All Rampers are Irish

Irish Stereotypes and the Ramper

Happy Saint Patrick's day! Everyone may be Irish today, but we rampers are a wee bit Irish everyday. The number one stereotype for us Irish folk is that we love our booze. That is not just a stereotype, it is a fact. Now, look around you and try to find a ramper who doesn't love to drink. Drinking after work (and for some, not always after) is the most widely held pastime for rampers. "Let's go for one drink," turns into a group of buddies hanging off a bar stool until last call. I know; I've done it. We talk about, anticipate, (sometimes) remember, plan for, and suffer the next day from drinking. As long as we control it, there is nothing wrong with drinking. So, next time you think of the Irish as a bunch of boozers, just remember, you're not that different.

Temperament: The Irish are renowned for their quick and fierce tempers. Now, I know I don't have to tell you how quickly a ramper can go off for the slightest incident. Those of you who know me may have been on the receiving end of my wrath once or twice. I'm Irish and a ramper! I've seen people get in fist fights and lose their job because someone pulled their tug in from of them in a line. I've seen people throw bags at the fuelers for being in the way. Someone I know chased a guy across the ramp on her tug and hunted him like an animal (which he may have been). The Irish claim the temper is in their blood but given that rampers have vastly different DNA, the causal agent for our tempers is a mystery. Maybe it's all the booze. Maybe it's from sucking in Jet A all day. Or maybe, there are some people we just can't stand.

Lastly, let's talk about blarney. In simple terms, being full of blarney is the Irish phrase meaning one is full of crap or prone to tell tall tales. Again, as a person of Irish decent, I can tell you this is a stereotype based on fact. What about rampers? Ever talk to a guy who loaded 8k of cargo in one conversation and 12k in the next? By the time the story has come full circle, he loaded every bit of cargo on the ramp single handed. I have heard guys talk about their sexual conquests to the extent that I couldn't understand how they had time for work, never mind drinking. We are sure to make our opinions heard, love to argue (some times both sides of an issue at the same time), and love a good story. Yes, we are all full of blarney.

So, my friends, rejoice in your Irishness and raise a glass to your rampers across the pond. And to my true Irish Mafia (you know who you are), Erin go Bragh!