At the Post Office, I worked with "overtime whores". Those guys would climb all over each other and do all sorts of maneuvering to work overtime. We had 2 hour before and after shift overtime at time and a half, if you worked longer than 10 hours total that day you got double time for the extra time. Working one of your days off got you time and a half, work your other day off and you got double time. I knew a few high seniority guys who would vacuum up all the overtime, take no days off all year, plus work those extra 2 hour deals and would more than double their yearly income. It was astounding how little life outside of work that 90% of my fellow mechanics had. They would never take their wives out to dinner, or the movies, or a show/event, they just worked all day, watched TV, and went to bed.......every single day of the year. I refused to work overtime..........and I was top seniority by the time I left and could have doubled my income every year easily. But I would have had no life.......and no car shows. I mountain biked or kayaked 3-4 days a week, took girlfriends to events and dinners, drove all over the place, etc. In other words: A normal life. They would listen to me tell them what I did yesterday like I had the most action packed life imaginable. In my mind, I didn't do schitt. I never really went anywhere on my 2-4 week vacations, I would stay home and redo a bathroom, or put a roof on my house, etc. I would hear them say how much their family vacation trip to the Jersey shore or Florida(same sand and water, just in a different State). Holy Cow, I could have bought a fully restored, perfect, GT every year for the $8000-$15,000 they would spend on vacations. That was just the married guys, the single guys would just stay home for 2-4 weeks drinking and watching tv.
