So, there were no jobs. Nothing. I went to the City and signed up for the policeman's test. I pasted the test and was in the top 5 or 6 on the list. Then I got notified that we would have to do a do-over of the test because no blacks passed the test. I asked about that at the next test session. The man there told me that a new law called for one black to be hired for every two whites. So, because none passed, the test was thrown out. We all took it again. ONCE AGAIN I managed to do well on the test and was expecting to get hired, UNTIL, that dreaded letter came again. The test would be retaken again in two weeks!!!! I got to the test madder than a wet hen. I once again asked about the test and the got told me, same thing as last time buddy, sorry, there is nothing we can do about it because of the Feds. So, I took it a third time. Once again, I passed and did well.
Wanna guess what happened??? You get ONLY one guess! Yup, same deal. None passed. So, I told my Dad, I was fed up with the crap, that I had a good job in the Army before I got out. I had made E-5 Sergeant after only 16 months in the Army. By this time, I could have made E-6 Staff Sergeant if I had stayed in. But, that was water under the bridge. So, I went down and reenlisted in the Army and did the other 17+ years and retired. They let me come back in as an E-5 also because they needed E-5s bad. Vietnam had screwed up the force.
I was fed up taking a test three times and doing well, but could not get hired. So, I guess sooner or later they may have managed to get some qualified people to pass the test. But, I was long gone back to the Army. A bunch of Federal Court mandated crap.
Wow. The Seventies were hardscrabble for a lot of people. I remember a lot of rusted cars and retreaded tires. (I look around when driving the highways today and often think “Boy, this sure isn’t the Seventies! All the cars are shiny!”
When I was in the USN in the Seventies, I did a few labor pool stints off the base to get a few more bucks. That was crazy. But I needed the money. When I got out in the late Seventies to go to college, I couldn’t find a part time job while I was going to school. I applied to a boat load of places, and the last place out of about ten I applied to was a Parker factory (ballpoint pens) and they never called me.
I just said screw it, I was going to see if I could stretch my GI bill money going to to a state college and living at home...my parents always said If I went to college they would forgo room and board. I sometimes think they never thought I would actually go...:)
I had a great time in the Seventies, even though I know it was tough on a lot of people.
Your post demonstrated that.