The grog man!
"The grog man's here!" is what they'd cheer!

I loved my first job in Australia. It was a gorgeous sunny October and I spent my days driving around Sydney CBD delivering booze and corporate munchies (platters of sandwiches, fruit etc) to banks and offices in the various skyscrapers overlooking sydney harbour and the opera house.

It was on reflection a truly satisfying, if somewhat low paid, job. You see, when you're delivering booze into an office where it's paid for by their company EVERYONE is overwhelmingly pleased to see you!

Admittedly I had to start at 7am, but living just a 5-10 minute stroll away in Darling Harbour my "commute" to work was a sunny waterside stroll watching the Aussie lovely's on their morning jog etc.

I'd start my day at the bottle shop where I'd pick up paperwork for half a dozen jobs and usually leg it a mile up the road to the catering kitchen and pickup the food orders. I had a regular one to a coffee/sandwich place right in the heart of the CBD where all the banks/insurance companies were. I recall one day I was feeling particularly helpful and energetic, so chef placed the basket crate order for them on the counter and went back into the kitchen to get my next order. Usually I'd wait there 5-10 mins while he got all my orders ready. Instead I popped it in the van and went for it. Thing is Sydney CBD is actually very quiet early in the morning. So I proceeded to do an 80mph dash down Elizabeth St, pull up outside the sandwich place, get a signature and then race back to the kitchen, all in under 5 mins. When chef brought order number 2 he was worried what had happened to the first, until I revealed I'd already delivered it... You see I was driving on my UK licence, which the company had never even asked to see, plus we never kept a record of who was in which van when. So speed camera's really weren't a concern!

Anyway, orders in the van I'd go back to the bottle shop, collect the booze and head off delivering. It's funny, doing a job like that you get to know a whole different world in the city. I could navigate my way around underground delivery entrances, car parks, alley ways etc to avoid pretty much every traffic light and jam in the city! I'd cross the harbour bridge several times a day, radio blaring, sunshine all day and watching the gorgeous ladies from the air conditioned comfort of my van. Put simply I loved it.

Best part was I finished at 1pm, then it was free booze if I wanted to stop for drinks in the warehouse. So I'd sit on the loading dock which was right on Kent St and watch the world go by drinking my free beer.

The sad part was I just couldn't live on the salary. Things weren't tight as I wanted a job for the lifestyle at that point, rather than the income. However turns out while I was out driving the office guys were filling their noses on the expensive stuff from South America (and I don't mean red wine!).

After a few months I left and got a proper job in an office and read with great interest the huge shit storm in the press when the company inevitably folded.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/business/the-cabinet-a-recipe-for-disaster/2006/04/21/1145344281389.html
(golddust QOTW now revolves around being a cunt, Thu 9 Sep 2010, 14:50, 3 replies)

That sandwich place on Elizabeth St, it wasn't in them three red and green towers by the station was it?
(Dildo Bugger destroyed a ring on, Thu 9 Sep 2010, 15:27, closed)

Just had a look on Streetview
Can't find the place anymore but think it was on the corner where Elizabeth St Crosses hunter st and becomes Philip St. Was on the left hand corner as you approach the intersection from Elizabeth St. It was an indepent place something like "Hunter St Cafe" or similarly imaginative! The place was essentially a bakers so I always wondered why we supplied with with sandwiches!
(golddust QOTW now revolves around being a cunt, Thu 9 Sep 2010, 16:46, closed)

I was gonna say, you may have delivered my sandwiches.
(Dildo Bugger destroyed a ring on, Thu 9 Sep 2010, 17:21, closed)