I was just engaged and getting ready for college and got a job working for a sod farm. I was the crew
chief because I had a driver's license and spoke English. My boss was a convicted murderer on parole.
He ran the crews like a prison guard. We started at 5 a.m. took a water break at 8, another at 10, and
then a half hour lunch from noon to 12:30 p.m. Then we had two more water breaks at 3 and 5, no matter
the temperature. We had a dinner break at 6 and then worked until 11 p.m. under flood lights.
I made the mistake of telling another worker that I was engaged. My boss came running over and started
asking sexual questions about my fiancée and suggesting things I could do to her. I ignored him for a full
five minutes and then I stood up in his face and told him knock it off or I'd shut him up, forgetting he'd
killed a man. He backed down for a while but then started in worse than ever.
I finally told him I'd had enough and started walking home, about ten miles away. He yelled and called me a
few dirty names and a quitter, too. I just kept walking. Soon I heard a truck pull up beside me and I
thought I was dead. It was a roofer from a site nearby. He said, "Hop in, I'll give you a ride.
I never heard anyone tell Mel off like that before. He's afraid he's going back to prison for
talking to you like that." He gave me a ride almost to my house. The next day the shop called
to apologize for Mel and offered to let me work for another boss. I'd already gotten a new job at
twice the pay, working by myself.
