It would seem the more physical a job, the stronger the hazing. When I worked delivering drywall, we had a forklift operator that would actually try to run us over in the warehouse - though it should be said that he'd spend his day in the forklift seat (his running joke was "good thing I'm driving this thing... I'm too drunk to walk!")...
And the other little presents you'd pass along to the other guys - new guys loading steel studs (they come bundled in nested 10s like so [][][][][], you put your fingers on one hand inside them to carry them). You and your partner have to watch how you put them down, if you drop or throw your end down, the steel shifts like a set of shears and the other guy gets cut, it only happens once, then you learn to put just the tips of your fingers in them so you can let go if need be.
As the front man carrying drywall, nothing shuts up a complaining back man like lifting the bundle up so it hits the header on a door rough opening ("studding" him)... not only is it really hard on his shoulder, but it also forces most of the weight back to him.
And honestly I don't remember the real names of most of the guys I worked with... Doc Boy, Peaches, Cream, Sleazy Rider, Captain Kirk, Sterile Darryl, and my moniker - K-Mart Body Builder (6' 3", 170lbs and arms like Popeye).
Construction is the perfect place for any angry, full of P&V late teenager!
Bren R.
