I just feel like they need a more accurate job title, like Sub Humans.
Melbourne (Australia) is building its first subway since the 1980's. Building subways doesn't seem that common around the world in general. When a project like this is undertaken, how do we find people who have expertise in building them? Furthermore, when the project ends, how is the expertise gained in building that project kept/maintained for the next one? Since these sort of projects are so rare, it seems hard for people to build up their experience to do each subsequent project better (as one would building multiple skyscrapers, or websites for example).
Are these projects mostly done by people doing it for the first time? Are they informed by past successes and failures somehow?
EDIT: Thanks everyone for the fantastic responses so far! A lot of people are focusing on the 'subway' example, which was which first prompted my question, but apparently aren't as rare as I first thought. So a side question would be, are there any projects where maintaining knowledge and experience in building it does become a problem, simply because the projects are so uncommon? My other thought was dams, but they seem common too.
I enter with stile.
Was in Subway earlier this week for lunch and had a guy ordering a couple subs in front of me. First two subs are nothing special, but he is looking at his phone and talking on his Bluetooth in between customizing the first two so he is sort of inattentive. For the last sub he just says "put everything on it" and walks towards the cash register to wait.
The employee confirms a couple of the ingredients with him people don't usually get, like "Onions too?" "Both giardiniera and sliced jalapenos?" He doesn't even look at what she is doing but calls out in an annoyed tone "if it's on the line, put it on the sandwich" before he goes back to his Bluetooth conversation. She looks annoyed but tops off the rest of the veggies and then moves to the sauce. Without even thinking (maybe she was tired, maybe she didn't give a fuck) she proceeds to take each sauce and put one serving of each across the whole sandwich. Bluetooth guy doesn't notice what is going on and since subway has like 8 different sauces the sandwich is starting to look like a sloppy mess considering all the toppings and what probably is a half cup of sauce. She finished it off with the vinaigrette and oil just to fuck up the bread even more before wrapping it and sending him on his way.
He left with them all so I have no idea what his reaction was, or if he came back to complain, but I guarantee he or whoever that sandwich was for would have to eat it with a fork and knife because there was no way the bread would hold up all that liquid.
EDIT: changed rubs to subs
First time posting here, just remembered a funny story that I think would go nicely here.
SG = Subway Girl
I walk into a Subway near my place that I would visit often. As I walk in, the restaurant is empty. I got there closer to closing time so I expected them to be busy cleaning up anyway, and there's a gas station connected, so they could be over there, no big deal, I wasn't in a rush. Finally the girl walks in from a side door, after I stood there for almost 2 minutes, still not bothered, I was in a good mood so it would take a lot to annoy me.
SG: Oh s(dookie word), I didn't see you come in, I was having a smoke.
Me: No problem, I'm in no rush.
She starts making my sandwich.
SG: I hope you're not a secret shopper or anything, I'd probably lose my job.
Me: Oh definitely not, haha, you're safe.
SG: Riiight but you wouldn't tell me if you were anyway.
Me: Well true, but seriously I'm just here for a sandwich.
She keeps making my sandwich going on about how she's convinced I'm her secret shopper, and talking about how she didn't care if I was, she'd probably get fired anyway.
I don't remember how most of the story goes from there, but she wouldn't back off about it. And then at the end I accidentally gave her an extra dollar while paying for my sandwich.
SG: Is this supposed to be a tip?
Me (visibly annoyed): Uhhh no, I just accidentally gave you and extra dollar.
SG (somewhat offended): Oh.
I finally leave, after a longer conversation not worth getting into, but she made it clear she wasn't a great worker wherever she went.
So I had a very long conversation with someone about how bad they were at their job, when all I wanted was a sandwich.
Unfortunately, no big punchline here I guess like some of the gems I've seen on here. But still a story that makes me laugh when I think about it.
This happened about a year ago.
I (20F at the time) severely sprained a tendon in my leg and every time I walked or stood up I was in a lot of pain. I'd been taking Ubers everywhere for a while, but when my destination was a short walk from the subway station I would sometimes suck it up and take the subway anyway because I couldn't really afford to take Ubers all the time. It was brutal, but with some meds and a relatively high pain tolerance I could make it a block or so.
I got a seat on the subway and sat there for a few stops, but it wasn't long before a woman with two small children arrived. In all fairness she seemed like she was struggling so I understood when she asked me to get up. There was one seat open next to me but she needed one for each child. I believe she asked me in particular not only because there was a seat open next to me but because I seemed to be the youngest in the subway car.
I felt bad, but I responded that I was injured, I'd be in a lot of pain if I stood up, and I had quite a few stops before I arrived at my destination. She immediately began berating me, saying that I had no respect for my elders, I didn't understand how difficult is was to be a mother managing two small kids in public, and I wasn't wearing a cast so I must not be that injured after all. I suggested that she ask someone else but she was not having it. She ended up sitting one kid down and holding onto the other while standing.
She berated me for another minute or two and then left for other open seats when a few other people got off the train. She glared at me until she arrived at her stop.
