[loorinm]

Reading that Storytime guy’s tweet, I really wondered:

Has this guy never taken a look at his situation and noticed something off?

He works in a relaxing huge retail store reading books to kids for free, and makes above min wage and keeps his job for the next 20 years and supports 5 kids???

That’s insane, and completely abnormal. No one else with that same type of job has that kind of life.

It reminds me of someone I know who lived in an in-law with no rent control and no law against eviction, for 15 years, paying 60% of market rate. And then was completely stunned and devastated when the landlord gave 60 day notice. Really???

[greedo]

Your comment is so uniformed. Relaxing? The guy is a receiving manager. That's a physically tough job, requires a high level of organization, and he still takes time to help on the book floor by doing storytime.

A receiving manager at B&N makes around $15-17/hour. If his partner works, that's a reasonable enough amount of money to live, but not in a high COL location. How is this abnormal?

What's abnormal is thinking that this is abnormal. $35k/year isn't a high salary.

[DaveWalk]

I couldn't agree more with this. I think it's the OP that hasn't taken a close enough look at the B&N employee's "situation" and just spouted off an opinion.

[loorinm]

I just said that guy had an abnormally great situation compared to most retail jobs.

[maxander]

Have you ever worked retail? There was presumably much much more to that guys job than reading books to kids.

[loorinm]

Yup, I have. It’s usually hard, stressful, customers are assholes, work is part time and unpredictable hours, and pay is horrible.

Have you?

[stagger87]

There are a lot of retail employees who support families. He probably didn't make that much money. Retail is anything but relaxing.

[flyGuyOnTheSly]

Agreed, but that does not negate the overall point of the post.

Which is that Barnes & Noble is currently digging their own grave, and that this did not have to be so.

[loorinm]

Honestly I’m surprised they are still around.

Don’t get me wrong I love the stores, and it’s sad to lose nice things. I’m not happy about it.

But don’t blame the new CEO, blame the old CEO for doing nothing for a decade as the market transformed around them.

[rconti]

I would assume he has WAY more responsibilities than just reading stories.

That said, I agree on the evictions front. One of the worst things I saw in the debate about evictions in SF was tenants getting compensation based on how much their rent would go up post-eviction -- so they're PUNISHING landlords for letting tenants have cheap rent for decades??

[romanovcode]

I was thinking he was way too emotionally attached to his job.