The appearance of objects with reference to relative position

Occasionally, I like to offer up a little perspective on life. Actually, I try to do it every day. Sometimes though, the angle is so direct that it is impossible to miss. This story was buried in today’s Inquirer for a good reason. It is obscure, and only affects a few people, yet the perspective it offers is outstanding. Here is the story:

NEWARK, N.J. - The State Supreme Court ruled yesterday that the Garden State Parkway must reinstate a toll taker who was fired after shooting paintballs at a van during a road rage incident on the highway. An arbitrator had ruled that Jason Glassey should be reinstated after an 11-month unpaid suspension, but the highway operator had persuaded an appellate court to uphold the firing.

I only include the story so you will know some background. It isn’t all that important to know that a toll taker was involved in a road rage incident and was fired. What is important is what was included way down in the 9th paragraph of the story:

Glassy was working at the Cape May toll plaza, making $44,452 a year, when the incident happened in November 2003. Glassey, who was 31 at the time, was still in his uniform and admitted that he fired at least four shots at a van when he got stuck behind the slower-moving vehicle in the left lane, authorities said. He struck the front windshield and passenger window.

If you discovered the perspective, then bravo to you. Otherwise, go back and re-read the first sentence and tell me what stands out. What should stand out is that a toll-taker on the Garden State Parkway earned $44,452 in 2003.

He earned $44,452 a year for doing this [I am turning my left palm upward] saying “thank you” [sometimes] and occasionally making change, which involves subtraction. That was his salary in 2003, remember. Three years worth of cost-of-living increases would put his salary at something close to $48,600 today.

The median expected salary for an elementary school teacher in the United States today is $47,897. That is $700 less than a guy who does this [I am turning my left palm upward]. Teachers are responsible for educating and looking after your children. Toll takers make change.

Median, by the way, means that there are an equal number of people who earn more than that as there are those who earn less, so in some instances; a toll taker on the Garden State Parkway earns substantially more than an elementary school teacher in the United States.

That is your perspective for today.

Talk amongst yourselves.
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