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Posted on 10/13/2009 8:26:51 PM PDT by Arguendo
MECHANICSVILLE, Va. — The dark blue captain’s hat, with its golden oak-leaf clusters, sits atop a bookcase in Bryan Lawlor’s home, out of reach of the children. The uniform their father wears still displays the four stripes of a commercial airline captain, but the hat stays home. The rules forbid that extra display of authority, now that Mr. Lawlor has been downgraded to first officer.
He is now in the co-pilot’s seat in the 50-seat commuter jets he flies, not for any failure in skill. He wears his captain’s stripes, he explains, to make that point. But with air travel down, his employer cut costs by downgrading 130 captains, those with the lowest seniority, to first officers, automatically cutting the wage of each by roughly 50 percent — to $34,000 in Mr. Lawlor’s case.
The demotion, the loss of command, the cut in pay to less than his wife, Tracy, makes as a fourth-grade teacher, have diminished Mr. Lawlor, 34, in his own eyes. He still thinks he will return to being the family’s principal breadwinner, although as the months pass he worries more. “I don’t want to be a 50-year-old pilot earning $40,000 a year,” he said, adding that his wife does not want to be married to a pilot with so little earning power.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Chilling. The way things are going, they'd better both realize that he's lucky to still have a job.
>>Quite the sob story. It must be a rough life, trying to raise a family on $75,000 in Richmond.<<
Giveth your heart into the TOTUS — stop thine labors and thou shalt receive riches taken from the Evil Leisure Class.
I would hope that isn’t the point, but that the point is a reflection of the times thanks to the usual Leftist suspects, but it is the NYT, so I don’t believe it.
Doesn't say much that is very good about the wife, in my opinion.
I hope he directed that complaint at the union, not the airline.
I suddenly remembered why I'm still single. :p
*dons nomex suit, hums "Material Girl" while awaiting the inevitable flames*
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Sounds like he setting himself up for a stress disability retirement.
He’s only 34, just done with childhood — what a freaking whiner.
We all get dealt setbacks. “I got demoted BOO HOO BOO HOO!”
I fly cross-country every week. His wife’s “oh, he is wiped out when he gets home” whine just shows me his is a typical poor wittle Gen-X-er. I am a little loopy on my first day home but I am generally in pretty good shape and can give my wife the attention she deserves.
What a whine-fest!
that was my first thought as well. personally, i wouldn’t want to marry a wh@re.
>>Sounds like he setting himself up for a stress disability retirement.<<
Or a pacifier.
“What a bunch of whining nonsense. If this life is so tough, become an accountant and sell the house. Having bought from his family in a down market does not leave that much to lose in a sale. I was also told by my government that the recession was over and that all was back to normal. What is the Times up to?”
I have a CPA & CFA and have been unemployed for 6 months despite looking around. Salary wouldn’t be an issue (want to stay active) and still can’t find a job.
Well the way this sounds he’ll be better able to live off his salary after the divorce.
A co-pilot makes $34K/Year?
If you get on an ExpressJet flight and you see this guy sitting in either seat you better run away. This guy has more psychological problems than an airline pilot should have. Remember the pilots flying the jet that crashed at Buffalo last winter? They had problems too, but not as many as this guy. He’s wearing his new self imposed low self esteem on his shoulder and doesn’t act and talk like anybody that should be at the controls of an aircraft where many peoples lives are depending on them. To make a statement about not making enough money to satisfy his wife and worrying about what he’ll make in the future are not what should be important to him. This guy will be broke, divorced, and an alcoholic in short order if he doesn’t grow up and get some counseling.
>>I have a CPA & CFA and have been unemployed for 6 months despite looking around. Salary wouldn’t be an issue (want to stay active) and still can’t find a job.<<
Sorry to hear it — I hope you get something soon.
This sob story is about someone who had to take a lower-paying position to ensure his company continues to exist at all.
FWIIW (not bragging but hoping to instill hope): I am interviewing for a position tomorrow that will pay a substantial amount more than my current one (from the low to the mid 6 figures). This is round 3. Worst case, they can’t meet my demands and I stand pat. Best case, howdy new boss!
There are still opportunities out there and money to be made. Hang in there, keep your talent tool kit sharp, market yourself, don’t be shy.
welcome news
air travel,
is money flying right
out of the country
So much for "good times and bad" sounds like his school teacher wife is ready to dump him.
The way things go, she may end up with one of her own students!
What a whiney sack.
But SHE said she wouldn’t trade him for another husband.
He went from $34,000 to $40,000 in one paragraph. He getting promoted fast.
“We all get dealt setbacks. “I got demoted BOO HOO BOO HOO!”
I fly cross-country every week. His wife’s “oh, he is wiped out when he gets home” whine just shows me his is a typical poor wittle Gen-X-er.”
Totally agree. This dude, AND his wife need to suck it up. We’ve all had good years and bad years. I’ve learned, the hard way, a year with a job is a good year. In the Carter years, a fast food job was hard to find.
I finally got a job in bank selling 11% CD’s, thanks to Mr. Carter. This President is creating similar “opportunities” for the enterprising, sharp and vigilant.
Just today, we had another local commuter airline announce it was going out of business and its assets being transferred to a competitor. Third airline in this area out of business in the last year and a half. The guy should feel lucky he has a job. There are a lot of unemployed pilots out there.
Awww! True love!
My guess is she's already grooming one of her 4th graders to replace this no-confidence turd. Just a few more 'counseling' sessions with the pupil and the deal is closed.
I HAD one of them. I wrote her a check to leave. She took it... I'm just waiting for the paperwork to clear!
Jokes on her. I'm setting up a new Solar H20 manufacturing facility, and I will be back on top as soon as it's final! Good wives are priceless.
L. A. secretaries make mroe than that.
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