Any 3rd Shifters out there?

[Penar]

I’m just curious… Does any of you work 3rd shift? I do.

I’m starting to thing that I’m invisible… or that I died and become a walking ghost (Like in the movie 6th sense). I work alone, all night. I get to the office, do my stuff and go back home. I don’t talk with anybody… I don’t see anybody.

During the “Lunch” hour. At 3am… every store is closed… the streets, completely empty. Everything seems so … deserted. Like if a nuclear bomb killed everybody.

And the noise… uff. When I started in this job, the computer room seemed so quiet. But as the time passes, the noise of the machines became more and more loud. Now the humming of the hard disks, the power supply fans… they feel like a non-stooping drill digging a hole in my brain. I could even say if the fluorescent lights are on, just by their sound…

In my house, I covered the windows with wood panels to keep the day light out. As I sleep during the day, I had to create a “Virtual Night” in my house. In my room, I also painted the walls and the roof in black.

And the dates… I really don’t know which day I’m living. I always have to look at a calendar. Sunday, Monday, Friday… It doesn’t matter. They are all just the same. Like if I were trapped on a “Time Prison”.

So, I’m just curious… I’m the only one?

[Skeen]

Get another job.....or some proffesional help mate!

[Penar]

There are many services that need to be up 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. I mean, if somebody have a car accident, in a lonely road at 3am... what could he do?

I tell you:

First, he will take his cell phone to call for help. Thats where I came in... Im part of a small group of people that take care of a cellular company, during the night.

Second, there should be somebody on the 911 call center, to answer his distress call. Another 3rd Shifter...

Third, some policemen will be dispatched, more 3rd shifters.

And if the guy is injured, then more 3rd shifters will be needed... an ambulance driver, paramedics, medical staff at the hospital... etc etc etc...

But lets no be so dramatic. Imagine a more inocent situation. Somebody that is just going out with her girlfriend. He may need to stop on a gas station. Again, some 3rd shifter will have to be there, working at this gas station, all alone, all night.

I don't really don't know a lot of people working 3rd shift, as I do. But the few I know, share the same feeling. We are here to serve the people that work during the day. No matter if they want a pizza, if they go to a gas station, if they use their cellular phone services or if they have a car accident, we are here for them. We are really dedicated to our jobs, but it seems that day people just don't care. 99% of them just don't give a dam.

We try to sleep during the day, and our neighbors start their trimers to work on the backyard. When we need to renew our driver's licence, we have to stay awake all day, in a goverment office. And when the people in that office see your face, they dont think "Hey, this poor man haven't sleep, he was guarding my cell phone service"... o no. They just say "Oh what a shame, this generation is lost, look at that guy, it's sure that he was awake all the night drinking at some bar...".

What would happen if all 3rd shifters just change to a day job? Do u imagine? And then, what if your little son gets sick at night and there are no doctors to help you? Just imagine...

Thanks, Ruben

[Iain17]

Penar,

I have done my fair share of crap shifts in my time, so i feel for you mate. I was doing a summer job to get some money together for uni. I was working for a landscaping company, and i got landed with the job of strimming the sides of motorways. Mainly barriers and posts, we also did a bit of clearance work. If this job isn't bad enough during the day, you should try the night shift.

I had to get up at 2:00am, to get to the yard for 3:00. We started work at 3:00, and worked through to 3:00 in the afternoon. After this it was an hour drive home, so i was home by about 4:00. Seeing as dinner was usually at about 6:00, there was no point in going to bed. I don't know about everyone else, but i cant sleep immediately after dinner, i need to let it settle a bit. This meant that it was usually 8:00 or 9:00 by the time i was in bed. Which leaves me about 6 hours sleep for another 12 hour shift.

Now strimming is a boring job at the best of times, but when you have a 12 hours shift that starts at 3:00 in the morning, it is no fun in the slightest. Have you ever tried carrying around a strimmer for 12 hours. No? I don't recommend it. To make matters worse, you cant go out on Friday night, cos you are working, and you are too tired on Saturday to even contemplate the pub. Still, on the bright side, i made a fortune, and didn't spend much money, as i had no time to do so.

[Jamagei]

respect to you penar. but ca't you get a radio, or something. get some games in on the computers. you must be earning a bit buy a laptop and play games on that. ocs by the sounds of it you don't seem to do much else but sit there.

i hated normal shift work. up at 7am one morning then the next week it's 1 pm really messed up my sleep pattern. left that and got an office job.

[Penar]

Jamagei -

Yes, I do have a good salary. But I also have a 4 months old baby that is taking all my spare money away. My little boy was born only on his 6th month of gestation, with only 2 pounds... So as all premature babies, he have a lot of "special conditions", like apnea (sometimes he forgot to breath). And medical expenses are huge. Also, My wife had to quit her job to take care of the baby... less income. All this situations together make it very dificult to me to buy a laptop :(

About the time, I really don't have to much to spare. I really have a lot of reports, backups and procedures to perform. But as I do the same things every night, the shift is really very easy. It's like putting my hands on the keyboard, and my mind on autopilot. Except some days where a HD on some server is broken, and I have to replace it... or when I have to add more memory to any main system here, the shift is a non-changing routine.

But I'm not really complaining about the shift. Yeah, it is a hard one, but it could be worst (like the job Iain described). I just write the bad things about the shift, to see if any other 3rd shifters outhere feels identified. So far, It seems that I'm the only one vbworld-adict working during the night. It would be great if a group of 3rd shifters IT employees exist... maibe a mailing list or something. To share some information like, how many cups of coffe u drink per shift (for me, 7). Or things like what u do to get a good sleep during the day (I close my windows with wood panels, like if a storm is heading my way). I wanted to meet some people with my same "way of life", to learn from others... How do 3rd shifters arrange to have good relationships with their kids, when the kids are like 5+ old, and live during the day, when u sleep. And how they do to keep their wives happy, after all, 3rd shifter's wives slpeep alone 5 days a week. Most wifes can't deal with that (thanks god, my wife was also a 3rd shifter).

Thanks for replying... I don't feel so alone now ;)

And sory for the gramar ... english is not my native language...

Ruben
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"We spend the first twelve months of our children's lives teaching them to walk and talk and the next twelve telling them to sit down and shut up."

[dimava]

can't you get some stippers to entertain you while you're not busy

lol