Oh my dayz. I had to sign on, on wednesday. It was an experience and a journey that I will never forget. If you can avoid becoming unemployed then please do so, the life of a 24/hr slacker is not as good as the shell-suit boys and girls make it out to be.
My journey started on the 10:53 train to Bedford, a ticket inspector was quizzing a youth about not having a ticket, the youth in question was not giving up any ID or proof of address. So the inspector said shall I call the Police then and have them deal with you. The lad replied "do what you F**ing want". After reporting the incident to the Police the Youth decided to give the inspector a false address and got off the train at Haywards Heath.
I had to get off here too, the youth and his girlfriend ran down the stairs quickly as the inspector told the police he did not need them, however they said they were already outside the station and requested a description of the youth.
On my way out the lad was being arrested for failing to produce a ticket and swearing /becoming violent with the police. I had to laugh my head off...
Got to the job centre... had to wait twenty mins to be seen - during that time the first fight kicked off. Some man had been offered 15 job interviews over the past 2 weeks - each of them he did not apply for or make any effort to get in touch - for some strange reason he was sending his CV to people who were not looking for employees! Confused? I was!
The lady dealing with it was shouting at him and getting really upset, I was praying that she was'nt dealing with me!
Finally my turn, I'd been asking for a Mr X - and it turned out it was a Mrs X - eek - silly people had put the wrong name on the form - I bet they do that to make you look thick!
I got the weird woman out of all the people working there. One of those that has weird eyes, doesn't look at you and instead looks into the clouds while speaking. Anyway I was happy chatting away, when the lady who had got upset with the man from before was slagging off another jobseeker by saying "he reckons that warehouse work is beneath him, cause he has two F**king degrees..., I don't know why I bother, I really don't" I was at this point thinking that signing on might have been a bad idea.
Getting into looking for jobs - I had picked a strange career choice and the lady was having difficulty finding me suitable employment - all of a sudden she looked right at me and started shouting - I'm not seeing you now - your late - you'll have to come back tomorrow. I thought she was shouting at me, I turned round and there was a youth in a hoody looking pretty pissed off with her - saying that he had been at the police station and that he could not attend. The woman asked him had he any proof - he said "yeah, my dad is outside parked on double yellow, he'll tell you", the woman asked why he had been at the station, "got done for possesion, so can I f**king sign on or not" The woman said no shreaking at him, and he kicked off - shouting and swearing, then his dad came in and he started fighting with his dad in front of everyone - I was thinking that maybe I had come to the wrong place at this point.
After they had gone to argue in the hall way my interview continued, we were still searching for jobs until we were rudely disturbed again by a man shouting at one of the job centre women, "don't you dare f**king tell me what I can and can't do, I've been without benefits for a month now cause you lot have F**KED up!!!" the lady was explaining to him that he shouldnt park on double yellow and should make alternative transport arrangements to visit the office, his lack of judgement in the travel department was not there fault, however they did admit to the benefit system mis-behaving - and told him that his benefit would be paid in tomorrow - he still was not happy, standing up swearing, going red with anger... the woman told him that if he did not calm down he would be escorted out and may loose his benefit - I don't think that was the best tactic, as he kicked the door and stormed out in a rage.
I asked my interview woman if it's always like this, and she said mostly... makes the job more exciting. Before leaving she gave me two totally obscure jobs to apply for, a night receptionist in a hotel 20 miles away, and a night auditor - neither of which I have any experience of nor did I feel the need to apply.
I just hope a job comes up soon - not sure that I could cope with her shreaking at me, I was scared! Very scared!
