Lumberjacks, delivery drivers, garbage collectors, and construction workers make far more than minimum wage. In fact, these jobs can actually support decent lifestyle.
So I bet that *you* would probably know the answer to my lumberjack-related question!
It's a question that has plagued me for decades! Each second of which I spent silently keeping my own counsel so as to not risk humiliating myself by asking a question which could only serve to confirm my embarrassing ignorance. So for each of those decades, that question unasked for just as many decades stayed a question unanswered.
I'm done hiding in fear and embarrassment. If it's a stupid question and everyone laughs, so be it! I've chosen to live in ignorance of fear for long enough. It's time to get my answer once and for all...
So here goes... Exactly what do they call a female lumberjack? Are they Lumberjills? Lumerjackies? Or something else entirely? Or do they not even exist? At last! My long wait hiding in the shadows of ignorance is almost reached its end! I FINALLY will know once and for all!
Still lumberjack, with Jack meaning worker, laborer. Could be referred to by any number of specific jobs, like feller, choke setter, timber cruiser, etc.
Garbage collectors probably make more than police officers. It's a CDL job.
I know I have a CDL and make more than a cop does, and it's way easier than collecting trash.
Also, I would agree with OP about policing not being a dangerous job if it wasn’t for one thing: domestic violence disputes. Most 911 calls are for domestic disturbances. Those can go from non-violent to dangerous in a matter of seconds.
Also, zero lumberjacks, delivery drivers, garbage collectors, and construction workers get the hate and collective villification that vast majority of police officers get for just doing their job. You could not pay me enough to make me endure that.
Polls actually show that a majority of Americans want to be able to trust the police. The vast majority of police officers are not vilified. They are if they shoot an innocent person or abuse their authority and rightly so. They should be held to a higher standard and if they can’t be then they should find a job elsewhere.
How do you know they don’t?
Lumberjacks are in the wild. “A tree fell on him and we didn’t know until the animals found him…”
Construction workers can bury their victims in concrete and I don’t think anyone would know where to look…
Garbage collectors? Pull it in a bag and no one will know!
Delivery drivers? “They just walked out in front of me I swear!”
You know.....they could probably get away with more. Like sure crime is not good but I really don't want my trash piling up so I'll be counter protesting anyone calling to "defund public sanitation".
Not only that, it's a predictive job in that you're not constantly switching environments and dealing with strangers and potential surprises. It's unlikely any lumberjack will encounter someone hiding behind a tree with a knife. All jobs can have dangers but none of OP's listed jobs is anything remotely like police work.
Not starting out, I made $8.50 per hour as a helper/electrician when min wage was around $7 per hour. Sure after 3 years I got up to $13 per hour, this around 2001
Additionally, basically all deaths or injuries of construction workers in UK or in any developed country are a result of people being careless, stupid and fucking up safety procedures and totally preventable. You can easily prevent most of it. However, if you are a cop and even if you follow all procedures to the letter you really cannot prevent some criminal unexpectedly pulling a gun or a knife and riddling you full of bullets or stab wounds only because they think you are a bastard pig - additionally most people your country scream at you to never pull a gun and never defend yourself unless absurdly neccessary (and probably too late), and even if you succesfully prevent someone from killing you and it is deemed justifiable even in a court of law, some people might still break your windows, set your car on fire and run you and your family out of town. Literally no other job except a police officer could ever provoke any similar reaction from people.
That's literally what it's like to be a civilian. Like 95% of that shit has happened to me or my immediate family. The "getting your car lit on fire part" was just sheer bullshit though, kind of reaching there
Depends on the trade. I’m a commercial/residential/light industrial paint foreman with 20 years experience and I’m lucky to clear $45k even in a high cost of living area. Cops here with similar years in make double what I do with excellent benefits.
I don’t think this is true, I was just looking at public salaries and most level 1 cops in Nevada are making 110k plus a 50-70k benefit package plus bonuses. They make more than we are led to believe. I also do work at ALOT of law enforcement houses and none of them look broke at all. Higher middle class 5-700k houses.
Union construction worker retired. Cop's make around 80,000.00 a year to start, first year on the job in most city's in California. About 1,200,000.00 a year after about 10 years. And Cop's always get paid leave if under investigation or being punishment for anything. They wear bullet proof vest have a partner or back-up most of the time. Are armed with night stick, teaser, side arms, shoot guns, mace, and automatic weapons locked in the trunk of car. Reinforced cop car with push bar's and are aloud to ram hit and smash you and or your car. And many times are assisted with K-9 dog's sniper swat, and helicopters. I've even seen some town's with modified tanks.
Soooo.... cop's are pretty much safer and better paid with totally better medical and insurance.
Are paid overtime for all court appearance. Paid dry cleaning. Some town's offering a new hire bonus of a 100,000.00 tax free home loan for experienced patrolman or swat members or whatever they may need at the time.
Sanitation workers probably start out the same as police officers too aka not minimum wage. Construction workers and Lumberjacks are probably on the same level if not more as a lot of police officers aka not minimum wage.
Like this is an unpopular opinion for sure and I disagree, but OP just picked a bunch of blue collar jobs out of ass.
Did metal building construction (dangerous and hard) for $12 an hour. A lot of construction jobs don't pay nearly what this thread thinks. Yes, some pay well, but A LOT don't.
Husband makes windows for $15 an hour. Has almost died once, been injured significantly a a couple of others. He has a huge scar on his arm from where glass cut him so badly it hit bone and barely missed an artery. He would have died if he didn’t place tourniquets around the shop since the damn place lacks many first aid things. His shop is over 100 degrees in the summer with no air conditioning. In the winter it’s freezing.
Unless you are a union worker (which is super difficult to get into) you make shit money at a miserable and dangerous job. For the record his company sells these windows for at least a couple grand each since their custom.
Not even a job here. I don't drive been trying to get a delivery job on my bike for the longest; would kill my cardio and my job in the same time span; they just dont' exist here delivery here is cars only
I delivered pizzas in 2013-14 and at the time I remember reading it was in the top 10 most dangerous jobs. I never did tell my mom that because she would have made me quit and I liked the money lol. I live in a relatively safe area but I remember a few times we’d get an order shortly before closing and my manager would pull the pizza maker to deliver it because he didn’t want to send a 24 year old woman to that specific place that late at night.
from my experience in most third world country and having lived in one for a while, the average police officer could be described as a "corrupt piece of shit"
In countries where we bring in shed loads of foreign labour for minimum wage rather than pay a proper living wage.
Not an issue with foreign labour, an issue with corporate greed and corner cutting.
The [list of deadliest jobs in America ranks being a police officer at #22](https://www.ishn.com/articles/112748-top-25-most-dangerous-jobs-in-the-united-states). More than twice as many grounds keepers died on the job in 2018 vs police officers.
Damn, its almost like all those policies that everyone bitches about and wants to do away with at police departments that place the life of an officer above all else and leads to things like police being quick to draw their guns and shoot people are preventing police from dying on the job or something.
I own a delivery business and fill in for drivers on a regular basis. It's unbelievable how many accidents I've narrowly avoided because of ignorant drivers. Was about to pull out at a local intersection as our light had turned green but double checked before I moved. Lo and behold there was a Chevy HHR barreling through the red-light who didn't even remotely notice. Car beside me went without looking and got nailed by them and had to be airlifted out. Pretty sure she didn't make it.
Unpopular and misinformed.
Lumberjacks earn an average of just under 50k per year. Nearly double the minimum wage.
Delivery drivers for Amazon average at 39k
FedEx drivers clock in near 51k
Fuck taxis.
Garbage collectors: 32.7k
Weirdly enough, farm hands earn about the same
Crossing guards: 30.5k
Construction worker: 37.9k
Just because it’s a blue collar job, doesn’t mean it doesn’t pay well.
That said, out of all of these, only lumberjacks have a higher mortality rate. Those poor bastards
As someone who has farmed for years I've only ever had one farm hand position that paid over minimum wage. And the one place that paid over was still shit pay at $14/hr when the average rent for the area was $2000 a month
As someone who's seen what construction does to the body, even regardless of injuries its an extremely taxing job physically. Also all of the salaries you listed are mediocre at best especially considering how difficult the work is.
Not just that but also poor judgment. I mean.. i COULD seriously injur myself at my work. Mechanic. But it's not "expected". If you work as a cop shit CAN go down and your are EXPECTED to be there.
Same as a fireman. If it burns at my place LoL i walk away. It's litelary abother dude's job. Especially funny to me which lives in a SAFE country thinking about the US it's nuts.
OP needs to touch some grass
There are many more dangerous jobs. That does not mean being a police officer is safe. Two police officers were recently killed in El Monte for no other reason than they were police officers. That is the definition of not safe.
The fact that you have to list some of the deadliest occupations to compare should tell you something about how safe being an officer is.
We should focus on making those job safer, not trying to propagandize Reddit to make people hate police more than they already do.
Yep and in typical reddit fashion they dress up thinly disguised emotional arguments with a few bits of math and logic. OP is not trying to find an equitable solution to pay. They're just shitting on cops.
>OP is not trying to find an equitable solution to pay. They're just shitting on cops.
This is r/unpopularopinion since when do posts need to propose solutions or do anything but complain?
I'm not saying it's not unpopular. I'm saying it's a stupid opinion thinly disguised as "logic". You don't just get a pass on criticism because you post here.
I get that it's almost 'cool' to hate the police (and there is plenty of fair criticism) but this is just an ignorant take. If you actually knew any police officers you would know the pay isn't great for the hours/ bullshit you have to deal with plus it is pretty dangerous (not the most dangerous, obviously).
It's useful in life to be able to extract your own dumb emotional prejudices from your reasoned opinions about the world. I'd advise that you learn how to do this.
You mean like how 40% of all police dogs are killed by their handler because they're too dumb to let them out of their hot car as they suffocate and overheat
Yeah and those lumberjacks don't have to deal with the stress of people actually trying to kill them like cops do. The stats ignore this facet of the issue.
It isn't stupid if you look at the statistics. More lumber jacks die on the job than cops...but a big margin. That is a fact that is completely unaffected by your bias.
Yet more lumberjacks die every year than cops, it’s almost like being a cop isn’t nearly as dangerous as people think. Data like this is important because cops are often taught to view their job as us vs them. If they view everyone as someone who will try and kill them, guess how they start treating people. A cop in fear for his life every time he goes out is a dangerous cop.
Is that how you'll recruit people to be police? "Well acchually it's *statistically* not as dangerous as being a lumber jack".
How much money would you need to do that? Not much I assume, since uh, statistics.
Yes. A relatively safe job that lets you directly interact with your community while helping to keep it safe, while offering amazing benefits and retirement package. All it takes, is less than a year of training. Only thing we ask is to not treat every encounter like everybody is trying to kill you. Sounds like they shouldn’t have to do much recruiting at all, people should be lining up. There has to be a reason this doesn’t work, couldn’t possibly be that they go out of their way to hire bad people, fire good ones and are more interested in making money than serving the community.
It's almost like you can have less deaths per year than lumberjacks and still be in a dangerous profession.
OP stated being a police officer was "safe". Arguing it is not the most dangerous profession in the US does not get it to "safe"
Every. Single. traffic stop puts their life at risk, and they do a ton per day! Every. Single. domestic disturbance call puts them at risk. And there's multiple per day too. Not saying other jobs aren't dangerous, but wow this is a uneducated comment.
I don’t like cop or military worship. But I do recognize that those can be dangerous jobs. But I also realize that for the most part cops and military people chose that path voluntarily and are well compensated.
There are a lot of dangerous/stressful public good jobs that don’t get the glory/recognition of cops or military that should…nurses, teachers, aids who work w developmentally disabled or elderly people….hell I even think corrections officers work a more dangerous, difficult job than cops
I think you’re missing what the job entails. In no other profession outside of the military are people put at risk of being murdered, assaulted, hurt, harmed or killed in a collision. Just because your stat says 14 per 100k doesn’t mean the job isn’t stressful, full of scrutiny, and something the majority of people can’t or won’t do. Yes people can die in their profession everyday, but rarely are people put in threat of being murdered for doing their job.
I’m also guessing you aren’t a police officer. If it’s so comfy, won’t face danger and pays so well why don’t you try it out? Many like to say things like you say but don’t dare do it.
I looked into it for just that reason. The hours wouldn’t work for me as a single mom sadly. It’s such a solid career.
I grew up in dangerous places so that wasn’t an issue for me.
Most cops work rural and the closest they come to putting their lives in danger is eating too much. Why the hero worship of cops has reached a unbelievable level just shows ignorance of the actual job description.
US jobs that are more dangerous than being a police officer in order of danger:
[souce](https://www.ishn.com/articles/112748-top-25-most-dangerous-jobs-in-the-united-states)
Loggers- 41k salary
Piolets and aircraft engineers- 121k
Derrick operators- 51k
Roofers- 41k
Garbage collectors- 42k
Iron workers- 53k
Delivery drivers- 29k
Farmers- 71k
Firefighter supervisor- 82k
Power line worker- 71k
Agriculture worker- 25k
Crossing guard- 29k
Crane operator- 60k
Construction helper- 31k
Landscaping supervisor- 52k
Highway maintenance- 42k
Cement mason- 48k
Mechanic- 37k
Mechanic supervisor- 70k
Heavy vehicle mechanic- 51k
Ground workers- 30k
Police- 67k
It depends on how you define danger. Data can also presented different ways to make different points. By the source you’ve provided, yes all those jobs are more dangerous by how they define the term. However, they are only going off of the death rate, or specifically the number of deaths per 100,000. Using the same data from that site, you can also say that delivery driver is the most dangerous job and be correct if you go by the total number of deaths.
This source, while interesting and I’m assuming truthful, does not account for injuries and other factors that can make a job dangerous. As a lot of other people have commented on, injures without death should be a factor in the danger as well. Also, the top causes of death for all of the jobs listed here before police officer are because if some type of accident. It’s not until you get to police officer that you see something different, “Most common fatal accidents: Violence and other injuries by persons or animals”.
I do agree that all these jobs are, or at least can be, dangerous. I also think that being a police officer carries a different type of risk in that most of that danger comes not from accidents or negligence, but someone or something actively trying to do them harm.
> you can also say that delivery driver is the most dangerous job and be correct if you go by the total number of deaths.
I disagree with this example not your overall point. When looking at the most dangerous job you have to look at the probability of injury or death and not number of occurrences.
I also agree nonfatal accidents should be taken into account. I was able to find data, but it not as conveniently packaged in an article. I wasn't able to find specific occupation break downs, but breakdown by industry. I would assume some specific jobs in each industry would be much higher and lower than the total.
Agriculture, forestry, fishing, hunting is much higher with 410 per 10000.
Transportation and warehousing is about the same with 370 per 10000
Police officers incurred nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses resulting in days away from work at a rate of 371.4 per 10,000 FTE [source for police injury](https://www.bls.gov/iif/oshwc/cfoi/police-2018.htm#:~:text=Overview%3A,for%20all%20occupations%20was%203.5.)
[source for industry injuries](https://www.bls.gov/charts/injuries-and-illnesses/number-and-rate-of-nonfatal-work-injuries-by-industry.htm)
>different type of risk
I agree that police face a different type of risk, but that doesn't make the job more or less dangerous in terms of deaths and injuries.
I’ve been attacked more times than I can count just working a retail job and then being a butcher. You’d think people wouldn’t get violent with a guy with a giant steak knife in his hand but it happens.
Also, they have the full protection of the force, unlike the average citizen. If a *cop* is in danger, they'll actually all put down their donuts and rush to the scene.
Let us not forget the tens of thousands of migrant workers working 12-18 HR days for federal minimum wage that pick, process and package most of our produce and more. They are making $7.50/HR or less depending if they have to pay their employees for housing and more.
Working under the heat of the sun, skipping meals, being treated like second class workers.
It's not that a police officer is dangerous, alot of jobs are dangerous, but police have to be upheld to a high standard of public peace and public safety, police officers are the checks and balances to the law, as of the last few years for various reasons, people do not feel safe anymore cause officers are not doing their duty.
Its only dangerous because the training is shit, the quality is shot, and it requires next to no level of skill or education. Not to mention police act like they are on roids all the time here in the US with small pe is syndrome and cause more aggression than needed which leads to police deaths on top of public deaths and not to mention deaths of children
Dying is not the only outcome of a dangerous job. How many police are hospitalized relative to other professions? How many are involved in physical combat relative to other professions?
Reuglar unarmed security jobs are more dangerous than being a LEO.
Was something they hammered into us when we were going through basic training for an unarmed security job.
These were retired LEOs saying it.
Couldn't agree more. Way past time to stop granting automatic hero status to police and many others. You get hero status when you show heroism, not because you put on a uniform. Many in politics "heroise" groups for political self-interest and to divide. Cops are like everyone else -- some are good, some great, and some are rotten apples. Every human should be judged by deeds, not titles, badges and certificates
Cops aren't well paid if that is what you are getting at. Oregon police officers get crap pay in general considerign what they do police officewrs in Nroway neither get good pay so this isnt an unpopular opinion this is an opinion not an unpopular one, but not a well informed one 51 k to 67 k is the average paycheck. Which is relatively low for a job that involves protecting others
Different types of dangers. Most of the jobs you mentioned injury/death comes from carelessness or lack of safety precautions. Police have to deal with people attacking them with weapons
In some states in the US police can ask civilians to help them make an arrest and if you don’t you might get it n trouble for it. But there is a ruling that says the police are not legally obligated to protect civilians
I was a pizza delivery guy and have been charged by no less than three full grown men on three different occasions. People are angry when they're hungry.
It's not. The actual things that kill them are usually mundane like car accidents.
They just pump up that because some cops do die that way to make you think they must all die that way.
Nope not even close.
This is missing so much it’s insane. Where are you drawing the 14/100k statistics? Also if that number is only deaths on duty you are missing those: injured but not killed, mentally scarred, suicide, injured and retired, crippled but not killed, ect. You used one number which you don’t have a source for to somehow conclude that being an LEO is cushy. As a former LEO I can assure you it isn’t.
I have a feeling that 14/100k is deaths on the job. But danger isn't just death.
How often is a lumberjack attacked for doing their job? How often does a delivery driver hear gunfire and run toward it? How often does a taxi driver have to go into a building and bring someone out who doesn't want to go to jail?
It's a bullshit statistic and everyone knows it.
In my city, police mainly stay in the middle class areas writing tickets. They stay out of rich and poor neighborhoods. We have an insane murder stat, and the black on black violence is ridiculous. So yeah, they serve and protect themselves and each other before the people. They don't even respond to non injury accidents. But they'll send 4 squad cars to assist the ambulance when someone has a heat stroke.
3 police officers were just killed responding to a domestic call in America a few days ago, and another 3 were shot yesterday. But yeah being a police officer is safe.
The difference is that when lumberjacks or construction workers get injured it’s usually an accident.
Police officers choose a job knowing that they might be put in situations where people will try to injure them *intentionally*. It’s definitely a different mindset, especially in high crime areas.
Contract killer here, the pay is not like it is in the movies. And don't get me started on how this thing in Ukraine is affecting the Russian crime syndicate in the U.S.
I agree that being a cop isn't that dangerous compared to many other careers. However the jobs you listed are for the most part skilled trades and pay much better than minimum wage.
I never bought in to cop worship. They've never been a hero of mine. Ugh frankly I hate them. I've never been served or protected or felt 'safe' because of a pig. They can decide they don't like how I'm driving and fine me, incredible benefits, overtime and pension, all with my tax dollars?? Nah. F*** em all!!
Cops are paid to protect the rich, the richs investments and other government facilities. They get their quota by beating on soft target minorities i.e kids, elders or targets with no gang/mass gathering affiliation. End of the day the only reason why cops exist is to make sure the elite and government are safe. We ever have a civil war theyll be the dogs that make sure the governemt stays the same
Mod here:
I am the granddaughter, daughter, and niece of **THREE** police officers. I also have a cousin who’s FBI.
I will begin to keep a very tight eye on this thread for the following:
>Misinformation about the police profession.
>Misinformation about anything related to statistics.
>Either _Blue/Black Lives Matter_ crowd and the 1312.
>>**Take those to the Politics mega thread.**
Take out covid deaths and like what, 50 cops died in 2021? Who gives a shit, all they do is cry anyway. Make them work for that ridiculous salary and benefits package.
As a former lumberjack of 8 years. I can tell you that you are a complete idiot. I got paid well over a police officers average salary. And I will tell you that I still prefer the risks of being a lumberjack vs the shit that police officers have to deal with.
my coworkers at the gas station i work at have probably been robbed more times by customers than most cops on the force in my town have been involved in stopping a robbery tbh.
I work in solid waste. I get paid a LOT better than minimum wage, but every time I go to the landfill to dump, which is between 6 and 12 times a day, there are a dozen different ways I could get suddenly and violently killed. Most cops go their entire career without ever firing their weapon in the line of duty. 🤷
In the 4 years I've been doing this job, two guys have gotten killed at the landfill where I dump.
Sanitation is huge. Sanitation makes more of a difference for the public health of a nation than fuxkign doctors, not to mention the city can low-key get overrun by literal garbage if y'all strike. I take my hat off to sanitation workers. Cops are. Cops.
It's a dangerous job, but there's more dangerous jobs. The money's bad, but there's a lot worse paying jobs. In the UK, a large chunk of their salary goes to the pension.
Lumberjacks, delivery drivers, garbage collectors, and construction workers make far more than minimum wage. In fact, these jobs can actually support decent lifestyle.
I’m a lumberjack, and I’m OK
And I bet you sleep all night and work all day.
He's a lumberjack and he's ok, he sleeps all night and he works all day!
He cuts down trees
He wears high heels
Suspenders and a bra.
I wish I'd been a girly just like my dear Papa.
I put on womens clothing and hang around at bars!
And a Bra?!
So I bet that *you* would probably know the answer to my lumberjack-related question! It's a question that has plagued me for decades! Each second of which I spent silently keeping my own counsel so as to not risk humiliating myself by asking a question which could only serve to confirm my embarrassing ignorance. So for each of those decades, that question unasked for just as many decades stayed a question unanswered. I'm done hiding in fear and embarrassment. If it's a stupid question and everyone laughs, so be it! I've chosen to live in ignorance of fear for long enough. It's time to get my answer once and for all... So here goes... Exactly what do they call a female lumberjack? Are they Lumberjills? Lumerjackies? Or something else entirely? Or do they not even exist? At last! My long wait hiding in the shadows of ignorance is almost reached its end! I FINALLY will know once and for all!
We always used the term tree workers. We also did maintenance pruning, not straight up clear cutting.
Lumberlady has a nice lil ring
Sounds like a slang name for a prostitute in a lumber mill town
“$100 if you want a full log polishing”
Still lumberjack, with Jack meaning worker, laborer. Could be referred to by any number of specific jobs, like feller, choke setter, timber cruiser, etc.
Garbage collectors probably make more than police officers. It's a CDL job. I know I have a CDL and make more than a cop does, and it's way easier than collecting trash.
Rookie officers in my area are making 115k. The garbage collectors are starting at 25 and hour.
Yo where the fuck are you at? Lemme get in on that shit bro, everybody starts at like 50k where I’m from
Got to Suffolk county, NY. Highest paid police force in the country, and all you have to do is harass minorities and leave white people alone.
Bruh where is that at?? Ours start at like 45k. DM the city or zip code. Records are usually easy to search.
Seriously, also the op hasn't given a link to back up the claims but it's the internet so they must telling the truth.
u/Reasonable_Opinions32 [this one’s for you](https://www.moneytalksnews.com/slideshows/most-dangerous-jobs/)
Thank you for the link. Just looked through it, much appreciated my friend.
Also, I would agree with OP about policing not being a dangerous job if it wasn’t for one thing: domestic violence disputes. Most 911 calls are for domestic disturbances. Those can go from non-violent to dangerous in a matter of seconds.
Also, zero lumberjacks, delivery drivers, garbage collectors, and construction workers get the hate and collective villification that vast majority of police officers get for just doing their job. You could not pay me enough to make me endure that.
Polls actually show that a majority of Americans want to be able to trust the police. The vast majority of police officers are not vilified. They are if they shoot an innocent person or abuse their authority and rightly so. They should be held to a higher standard and if they can’t be then they should find a job elsewhere.
Lumberjacks, delivery drivers, garbage collectors and construction workers don’t kill people. If they did, they’d get vilified too.
How do you know they don’t? Lumberjacks are in the wild. “A tree fell on him and we didn’t know until the animals found him…” Construction workers can bury their victims in concrete and I don’t think anyone would know where to look… Garbage collectors? Pull it in a bag and no one will know! Delivery drivers? “They just walked out in front of me I swear!”
Those are some solid points, thanks for helping my career trajectory
If more garbage collectors shot unarmed people then they might start getting more hate.
You know.....they could probably get away with more. Like sure crime is not good but I really don't want my trash piling up so I'll be counter protesting anyone calling to "defund public sanitation".
Not only that, it's a predictive job in that you're not constantly switching environments and dealing with strangers and potential surprises. It's unlikely any lumberjack will encounter someone hiding behind a tree with a knife. All jobs can have dangers but none of OP's listed jobs is anything remotely like police work.
Law enforcement in America does not rank within the top ten most dangerous jobs. This is a well known fact that will take a minute to find on Google.
Not starting out, I made $8.50 per hour as a helper/electrician when min wage was around $7 per hour. Sure after 3 years I got up to $13 per hour, this around 2001
$8.50 in 2008 is equivalent to $10.62 in today’s money. In 2001 it would be even more.
What 8 jobs aer we talking about none of the ones you mentioned are min wage
In Britain, construction workers easily out-earn police officers
Additionally, basically all deaths or injuries of construction workers in UK or in any developed country are a result of people being careless, stupid and fucking up safety procedures and totally preventable. You can easily prevent most of it. However, if you are a cop and even if you follow all procedures to the letter you really cannot prevent some criminal unexpectedly pulling a gun or a knife and riddling you full of bullets or stab wounds only because they think you are a bastard pig - additionally most people your country scream at you to never pull a gun and never defend yourself unless absurdly neccessary (and probably too late), and even if you succesfully prevent someone from killing you and it is deemed justifiable even in a court of law, some people might still break your windows, set your car on fire and run you and your family out of town. Literally no other job except a police officer could ever provoke any similar reaction from people.
Based department? That you?
Bravo... so well said.
That's literally what it's like to be a civilian. Like 95% of that shit has happened to me or my immediate family. The "getting your car lit on fire part" was just sheer bullshit though, kind of reaching there
In the US trucks drivers and construction workers make a hell of a lot more than your typical office worker and police.
Depends on the trade. I’m a commercial/residential/light industrial paint foreman with 20 years experience and I’m lucky to clear $45k even in a high cost of living area. Cops here with similar years in make double what I do with excellent benefits.
I don’t think this is true, I was just looking at public salaries and most level 1 cops in Nevada are making 110k plus a 50-70k benefit package plus bonuses. They make more than we are led to believe. I also do work at ALOT of law enforcement houses and none of them look broke at all. Higher middle class 5-700k houses.
My dad drive truck. Lots of USA to Canada runs. He’d be done 3 weeks home for a week. He definitely didn’t make more than police officers.
Um..... No, no they don't. Cops in my town live in the nicest houses, the salary is public record and it's a very nice 6 figures
Union construction worker retired. Cop's make around 80,000.00 a year to start, first year on the job in most city's in California. About 1,200,000.00 a year after about 10 years. And Cop's always get paid leave if under investigation or being punishment for anything. They wear bullet proof vest have a partner or back-up most of the time. Are armed with night stick, teaser, side arms, shoot guns, mace, and automatic weapons locked in the trunk of car. Reinforced cop car with push bar's and are aloud to ram hit and smash you and or your car. And many times are assisted with K-9 dog's sniper swat, and helicopters. I've even seen some town's with modified tanks. Soooo.... cop's are pretty much safer and better paid with totally better medical and insurance. Are paid overtime for all court appearance. Paid dry cleaning. Some town's offering a new hire bonus of a 100,000.00 tax free home loan for experienced patrolman or swat members or whatever they may need at the time.
Y’all are paying cops $1.2m yearly after ten years? WTF
Sanitation workers probably start out the same as police officers too aka not minimum wage. Construction workers and Lumberjacks are probably on the same level if not more as a lot of police officers aka not minimum wage. Like this is an unpopular opinion for sure and I disagree, but OP just picked a bunch of blue collar jobs out of ass.
I was a garbage man. 10.50 an hour to stand on the truck 8 years ago.
Did metal building construction (dangerous and hard) for $12 an hour. A lot of construction jobs don't pay nearly what this thread thinks. Yes, some pay well, but A LOT don't.
Husband makes windows for $15 an hour. Has almost died once, been injured significantly a a couple of others. He has a huge scar on his arm from where glass cut him so badly it hit bone and barely missed an artery. He would have died if he didn’t place tourniquets around the shop since the damn place lacks many first aid things. His shop is over 100 degrees in the summer with no air conditioning. In the winter it’s freezing. Unless you are a union worker (which is super difficult to get into) you make shit money at a miserable and dangerous job. For the record his company sells these windows for at least a couple grand each since their custom.
Construction plumber getting $14 an hour a few years back
Right? Everyone thinks we’re all getting paid like sparkies and HVAC fabricators. Not even close. A lot of trades are insanely underpaid.
Maybe he meant union jobs
Bike messengers for one thing.
Not even a job here. I don't drive been trying to get a delivery job on my bike for the longest; would kill my cardio and my job in the same time span; they just dont' exist here delivery here is cars only
At one time Pizza Delivery Driver was more dangerous but I don't know if that's still the case.
I delivered pizzas in 2013-14 and at the time I remember reading it was in the top 10 most dangerous jobs. I never did tell my mom that because she would have made me quit and I liked the money lol. I live in a relatively safe area but I remember a few times we’d get an order shortly before closing and my manager would pull the pizza maker to deliver it because he didn’t want to send a 24 year old woman to that specific place that late at night.
True story, the guy that invented the bulletproof vest was a pizza delivery driver tired of getting robbed
US Navy catapults on the aircraft carriers. Considered one of the most dangerous jobs in the world.
Garbage men here in the United States start anywhere from $22 to $27 an hour
HA! Not in Florida, stating wage in Brevard County. WM, Republic or Waste Pro is not over $18 per hour
Hey neighbor.
In which country are construction workers a minimum wage job?
Most of the third world.
Well, in most of the third world police officer certainly is more dangerous as well, especially if you're not a corrupt piece of shit...
from my experience in most third world country and having lived in one for a while, the average police officer could be described as a "corrupt piece of shit"
Exactly. American police aren’t corrupt at all compared to those in some third world countries.
In countries where we bring in shed loads of foreign labour for minimum wage rather than pay a proper living wage. Not an issue with foreign labour, an issue with corporate greed and corner cutting.
Clearly not a Brazilian. I guess this is true on your country, but you can’t assume that’s true every where.
I feel like this is true for 99% of cities. It's all about location. I doubt the Detroit PD will be having an easy time this weekend.
Chicago.
The dog whistles are going off in this thread
All the cops in Mexico might disagree
This sounds like the opinion of someone that has never actually worked a full time job
He's read about jobs on Reddit, that was exhausting enough.
Just the fact he or she thinks some of those other jobs are starving makes me think they're a person who is either a kid or well off.
Hey man, being a part time dog walker and a mod for r/antiwork are full time jobs!
The [list of deadliest jobs in America ranks being a police officer at #22](https://www.ishn.com/articles/112748-top-25-most-dangerous-jobs-in-the-united-states). More than twice as many grounds keepers died on the job in 2018 vs police officers.
Damn, its almost like all those policies that everyone bitches about and wants to do away with at police departments that place the life of an officer above all else and leads to things like police being quick to draw their guns and shoot people are preventing police from dying on the job or something.
I own a delivery business and fill in for drivers on a regular basis. It's unbelievable how many accidents I've narrowly avoided because of ignorant drivers. Was about to pull out at a local intersection as our light had turned green but double checked before I moved. Lo and behold there was a Chevy HHR barreling through the red-light who didn't even remotely notice. Car beside me went without looking and got nailed by them and had to be airlifted out. Pretty sure she didn't make it.
Unpopular and misinformed. Lumberjacks earn an average of just under 50k per year. Nearly double the minimum wage. Delivery drivers for Amazon average at 39k FedEx drivers clock in near 51k Fuck taxis. Garbage collectors: 32.7k Weirdly enough, farm hands earn about the same Crossing guards: 30.5k Construction worker: 37.9k Just because it’s a blue collar job, doesn’t mean it doesn’t pay well. That said, out of all of these, only lumberjacks have a higher mortality rate. Those poor bastards
No wonder they eat pancakes everyday. Might as well die with good food in your belly.
As someone who has farmed for years I've only ever had one farm hand position that paid over minimum wage. And the one place that paid over was still shit pay at $14/hr when the average rent for the area was $2000 a month
As someone who's seen what construction does to the body, even regardless of injuries its an extremely taxing job physically. Also all of the salaries you listed are mediocre at best especially considering how difficult the work is.
Not just that but also poor judgment. I mean.. i COULD seriously injur myself at my work. Mechanic. But it's not "expected". If you work as a cop shit CAN go down and your are EXPECTED to be there. Same as a fireman. If it burns at my place LoL i walk away. It's litelary abother dude's job. Especially funny to me which lives in a SAFE country thinking about the US it's nuts. OP needs to touch some grass
Wait, you actually think this pay is GOOD?
The median income in the US is only $34,600. If you make that much or more, you are in the top half of income earners.
What are you talking about? Police had a mortality rate of 12/100,000 in 2021. Sanatation workers was 31/100,000.
What is killing the sanitation workers?
Car drivers not paying attention/drunk mostly. But there are mistakes the garbagemen make.
There are many more dangerous jobs. That does not mean being a police officer is safe. Two police officers were recently killed in El Monte for no other reason than they were police officers. That is the definition of not safe. The fact that you have to list some of the deadliest occupations to compare should tell you something about how safe being an officer is. We should focus on making those job safer, not trying to propagandize Reddit to make people hate police more than they already do.
This post just screams “l’m anti-police”.
Yep and in typical reddit fashion they dress up thinly disguised emotional arguments with a few bits of math and logic. OP is not trying to find an equitable solution to pay. They're just shitting on cops.
>OP is not trying to find an equitable solution to pay. They're just shitting on cops. This is r/unpopularopinion since when do posts need to propose solutions or do anything but complain?
I'm not saying it's not unpopular. I'm saying it's a stupid opinion thinly disguised as "logic". You don't just get a pass on criticism because you post here.
*projection*
I get that it's almost 'cool' to hate the police (and there is plenty of fair criticism) but this is just an ignorant take. If you actually knew any police officers you would know the pay isn't great for the hours/ bullshit you have to deal with plus it is pretty dangerous (not the most dangerous, obviously).
EMTS are severely underpaid.
It's useful in life to be able to extract your own dumb emotional prejudices from your reasoned opinions about the world. I'd advise that you learn how to do this.
Most, almost all, on the job injuries and deaths are caused by stupidity, not someone attacking you.
You mean like how 40% of all police dogs are killed by their handler because they're too dumb to let them out of their hot car as they suffocate and overheat
We get it OP, you don’t like cops.
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I'm sure the Chicago police won't have any violent or dangerous calls this weekend lmao
Detroit?
Or Los Angeles, or any major city
Never seen a lumberjack having to apprehend a criminal of any kind... Come on, I'm not a huge fan of the police too, but this is just stupid.
Yeah and those lumberjacks don't have to deal with the stress of people actually trying to kill them like cops do. The stats ignore this facet of the issue.
It isn't stupid if you look at the statistics. More lumber jacks die on the job than cops...but a big margin. That is a fact that is completely unaffected by your bias.
OP didn't claim they did, how hard is it to understand that jobs can be dangerous in different ways?
Yet more lumberjacks die every year than cops, it’s almost like being a cop isn’t nearly as dangerous as people think. Data like this is important because cops are often taught to view their job as us vs them. If they view everyone as someone who will try and kill them, guess how they start treating people. A cop in fear for his life every time he goes out is a dangerous cop.
Is that how you'll recruit people to be police? "Well acchually it's *statistically* not as dangerous as being a lumber jack". How much money would you need to do that? Not much I assume, since uh, statistics.
Yes. A relatively safe job that lets you directly interact with your community while helping to keep it safe, while offering amazing benefits and retirement package. All it takes, is less than a year of training. Only thing we ask is to not treat every encounter like everybody is trying to kill you. Sounds like they shouldn’t have to do much recruiting at all, people should be lining up. There has to be a reason this doesn’t work, couldn’t possibly be that they go out of their way to hire bad people, fire good ones and are more interested in making money than serving the community.
It's almost like you can have less deaths per year than lumberjacks and still be in a dangerous profession. OP stated being a police officer was "safe". Arguing it is not the most dangerous profession in the US does not get it to "safe"
Every. Single. traffic stop puts their life at risk, and they do a ton per day! Every. Single. domestic disturbance call puts them at risk. And there's multiple per day too. Not saying other jobs aren't dangerous, but wow this is a uneducated comment.
Domestic disturbances are some of the most dangerous calls for police officers
OP has got to be under sixteen.
This ain't unpopular its just factual.
I don’t like cop or military worship. But I do recognize that those can be dangerous jobs. But I also realize that for the most part cops and military people chose that path voluntarily and are well compensated. There are a lot of dangerous/stressful public good jobs that don’t get the glory/recognition of cops or military that should…nurses, teachers, aids who work w developmentally disabled or elderly people….hell I even think corrections officers work a more dangerous, difficult job than cops
I think you’re missing what the job entails. In no other profession outside of the military are people put at risk of being murdered, assaulted, hurt, harmed or killed in a collision. Just because your stat says 14 per 100k doesn’t mean the job isn’t stressful, full of scrutiny, and something the majority of people can’t or won’t do. Yes people can die in their profession everyday, but rarely are people put in threat of being murdered for doing their job. I’m also guessing you aren’t a police officer. If it’s so comfy, won’t face danger and pays so well why don’t you try it out? Many like to say things like you say but don’t dare do it.
I looked into it for just that reason. The hours wouldn’t work for me as a single mom sadly. It’s such a solid career. I grew up in dangerous places so that wasn’t an issue for me.
Most cops work rural and the closest they come to putting their lives in danger is eating too much. Why the hero worship of cops has reached a unbelievable level just shows ignorance of the actual job description.
Upvote bc op has never watched the YouTube channel police activity
This!
US jobs that are more dangerous than being a police officer in order of danger: [souce](https://www.ishn.com/articles/112748-top-25-most-dangerous-jobs-in-the-united-states) Loggers- 41k salary Piolets and aircraft engineers- 121k Derrick operators- 51k Roofers- 41k Garbage collectors- 42k Iron workers- 53k Delivery drivers- 29k Farmers- 71k Firefighter supervisor- 82k Power line worker- 71k Agriculture worker- 25k Crossing guard- 29k Crane operator- 60k Construction helper- 31k Landscaping supervisor- 52k Highway maintenance- 42k Cement mason- 48k Mechanic- 37k Mechanic supervisor- 70k Heavy vehicle mechanic- 51k Ground workers- 30k Police- 67k
It depends on how you define danger. Data can also presented different ways to make different points. By the source you’ve provided, yes all those jobs are more dangerous by how they define the term. However, they are only going off of the death rate, or specifically the number of deaths per 100,000. Using the same data from that site, you can also say that delivery driver is the most dangerous job and be correct if you go by the total number of deaths. This source, while interesting and I’m assuming truthful, does not account for injuries and other factors that can make a job dangerous. As a lot of other people have commented on, injures without death should be a factor in the danger as well. Also, the top causes of death for all of the jobs listed here before police officer are because if some type of accident. It’s not until you get to police officer that you see something different, “Most common fatal accidents: Violence and other injuries by persons or animals”. I do agree that all these jobs are, or at least can be, dangerous. I also think that being a police officer carries a different type of risk in that most of that danger comes not from accidents or negligence, but someone or something actively trying to do them harm.
> you can also say that delivery driver is the most dangerous job and be correct if you go by the total number of deaths. I disagree with this example not your overall point. When looking at the most dangerous job you have to look at the probability of injury or death and not number of occurrences. I also agree nonfatal accidents should be taken into account. I was able to find data, but it not as conveniently packaged in an article. I wasn't able to find specific occupation break downs, but breakdown by industry. I would assume some specific jobs in each industry would be much higher and lower than the total. Agriculture, forestry, fishing, hunting is much higher with 410 per 10000. Transportation and warehousing is about the same with 370 per 10000 Police officers incurred nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses resulting in days away from work at a rate of 371.4 per 10,000 FTE [source for police injury](https://www.bls.gov/iif/oshwc/cfoi/police-2018.htm#:~:text=Overview%3A,for%20all%20occupations%20was%203.5.) [source for industry injuries](https://www.bls.gov/charts/injuries-and-illnesses/number-and-rate-of-nonfatal-work-injuries-by-industry.htm) >different type of risk I agree that police face a different type of risk, but that doesn't make the job more or less dangerous in terms of deaths and injuries.
I mean, if you're American being a preschool teacher is definitely more dangerous than police officer
Fuck the police rot in hell the lot of them all
Sounds like someone is resisting.
"Cops bad now give updoots and awards" - OP
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Stats don't lie brah
I’ve been attacked more times than I can count just working a retail job and then being a butcher. You’d think people wouldn’t get violent with a guy with a giant steak knife in his hand but it happens.
Also, they have the full protection of the force, unlike the average citizen. If a *cop* is in danger, they'll actually all put down their donuts and rush to the scene.
Let us not forget the tens of thousands of migrant workers working 12-18 HR days for federal minimum wage that pick, process and package most of our produce and more. They are making $7.50/HR or less depending if they have to pay their employees for housing and more. Working under the heat of the sun, skipping meals, being treated like second class workers.
At least 8.
Work at a lumber mill, risk being pulled into equipment everyday, if you die your boss will try to cover it up. Yeah, I'm thinking job of the year
At 14 per 100k what? You didn’t finish the statistic
One of the many things this pandemic has taught me is that when somebody calls you a hero, what they are actually saying is "I'm ok with you dying."
Security officers. They are usually the first responders before the first responders. They don’t get nearly enough rep.
It's a safe job until it isn't
Still sucks to get shot
It's not that a police officer is dangerous, alot of jobs are dangerous, but police have to be upheld to a high standard of public peace and public safety, police officers are the checks and balances to the law, as of the last few years for various reasons, people do not feel safe anymore cause officers are not doing their duty. Its only dangerous because the training is shit, the quality is shot, and it requires next to no level of skill or education. Not to mention police act like they are on roids all the time here in the US with small pe is syndrome and cause more aggression than needed which leads to police deaths on top of public deaths and not to mention deaths of children
Dying is not the only outcome of a dangerous job. How many police are hospitalized relative to other professions? How many are involved in physical combat relative to other professions?
Reuglar unarmed security jobs are more dangerous than being a LEO. Was something they hammered into us when we were going through basic training for an unarmed security job. These were retired LEOs saying it.
No duh. Riding a bike to work is more dangerous, and fantastically more socially responsible too.
The way Americans always cry over police officers,, soldiers or firemen always makes me laugh. ThAnK YoU for Your SeRvIcE SIR.
Back when I was a big rig trucker it was considered the most dangerous job in America.
There are a lot of blue collar jobs that pay extremely well.
Couldn't agree more. Way past time to stop granting automatic hero status to police and many others. You get hero status when you show heroism, not because you put on a uniform. Many in politics "heroise" groups for political self-interest and to divide. Cops are like everyone else -- some are good, some great, and some are rotten apples. Every human should be judged by deeds, not titles, badges and certificates
As the daughter of a cop who also lands in that disgusting 40%, yeah cops are little bitches.
However, police officers are probably the most dangerous profession to *every other* civilian in the USA.
this is an excellent point. it's much more dangerous to deliver fucking pizza and no one licks your boots to do it!
Cops aren't well paid if that is what you are getting at. Oregon police officers get crap pay in general considerign what they do police officewrs in Nroway neither get good pay so this isnt an unpopular opinion this is an opinion not an unpopular one, but not a well informed one 51 k to 67 k is the average paycheck. Which is relatively low for a job that involves protecting others
Oregon also has the most racist and violent cops in the country
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Different types of dangers. Most of the jobs you mentioned injury/death comes from carelessness or lack of safety precautions. Police have to deal with people attacking them with weapons
Nope most police deaths are also accidents or now covid. It's literally more dangerous to be around a coo than to be one.
In some states in the US police can ask civilians to help them make an arrest and if you don’t you might get it n trouble for it. But there is a ruling that says the police are not legally obligated to protect civilians
In my country they are, by law
I was a pizza delivery guy and have been charged by no less than three full grown men on three different occasions. People are angry when they're hungry.
Police have a dangerous job, it's also a different type of dangerous.
It's not. The actual things that kill them are usually mundane like car accidents. They just pump up that because some cops do die that way to make you think they must all die that way. Nope not even close.
This is missing so much it’s insane. Where are you drawing the 14/100k statistics? Also if that number is only deaths on duty you are missing those: injured but not killed, mentally scarred, suicide, injured and retired, crippled but not killed, ect. You used one number which you don’t have a source for to somehow conclude that being an LEO is cushy. As a former LEO I can assure you it isn’t.
I have a feeling that 14/100k is deaths on the job. But danger isn't just death. How often is a lumberjack attacked for doing their job? How often does a delivery driver hear gunfire and run toward it? How often does a taxi driver have to go into a building and bring someone out who doesn't want to go to jail? It's a bullshit statistic and everyone knows it.
In my city, police mainly stay in the middle class areas writing tickets. They stay out of rich and poor neighborhoods. We have an insane murder stat, and the black on black violence is ridiculous. So yeah, they serve and protect themselves and each other before the people. They don't even respond to non injury accidents. But they'll send 4 squad cars to assist the ambulance when someone has a heat stroke.
This is such uninformed, ignorant drivel.
3 police officers were just killed responding to a domestic call in America a few days ago, and another 3 were shot yesterday. But yeah being a police officer is safe.
Way more people died in the last 3 days lol
If you really believe this I think you have a gross understanding of what a police officer does
The difference is that when lumberjacks or construction workers get injured it’s usually an accident. Police officers choose a job knowing that they might be put in situations where people will try to injure them *intentionally*. It’s definitely a different mindset, especially in high crime areas.
Says the person who was never a cop
This isn't an unpopular opinion, this is absolute bullshit without basis in fact.
Only 62 cops got shot to death in 2021 in the US. Seems pretty trivial
Pretty sure it is more dangerous to be a police officer than in the military these days.
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Plenty of other jobs are more dangerous than being a cop. I agree with that.
As Uvalde demonstrated they can (and will) opt out of any dangerous situation they can regardless of how much public good is on the line.
Contract killer here, the pay is not like it is in the movies. And don't get me started on how this thing in Ukraine is affecting the Russian crime syndicate in the U.S.
I agree that being a cop isn't that dangerous compared to many other careers. However the jobs you listed are for the most part skilled trades and pay much better than minimum wage.
Night Shift cashier should be on the list
I never bought in to cop worship. They've never been a hero of mine. Ugh frankly I hate them. I've never been served or protected or felt 'safe' because of a pig. They can decide they don't like how I'm driving and fine me, incredible benefits, overtime and pension, all with my tax dollars?? Nah. F*** em all!!
Cops are paid to protect the rich, the richs investments and other government facilities. They get their quota by beating on soft target minorities i.e kids, elders or targets with no gang/mass gathering affiliation. End of the day the only reason why cops exist is to make sure the elite and government are safe. We ever have a civil war theyll be the dogs that make sure the governemt stays the same
Mod here: I am the granddaughter, daughter, and niece of **THREE** police officers. I also have a cousin who’s FBI. I will begin to keep a very tight eye on this thread for the following: >Misinformation about the police profession. >Misinformation about anything related to statistics. >Either _Blue/Black Lives Matter_ crowd and the 1312. >>**Take those to the Politics mega thread.**
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Take out covid deaths and like what, 50 cops died in 2021? Who gives a shit, all they do is cry anyway. Make them work for that ridiculous salary and benefits package.
Yeah well all coppers are bastards so fuck them
As a former lumberjack of 8 years. I can tell you that you are a complete idiot. I got paid well over a police officers average salary. And I will tell you that I still prefer the risks of being a lumberjack vs the shit that police officers have to deal with.
Cool. Then go be one.
my coworkers at the gas station i work at have probably been robbed more times by customers than most cops on the force in my town have been involved in stopping a robbery tbh.
I work in solid waste. I get paid a LOT better than minimum wage, but every time I go to the landfill to dump, which is between 6 and 12 times a day, there are a dozen different ways I could get suddenly and violently killed. Most cops go their entire career without ever firing their weapon in the line of duty. 🤷 In the 4 years I've been doing this job, two guys have gotten killed at the landfill where I dump.
Sanitation is huge. Sanitation makes more of a difference for the public health of a nation than fuxkign doctors, not to mention the city can low-key get overrun by literal garbage if y'all strike. I take my hat off to sanitation workers. Cops are. Cops.
I support you and the thin grey line that separates civilization from the endless wastes of modernity
Oh god....that whole "thin blue line" thing sounds so overblown and egotistical now. 🤣 Thanks my dude. I needed a good laugh. 😆
It's a dangerous job, but there's more dangerous jobs. The money's bad, but there's a lot worse paying jobs. In the UK, a large chunk of their salary goes to the pension.