Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: dish on February 28, 2006, 04:12:05 pm
-
I'm not sure how old this is, but if you have seen it before - sorry to cover old ground. If you haven't, I'm sure it will annoy you as much as it did me.
http://www.holdthefrontpage.co.uk/funny/2004/12dec/barry145a.shtml
-
hmmm?
interesting
i say don't rise to the bait
you're probally earning more money than the author of the article anyway
thick or not, i'm happy with my chossen profession
jay
-
I bet you'll find his wife has a different view of window cleaners :P Probably the reason behind the article ;D however he may have a point ??? Every window cleaner with the last two firms I worked for had a criminal record :o Some with 7 or 8 stretches behind them. I felt left out with just 2 parking tickets to boast about :)
-
Think nothing of it.
Just a case in point..
I visited a friend in Ireland once. With his red hair, freckles and broad Dublin accent, he said to me with a glint in his eye, "Y'know the English think the Irish are thick....We'd like them to keep thinking that!" ;D
The Irish economy is stronger than England's, and property prices are higher, and rising!
Prejudice usually has little, or no substance.
-
If you want to find out exactly when the article was written and then search around Cleanitup, you'll see that it was mentioned on here at the time.
Can't remember what I had for breakfast this morning though!
-
Here's Sessuton's link in print:
I know it's hard to believe, but there are some kids so stupid that they can't even get a place at one of Mr Blah's special thicko universities. These youths go off to be window cleaners.
But even there, with only a bucket of water, a ladder and a chamois leather to co-ordinate, they're not safe from the degree-dispensing NuLabour social engineers.
I am indebted to a reader of this column for sending me the following advert for … wait for it … the British Window Cleaning Academy where, for a small fee of £95, aspiring chamois-wielders can take a one-day intensive course resulting in the award of a Level 2 NVQ in Window Cleaning. No, really.
"Learn to squeegee like a pro", they urge, promising detailed instruction in "Waterfed Pole Use and Basic Health and Safety".
Now call me elitist, but how thick do you have to be to need an intensive course in window cleaning? "Dip rag in bucket, rub window, do not fall off ladder" seems to be about it.
And anyway, what are window cleaners apart from off-duty burglars? The whole thing is probably just a sinister front for teaching criminals the latest house-breaking techniques. I think Officer Dibble should take a look.
Personally, I thought it was entertaining.
Remember it's easy to make fun of just about any occupation. As a soldier I read/heard many a unrine-extraction over how thick we were.
Working in a police station in Ireland for three years, I heard and made lots of 'police/RUC' jokes. Social workers, teachers, engineers, computer programmers, council workers, shelf-stackers to name but a few jobs, all are the brunt of jokes.
My advice is not to take this sort of thing seriously; it could be deemed that you feel insecure about being a window cleaner.
Don't be like the lady that protests too much!
-
wish I KNEW WERE SHE LIVED, ; SEND AROUND AN EDUCATED LOCAL MANS SON WHOS THE BIGGEST BURGLER THIS SIDE OF THE TRENT
GAZA ;D
-
wish I KNEW WERE SHE LIVED, ; SEND AROUND AN EDUCATED LOCAL MANS SON WHOS THE BIGGEST BURGLER THIS SIDE OF THE TRENT
GAZA ;D
Gaza, (sigh!)
When I say, 'don't be like the lady who protests too much', it's from Shakespear; but a common enough phrase.
Malc Gould will no-doubt educate us on what play it's from.
From my limited knowledge, some woman was accused of something that was true, and it was known that it was actually true because she 'protested' too much.
Had it been untrue she'd've said something like, 'What-ever!' Or something!
It was a bloke who wrote the article and it was written 'tongue in cheek'! Read the whole article, it's really about Tony Blair and the Nanny State.
There's no requirement for burglars!
-
Window cleaners are honest hard working individuals who take great pride in their work and have a lot to deal with everyday, they are not criminals or high school drop outs in fact quite the opposite, a lot of them have left other careers such as accountants and electricians and from almost all trades and proffessions to become window cleaners.
They are faced with many issues, the working at height directive being one of them.
When you lablel window cleaners criminals etc,you are actually damaging the image of window cleaners who in my opinion have one of the hardest jobs in Britain,certainly the most dangerous.
The BWCA along with Trade associations are their to educate and help window cleaners work safely within the law and to raise standards within the industry.
David
-
tosh just carnt see how you evaluate your previous statement ,see I can write profound statements as well,but Im only a w/c. some oink who knows note about nought.but at 50 can out work any youngster ,and still go for a beer at night get to bed at midnight and go graft the next day,iit annoys me when Igo around an estate
and see so many younguns idling about with no intention of going to work.
tosh keep taking the tablets its not even a parable,its a tort on our hardworking
legite trade.
gaza
-
When you lablel window cleaners criminals etc,you are actually damaging the image of window cleaners who in my opinion have one of the hardest jobs in Britain,certainly the most dangerous.
David
Fishermen have the most dangerous occupation in the UK; probably the hardest too:
http://www.kgfs.org.uk/thesea/
Don't believe the Churchill Insurance rubbish; 'click here for insurance' survey.
Have a google. Window Cleaners don't even make the top ten. There's soldiers, firemen, policemen, kebab shop owners etc.
-
Do you know the actual figures for injuries from each occupation ?
-
Do you know the actual figures for injuries from each occupation ?
David,
I don't; nor do I wish to know.
I know falls from height is the Number One UK major industrial work-place accident cause.
However that covers anything from a Tesco worker falling from a step-ladder through to painter and decorators to anyone else who works at height.
But saying Window Cleaners have the most dangerous and arduous occupation is wrong.
Quote from the above fishing link:
Fishing, for example, is the most dangerous occupation in the UK. On average there are 10 major accidents a month. 28 vessels are lost each year.
I recently read that a university studied which occupation was the most dangerous and it did actually look at all the available statistics.
It found Fishing. Followed by numerous other occupations; none of them were window cleaners.
-
Falling from ladders accounted for 19% of fatal and 32% of major falling from height injuries in 2001/02. Statistics indicate that there are around 14 fatalities and 1,200major injuries reported to HSE each year due to falls from ladders. The construction industry has accounted for around 40% of falls from ladders in the past five years. A significant proportion of injuries also occur in the service and manufacturing industries with window cleaners accounting for around one third of falls from ladders in the service sector.6.Statistics indicate that there are an average of 4 fatalities amongst window cleaners due to falls from height each year (the majority of these will involve ladders).
-
I'm not sure how old this is, but if you have seen it before - sorry to cover old ground. If you haven't, I'm sure it will annoy you as much as it did me.
http://www.holdthefrontpage.co.uk/funny/2004/12dec/barry145a.shtml
The funny thing about it is that I can often write as well as the person who wrote that and, if I put my mind to it, would be able to do an equally good p take of journalists. To me this astonishingly brilliant (ahem !!) piece of investigative journalism is water of a duck's back and written by some wannabe who likes to pick on easy targets. Just wait for the water restrictions. This pillock will probably go around following window cleaners and label it as the new "Watergate" scandal. As for the jibe about criminal records - yes I've got one. So what. It's long spent. I grew up. Big deal. As for school qualifications. I don't have any. So what. I was capable but needed to leave home in my mid teens due to problems there. Brown stuff happens. I tell you what though. I've had plenty of knocks and they are character building. Not like that tarty feather bedded journalist who needs an easy target. I wouldsn't swapo my life for his in spite of all the warts.
-
we might be chamois wielding boys ! but we earn more in in hour than the idot who it earns in a day , so he can smoke that.
shawn
-
http://www.cleanitup.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=5144.0
It never ceases to amaze me how some window cleaners seem to be quite happy to accept that our trade is viewed in a 'rougueish' way. I discovered this when I complained about this news item.
This article, by 'Barry Beelzebub' was a syndicated item which originated with the Bristol daily news paper Bristol Evening Post in December of 2004 and has by now pretty much ended up in most daily's around the UK.
I raised this subject when it was published, and wrote to the newspaper. In response, not only did they print my letter, but the person who wrote to 'Barry Beelzebub' in the first place wrote in again apologising for causing offense, and explaining why he'd wrote in. The reason he wrote in is below.
At the time, opinion was mixed as to whether it should just have been 'laughed off' as satire, or if the complaint was worthwhile.
I refuse to accept that window cleaners should just accept the image of the 'off-duty burglar' as humor. But, this is just my opinion, and as you'll see from the thread linked to above, some window cleaners thought I over-reacted and are happy to be thought of that way.
Ho hum!
-Philip
PS here's why the person wrote to Barry Beelzebub in the first place.
He was the facilities manager of an office building, and had been contacted by a window cleaner who uses a pole system. The letter from this window cleaner was full of spelling and gramatical mistakes, and referred to the "powerful and scientifically proven cleaning effect of ultra pure water, as used in medical labs".
Understandably, he though this was a hilarious claim and decided to try to find out some facts about it, and came across Ionic's website and the BWCA.
This holds a lesson for us. Don't make ridiculous claims when contacting potential customers.
This window cleaner had obviously tried to make WFP appear as technical as possible to the point of sounding like a con-man, and of course most people can see through made-up claims. WFP does need more explaining than conventional cleaning, but it isn't rocket science, and we shouldn't try to impress customers by pretending that it is somehow scientific and technical when it isn't!
Similarly, I have seen letters from window cleaners to customers urging them to contact "our sales department" when they are a sole-trader and the number given is a mobile. Also "Our poles will reach any height" Really? that must be how they're cleaning the Empire State Building these days then. What about the building manager who was contacted by a window cleaner a while back who'd said he'd invested "Over £20,000 on the latest Reach & Washtm equipment". When he turned up, the manager commented how it was difficult to imagine that a few 25 litre barrels in the back of a car had cost £20k.
Really, it does us no favours to try too hard to impress, and it can make us look ridiculous! Honesty is the best policy, and if you have got something worth shouting about, be subtle about it. Less is more, as they say.
-
http://www.cleanitup.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=5144.0
It never ceases to amaze me how some window cleaners seem to be quite happy to accept that our trade is viewed in a 'rougueish' way. I discovered this when I complained about this news item.
This article, by 'Barry Beelzebub' was a syndicated item which originated with the Bristol daily news paper Bristol Evening Post in December of 2004 and has by now pretty much ended up in most daily's around the UK.
I raised this subject when it was published, and wrote to the newspaper. In response, not only did they print my letter, but the person who wrote to 'Barry Beelzebub' in the first place wrote in again apologising for causing offense, and explaining why he'd wrote in. The reason he wrote in is below.
At the time, opinion was mixed as to whether it should just have been 'laughed off' as satire, or if the complaint was worthwhile.
I refuse to accept that window cleaners should just accept the image of the 'off-duty burglar' as humor. But, this is just my opinion, and as you'll see from the thread linked to above, some window cleaners thought I over-reacted and are happy to be thought of that way.
Ho hum!
-Philip
PS here's why the person wrote to Barry Beelzebub in the first place.
He was the facilities manager of an office building, and had been contacted by a window cleaner who uses a pole system. The letter from this window cleaner was full of spelling and grammatical mistakes, and refferred to the "powerful and scientifically proven cleaning effect of ultra pure water, as used in medical labs".
Understandably, he though this was a hilarious claim and decided to try to find out some facts about it, and came across Ionic's website and the BWCA.
This holds a lesson for us. Don't make ridiculous claims when contacting potential customers.
This window cleaner had obviously tried to make WFP appear as technical as possible to the point of sounding like a con-man, and of course most people can see through made-up claims. WFP does need more explaining than conventional cleaning, but it isn't rocket science, and we shouldn't try to impress customers by pretending that it is somehow scientific and technical when it isn't!
Hi Philip.
I can see your point of view. I wouldn't be happy being portrayed as an off duty burglar either but I do feel that this article is clearly meant to be satirical. If it was being presented as a serious assessment of window cleaners, I probably would have responded in the way that you did (had I been aware of the article). I've seen satirical items about others too such as politicians, publicans, shopkeepers etc . I've also seen them about people of certain races and religions when it was acceptable to do that many years ago. Not once have I ever assumed that the people in the above named groups are really like that (well - except the politicians maybe ;D ) .
To me, complaining about this particular article, in this particular context, would be like a hotel owner complaining about Fawlty Towers.
The most dangerous lies are those that closely resemble the truth. Satire is just far away from the truth not to fall into this category.
Just my opinion of course which happens to be a bit different to yours.
No problem Philip but I just thought i ought to say it.
Indeed, the writer is even being a bit satirical about himself by using the name Beelzebub (another name for Satan I think).
-
Accident figures for workers 2004/5
Falls from height:
53 fatal. 3783 major injury. 8906 injury longer than 3 days.
Struck by moving vehicle:
35 fatal. 715 major injury. 1796 injury longer than 3 days.
Note the differences.
Not just more chance of fall from height than being struck by moving vehicle.
Calculate, if you can, how many moving vehicles there are to pedestrians.
Calculate, if you can, how many people working at height are actually using ladders.
Contemplate how much higher the risk must be!
I don't think it's a joke any more.
Do you take extra care when crossing a busy main road?
Do you take even more care when using a ladder?
You certainly should. You are considerably more at risk of high speed impact, as you hit the ground from 15ft...if you're lucky!!
-
When this article was being mooted around on the forum a few months ago my initial reaction was 'Bloody cheek!'
But then on re-reading it you realise it is little more than tongue in cheek satire, with us as the butt of the joke.
After realising that I enjoyed reading the whole article.
If an article prompts a deep reaction then the author has done his job...this article certainly proves that point!
Philip however has raised some good points though, some of us are lucky enough to to be fairly adept with the written word, and think ourselves more than able to pen a posh, professional flyer of some description.
But many will end out writing something that'll make you wince with embarrassment to read.
If you are sending out promotional material, make sure spelling and grammar is correct, get it proof read by someone who will be able to point out the errors.
And don't bullsh*t with the content :-\
Grafters was brave enough to put his new website up for criticism on here, some parts got shot down in flames :'(
But he got a lot of good advice and his website will be the better for it when he puts that advice to good effect.
I going back to work!
Ian
-
To me, complaining about this particular article, in this particular context, would be like a hotel owner complaining about Fawlty Towers.
Shiner,
That was a sharp analogy. I remember being in the army and watching Ali G interviewing some crusty Major-General.
He asked the General a question which went along the lines of, 'Isn't the army for lads who is a bit thick?'.
I can't remember any of my fellow work-mates getting upset about it!
Maybe it was 'cos they were too thick? Or maybe because they were confident enough in their skills and knowledge to know this was just a joke?
-
Falling from ladders accounted for 19% of fatal and 32% of major falling from height injuries in 2001/02. Statistics indicate that there are around 14 fatalities and 1,200major injuries reported to HSE each year due to falls from ladders. The construction industry has accounted for around 40% of falls from ladders in the past five years. A significant proportion of injuries also occur in the service and manufacturing industries with window cleaners accounting for around one third of falls from ladders in the service sector.6.Statistics indicate that there are an average of 4 fatalities amongst window cleaners due to falls from height each year (the majority of these will involve ladders).
Ah, David,
You made me Google for it. Okay, I agree working at height is dangerous, but we do not work in the most dangerous profession in the UK. In fact a study by the Oxford University don't even cite us in the top ten.
Short quote from the News article:
Fishermen and merchant seafarers have by far the most dangerous jobs in Britain, according to experts.
A study by researchers at Oxford University has found people working on the sea are up to 50 times more likely to die while working, compared those in other jobs.
Their jobs are much more hazardous than those in the construction or manufacturing industries and also a lot less safe than working for the police, army or fire brigade.
Full article here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/2195847.stm
It stands to reason that if you have an accident out at sea; it's going to take a lot longer than a standard ten minutes response time for an ambulance to come and get you.
Why some window cleaners think we're in the most hazzardous occupation is because of this:
http://money.uk.msn.com/Insurance/Insight/Special_Features/Insurance_Cover/article.aspx?cp-documentid=145042
Personally, I'll believe an impartial study done by the Oxford University over a study done by an insurance company; and if you follow their links you'll find out where you can purchase their accident insurance too.
This deserves a thread of its own. I apologise for hi-jacking it!
-
To me, complaining about this particular article, in this particular context, would be like a hotel owner complaining about Fawlty Towers.
Shiner,
That was a sharp analogy. I remember being in the army and watching Ali G interviewing some crusty Major-General.
He asked the General a question which went along the lines of, 'Isn't the army for lads who is a bit thick?'.
I can't remember any of my fellow work-mates getting upset about it!
Maybe it was 'cos there were too thick? Or maybe because they were confident enough in their skills and knowledge to know this was just a joke?
Too thick to get the joke you mean ? ;D
Tosh. My sense of humour is capable of getting me into trouble Sometimes I can be laughing at myself and occasionally, someone else who may not be tuned in to my brand of humour, thinks I'm taking the p out of them.
Maybe I need to curb it a bit unless I know the company well.
-
Tosh
By dangerous i meant if you go up a ladder 100 times a day then you are putting your life at risk 100 times a day by putting yourself in a dangerous situation.
But that was the times before wfp which i consider to be to a lot safer.
When considering what constitutes a dangerous occupation there is so many factors to take into account.
Do you say putting yourself in a dangerous situation is the top criteria or do you count the death rate or serious injury rate per 1000 of each occupation.
what is more dangerous being up a ladder or being on a boat in terms of falling ,drowning ,injury or death ,which factor determines the dangers.
With regards to insurance companies they are the ones who have to pay out after a claim and are in reciept of all claim injury stats.
I am not arguing with you just trying to find out what people percieve as being dangerous
Dave
-
I wish they would put that article in my local newspaper.
I think perceptions like this only serve to help the legitimate W/C.
If anything it is a great marketing tool for us.
Use your full name, home and mobile number. People like to know who they are dealing with.
Customers would be more loyal if they were unsure of the background of any new W/C who is canvassing or undercutting your jobs.
He could be a burglar??
I would increase my prices if the public took articles like this seriously.
mark
-
With Reference to the above:
My thoughts are;
Window Cleaning is NOT the UK's most dangerous occupation; despite what Churchill Insurance says; and those that have a vested interest in selling you a Reach & Wash. (See Note 1)
And if someone writes a humorous article about window cleaners; don't get too upset. Every occupation gets the 'urine extracted' at some stage. (See Note 2)
Note 1:
I'm not saying working from ladders isn't dangerous. It is. I've had one fall and cacked my trousers.
Note 2:
If you get upset about someone making fun of window cleaning/window cleaners, then you've obviously got a problem with it.
You should leave the job and engage in some occupation that gives you a higher status on the Registrar General Five-Point Scale of Occupation.
-
I wish they would put that article in my local newspaper.
I think perceptions like this only serve to help the legitimate W/C.
If anything it is a great marketing tool for us.
Use your full name, home and mobile number. People like to know who they are dealing with.
Customers would be more loyal if they were unsure of the background of any new W/C who is canvassing or undercutting your jobs.
He could be a burglar??
I would increase my prices if the public took articles like this seriously.
mark
The police aren't particularly helpful either regarding window cleaners and burglaries. A few of my customers have been burgled down the years. Apparently, one of the standard questions seems to be "Have you got a window cleaner?" Fortunately, when this has happened, it has been at the house of a long standing customer. It could feel awkward if it was a place where I had only been once or twice.
Psttt !!! Anyone wanna buy a play station?
-
Tosh
If you want to be tarred with that brush thats fine,because that is what the article is suggesting ie we are are all low life degenerate burglars.
Remember if you throw enough mud it sticks.
dont expect me to subscribe to that train of thought, I did not find the article suggesting window cleaners were burglars etc ,funny at all, i was not upset about it and even if i was why should i change my carreer.
Lets just hope beelzebubs window cleaner does not burgle him or fall off his ladder because he did not take any advice or a training course
-
I guess that window cleaners are putting themselves in constant risk of falling, simply by virtue of the fact they are climbing a ladder.
But I'd rather be a window cleaner than a soldier, unless I am really unlucky I am unlikely to be shot at or bombed or hacked to pieces.
And I'd rather be climbing a ladder than scrambling around the decks of a deep sea trawler in a force 8 gale in the middle of the north sea :'(
From an insurance point of view window cleaning is rated high risk and always has been.
But only an idiot is going to think that it is safer to be a soldier, many, many millions have been killed as a result of being one, there is now a fairly steady stream of body bags coming back from Iraq.
So from that perspective, being a soldier is a damn sight more dangerous than being a window cleaner.
Presumably being a salesman is also a very dangerous job, if you are driving a thousand or more miles a week then you are doing something that is responsible for something like 3000 deaths a year and a great many more serious injuries, perhaps I should not just say 'salesman', but put it that anyone who drives for a living.
I know all of us have to drive to and from work, but we will cover roughly 10-12,000 miles a year, wheras someone who drives for a living will cover 50,000 miles or more, and that makes his profession far more dangerous, and THAT is reflected in what they have to pay for their vehicle insurance.
I would also have rated aerial fitters as having a more dangerous occupation than us window cleaners too. (not car aerial fitters though....thats a nice safe occupation ;D)
It really does depend on what your perception is of danger doesn't it, I personally think someone shooting at me with a gun with the express intend of ending my life to be infinitely more dangerous than climbing a ladder :o
Ian
-
Accident figures for workers 2004/5
Falls from height:
53 fatal. 3783 major injury. 8906 injury longer than 3 days.
Struck by moving vehicle:
35 fatal. 715 major injury. 1796 injury longer than 3 days.
Note the differences.
Not just more chance of fall from height than being struck by moving vehicle.
Calculate, if you can, how many moving vehicles there are to pedestrians.
Calculate, if you can, how many people working at height are actually using ladders.
Contemplate how much higher the risk must be!
I don't think it's a joke any more.
Do you take extra care when crossing a busy main road?
Do you take even more care when using a ladder?
You certainly should. You are considerably more at risk of high speed impact, as you hit the ground from 15ft...if you're lucky!!
I realy couldn't give a monkey's armpit about the newspaper article that started this thread. All sensible people will find it, at best- uninteresting and not even amusing poorly written 'white space' filler in the local 'rag'.
But like we all do at times, because of some of the comments, I posted the most recent accurate figures, as in above quote.
No-one has remarked on them at all! Not one comment!!
Which means one of two things
1) I should have posted them on a separate, more relevant thread.
2) Not enough of us really believe them, or care as much as we say we do about the very real risks.
-
Accident figures for workers 2004/5
Falls from height:
53 fatal. 3783 major injury. 8906 injury longer than 3 days.
Struck by moving vehicle:
35 fatal. 715 major injury. 1796 injury longer than 3 days.
Note the differences.
Not just more chance of fall from height than being struck by moving vehicle.
Calculate, if you can, how many moving vehicles there are to pedestrians.
Calculate, if you can, how many people working at height are actually using ladders.
Contemplate how much higher the risk must be!
I don't think it's a joke any more.
Do you take extra care when crossing a busy main road?
Do you take even more care when using a ladder?
You certainly should. You are considerably more at risk of high speed impact, as you hit the ground from 15ft...if you're lucky!!
I realy couldn't give a monkey's armpit about the newspaper article that started this thread. All sensible people will find it, at best- uninteresting and not even amusing poorly written 'white space' filler in the local 'rag'.
But like we all do at times, because of some of the comments, I posted the most recent accurate figures, as in above quote.
No-one has remarked on them at all! Not one comment!!
Which means one of two things
1) I should have posted them on a separate, more relevant thread.
2) Not enough of us really believe them, or care as much as we say we do about the very real risks.
There are more than two possibilities. I just thought. "That's awful. Better be careful out there. Thanks for the reminder"
As you say, I think part of the problem was that the thread became two pronged - as often happens on here.
-
it has drifted somewhat, but its done so in a specific way, it hasn't meandered all over the shop, and at least the replies have been thought out ones!!
My point about driving cars was that there are 3000 or so deaths on the roads every year....
I'm sure there are statistics for injuries and deaths to do with the various driving jobs. long distance lorry drivers, coach drivers, salesmen, taxi drivers, white van men! And so on.
DIY is pretty dangerous too :o Loads end up in casualty because of it :-\
So is chopping tomato's ;D
I bought one of those vegetable chopping thingy's a few years back, you kow the ones, you pop an apple or a spud in the holder and whizz it up and down along the plastic board with the blades in.
You can make chips, crisps and all manner of interesting chopped up things....including finger :-\
This happens when you grap a bit of veg at random and for the sake of spped you don't bother to push it into the horlder, you hold it in your hand instead.....
I still have a lovely scar goijng almost all the way around my little finger...was quite hard positioning the fingertip back on, home surgery...I'm an expert now ;D
Ian
-
I certainly took this article as a bit of fun but I can clarly understand how other window cleaners could take offense.
I was working as a Quality Systems Auditor in a Medical devices company for the last 14 years. I packed it in as I wanted to start up my own business in December 2005. After a lot of research I found that wfp window cleaning was the business I wanted to go into as it can be very profitable if done right, alot of freedom and people in the business are very friendly, happy, great sense of humour and supportive of each other. Although I enjoyed my previous job, the majority of the people that I worked with before did not possess those qualities. Corporate employees tend to be over ambitious and likely to stab their colleagues in the back to further their own careers!
So far I have not witnessed any of that from window cleaners I have had the pleasure of meeting/working with (naming easyclean in Banbury, Woodley Washers in Reading and D+G in Oxfordshire who have helped and advised me)
I am only working as a wfp window cleaner for two weeks now but I am so happy with my decision with the career change. I am now very proud to say that I am a self employed windowcleaner.
-
I prefer to let people think wat they like - yes I will burgle your house, steal your car and I only make £40 a day. Lets get real, anyone thinking that obviously knows little, if they think this much then you're never going to get any sense out of them. People have made millions from all different types of occupation whilst others have lived on the breadline working in banks, but what do I know, I'm only an off-duty crook.
-
Water off a ducks back. I know I am an honorable man, I have integrity, my self esteem feeds off it. So I'm a window cleaner, so what?
I can look any man living in the eye and say,"I'm as good a man as you".
And what's more, I believe it. Dai
-
Window cleaners have a certain bad reputation with some.
But I'm glad I'm not a car salesman! (Tonbridge Wells, anyone?)
-
PHIL I CAN PRODUCE CLINICAL LAB WATER WITH MY ELGA SYSTEM THATS WHAT THERE DESIGNED FOR AND IF IT DIDNT I WOULD WANT MY MONEY BACK,PURER THAN 000TDS ITS MEASURED IN SIEMENS ;D
SO IF HE HAD ONE OF THESE SYSTEMS HE WOULNT BE LYING :-X
GAZA
-
In poor taste pj........NOT. Now there's an example of a fine upstanding(t*sser) i mean pillar of society who would look right down their nostrils at the likes of us. A couple of mill in the bank,a nice pad. Half a dozen vintage cars, but it still aint enough. Well,when we're out shining this summer catching our tans, bear a thought for that honourable gentleman. We know the score. It's all good, but we do have to stop telling everyone how wonderful a shiners life is cos before long.......every other b*gger will be doin it. So,here i stand before you all requesting that we take a leaf out of the black cab drivers book.......and tell everyone......."argh....you'll never make a living at it" Shine on ;)
-
Shine on ;)
.."You Crazy Diamond"!!
-
Water off a ducks back. I know I am an honorable man, I have integrity, my self esteem feeds off it. So I'm a window cleaner, so what?
I can look any man living in the eye and say,"I'm as good a man as you".
And what's more, I believe it. Dai
spot on!!!
-
When I say, 'don't be like the lady who protests too much', it's from Shakespear; but a common enough phrase.
Malc Gould will no-doubt educate us on what play it's from.
I dunno Tosh - I'm not keen on Shakespeare's stuff - but I do know his name's got an "e" on the end of it! ;D