Once the perimeters were set, bollards, barriers, traffic cones, lights, then it was action.
Early in the Traffic Control (TC) course, we got talking about smoking pipes on the job. A no no, said my instructor, a young man, early thirties, who recently moved from Cairns where he worked for his family business, running the local traffic control outfit. ‘Dripping wet, balls drenched, excuse my p’s and q’s.'
The point of crackheads, they are humans too, and deserve a voice, falling under the OLD Mental Health Act 2007, Section (5) and any derogatory talk of crackheads, ‘drug dependent, please,' was nipped in the fucking bud. 'Watch your language,' says the manager, on a meet and greet the students.
For Christ's sake, let the teacher do his job and butt out of this. He’s got it under control. He knows people doing this course come from all levels of society. Like Peter, I told my instructor, who did the Advanced Traffic Management course. He used to suck a dummy during his breaks, bragging about how he did his course in jail, serving twenty years for breaking and entering. ‘Yep, granny died, it was only a light tap with a crowbar,' he says, letting out a laugh, showing only gum in his mouth. 'Where have all my teeth gone,' he starts singing.
Huh, man-fucking-slaughter.
He was a prized asset of the Atlas Group and was so enamored with my potential, that he took me to K- Mart so I could buy him a new pair of glow-in-the-dark work pants. The current one he was wearing had fashionable holes at the knees. 'Six months I've been holding out on replacing them,' he says. He even sold me his two-way radio that had no antenna or battery. ‘Only a hundred bucks,' he says, adding, ‘my warranty is my word. ‘I was fucking sold. A true crackhead and an outstanding TC, I told my instructor. I was doing the course again, having moved interstate.
The instructor was fantastic, he passed me. I can’t thank him enough. In the end, we really took off. I am only one day away from being accredited. Soon, I might be able to move into a position like Peter from the Atlas Group. Here's to hope. And thanks again guys, wonderful and caring staff.
