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In an article for the Kansas City Star, Donald Bradley pens an unbelievable story of a Shea Stadium vendor, Bobby Lee, who travels from Missouri to serve cotton candy at 60 games a year.
Bradley writes:
“He started when he was 16 and lived two subway stops from Shea. Now he’s 48 and lives halfway across the country.”
“Lee and his wife moved to the Kansas City area four years ago after he retired from the New York Fire Department as a 20-year veteran. The Sept. 11 attacks, which killed 343 firefighters at the World Trade Center, factored in. Bobby, an arson investigator, arrived in lower Manhattan just as the towers came down.”
…the definition of dedication…i felt i had to relay this story because at times like these, i can tend to get too involved in what needs to change about baseball or the Mets, but stories like these are humbling and keep things in perspective…
…don’t forget to tip your vendors…wow…
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This is a great story … it proves that you don’t have to live in New York to be a New Yorker (I like to think of myself that way).
The NYT also ran a story on this earlier this year.
Nice story.
Regis & everyone else: all Mets vendors who come to your seat work on commison, they make a % on every item they sell. This is on top of their hourly wage. This is why the vendors with the most senority want to sell beer. Beer vendors make the most money. I never tip vendors at Shea
the prices are already too high, if others want to be my guest.
You fail to mention the %, and that they really rely on tips to make any decent money. I guess you wouldn’t tip at more expensive restaurants.
I believe that they make around 10% on the items they sell. As far a waiters go, they do not get paid from the food or beverage you order they rely on tips from your total bill to earn a living.
I said be my guest if you want to tip the vendors, but please do not tell me to tip on already overpriced items at the ballpark.
meh i only tip the guys that wipe my seats which is quite pointless on a sunny day llol
Omar, Willie and the coaches are all coming back in 2008. Maybe Fred & Jeff Wilpon will fire Don Bradley. Cotton candy can be a choking hazard.
As a NYC FireFighter and a huge Mets fan I have nothing but respect for Bobby Lee. Here is a guy who put in 20 years risking his life and even more serving Mets fans. Please no more jokes about this story and shame on you for not tipping vendors at Shea who bust their asses to make a living. If you have a problem with the prices take it out on ownership not the poor vendors. Thanks Mr. Lee for everything.
My taxes pay this guy’s pension. I have to work 30 years so he can retire 10 years earlier than the rest of us and waste jet fuel commuting from Kansas City to sell cotton candy? Yeah, what a feel-good story. Lousy civil servant leeches. Last time I ever buy cotton candy at Shea.
Well, I don’t charge into burning buildings, and I make a hell of a lot more than firefighters. I hope I don’t need the personally, but if I do, I’m glad they’re out there.
You are just sad.
Well then YOU pay for his pension so he can play cross-country candyman. I can’t afford it.
You probably don’t make enough because you can’t read very well.
If you look at the article, it says that he covers his costs with his vending, while staying with his mother. That the airfare isn’t much, and the math works for this family that had to relocate so the wife could take a good opportunity.
Thanks for your support. Just look at this guys username. “SLOB”. Enough said.
Wow. That was impressive. You think that up all by yourself?
Also, he doesn’t cover the costs I was speaking of, namely the cost of municipal employees retiring ten years before everyone else. It’s a crappy system that doesn’t work and costs the taxpayers billions. Also, who cares what he pays for airfare? Maybe the frivolous waste of natural resources is something you and he should be concerned about.
Why dont you look at the life expectancy of a firefighter after he/she retires. How many of us dont live very long because of all the crap we breathe in to our bodies. So maybe we can retire after 20 years but in reality how much of our pensions do we get to enjoy and for how long? I dont know what you do for a living but I’m sure you dont do anything half as dangerous to your health as we do. Every day we go to work can be our last. Why dont you go tell the wife or kids of one of the 3 guys we have already lost this year that their husband or father was a civil servant “leach” as you said. Do me a favor you ungrateful bastard, if or when your house goes on fire or you are trapped in your car after an accident, DONT call us.
Hey Slob……….. You piece of sh****. I was there along with thousands of NYC Finest and Bravest on 9-11-01. All Heroes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Have you youever been shot at or looked down the barrrel of gun. Did not think so!!!! We may retire earlier then the average guy but we go through a hell of a lot more than your pencil pushing a*****. How how many co-workers havebeen murdered by gun touting thugs or burned to death in a fire. None I hope!!!!! You are sad!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It is certainly amusing to watch you speculate on my life experience. What vitriolic nonsense. I raise objection the bloated and inefficient early retirement system and all of a sudden I hate cops and firemen.
Hey Slob. When can we meet in person to debate this further? Give me the time and place.
What’s the matter? You can’t present a valid case here? You want to use physical intimidation to convince me that all FDNY personnel are a cross-pollination of White Knights and Santa Claus, rescuing us all from everything, and that despite being normal human beings, none of them are greedy leeches looking to scam the system?
Answer me this, big, burly, aggressive fireman who wants to kick my ass; why do you react like a petulant child when I criticize your pension system? Why don’t you just explain to all of us how it works and how it benefits all of us, and how we taxpayers have no reason to be concerned whatsoever? Oh, that’s right, because you CAN’T, and it DOESN’T, and we DO.
this is funny
Because you are obviouslly a person who cant be reasoned with. You have your mind made up already that sacrificing ones life for a stranger is not noble and shouldnt be compensated. It has been published by both major NY newspapers that a first year fireman or police officer with a wife and 3 kids makes so little that he/she is eligible for food stamps and welfare. Sounds like we are paid handsomely doesnt it? As I have said, yes we can retire after 20 years at half pay with medical benefits but statistics show we will probably need those benefits because most of us end up with cancer not too soon after retiring. Also we have deductions from our paychecks to pay into our own pension. It is not entirely from the city. We may work 3 days a week but it is for 24 hour shifts and 99% of us need to work 2nd and sometimes 3rd jobs to raise our families. Again, why dont you go to the 343 families of the firefighters lost on 9-11 or the 3 firefighters who died just this year and tell them they have ripped off the system. You still havent said what it is you do for a living. What is it? This way I cant criticize what you do to no end. None of us are looking for acolades just the proper respect we deserve. Currently I bring home $1,000.00 every 2 weeks after taxes, union dues, pension contributions, etc. Is that alot to raise a family? Is that alot for risking my life every time I go to work? So again I would rather meet you in person to debate this because I would rather not try to reason with a bitter insane, jealous maniac. Did you fail the firemans test? Are you bitter? So when and where?
There is nothing funny about this Krusty. Actually one thing. This is supposed to be a baseball blog where we rant or vent about the Mets except there is some a-hole who wants to come on here and criticize what people do for a living. I am done defending my job. When we are ready to talk baseball again let me know. In the meantime I will wait to hear from Slob as to when and were we can straighten this out.
Boohoo. Tell me something, whenever someone has a legitimate criticism of anything related to the Fire Department, do you run around wailing “9/11! 9/11! 9/11!” Your post just proves that you are sympathy-glutton. Hate to shatter your childlike fantasy but the whole rest of the world is not going to get down on their knees for you just because you happen to be a fireman.
Oh, and I’m not criticizing what you do for a living, I’m criticizing your martyr complex and your aggression psychosis.
Server wage is like $3/hour, this guy is making minimum ($6.50 in NY). There’s a huge difference between the two. And as Mr. Pink said “All right, if someone deserves a tip, if they really put forth an effort, I’ll give them something a little something extra. But this tipping automatically, it’s for the birds. As far as I’m concerned, they’re just doing their job.”