself to stay positive, last night is over and tonight's game is a new/different day.

Tonight did go well! best night of the week in commission! I was finished with my first case before the first inning was over. I probably could have got a full 5 cases sold if I didn't hit a bit of a roadblock in the commissary when the printer for our tickets ran out of paper....overall a great night!

Tonight's stories-

-I was standing at the top of a section near the Bank of America club when I kept hearing a loud snapping sound. I took a second to get a drink and wipe my face from the sweat that was running down it. I saw a policeman standing a few feet from me and he kept looking around as we kept hearing that snapping sound. I saw him look behind us and then he did a double-take. I looked back to see what he saw. It was an usher. He had a set of finger-nail clippers in his hands. He was cutting his fingernails during the middle of the game. I fully believe in keeping great hygiene habits, but to cut your fingernails while at work? His fingernails must have been made of metal...it was the loudest snapping sound I've ever heard while someone was cutting their fingernails. I just looked back at the cop and we both had the same look on our faces...the look of, "what the hell?!?! Is this guy really cutting his fingernails while working?!?!?!"

-During last call tonight, I gave a guy the wrong change. He asked for one beer and handed me a $20. I was ready to head down the steps to the rest of the section when I quickly handed him the change as if he ordered 2 beers....($4.50) He caught me as I made my way down the section and told me about it. I quickly apologized and gave him the correct change of $12.25 I had thought he looked confused when I gave him his change back, but I thought it was because he was just buzzing a bit and was in mid-conversation with the lady sitting next to him.

-I had always known about the idea of "suggestive selling" and tonight I decided to use it a bit more than usual...meaning I would suggest a bag of peanuts every time someone ordered a beer in the first 3 innings. Well, I sold 5 bags of peanuts just from suggesting it when someone bought a beer. What I don't understand is when people just ask for a bag of peanuts and don't have anything to drink and don't want to buy anything to drink...

-I had a guy complain to me about the price of the beer. He still purchased 4 beers for him and the people he was sitting with...but asked me if they were helping pay my house payment? my college tuition? and my fancy sports car?....i told him I didn't have a house, I've already graduated, and I own an '06 Toyota Matrix...I also told him that I didn't set the prices, I just sold the beer. We then got into a conversation about when I graduated from college, what I've been doing since graduating...blah blah blah, basically told him how I was laid off...temp jobs as graphic/web designer...beer man job...blah blah blah...he ended the conversation by saying..."well, the economy is turning around. best of luck to ya." he didn't tip me. It's not like I was trying to put a guilt trip on him about my sad-sob story...I mean, he kept asking me questions and I just kept on having a conversation with him...

-I had about 9 or 10 different people/groups stiff me on the tip tonight...and every time, people around them noticed this and made comments to them and/or to me about it. When they would comment to me about it, I really didn't have anything to say...I just told them that that happens and I just keep rolling with the punches. I thought to myself how I usually try not visit a section if I know people are buying and not tipping. I'd much rather go to sections that I know are buying and tipping...even if it's just a little bit...that adds up! Again, people don't realize that beer man aren't on an hourly wage...

-With the NFL season quickly approaching, I have been contemplating on working at the dome to sell beer during Rams games. Sports Services are not only at Busch Stadium, but also at the dome...so I'd already have a foot in the door over there. I'm just not sure if I want to work there...I mean, the Rams have really sucked over the past several years...not to mention, I've never been to an NFL game...if the Cowboys were scheduled to come to STL this year, then that would be a no-brainer...GO COWBOYS!

-I'm looking forward to not working tomorrow. Sunday's have never been that great for beer sales...not to mention, Rock the River is going on during the day...downtown seems to just attract people who are incompetent of driving/walking through downtown...I heard if you follow the traffic signals, they help! Green light means go, red light means stop...white walking person means walk, red hand means not a good time to cross...yellow light and blinking red hand means hurry the hell up! I have seen it so many times - people almost get hit by cars because they don't pay attention to traffic signals...yes, if there aren't any cars coming EITHER WAY cross the street...but i've seen all kinds of people nearly get hit cause they only look one way and start to cross and when traffic flies by from the other direction, they nearly get hit.

Well, be sure to check back this next week, while I'm enjoying a week off from work, for a few new blogs...I'm not quite sure what I'll write about...but just be sure to check back throughout next week!

Totals thus far:
73 Bags of Cracker Jacks
98 Bottles of Water
193 Bags of Peanuts
2759 Bottles of Beer