# Occupations with lots of downtime **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 2, 2013, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupations-with-lots-of-downtime/645804 "2013-01-02T04:48:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2013, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupations-with-lots-of-downtime/645804/21 "2013-01-02T08:21:52Z")
> [@Bear\_Nenno](#): > > A bit too vague, I’d say. I work over 110 hours a week and none of that is dead time. Well, we are hoping there is no _dead_ time involved, we happen to like you around here 😛 ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2013, 8:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupations-with-lots-of-downtime/645804/22 "2013-01-02T08:40:40Z")
Didn’t there used to be a lot of “featherbed” jobs in the Railroad system? (obsolete jobs that were no longer needed,but the unions kept them staffed) Do they still exist? ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2013, 8:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupations-with-lots-of-downtime/645804/23 "2013-01-02T08:49:59Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > Well, we are hoping there is no _dead_ time involved, we happen to like you around here 😛 oops, I intended to write “down”. Funny! ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2013, 8:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupations-with-lots-of-downtime/645804/24 "2013-01-02T08:50:40Z")
There used to be a time when GPS stood for “getting paid to sit”. In the early days of the GPS system (1980’s), before the consumer knew what it was. Cartographers and engineers needing precise measurements would set up a GPS receiver on a tripod, and wait 3 hours for it to collect enough data from the very few satellites that were orbiting the earth. The instrument cost many many thousands of dollars, so somebody had to sit with it, with nothing else to do but wait till it beeped. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2013, 9:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupations-with-lots-of-downtime/645804/25 "2013-01-02T09:25:03Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Maytag repair man. [Not anymore](http://www.lewrockwell.com/north/north579.html). ---
**Author:** ![Iggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iggy/32/3364_2.png) [@Iggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggy)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2013, 9:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupations-with-lots-of-downtime/645804/26 "2013-01-02T09:40:09Z")
Depending upon the office and staffing levels a 9-1-1 operators’ job can involved a lot of sitting and waiting for the phone to ring. In larger call centers that is not much of an issue but for offices that serve a smaller population it can be a big part of the job. I’ve had shifts when the phone and radio did not stop for the entire 12 hours. And occasionally, usually mid week at night, when we are making test calls just to be sure that the phone system still works because it is 4:30am and it has been hours since the last emergency call. Of course the nature of the job is that it can go from boredom to sheer adrenaline in a matter of moments. ---
**Author:** ![pullin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c57346/32.png) [@pullin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pullin)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2013, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupations-with-lots-of-downtime/645804/27 "2013-01-02T13:12:13Z")
I used to be a crane operator. It was unpredictable, but on many days I spent hours waiting on the minions below to need something moved. You have to be up\* in the cab all day, so the foreman can’t really demand another task during slack periods. I always brought books to pass the time. It was offshore oilfield work, and IIRC the pay was about $3000/wk (adj for inflation). On slow days it was a darned good hourly rate for the few lifts I did. IMO, one of the best jobs if you want lots of downtime. \*my particular crane was very high, and unless rotated to a specific position was impossible to leave, since the stairs didn’t line up. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2013, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupations-with-lots-of-downtime/645804/28 "2013-01-02T13:19:00Z")
> [@The\_Controvert](#): > > Hosting a talk show probably counts. Kelly Ripa brags about working just an hour a day. Don’t they have to do research on their guests? ---
**Author:** ![shijinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@shijinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shijinn)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2013, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupations-with-lots-of-downtime/645804/29 "2013-01-02T13:34:10Z")
not Craig Ferguson, who doesn’t seem to even talk about whatever they’re supposed to plug most of the time. ---
**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2013, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupations-with-lots-of-downtime/645804/30 "2013-01-02T13:41:23Z")
Construction inspector. There were plenty of days where I sat around reading a book in my car for 1 or 4 hours, waiting for someone to finish their job so I could run some tests on it to see that it made spec. 15 minutes later, I’m back sitting in my car waiting for them to finish the next bit. Repeat for days at a stretch. Of course, there were _also_ plenty of days where you spend the whole day taking 150 pound concrete samples, every five minutes, for a 12 or 15 hour day. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2013, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupations-with-lots-of-downtime/645804/31 "2013-01-02T13:52:12Z")
Potentially, wellsite geologists can have extended periods of downtime. If a downhole tool gets stuck, a bridge blocks hole access or any one of a number of technical or logistical issues comes up you may be looking at a few hours to several days of relative inactivity. Granted, there’s also the probability that things will be manic in the period immediately thereafter. It all evens out. If you’re near some populated area, that’s fine. I used to cross over into Mexico when things were safer. Unfortunately though you may be out in the middle of BFE, in which case downtime is appallingly boring. Thank goodness for arrowhead and rattlesnake hunting. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2013, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupations-with-lots-of-downtime/645804/32 "2013-01-02T14:22:13Z")
I’m an offshore data processor and I have _tons_ of downtime. I would recon that I actually only work maybe 10 or 20% of the time I’m getting paid. And I don’t want to toot my own horn too much but I’m damn good at what I do and everyone above me seems very thrilled to have me in their employ, my reviews go well, etc. Basically, the way our job works is they lay out some nodes which takes a month or two, then they pick the nodes up. I really only have any work to do when the nodes have been picked up, so if I’m out here during deployment, I’m basically just getting paid to keep a seat warm. There is _literally_ no work for us to do. Same thing applies in between surveys when they are waiting to get permits. Even when I am processing, many of the processing flows just take hours to run, so even when we are slamming busy with as much processing as we can do, I’m just sitting there monitoring things and making sure they are running smoothly. Of course, when I am actually working, I’m often problem solving and juggling a million things and double checking and fixing other people’s errors, so it does come with a fair bit of stress when I am busy but honestly not too bad. Now, if you think all that sounds cushy, wait till you hear about the client representatives, or “The Reps” as we call them. I honestly don’t think they do anything other than speak once a week at the weekly meetings saying, “you guys are doing a great job. Remember to be safe and keep up the good work.” They also wonder around and make stupid jokes. I think they make six figures. Did I mention that I work 28 days on, then have 28 days off? So yeah… lots, and lots of downtime for offshore processors. In fact, a lot of the offshore workers have lots of downtime. It isn’t just the processors and reps. ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2013, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupations-with-lots-of-downtime/645804/33 "2013-01-02T14:34:10Z")
I used to know someone who worked as overnight gate control officer for an industrial company. He pretty much got to sit in a booth all night and surf the internet waiting for an occasional truck to pull up. The job paid very little though. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2013, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupations-with-lots-of-downtime/645804/34 "2013-01-02T14:35:41Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > [Not anymore](http://www.lewrockwell.com/north/north579.html). A beautiful essay. On some thread a while ago, I wrote about the difference between farmers (who carefully tend their soil so that it will go on producing) and miners (who extract what there is to extract and move on). It was clear to me that Maytag had exited farmer mode 10 or 15 years and was now in miner mode, mining (in both senses of the word) their reputation. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2013, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupations-with-lots-of-downtime/645804/35 "2013-01-02T15:01:40Z")
School teachers. Summers off. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2013, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupations-with-lots-of-downtime/645804/36 "2013-01-02T15:11:35Z")
> [@drachillix](#): > > Most city ff’s have a pretty full workday, there is tons of little maintenance and cleaning items to be done on equipment. Many cities also have engine companies running low risk occupancy inspections. Hydrant testing, training drills, all add up. Sure there is other stuff than just waiting for fires. But many full time departments do 24 hour shifts. So even with some extra work thrown in, there is a lot of down time. Because sometimes there is no downtime. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2013, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupations-with-lots-of-downtime/645804/37 "2013-01-02T15:25:51Z")
> [@echo7tango](#): > > School teachers. Summers off. Unless you count continuing education to maintain their certification, which most often happens during the “off-season”. Not to mention planning their curriculum for the next school year, keeping an eye out for school supply deals and sales (which most of them have to pay out-of-pocket), possibly teaching summer school, etc. It’s not like most of them hang out on the beach in the Bahamas from June to August. ---
**Author:** ![Dano83860](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a4c791/32.png) [@Dano83860](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dano83860)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2013, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupations-with-lots-of-downtime/645804/38 "2013-01-02T15:33:23Z")
I worked grave yard shift at a self serve gas station in college. One hour work seven hours of studying. I got a rush at 1:00 when the bars closed and that was it for the night. ---
**Author:** ![freckafree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freckafree/32/3050_2.png) [@freckafree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckafree)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2013, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupations-with-lots-of-downtime/645804/39 "2013-01-02T16:27:14Z")
I met someone whose husband was in charge of de-icing for a regional airport. Whenever the temperature was predicted to be below a certain threshold (and a fairly high one, at that – like 38), he had to report to work. Otherwise, not. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2013, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupations-with-lots-of-downtime/645804/40 "2013-01-02T17:08:37Z")
My particular position/location is probably an anomaly, but I’m a data center tech and about 90% of my day is downtime. Because of the way the company has it set up, we don’t do any network stuff because it’s all handled off site and off shore. Most of the job on the day shift is shipping/receiving, running the occasional cross-connect, customer-generated remote hands requests, and escorting vendor techs to the secured co-lo cages. Oh, and I get to cover for the security guard when he goes to lunch. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupations-with-lots-of-downtime/645804.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/occupations-with-lots-of-downtime/645804.md?page=3)