It’s amazing how things change. If a teacher asked me to write even just todays date I would have turned into “Kevin & Perry”! Nowadays I get up in the morning looking for things to write about.
Scrolling through Facebook as I often do, I see a disturbing story about a woman who works in a well known high St Bookmakers. She has suffered terrible working conditions and poor pay.
People who know me know that I was a multi-site manager for a high St Bookmaker also and this brought flash backs of horrible times when I used to work there.
The most horrible event that I still remember to this day is being held up in a little shop in Glasgow at knife point by a machete. You can’t forget quickly having a machete to your throat, and for what a couple of hundred pounds?????
Another time was when I was followed to my car and a man tried to mug me for my banking on the way to the post office. I seem to meet all the charmers!! I told him I wasn’t giving him the money, instead, I would get in the car and if he didn’t move I would run him over!! I think he thought I was nuts as he actually walked away.
When I came back there were ambulances, police cars and riot vans outside the shop. I asked what was going on and I was told the man had stabbed the cashier over a can of juice!
I was certainly lucky that day!!
This is just a couple of stories that stood out, however I have hundreds over a ten-year period. It’s a terrible place to work where you face daily abuse for low pay conditions and extremely poor working conditions. What employer leaves you to work on your own in a betting shop of all shops for hours on end and you can’t get to the toilet or get anything to eat.
Even after all these years and even though I can’t work I still feel so passionate. I still see stories in the media and things seem to be getting worse and nothings changing. I feel so glad I’m out of the situation but it’s awful for the staff that are still stuck. These companies have a responsibility to look after their staff, not treat them like animals!!!