I am very pleased that you guys enjoyed my
bridge stories. I do have more to share.

First: I hired on in the Shop Crew at SFOBB
(as we called it) in June of 1989 -- 3 months
before the quake. I was assigned to the Shop
Crew as that was the only crew that had an
opening. I remember going to my job interview
in a business suit -- for a blue-collar job!
But I didn't know any better. One of the
other applicants for that same position was a
gal who was then working for East Bay MUD
(Municipal Utility District). She came dressed
in her work coveralls -- but did not have all
her paperwork with her.

I, on the other hand, had all my paperwork in
order, and I am sure that I overcame the initial
impression of "Oh -- she is too dressed up;
she can't handle getting dirty on the job."
when I told them about my then 10 years in
"Project 2472". (It was on my resume, as
"volunteer experience".)

I had no idea that I should have dressed casually.

I also included the fact that I had a degree from
UC Berkeley -- which, for a job that only
required an 8th-grade education (!!) would --
in private industry -- be the kiss of death.
In private industry, I would be instantly rejected
as "overqualified" if I admitted on my resume to
having a university education. But that was -- and
I think still is -- not true of government jobs.
(Thank heavens!)

The job I applied for was titled "Caltrans Highway
Maintenance Worker (Female)". There never was a job
classification for "Bridge Maintenance Worker". We
were all working "out of class", but I didn't mind.
The "(Female)" had to be there because the state was
refusing to hire otherwise well-qualified people as
Highway Maintenance Workers just because they were
female. Later, they dropped the word "Female", after
they had achieved parity, or something resembling parity.

I admit to being overawed by working near that awesome
bridge, and being part of a crew. Well -- that went
away after a relatively short time (not the awe,
however), after I saw how my co-workers and I were
treated by management -- like a bunch of ignorant
2-year-olds. Sigh..... I came from working as a
"temp" in "pink-collar" office jobs in private industry,
and my only experience with blue-collar work was in
Project 2472, which was a volunteer group. That was
a LOT different than working blue-collar for pay,
I soon found out.

At Caltrans, instead of the great esprit de corps I
had experienced in the 2472 group, I found a bunch
of otherwise nice people who never stuck together
(really stupid, IMNSHO!), and who really did not
enjoy their jobs in the same way I had enjoyed doing
what I did in Project 2472.

But, as I said in my previous post, I did enjoy the
variety in my jobs, and I liked my co-worker who was
my informal mentor. A great guy, and very knowledgeable
about all kinds of building maintenance stuff. Also
an excellent backhoe operator. I really enjoyed the
interactions with all the people who did the various
jobs around the bridge.

Ken -- you are probably right about that building.
I no longer have access to documents that would show
exactly which RR that building was built for. It is
still there, although serving very different purposes
than it was built for.

I am not even sure if the original Toll Plaza Admin
building is still there. Been quite a while since I
was there.

Well -- I have more to share, but I gotta post this
before the SPAM filter thinks it is SPAM. Besides, I
don't want to make these reminiscences too long.

Margaret
(Bay Bridge fan, and bridge fan in general, too!)