The Boy
We call our brother 'The Boy', I don't know why, maybe because it's funny. He's somewhat of a genius.
For his work experience, aged 15, he worked in Derby, at a place where the signals for the *entire rail network* are controlled from. On his first day, we asked him what he'd done, expecting him to have made the tea etc., but no..
"I was operating the signals for Merseyrail" says The Boy.
They were so impressed that the next day they let him operate the signals around Peterborough.
So, very reassuringly, for one day in July 2006, a fifteen-year-old was in charge of the rail signals around Liverpool.
( Peapod Has returned to the fold on, Fri 2 Jan 2009, 17:30, 2 replies)

ha
probably had less problems on that day than the rest of the year
(bamboozled Can hear you getting fatter, Fri 2 Jan 2009, 19:23, closed)

Junior air traffic control
At the age of 16, I was heavily into gliding. In those days, nobody gave a shit about health and safety. I would tow the launch cable across the field on a tractor, operate the winches, and do the air traffic control. It wasn't all that; just a glorified version of the guy who calls in the pedalos on the boating lake. "512, 512, your flight time is up. Tea with 2 sugars?" On one occasion I had to do an emergency landing call as the tankers were taking off, to which everyone replied "are you taking the piss, you little bugger?"

Worked wonders for my self esteem.
(all my scars face forward possesses 2.5% of a hyperalloy combat chassis, Fri 2 Jan 2009, 21:56, closed)