All - I am much more active on flyertalk, and posted this last night. Several folks on there encouraged me to re-post it here. In lieu of starting a new thread, I decided to add it here. Hope you enjoy. Its a story about a great man starting a new phase of his life.
-scott
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Last One Out at PIT RES - Turn off the Lights
Over the years, I have written over 1000 posts to this forum. At various points in time I have referenced "a family member" working for the company as reason for either being pro or con. Tonight the veil is lifted. While I dont feel like Bob Woodward discussing Deep Throat for the first time, its therapeutic for me to put this reflection out here for all of you to see. I hope you find it worth reading.
Tomorrow, July 29, 2005 at 6pm, will be the last day for the PIT (Greentree) RES office. At that time several hundred US employees, including my father, will punch out for the last time. He's done this job for as long as I can remember, and in fact, much longer than I have been alive - 43 years.
In those 43 years he has witnessed about as many US CEOs as Presidents. He has dealt with tens of thousands of customers. He has made hundreds, if not thousands, of US employee friends that I continue to meet across the US system when checking in (and boy, do I hear some killer stories). His job put my sister and I through college and helped us to travel around the world. In short, his career and life have been nothing but successful.
I have learned alot from my father: how to deal with people, how to solve problems, and how to put on a happy face even when doing something you don't like to do. One of the things my dad tried to teach me that I never quite got was how to fish. But I put on a happy face anyway.
While I can remember many fond work stories over time, I haven't heard many good ones since around 1992 (when his salary was higher than it was last year). I suspect his face hurts from forcing a smile for more than 10 years.
Despite working 43 years, my father is not at social security minimum retirement age (62). Now he gets to look for a job for a year or two, if not three, just to kill time until he is allowed to retire and receive partial SS benefits.
Many of us have told about how its "the employees" who keep us loyal to US Airways. For me, of course, it has been more personal.
Since beginning my professional career I have gone to ridiculous lengths at times to ensure my money went to his company to partially support my father's salary: taken connecting flights when direct or nonstop on other airlines was available, paid for A-class tickets, and of course paid through the nose to fly on US from PIT.
But as of tomorrow, my loyalty is up for bid. I'm sure some of you will say I am being petty, but hey we all have reasons for choosing the airlines we give business to. Luckily, as US continues to slowly close the shop in PIT, its a good time to shop around.
I'll still be flying on US in the future - as my family and I burn several hundred thousand more miles and when US has the cheapest and most convenient flights compared to others - so hopefully I will continue to see you. But my days of blindly giving US money is over. You might say I am luckier than some of you - I have a good reason to get out now.
So for those of you using the RES line tonight and tomorrow, ask if you're talking to someone in PIT, and if so, please wish them well. The few people still working there in general have spent most of their lives serving us; the most recent years have been a real challenge but they've put on their game faces and showed up to play anyway.
So to close, let me just add one last note - to the fish of Western Pennsylvania - watch your back, cause my dad is calling off work for a while.