A favorite pastime of some folks, especially as our nation's economic stratification becomes more and more Dickensian, is to mock the "wage-earners" among us as if they're unimportant dolts.
My personal favorite is when someone melts down in a fast-food drive-thru. It's like: Okay, she forgot your napkins, but you're the one who can't be bothered to so much as walk on your legs to buy your chicken nuggets, so let's not get too big for our britches here. You need her more than she needs you!
Anyway, on Reddit recently, a user named u/rlgacs tried the age-old chestnut of denigrating the "working class" as underlings with nothing to be proud of, and it went... pretty dang poorly, thank you very much!
It all started when user u/lthomas122 posted a very interesting factoid about UPS drivers:
r/todayilearned - TIL UPS drivers don't take the shortest routes. UPS has special software which optimises each route by eliminating as many left-hand turns as possible. As result, UPS claims it uses 10m gallons less fuel, emits 20,000 tonnes less carbon dioxide and delivers 350,000 more packages every year. from todayilearned
Interesting, right? Who knew!
(The article lthomas122 referenced in her/his comment is here, if you want to read it!)
But, this being the internet, someone--namely u/rlgacs--missed the point and just had to take this opportunity to be a full-out jerk.
In response s/he posted:
"but bro you're literally a package delivery guy. As if that's something to be proud of lmao"
Which, first of all: how much you want to bet he's on the phone screaming if his packages are even 30 seconds late because of these supposedly unimportant workers?
But more importantly, shipping services like UPS and FedEx is one of the forces that keeps the entire world's economy afloat. And lest you think that's overstating things, here's an article from CNBC calling them the "lifeblood of the economy."
Anyway, this being Reddit and not 4chan, this grossly arrogant snobbery went over like a lead balloon. So much so, that the whirlwind of drags got moved over to Reddit's "Murdered By Words" page, which it calls "A place for well-constructed put-downs, comebacks, and counter-arguments."
It all started with a lengthy, well-spoken takedown:
And from there, it was off to the races as user after user pointed out rlgacs's foolishness:
"Don't degrade a service while simultaneously demanding it" --Galym3d3
"Dude's spot on, shitting on someone's job is a purely horrid thing to do. Even if they don't like the job, it's still something they have to do and shouldn't be made to feel horrid about it.
Jobs are a necessity, even if it's "just a cog in a wheel" kinda job. I work in shipping, it's not a skilled job and anyone could pick it up with enough on the job time but it's a necessary part of the machine." --CupofStea
"my brother works in UPS, he gets payed over $30 an hour and on holidays he got payed $90 to work on thanksgiving day. He has amazing benefits and im honestly so jealous. He didnt go to college, barely passed high school and has a higher paying job than i probably ever will, even with going to college and drowning in student loan debt.
Working in UPS is sure as hell something to be proud of." --krrm
My dad is a UPS driver and I've been helping him for the holiday season. I've always had an immense amount of respect for "blue collar" employees but I've never understood the struggle until now (retail is cushy compared to this shit y'all). The amount of work we put in to "just" drive around what amounts to about 1/8 of my 66,000 person town and give them their Amazon boxes is mind boggling. I dont know how my 50 year old father is kicking my millenial ass at this job, but he is. --SilverWarrior9
"It's a weird culture prevalent everywhere yet I don't understand it.
"Hard working" is a universally positive trait yet you have to be working hard in the right way, either making shitloads of money or having other people do your dirty work. Ironically if you're not exploiting someone else at least indirectly people see you as the scum of the earth.--topdangle
Though some kept things less topical and more personal--but no less relevant!
And you're a fuckin IT guy.
At least the mailman is getting laid.--BillBeyondtheWall
Either way, other users could barely contain their delight at the depth and breadth of this dragging!
"UPS guy delivered a coffin"--lexiekon
"Finally a good ol' fashioned murder." --Ludricio
"An actual murder on this sub, there is hope after all"--FromMyHeadToMyWoes
"Same day shipping, same day murder"--Andrewbttm
"And same day cremation." That dude got fucking incinerated."--CulturalActuator
Here's hoping UPS guys everywhere give rlgacs's package just a little extra something special!
