Heltor Chasca
Out-riding the Black Dog
True story: in my teens I had a summer job in a cigarette factory. Early on I was assigned to the ‘Menthol’ department. I don’t know if you are aware, but the minty additives come about by soaking the silver foil in fag boxes in pure menthol alcohol. When the cigarettes are packed and sealed, the menthol permeates through the cigarettes and tobacco. Follow?
Anyway, I was in the room, where vats that looked like milk churns were mixed by hand. My supervisor was a bloodshot eyed old man who was very definitely out of his tree. The menthol was so pure ice formed on the outside of the vats. The health and safety advice was to wash your hands thoroughly before drinking tea, eating, smoking, going to the toilet etc. Wash! Wash! Wash!
Junior here, in his first day nerves state forgot. When I went to the gents, I unzipped and with unwashed hands, grabbed hold of my precious particulars and began my mid morning wee....UNTIL the essential oils and alcohol almost instantly started a small inferno right in my nether regions. I cannot tell you how much pain I was in. I whipped my trousers off and jumped up onto the wash basins in an attempt to quench the fire. The gents quickly filled with hysterical factory staff. The sight of a semi naked youth, mounting the sink was the best entertainment many had obviously come accross for decades.
I was a Darwin type hero for nearly a week.
Anyway, I was in the room, where vats that looked like milk churns were mixed by hand. My supervisor was a bloodshot eyed old man who was very definitely out of his tree. The menthol was so pure ice formed on the outside of the vats. The health and safety advice was to wash your hands thoroughly before drinking tea, eating, smoking, going to the toilet etc. Wash! Wash! Wash!
Junior here, in his first day nerves state forgot. When I went to the gents, I unzipped and with unwashed hands, grabbed hold of my precious particulars and began my mid morning wee....UNTIL the essential oils and alcohol almost instantly started a small inferno right in my nether regions. I cannot tell you how much pain I was in. I whipped my trousers off and jumped up onto the wash basins in an attempt to quench the fire. The gents quickly filled with hysterical factory staff. The sight of a semi naked youth, mounting the sink was the best entertainment many had obviously come accross for decades.
I was a Darwin type hero for nearly a week.
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