Well, it is difficult to write this update as I feel like a gullible idiot, but I consider this a 'public service' to the FBBO community. Here is my update on retirement.
I retired at the end of the 2nd week of January 2024, so I have been retired 9 months. For the first two months I caught up on home projects such as painting and small fix up jobs. We also did a few extended weekend type trips to visit friends a few states away. I also performed a house cleaning just like when you move into the house. Shelves emptied and cleaned, washer/dryer/refrigerator moved out and cleaned, I'm sure you get the idea. I actually enjoyed those two months.
Then it was time for my part time job search. Was shocked to learn there are very few part time jobs available, and many of them are for weekends and holidays mostly. Spent a brief time as a commercial parts delivery driver for one chain auto parts store only to learn that a typical day was 11, or 12 hours and that just wasn't my cup of tea! I tried to work with the manager at the store to get more reasonable work for me and that ended with me quitting.
Then I found another chain auto parts store that actually wanted part time employees in the range of 12 to 20 hours per week, and I could be 'unavailable' for any weekend schedules. PERFECT!
What a lesson learned here. I knew the general public was not the smartest, nor polite or courteous, but boy was my eyes opened! The entitlement attitude asking for free work constantly wore me down. I was asked multiple times each shift to replace radiators, AC compressors, pads and rotors, half shafts, etc for free. Some kind people even offered to drop their car at my house and pick it up when I was finished if I just installed the parts for free. Others asked if I could do the swap over their lunch break. I finally started using the phrase; "If we installed the parts we sold for free all of the auto repair shops would go out of business". This actually helped reduce the time of verbal debating the installation for free requests and my colleagues at the store thought I was a genius when I came up with that phrase.
Then there is the ABUSE. It seems the public has a license to abuse the retail employee when they don't get their way. I had the elderly woman take a swing at me and beat my chest when I told her I could not fix her AC in the parking lot. I've had customers go to neighboring stores and complain about me saying I 'promised' to fix their car and didn't follow through when I said no such thing. I've spent 30 minutes replacing a tail light bulb only to have the customer call and complain that I was too slow.
Then the rash of stupid. Two to three times a week the remorseful, teary eyed woman saying "I've never changed my oil and I need your help" as you look at the bone dry dipstick, or need visegrips and a deadblow hammer to get the filler cap off the valve cover because the oil crystalized into asphalt. Surprisingly four or five quarts of fresh oil will get these cars back on the road, but many times you are now the bad guy as you sold oil for a motor that is junk.
Then there is the physical toll. Replacing 2 to 3 batteries an hour on a triple digit temperature day is too much for this old man. If it was just 2 or 3 batteries in a shift, I'd be fine, but 18 or 19 batteries in a 6.5 hour shift and I'm bed ridden and dehydrated the next day. Keep in mind these are batteries in newer vehicles where you have 1/64 inch clearance to remove and replace the battery and on some vehicles the PCM, AirBox, fender braces, etc require removal. Newer Ram diesels with two batteries is a 50 minute job in the sweltering parking lot on a step stool.
So, with my tail between my legs I have 'flunked' retirement and accepted a full time position doing tech work. I certainly have learned a lesson in the 'grass is always greener on the other side'. I admit I had rose colored glasses on when I retired and now will settle back into corporate America life and keep my mouth shut!
