
Meet the busser who’s worked at the same pancake house for 54 years - mattbierner
https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/ct-ent-othea-loggan-0831-story.html
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Arnt
[http://archive.is/xbUSC](http://archive.is/xbUSC)

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huhtenberg
Thanks.

Being in the EU, here's what I get:

    
    
        Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in most European 
        countries. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at 
        options that support our full range of digital offerings to the EU 
        market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that 
        will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism.

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gorpomon
I'm cautious about over sentimentalizing Loggan, or on the other side getting
angry about his situation. He seems like a person who could be a pretty good
manager, but just never wanted to take that step up. It's easy to pillory the
restaurant, it's managers, or even the entire premise of the service industry
itself based on this story, but I would err on the side of it being an
anecdote than something to rally upon.

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AstralStorm
Sure, because everyone over 40 is supposed to be a manager?

What makes you think this man is or is not typical? (I'd err on the former
side, "lifers" are common in many industries including restaurants.)

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tolien
He might not have the skills to be a manager, but I’d like to think after the
time he’s been there he could be doing a role that better uses his experience
in exchange for more money/benefits than someone who started today. Hell,
maybe he’d enjoy just doing something a bit less physical (says in TFA that he
gets cramps in his hands).

As you say, not everyone should become a manager. That doesn’t mean seniority
isn’t a thing though.

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leesec
If he were manager for 54 years at the same restaurant, would the sentiment be
much different?

Just thinking out loud, it seems like a lot of the 'point' of this article is
that he intentionally stopped progressing in his work, but it seems to me like
a lot of people do that in a lot of ways, just not usually as a busser.

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rafiki6
You can tell that he's come to terms with his situation in life and lost any
ambition. How hard did he have to work mentally to reach contentment? It's
admirable but incredibly sad that him and many others like him didn't have
much opportunity to explore their talents. It makes me think our goal as
collective human society should be not to automate way people like this, but
to let them live out their lives, ensure they will have what they need until
they die, and look towards not repeating the mistakes of the past to have our
upcoming generations have the opportunity to figure out what they are good at.

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overcast
If the guy loved what he was doing, then that's more than the majority of
people can say about their jobs. Money definitely does not make people any
happier.

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madebysquares
You likely did not read the article... there is nothing in it that would imply
he loved his job. He stayed at his job because of complacency and security.
Not because he loved bussing tables.

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overcast
Please don't assume what I did or did not do. Security sounds like something
someone can love. Certainly many people look for that in jobs.

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george_morgan
It's fair for us to assume you didn't actually read it, as much as you may
plead for us to think otherwise.

This clearly isn't a simple story of 'happy man in a humble job'.

I mean, the man still buys lottery tickets for a start...

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jamespetercook
"Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in most European
countries. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options
that support our full range of digital offerings to the EU market. We continue
to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with
our award-winning journalism."

Is this their attempt at GDPR compliance?

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paulcole
It’s not an attempt– it is GDPR compliance. What about the page you’re seeing
is not in compliance?

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mjewtoo
The page it self might be compliant (not recording IPs/session cookies/etc)
but the law still applies on any data collected on EU citizens that might be
visiting abroad.

That's why a GeoIP block is not a real fix.

~~~
volkl48
They're a US entity operating under US law. If you are in the US, US law is
what applies, not EU law.

They also don't have European operations, so it's not like the EU has any
means to compel them to act even if it wanted to.

You'd certainly be laughed out of a US courtroom (rightfully) if you are
trying to force a domestic business to comply with arbitrary foreign
regulations in a country they have no involvement with.

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tzs
It's worth noting that the important part here is the "have no involvement
with" part, which the geographical blocking helps establish.

A US entity operating under US law with no physical presence in a foreign
jurisdiction but actively courting business with citizens in that foreign
jurisdiction has to be a lot more careful. For example, if one of their
foreign customers sues them in a foreign court, wins, and gets a damages award
there is a decent chance in many states that the US court would recognize and
enforce that judgement.

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draw_down
“...and still makes minimum wage”.

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joezydeco
...with tips. The article mentions this comes to about $14/hour for Loggan.

Almost every restaurant server in America makes _below_ the minimum wage, this
is allowed by law since their tips almost always take them back above the
minimum.

[https://www.dol.gov/whd/state/tipped.htm](https://www.dol.gov/whd/state/tipped.htm)

~~~
rileymat2
> Almost every restaurant server in America makes below the minimum wage, this
> is allowed by law since their tips almost always take them back above the
> minimum.

[https://webapps.dol.gov/elaws/faq/esa/flsa/002.htm](https://webapps.dol.gov/elaws/faq/esa/flsa/002.htm)

If an employee's tips combined with the employer's direct wages of at least
$2.13 an hour do not equal the Federal minimum hourly wage, the employer must
make up the difference.

So, every server by law does not make below minimum wage. (If this is always
enforced, not sure)

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spacehome
You will hear cases of the tips+$2.13 not making the minimum wage, but it's
very rare. Americans generally tip quite well.

~~~
pattisapu
This happens more frequently than most realize because of illegal tip sharing
arrangements imposed by employers, who take a portion of the tips earned by
the employees.

Some tip pools among regularly tipped employees are okay; what is unlawful is
the house or managers taking tips from tipped employees, either for themselves
or to pay kitchen staff, etc.

A rider buried in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2018 makes this
practice illegal. Department of Labor regulations had already prohibited this,
but now we have a statute. Further regulations are to be implemented that may
complicate things. Let's see.

