The weird workplace

Closing time, with feeling; What about loud adults?; That's one way to travel; People in high places; Gently, gently

People in high places
TORONTO — Raccoons are pesky critters that can get just about anywhere — attics, garbage cans and barbeques. But one crane operator in Toronto recently discovered they’re also more than willing to climb 210 metres to find the ultimate resting spot when one climbed up to his cab. The animal was “totally fearless and unintimidated,” said Robert MacFarlane on Twitter, who shooed the raccoon away after a “hissing match.” As the story gained momentum, Toronto Fire Service tweeted “Do you need a rescue…?” to which MacFarlane (“SkyJacked793”) responded, “Haha, thanks very much but we’re both fine.” Among the responding Tweets was one from a Steve Layton: “Watch out! The raccoons are now coming after our jobs, not just our garbage.” Along with the photo of the raccoon hanging on the ladder, peering up into the crab, the crane operator posts views of the Toronto skyline from his lofty perch and now has more than 10,000 followers.

Closing time, with feeling
VICTORIA — It was a bittersweet finale. After all the hype and expectation, Target Canada slowly closed its doors less than two years after arriving north of the border. So it was fitting that several employees at a Target in Victoria decided to sign off with a musical tribute that soon went viral. Featuring three men on a store cart with only a guitar and a shopping basket for drums, and two men towing, the group made their way through the empty Target location, with the lead singer crooning his own version of “Closing Time” by Semisonic.  “A little musical sendoff, with what we had available,” said Evan Holbein on his Facebook page, where the video first appeared — and quickly garnered more than 500,000 likes. 

What about loud adults?
NORTH SYDNEY, N.S. — Along with the lobsters, a restaurant in North Sydney, N.S., found itself in hot water recently when it stated “small, screaming children” would no longer be allowed as diners. “We are an adult-themed restaurant that caters to those who enjoy food and are out to enjoy themselves. We 
understand this may upset some but, after careful consideration, we feel it’s best.” But, after swift backlash, the Lobster Pound and Moore in Cape Breton relented and posted an apology, according to the CBC. “I should have thought it out better and I know I’ve lost some of you. I can’t take it back but I can try again… we understand firsthand conditions such as autism. I never considered the hate and threats it would bring against not only myself but those I love and for that I’m truly sorry.” In essence, “We will take any belly that is hungry,” said the restaurant, owned by Richard Moore. 

That's one way to travel
SEATTLE — While it must have been unsettling for the trapped worker, imagine the fright of the pilot when he heard the thumping and screaming coming from underneath the cabin area. A Los Angeles-bound Alaska Airlines flight had to make an emergency landing recently, shortly after it took off, when it was discovered a worker was trapped in the cargo area under the cabin where he had fallen asleep, according to Reuters. After 14 minutes in flight, the plane landed and the ramp agent was found inside the pressurized and temperature-controlled front cargo hold. “The ramp agent appeared OK and was transported to the hospital as a precaution,” the airline said on its website. “We are actively investigating the matter.”

Gently, gently...
NEW YORK — Training for first responders most likely covers all kinds of issues, but it’s unlikely they often use their expertise in ropes and pulleys... in tight spaces. New York City firefighters found themselves doing just that recently when responding to an emergency call. The patient? A 700-pound man having difficulty breathing, according to CBS. It took the firefighters six hours to move the man from his sixth-floor apartment, using ropes and pulleys and a net to lower the man through the stairwell, and then 10 firefighters to lift him onto a stretcher and load him into an ambulance. “He was a little stressed out and he was in a little discomfort,” said chief Tom Fitzgerald of FDNY Battalion 16. “But he was in stable condition the whole time. He was monitored the entire time.” Luckily, the not-for-profit that runs the building has agreed to move the man to a unit on the ground floor.

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