I write a column for a newspaper at my university. I am changing the format to “A Day in the Life” where I take on a role or a job, and write on it. I am going on a ridealong with a police department and I’m currently trying to contact Richard Crowe the ghosthunter to try to set something up.
Any ideas what I should do? If I pick your idea, I’ll send you a copy of the newspaper when it’s published (If you so choose!)
The sky is the limit… I’ll do anything… well, almost anything.
Drive a taxicab.
You could pick EMT’s although I am not sure of the rules about riding in the ambulance with them. You could do fire fighters but they be having a slow spell that day.
A flight instructor would be cool but you would have to take a flying lesson and report on yourself too. That would cost a little less than $100 but you will probably be able to land a plane yourself at the end of it.
Ride along with a flight instructor for a day.
Things I always thought would be cool to do (once):
Work with a demolition crew
Sit in with a $10.00 psychic
Tagalong with a restaurant manager
Shadow a sports commentator
Call the numbers at a bingo game
Nurse at a public hospital emergency room in Albuquerque NM on a weekend. This can get *very * interesting.
If you have a radio station in town where there is a live person who plays music and commercials and talks on the air, see if you can sit in with him or her. That’s such an unique gig, I’m still doing it 30 years after the first time. Mind, it won’t be near as interesting if you only have a station where the music and voice comes in on satellite and a guy sits there surfing the net all night, except to play a local promo or ID. But an honest-to-goodness DJ is fun to watch. And if he takes calls on the request line, you can write about the weirdos who phone up. Those are always good for a giggle.
Wow, these are all great, believe me, I’ve written them down and I plan on looking into a lot of them. Anyone in the southern illinois/st louis/chicago area that has an interesting job (at least somewhat) that will let me tag along for a few hours or a day???
sorry, keep going!
How about a waiter or stand up comedian???
Not necessarily cool but definately interesting if they’ll let you do it. Spend one or two days in a mental health facility, such as a psychiatric hospital. A state run facillity would probably be best as they have a very interesting mix of patients. And if you do it, don’t hang out with the doctors as they make their visits - hang out among the psych techs (or whatever they happen to be called these days in your area).
Things that would be interesting to do (and write about), but difficult to gain access to would include:
Following an escort throughout her day.
Following a mafia hitman or vig, collections specialist.
Working at a check cashing place (almost the same as above).
Working at a gun store.
Working with the guys that clean up crime scenes and or the coroners office.
Working with the coast guard or whoever it is that patrols lake Michigan and inland waterways.
Riding with the guys in the helocopters that do traffic.
Working at a porn shop would be interesting (for example I’m curious how many women they get buying sex toys for themselves or their husbands).
Working uncover at an mechanics shop to get an insiders view as to whether or not they actually cheat customers.
Selling hotdogs/beer at Cubs/Whitesocks or Bears games might be interesting.
Following a female journalist who enters male locker rooms would be fascinating.
12 Hanging out with whoever it is that services the lights on radio towers. Do you think they ever kick back and eat lunch while perched upon the top of the world (winder washers would be similiar, but not quite as thrilling).
Working with an uncover detective that specializes on cheating lovers/spouces would be fascinating as would working with bail bondsmen.
Following the parole officiers that keep tabs on sex offenders might be interesting.
Diener. (Basically, mortuary attendant and the guy who preps cadavers for autopsy)
Farrier. (They do still exist, even though most just use cold iron shoes for the horses)
Cooper. (I’m sure someone still makes barrels, after all, bourbon, brandy and wine still need to get aged)
Shatnes checker. (The mix of fabrics that makes certain garments unsuitable for observant Jews to wear, although the only placethat does this I know of is in NYC.)
Attendant at a Scientology center.
Artisinal cheesemaker.
Fainting goat breeder.
Industrial waste divers (my father actually did this at a water treatment plant he helped build, and got to dive in one of the large tanks that was filled with (clean) water after they finished retrofitting it. Worst case of dysentery he ever got.)
Call up Wanda Sykes and follow her around while she’s filming her show “Wanda Does It” – which has the exact same concept you’re proposing here.
Seriously though.
Visit a pumpkin farm. Illinois leads the country in pumpkin growing. Visit the Nabisco factory in Chicago, the biggest in the world. Visit the Anheuser-Busch factory in St. Louis, the biggest beer factory in the country. Spend a day working with the fine folks who run the St. Louis Arch.
-In a mortuary preparing bodies for funerals.
-Printing-room for your local newspaper.
-Boatbuilding yard.
-Custom autobody/motorcycle shop.
-Recording studio
-Adult/sex club
-Slaughterhouse or meat-packing plant
-Storm chaser
See if you can find someone that goes down into the Chicago deep tunnel system.
Or the sewer system.
L-conductor (Chicago’s subway system) on 3rd shift.
Pathologist for the Chicago zoos (the interest level would vary depending on what had died recently.)
Maintanence at Cabrini Green (subsidized housing in Chicago)
Prostitution is legal just outside of Clark County (Las Vegas). Lots of brothels.
I am sure an article about a night working there would be a well-read article in your school paper.
Mall Santa.
Try browsing the ‘Ask the …’ threads and see if any take your fancy.
I don’t work there, but the USAF does aeromedical evac flights out of Scott AFB, just east of St Louis. Talk to the base’s public affairs office to see if maybe you can hop a ride on a C-9. Or go air refueling with the 126th. That could be eye opening.