I work in a corner of the city that seems particularly susceptible to power outages. They’re not unusual when the weather gets a bit hotter and people start cranking up the air conditioning. The area power grid seems to get tapped out before other areas do, and before you know it, you’re plunged into (relative) darkness. That tends to be more into the summer, though, when the temperature is next level.
But despite the temperatures not being too bad yet, this happened while I was at work today.
Twice.
The first time it was out for about 15-20 minutes. We cleared out the customers, as is protocol, put a handmade sign on the door letting people know we were closed, and we waited until the power came back. Then we got the cash system back online, itself a process, and let the customers back in, and things were just getting rolling smoothly… when the power went out again.
Customers out.
New sign on door.
And we waited.
And waited.
And waited.
The problem with not being able to do much in that kind of situation (for safety reasons we’re not supposed to do regular work duties when the power is out) is that you’re very limited with what you can do.
You stand around, or sit, and make small talk, probably take out your phones as a distraction and watch some videos or flip through social media or if you’re like me and trying to be more productive with free time, read an ebook… but that’s about it. You can’t grab a drink and go sit on the porch, or have a little nap… I’m not even sure you’re really allowed to leave the premises to be able to, say, drag a chair out from the break room and sit outside. Although in this heat that wasn’t a big loss.
Per the company regulations, you just need to wait until your shift is done and head home (thankfully I had an unusually early shift today), or sign out early agreeing you aren’t getting paid past that time.
When I left at the end of my shift at 3:00 today, there were several co-workers remaining for their later punch-out times, including one who had just shown up for her 3:00-8:00 shift. I was blessedly done with the painfully few things available as distraction. She was just getting started.
Fingers crossed the lot of them don’t kill each other as a result of The Madness.
So let it be said, and may the universe hear it: If I’ve got to endure power outages, I’d prefer it to be… well, okay, really I’d prefer it to be at a seaside restaurant or cafe that has a generator so they can keep operating and bringing out drinks and food for me and family and friends indefinitely — all easily paid for because we’re somehow very financially comfortable in this scenario — while we enjoy what cool breezes the sea offers. But failing that, I’d rather be at home.