# The Loneliest Gigs on Earth **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 28, 2005, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-loneliest-gigs-on-earth/337472 "2005-12-28T19:19:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**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:** [December 30, 2005, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-loneliest-gigs-on-earth/337472/21 "2005-12-30T04:48:01Z")
> [@Mishell](#): > > If they start talking back, I’m finding a new career. If mine started talking back, my new career would involved being a talking cat’s agent… ---
**Author:** ![Harvey\_The\_Heavy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Harvey\_The\_Heavy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harvey_The_Heavy)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2005, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-loneliest-gigs-on-earth/337472/22 "2005-12-30T07:35:41Z")
I used to work the graveyard shift at a graveyard. People everywhere but no one to talk to. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2005, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-loneliest-gigs-on-earth/337472/23 "2005-12-30T11:09:58Z")
Apollo Command Module pilot. (Kinda.) Soviet Lunar-mission Cosmonaut might be a bit worse—as I recall, their plans were for a one-man lander, which might spend up to two days on the surface. ---
**Author:** ![Ensign\_Edison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ab992/32.png) [@Ensign\_Edison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ensign_Edison)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2005, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-loneliest-gigs-on-earth/337472/24 "2005-12-30T14:12:45Z")
> [@Askia](#): > > Winter housekeeper at the Overlook. > > The solitude will kill just ya. > [@cthiax](#): > > And you don’t want to work at some hotels, like the Bates or the Overlook. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![dinahmoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8797f3/32.png) [@dinahmoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dinahmoe)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2005, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-loneliest-gigs-on-earth/337472/25 "2005-12-30T15:33:24Z")
> [@cmkeller](#): > > Third base coach for the Kansas City Royals. Tee Hee! This is my favorite. ---
**Author:** ![ZebraShaSha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/eada6e/32.png) [@ZebraShaSha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZebraShaSha)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2005, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-loneliest-gigs-on-earth/337472/26 "2005-12-30T16:57:20Z")
> [@Ranchoth](#): > > Apollo Command Module pilot. (Kinda.) > > Soviet Lunar-mission Cosmonaut might be a bit worse—as I recall, their plans were for a one-man lander, which might spend up to two days on the surface. [Space Travel is Boring:](http://www.songmeanings.net/lyric.php?lid=32972) “Won herself a pass to some far off moon It was second class but what’s to lose And looking out her window she could more than assume That you can’t see air or time She’s the only rocketeer in the whole damn place They gave her a mirror so she could talk to a face She still got plenty lonely but that’s just the case With time, time, time” ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2005, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-loneliest-gigs-on-earth/337472/27 "2005-12-30T18:52:57Z")
Movie theatre projectionist can be a very lonely job. Especially if you are a true projectionist and not a manager/projectionist. First Base Coach for the NY Mets. ---
**Author:** ![Wartime\_Consigliori](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/9d8465/32.png) [@Wartime\_Consigliori](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wartime_Consigliori)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2005, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-loneliest-gigs-on-earth/337472/28 "2005-12-30T19:16:53Z")
President- Atlanta Hawks Fan Club ---
**Author:** ![PastAllReason](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f07891/32.png) [@PastAllReason](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastAllReason)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2005, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-loneliest-gigs-on-earth/337472/29 "2005-12-30T19:45:00Z")
> [@Wartime Consigliori](#): > > President- Atlanta Hawks Fan Club I came in here to say lighthouse keeper, but I was beaten to it. I’d add night: security guards - if working at night, all alone in big, creepy buildings cashiers in parkades - they may see people all day but all anyone wants to do is pay and get out Reading this thread is like reading a list of jobs I’d never want. My preference, by far, is working with others rather than spending lots of isolated time. ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2005, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-loneliest-gigs-on-earth/337472/30 "2005-12-30T19:47:08Z")
> [@Harvey The Heavy](#): > > I used to work the graveyard shift at a graveyard. People everywhere but no one to talk to. Aren’t all the shifts there considered graveyard shifts? ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2005, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-loneliest-gigs-on-earth/337472/31 "2005-12-30T20:49:22Z")
Command module pilot wins if you go on distance from others. When it is on teh lunar far side, they are moon diameter + altitude away from the nearest humans, and out of radio contact. Brian ---
**Author:** ![carlotta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/898d66/32.png) [@carlotta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carlotta)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2005, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-loneliest-gigs-on-earth/337472/32 "2005-12-30T21:29:27Z")
Just wanted to say there’s no reason for “stay-at-home mom” to be on the list, unless maybe she lives in a really rural area. In a city or suburb there are bound to be lots of others and kids are like dogs- great way to start conversations. I’ve never had more friends or social engagements than since I became a stay-at-home mom. Now, stay-at-home-dad, that might be more lonely. ---
**Author:** ![Ensign\_Edison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ab992/32.png) [@Ensign\_Edison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ensign_Edison)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2005, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-loneliest-gigs-on-earth/337472/33 "2005-12-31T17:56:20Z")
> [@carlotta](#): > > Just wanted to say there’s no reason for “stay-at-home mom” to be on the list, unless maybe she lives in a really rural area. > > In a city or suburb there are bound to be lots of others and kids are like dogs- great way to start conversations. > > I’ve never had more friends or social engagements than since I became a stay-at-home mom. > > Now, stay-at-home-dad, that might be more lonely. I live in a city, but I find the experience quite solitary at the moment. I suppose that might change as the baby gets older, so perhaps I should have said SAHP to a small infant. ---
**Author:** ![carlotta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/898d66/32.png) [@carlotta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carlotta)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2005, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-loneliest-gigs-on-earth/337472/34 "2005-12-31T23:02:45Z")
Aw, **cthiax**! My heart goes out to you. It never occurred to me you put that on the list because it was your experience. Not to be obnoxious, I know how hard it can be to be outgoing, but there are lots of ways to get out with a new baby. I offer some ideas for your leisurely consideration: Find out if your city has a (or several) free parenting magazine like the one in my city [Carolina Parent](http://www.carolinaparent.com/). This is a huge resouce. Google “ **cthiax’s** city and parent\*” and see what kind of websites come up. Most cities will have parent support groups. These can be for newborns, for breastfeeding, for special concerns, or general. some playgroup organizing entity, like a mother’s club. What, you say, a playgroup for people who can’t even hold a toy yet? It’s for the parents of course! The babies benefit as they get older. baby classes, like Gymboree and Little Gym start “infant development” classes for 4 month olds, Kindermusik starts at newborn I think. Again, more as a way to meet other parents with similar schedules than for the babies. A mother’s or parent’s club that organizes things like mom’s nights out. All these kinds of things will advertise themselves in a free parenting magazine. And these days, with so many local websites, the same information, as well as messageboards can often be found online. I joined a playgroup when my older son was 6 months old. He’s 6 years old now, but the playgroup still exists. I joined a second playgroup when my older son went off to kindergarten and my younger son was nearly 3. I also belong to a church mother’s group that meets every two weeks. These groups form the core of my stay-at-home-parent survival network. Yeah, it’s kind of geeky to join a group, but what do I care? That’s why everyone else is there too! ---
**Author:** ![vl\_mungo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc8723/32.png) [@vl\_mungo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vl_mungo)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2006, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-loneliest-gigs-on-earth/337472/35 "2006-01-01T00:47:56Z")
I saw a new report once about a fellow who worked by himself at at the **Henderson Lake** weather watching station on Vancouver Island. Henderson Lake is the rainiest place in North America receiving up to 27 feet of rain a year. The lake is in a steep valley, so even on the days when it is not pouring rain, it’s still very dark and damp. Working in a place like that would drive me right around the bend. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2006, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-loneliest-gigs-on-earth/337472/36 "2006-01-01T06:58:20Z")
I once worked the graveyard shift at a small, Midwestern radio station located out in the middle of a cornfield. By myself, nobody around for miles, played middle of the road crap music designed to help insomniacs fall asleep…once, out of boredom, offered a free album to the first caller. Nobody called. ---
**Author:** ![indecisive1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/41988e/32.png) [@indecisive1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/indecisive1)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2006, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-loneliest-gigs-on-earth/337472/37 "2006-01-01T11:59:48Z")
> [@DMark](#): > > Nobody called. Bwaahaha! That is so sad, and so funny! ---
**Author:** ![Ensign\_Edison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ab992/32.png) [@Ensign\_Edison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ensign_Edison)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2006, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-loneliest-gigs-on-earth/337472/38 "2006-01-03T16:49:51Z")
> [@DMark](#): > > I once worked the graveyard shift at a small, Midwestern radio station located out in the middle of a cornfield. By myself, nobody around for miles, played middle of the road crap music designed to help insomniacs fall asleep…once, out of boredom, offered a free album to the first caller. > > Nobody called. But was the album “Englebert Humpledinck’s Greatest B-Sides”? ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2006, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-loneliest-gigs-on-earth/337472/39 "2006-01-03T16:51:03Z")
> [@cthiax](#): > > 😉 Yeah – i can’t believe I missed that you beat me to that reference. ---
**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 3, 2006, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-loneliest-gigs-on-earth/337472/40 "2006-01-03T17:19:15Z")
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