Some take their jobs for granted

By Lee Cataluna
Advertiser Columnist

I'm not sure at what point we decided it doesn't matter, that slacking off and goofing around on the job was nothing to hide, nothing to be ashamed of, and in some instances, a source of personal pride at how much we can get away with.

Sure, appearance isn't everything, but it's not nothing either.

Traveling interisland on Christmas Day, I encountered three 50-something (I'm being generous here) female security guards sitting near a Hawaiian Airlines gate between flights. They had pushed two rows of seats together so they could sit on one side and put their feet up on the other. One woman was almost totally reclined with her walkie-talkie balanced on her chest. They rested there for 20 minutes before another flight was called and they had to get back to their little table to inspect passengers' carry-on luggage.

Over near the escalator that leads to baggage claim, a tall male security guard leaned up against the wall, eyes closed, jaw slack. Five minutes later, he was sitting down, arms folded over his chest, head bent forward in deep slumber.

Aren't we a nation on high alert?

These examples from the airport are not the most egregious, though, just the most recent. My incoming e-mail is full of tales from the ticked-off public at poor customer service, disregard for public appearance and blatantly poor work attitude that bleeds over for all to see.

There are the stories of the checkout clerks in supermarkets yelling back and forth at each other in a competition to see who is more bummed to be at work that day.

Or the drivers of commercial vehicles covered in logos and signage with "How's my driving?" stenciled on the back bumper weaving crazily through rush-hour traffic with impunity.

Or the boutique sales associates who make you feel guilty for interrupting their phone calls to their sweethearts. They roll their eyes when you write a personal check and sigh heavily when you ask for a bag that actually fits the size of your purchase.

You would think in such dire times, when the jobless rate is soaring and economic salvation is nowhere in sight, those with jobs would be darn happy just to be drawing a paycheck. You would think people would be making the most of what they have, or at least manage to keep their feelings of malcontent and malaise confined to the employee breakroom.

And you would think, particularly in a place like Hawai'i where our parents and grandparents valued hard work, that a culture of minimal effort would never set in.

Appearances do count. There are too many people without jobs right now. If you have one, consider yourself fortunate and try to do it well. There are many unemployed people who would be happy to be in your tired, disgruntled, bored but employed shoes.

Lee Cataluna's column runs Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Reach her at 535-8172 or lcataluna@honoluluadvertiser.com