Road construction projects - where workers go to stand
Have you noticed that almost all government construction projects go over budget? Well, I think I’ve figured out why.
The next time you walk past a government construction site, take a look at how many workers are actually doing work. Or think back to the last time you were around a roadwork site, and see if you can remember how many guys were just sitting or standing around, not doing anything. That’s the problem - it seems that they hire about double the amount of construction workers than necessary.
Last week, I was on a bus that drove past a road that was being re-paved. There were five people on a section of the road that was being worked on. Two guys were doing work. Two other guys were standing there, watching them. One guy was sitting down and eating a sandwich while watching the two guys work. It was 10 AM.
A few days later, I was walking on Yonge Street where they were fixing part of the road. There must have been a guy down in the sewer because the manhole cover was off, and there was that yellow “Do Not Cross” tape around the opening. Fine, makes sense. The problem was that there were three guys holding up the yellow tape around the manhole. Seriously, that was all they were doing. They could have saved the money spent on the yellow tape because they literally could have hooked their arms together and acted as a human barrier around the hole in the ground instead.
So the next time you come across a construction site - especially any roadwork projects - take a look to see how many people are just standing there, doing nothing. The government is either wasting tax dollars by hiring way more workers than necessary, or embarking on the most extensive training program in the history of mankind.
Clearly they were having a safety meeting. Nobody works, nobody gets hurt.
Comment by Christine — July 23, 2009 @ 11:16 pm