A couple of weeks after my time as Anson’s helper, he was robbed at gun point, pistol whipped, and ended up in the hospital. The two rolls of nickels in his front right pocket, meant to ward off would be robbers, just angered the men who robbed him.
The one thing that never made sense to me during my time with Faygo was the responsibility placed upon the drivers to collect on their accounts. The chain stores paid by checks sent to the business office. The party stores, and especially the mom and pop stores, dipped into their cash registers to make payment. No checks, just cash. Cash was an open invitation to thieves willing to take a chance.
Sometimes counterfeit bills made their way into the cash registers. If a driver took a fraudulent bill as payment, he had to make the company whole by paying with his own money. If the driver was able to trace the bill back to a particular store, he could hold the store owner accountable. Most of the time that was impossible. Later, after Anson was robbed and pistol whipped, the company installed safes on the trucks.
Dad was hurt on the job more than once, but returned as soon as his health allowed. He had two major run-ins with broken bottles, which resulted in severe hand wounds that made it impossible to work. He also sprained his ankle and injured his back. Each on the job injury required him to seek medical attention through the medical team Faygo management hired. He reported as required, and returned as soon as he got the go ahead to move forward. Dad was robbed at gun point on two occasions. Both times he avoided the physical trauma Anson endured.
Shortly after Dad was robbed the second time, he cut his hand and missed six weeks of work. He reported to the company doctor as required each week, and after receiving the OK to return, he opted to retire. He had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease during his time away, and coupled with his two run-ins with the wrong end of a revolver, he retired.
His three kids were grown, and had started families of their own, so he stepped down while still relatively healthy. He received a watch from both Faygo and the Teamsters as they honored his service.
My two stints at Faygo were just that. I never considered making it my career, but it suited my dad very well. He accepted his work was a way to provide for his family. His eighth grade education meant he would labor hard for his wife and kids. He knew it was his responsibility to provide for his family no matter how difficult the work might be. He moved forward and never complained. We can all take a lesson from him.
Good ol’ Protestant Ethic is alive and well. I have a nephew in Lake Orion who is a route manager for Faygo. Still hard work but not as dangerous or physically damaging. Benefits are much better now I’m guessing.