Shitty jobs are great watermarks for future careers. How else would I have known how good I had it at my first real job if I didn't spend part of my high-school and early college years working for crap wages!

Long ago I worked in an arcade, and while I would certainly classify my days of being a Golfland employee "shitty", it only earns that title due to a piss-poor wage, terrible hours, horrible owners and the janitorial responsibilities forced upon me. Because for the most part working at an arcade is totally awesome.

Once, on a busy weekend, a couple of kids approached the counter to ask a question. I'd place them in the early teens maybe... like 13 years old, if that.

"Can we buy the game back there for $300?" they inquired as they pointed to a cabinet in the back corner.

The machine happened to be Dead or Alive (which was fairly new at the time) and surrounding it were about five of their early teen friends. All guys. The two of them playing the game were both controlling female characters. I don't think I need to explain why they were playing.

"Uh, it's like $7,000. Sorry dudes". (The cabinet happened to be of our nice sit-down machines.)

I guess 7 G's was a little beyond their combined allowances, since they wandered back to their friends without a counter-offer.

About a week later I got news that a mother called to complain about Dead or Alive. Seems her kid was at a birthday party at Golfland and played a game which she felt was too adult to be in an arcade for kids!

My boss had a pretty good laugh as he weighed the coin box.