# Supermarket Horror stories



## JohnJ0906 (Jan 22, 2007)

I've never worked in a supermarket before, but I don't think they can be as bad as restaurants. Some of the shoddiest work I've ever seen, plus the bonus turning of the stomach.


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## randomkiller (Sep 28, 2007)

I have done too much supermarket work to suit me. You cant imagine the black mold that grows under the refer cases. Not to mention the cement tunnels to get piping and wiring from the mechanical rooms to the boxes, I love those. You have to bang on the piping before you go in to make the rats move out. We used to get a lot of rub outs from the vibration in the refer piping that had mc draped across the copper. Food stores are the only places I go now that have those 2" plus cockroaches.


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

I havn't worked in supermarkets very much, but I've replaced ballasts in all sorts of deli and display cases in smaller stores. After a while, you can sorta predict where the ballast might be based on similar case construction that you've seen in the past. The last one's I replaced were in a seafood display case that got hosed down every night. The ballasts were in a little compartment on the backside of the case, right almost tight against the floor. Everything was just total rust, and wet with water and fish slime. The compartment cover was rust, the screws were rusty, the ballast was so rusty, it came out in chunks. When I got everything taken apart, I had to get a wire brush and a shop vac to clean things up so I could develop a game plan on how I was going to put it all back together. Not so much fun, particularly since I had to lay on the floor to work on the thing, and it stunk like fish guts. I guarantee you that this was probably the most expensive ballast change out in the history of mankind.


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## Speedy Petey (Jan 10, 2007)

Hahahaha.....food cases! Yeah, I've been there. 
I've done quite a bit of supermarket/deli/food service type work. Yup, they suck!
Like Marc, you get a "feel" for where they will hide the ballast next. Last one I did I said _"Oh, I know where this one is..... Down in the kick space." _Famous last words. Nope, it wasn't there. It was on top. :whistling2:


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## randomkiller (Sep 28, 2007)

Rust on the boxes and parts I dont mind, its the sticky greasy smelly gunk that you have to scrub off your hands and tools that gets me annoyed.


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## Skkitzzo (Oct 2, 2007)

Oh man your so right alot of the times it isnt even the case or finding the ballast, its just the smell and the slimey stuff you come across. Getting a general idea of where the ballast are works about 75% of the time, but its those times where the ballast _should_ be there and their not that just makes you wanna   

I worked on a big dishwasher today at a nursing home and i came across little maggot friends hididing under the machine.... lovley


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## rivalshad (Jan 6, 2008)

Pretty much all we do is supermarkets. We had to do a couple asian seafood supermarkets. Cases were like 20 years old, dead rats and rat crap all over the place. And the whole store running off one panel. 

Gotta love following in after the company went the cheap route with the "handyman electrican"


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## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

I have worked in almost every situation, IMO 

Restaurants dirty, nasty, cheap.

Supermarkets CHEAP managers watched our time like hawks watch for mice.

Hotels all the money goes in to the rooms, not a dime for infrastructure maintenance.

Government, build it like you wallet was full, with the best specifications, code plus, then let it fall apart with NO MAINTENANCE.


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## frenchelectrican (Mar 15, 2007)

brian john said:


> I have worked in almost every situation, IMO
> 
> Restaurants dirty, nasty, cheap.
> 
> ...


 
Brian.,, you sum it all at once that about right almost every place i did see it.

Merci, Marc


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## leland (Dec 28, 2007)

--Hotels all the money goes in to the rooms, not a dime for infrastructure maintenance.--

I must stay in the wrong letom..er.. motels.


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## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

leland I am not talking about those places that rent by the hour.


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## frenchelectrican (Mar 15, 2007)

brian john said:


> leland I am not talking about those places that rent by the hour.


 
:001_huh: :whistling2: LM[beep]O


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## faber307 (Jan 22, 2007)

I know grocery stores are dirty. But they're my favorite place to work.
Always somthing breaking. Thousands of ballasts, Lit cases of extreme variety. 

There was a learning curve to discover where all the hidden ballasts were.
And new cases keep coming out to decipher.

I really don't care to work on meat display case shelve lights, especially the older cases where the back plate sockets need replaced. When product has to be moved it's a hassle.

Canopy lighting in produce, meat, dairy cases can be interesting.
Leaning on your back against celery and cucumbers with wires dangling and shoppers pretending you aren't even there to grab a vegetable. It's to funny.

12' step ladders changing ballasts and little old ladys damn near push their cart under your ladder to grab items.



The pros are:
climate controlled
piped in music

I service 20 Kroger stores. You get to know the managers, and employees.
They're happy to see you coming.

Quite possibly I've looked past the grime and am just happy to still be working for them consistantly for the last 13 years!


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## Celtic (Nov 19, 2007)

Tab Faber said:


> Canopy lighting in produce, meat, dairy cases can be interesting.
> Leaning on your back against celery and cucumbers with wires dangling and shoppers pretending you aren't even there to grab a vegetable. It's too funny.


'cuse me lady ...that ain't your cucumber.


:laughing::laughing:


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## HighWirey (Sep 17, 2007)

Celtic said:


> 'cuse me lady ...that ain't your cucumber.
> 
> :laughing::laughing:


Yea, that lady thought she had one of those little gerkins. 

Couldn't resist that one. And the writers have returned . . .

Best Wishes Everyone


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