FeedToilet Door Guy
November 1, 2012 in Uncategorized Tags: Bruce Traviss, Empress of England, England, Robin Metcalfe
Above is a photo of Robin Metcalfe and I when we sailed to England on the Empress of England in November of 1968. (that’s me on the left, in the lighter jacket. I had just turned 18). It was a great trip and all that, we spent a good part of the winter there, but equally important is the fact that I worked for a year in a factory in Orillia assembling toilet doors with my old buddy Bruce Traviss, saving enough money for this trip.
Today, I’d like to explain how to assemble a toilet door.
These are the metal types, like below, which you’ve opened and closed all your life, and sometimes wrote graffiti on. We worked from 5 pm to 3 am, and we started by setting up one side of the door and spraying black glue all over the place. Then we stuck thick cardboard strips in it, put the other side on, inserted metal pieces along the sides to hold it all together, then sent it on a line to the paint room and started again. The quota was easily met every night and we had enough time to catch mice in a barrel, watch them run around for awhile, then let them go and assemble more doors. The job paid about $2.50 an hour and before I knew it, I had enough money for the trip to England!
Now every time you open or close a metal toilet door, you’ll know that inside is black glue and thick strips of cardboard. You’re welcome.
November 1st, 2012 at 4:33 pm
Toilet-door technology…. Something to ponder when dropping a deuce
November 1st, 2012 at 6:20 pm
How were the washrooms on the Empress? Did the stalls have your quality doors?
November 1st, 2012 at 7:05 pm
Christopher, it was a nice ship but to have quality toilet doors like that is asking a lot.
November 2nd, 2012 at 12:54 pm
DK, when I saw the heading I thought you had found the perfect job for Gaston, after all he is an asshole!!!
November 2nd, 2012 at 5:13 pm
Dennis,
Toilet Doors? Abstract of a Log? No I’m better than that.
Great read. And the pigeons still ask about you.
DF
November 2nd, 2012 at 5:36 pm
Blue Bayou, a friend of mine was just in London and said he had a hard time finding a fish and chips shop. It’s very sad.
November 2nd, 2012 at 7:49 pm
Is that a Beatle behind you?
This shot reminds me of the song “Pigeons” by Genesis…(great song btw).
November 2nd, 2012 at 7:55 pm
Marjo, that’s funny. I remember once before, a long time ago, that someone asked me the very same question.