Part time workers

[Dhc8_Type]

Yep, my parents paid for my sister and brother to go to school after they saw how much debt I took on.

 

[Sarcelle]

True

This reminds me of a song popular in the 90s, Closing Time by Semisonic, which says every new beginning is some other beginning’s end.

Old opportunities close and new ones open up. We have to adapt.

 

[DarkLight]

Not even the debt. Current financial aid rules make it so essentially anyone under age 24 is considered a dependent student. Anyone classified as a dependent student must provide information about their parents’ income in order to be eligible for financial aid, and the aid they can receive is measured based on the income of the parents. The rules are clear that the parents refusing to provide information or to pay for college does not entitle a student to be classified as independent.

Unfortunately that can result in some pretty bad situations for young adults whose parents don’t want to support them, or expect them to go along with bad plans in order to get support, or are just plain old abusive.

 

[Dhc8_Type]

I know all about that stuff. My parents make too much money my “financial aid” was nothing but student loans and a couple of scholarships.

 

[Pattylt]

I wonder…if a 20 year old got a legal independence from his/her parents would that still be the case? I think there is a legal process to be declared self independent but does that only apply to those under 18? It seems unfair in the cases where parents refuse to financially help their children but can afford to do so. It’s not the kids fault!

 

[DarkLight]

It only applies to those under 18. There’s no process if you’re over 18. It’s definitely been a major issue for kids whose parents could help but won’t do so.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

Amazon also treats a number of its lowest level workers very poorly. I understand that’s its business model, but it’s not a place I would recommend anyone working at the hourly levels like distribution centers.

 

[TheLittleLady]

Exactly, not that long ago a man could spend his entire working life as an elevator operator. Then, slowly, people began pushing the buttons themselves. Yes, the job of an elevator operator is gone. Did you stop using elevators and take the stairs every time because sweet Mr Joe the elevator operator is not there anymore?

Now elevators are more popular than ever before! We need more people to build, design, install and service the elevators.

One of my first jobs as an adult was in a business where we owned the first fax machine in the county. There were only two of us who were trained to operate the fax machine. People paid quite a bit of money to send a fax because it depended on specially trained people and coordination with the fax operators on the other end.

People did not stop sending faxes when fax machines became common and DIY.

I have worked as a telephone operator. You have no idea how much training was involved, people who worked in the Directory side (you remember phone books?) were even more specialized in training. Now, we simply google a number and hit a button on our phone to call it.

Tech happens. Yes, there will be a time when there are not cashiers at the store. But, really, did any kid ever say “I want to be a cashier at Kroger when I grow up!!”