Confessions of an MCG Pie-girl

Work it, gurl!

It starts the day you turn fifteen. It crawls in slowly but surely. It begins with your parents dropping hints and giving you less money when you want to go out. You see it happening to your friends and you feel that irk beneath your skin. You cannot shake the it, no matter how hard you try. You know it’s inevitable but you cling to the shreds of your past life. In the end you must give in and realise the fact of life: it’s time to get a job.

I managed to stave away the J word for as long as possible. I decided to over-commit myself to school and extra-curriculars. It wasn’t because I was lazy or I couldn’t be bothered contributing to society, it was mainly because I wasn’t ready. I didn’t know what I wanted to do and slaving away at the local Maccas for near minimum wage didn’t quite appeal to me. It didn’t help that I wasn’t prepared to wean myself off the Bank of Dad.

For the past few months Dad had been showing me job openings at local businesses. I had a resume ready to go but something kept holding me back, a little voice at the back of my brain telling me it wasn’t right. Mind you, it could’ve also been my inner procrastinator screeching not to do it. I had pulled through Year 9 without a job but come Year 10 I realised it was time. Whenever I asked for some money for the movies I’d get $20.00 instead of $30.00. I would get a disappointed look whenever I asked Dad to buy something, the kind of look you get when you’ve failed a maths test or accidentally hit someone in the head with a hockey stick. I knew I needed a job and I needed it fast.

It was on a Monday morning during Outdoor Education class when I found my calling. On my school newsfeed was a message from the careers teacher. It was for pie vending at the MCG. I heard a chorus of angels singing and bright lights flooded through the room. I was determined to be a Pie Girl. That night I sent in my resume and waited patiently. And by patiently, I mean checking my email every 10 minutes, hoping to hear back. The email came and I had been invited to attend an interview.

The interview day arrived. Around 40 secondary school age students filed into a posh dining room overlooking the MCG grounds. We were sat at white clothed tables and given a jug of water. We felt like royalty. The vending coordinator came around and interviewed us. We were asked the usual question, “What qualities do you have that will help you excel in this role?” I responded with an over-zealous comment about confidence and how I love working with people and making them smile. I regretted this comment immediately.

My hopes and dreams came crashing down further when a boy gave the perfect job-winning response, along the lines of: “I actually speak a second language, so I have great communication skills,” SECOND LANGUAGE? I can barely speak proper English and this kid can speak not one, but TWO languages fluently. I thought I was done for. I moaned to my dad on the way home with an at-least-I-tried attitude towards the whole process.

Three days later the email came. I was shocked and confused. How on Earth did I get the job? I thought that my cheesy interview and evident lack of upper-body strength had done me in. I was pumped, telling all of my friends that I, Bridget “Footballerina” Schwerdt, would be an official employee at the MCG. Responses to this included:

“Well done!”

“But you’re not sporty!”

“Haha, LOL,”

I was a bit concerned that I would have the job taken away from me when I told them I was leaving for the first month of footy season. I had prepared what I was going to tell them at the induction session the following week, making sure I sounded apologetic but not needy. I sat with my friend who was also heading off to Germany with me. At the end of the long-winded session of expectations, uniforms and safety protocol my friend and I headed up to the coordinator. I can safely say that I still have my job.

The clock had ticked over to 7:30 and Dad had texted me asking when I would finish. I said in about 20 minutes.

I was wrong.

After the induction session we were taken down the underground labyrinth of the MCG. We were shown where to go for uniform, where to get our trays (which aren’t as heavy as I expected), how to stock up and where we should be selling our pies. I was on the edge as I had a bajillion tests the next day and the unexpected extension to the induction session had completely thrown me off my timetable.

Just as I thought we had finished we were escorted out to the ground seats. Normally I would’ve thought it was cool to sit at the MCG at 8:00 at night, but this evening I wasn’t. I had “accidentally” forgotten to wear my school blazer (or as I like to call it, the box) and I, in true Bridget fashion, was freaking out about tests that would make minimal contribution to my life in the long-run.

Finally, after 20 more minutes of necessary health and safety guidelines that I thought I had covered in the 4 hour online training, we were done. I was home by 9:30 and managed to squeeze in an hour of study for the numerous assessments that I had the next day.

Did I mention I had a lot of tests the following day?

 

The Big Day

After a month of gallivanting around Germany, I had my first shift: Round 5, Collingwood v. Carlton. Being my first shift I wanted to be early, but my version of early just so happened to be an hour before I was scheduled to begin. To fill up time I was told to go around the levels to acquaint myself with the surrounds.

By 6:50pm I was out selling pies. I was the only girl working in the outlet that night and I was warned by countless boys who were at least a head-and-a-half taller than me that “Your back’s gonna kill tomorrow morning” and “You won’t be able to walk for a week!”. Little did they know that my ballet-trained lower-back muscles were far superior to their frail and untouched behinds.

The night started off fine enough, selling a few pies here and there. It was only once the match started did I become overwhelmed. People would come to me sometimes three groups at a time, wiggling their money at me. It was more hectic than the cigarette smoke-filled tent music festival in Germany (hopefully to be elaborated upon at a later stage). What really got my goat was when people paid for a $3.00 water bottle with a $50.00 note, or worse, two $2.20 Freddo Frogs with a $20.00 note ($15.60 change).

I received a few Collingwood supporters calling “Hot pies, get your hot pies!” but in all honesty, I could not watch the game because of the laser focus it took to carry the tray. The disappointment on the Carlton supporters’ faces was enough to portray how the match was playing out.

Throughout my shift, I discovered that there is a nice camaraderie going on between the pie kids. We’d all smile at each other when we walked past or talk when refilling our trays. One older boy from my school was working and even spoke to me (ooooh, older people!).

The end of the night rolled around I was counting up the evening’s takings. To my dismay and embarrassment I came up a significant amount short of what I was supposed to have and I discovered a fundamental fault in my mathematics ability; I may be able to divide polynomials and sketch a pretty sick parabola, but I cannot figure out basic change to save myself.

Being the perfectionist I am, I apologised profusely and promised it would never happen again. The lady working in the outlet was okay with it, but for some reason I felt like it let someone down. In hindsight, it was probably every maths teacher I’ve ever had.

Dad picked me up from the gate and we walked to the train. I relayed the night to him up until my disappointing end when I may or may not have let my emotions get to me (like I said, perfectionist).

Aside from my super-epic-blunder-that-wasn’t-so-bad-come-Monday, it was a positive rewarding first shift and definitely did not deter me from working again. I think next time I’ll just use the pocket calculator…

 

Take Two

For Round 6 I was not on Pie Girl duty, instead I was working up in one of the level 4 outlets. Dad referred to my change in position as “Playing for the seniors and getting sent to the reserves.” So I thought that for this week I was benched. I rocked up a bit later than I did last shift with a friend who was a Pie Girl for the night.

The first immediate bonus for not working on pie duty: uniform. Bestowed upon me for the evening was a crisp white shirt, apron and cap, a welcome change from the bright yellow jacket and cap akin to a paper pirate hat.

I came up to my outlet and was greeted by a team of friendly 20+ year olds. Given the option of cashier or wiener duty, I jumped at the opportunity to be Bridget Schwerdt: Weiner Girl. The job was pretty self-explanatory, scooping hot dogs into their buns and putting them into the tray. Whilst I was constantly working it was a very simple job and by the end of my shift I wanted to stay Wiener Girl for the rest of my life.

Once we sold all hot dogs I had to empty out the hot dog holding contraption. The water flooded out into a bucket reminding me of a joke my friend (the Pie Girl for that night) and I had in Germany. In the land of the Germans, you can apparently buy sausages in jars, similar to pickles. Select individuals find pleasure in drinking the water, or “Wurstwasser”, from these jars. So for a good 10 minutes I was holding in the urge to laugh at the abundance of wurstwasser spouting out in front of me. It also doesn’t help that another friend once sang the Game of Thrones theme song using only one word: wiener. So with not one, but two inside jokes based on wieners (I know, how mature), I was entertained for the evening.

Again, I was fulfilled by the evening’s experience. I came out in a more positive mood than the last shift and met up with my friend in the change rooms. We exchanged tales from our shifts, ranging from wiener water to casual racism (sigh) and boarded the train home.

That is the summary of my Pie/Wiener Girl duties so far. Hopefully I’ll be able to keep you up to date with my adventures into the great wide world of vending.

 

Bridget’s story was featured in the Herald Sun here

 

To read Damien Collins’ story of his year as a Pie Boy in 1970 click here.

 

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Comments

  1. Yvette Wroby says

    Lovely story telling wiener girl Bridget . Now I will look out for u if st kilda r ever allowed back at the mcg.

    Keep writing

    Yvette

  2. Dave Brown says

    Great read, Bridget. If they were the only two wiener jokes you had on the go, that’s remarkably mature!

  3. Funny stuff Bridget.

    Your job as a Pie-Girl is going to give you lots of great material to write about. I look forward to it.

    Wurstwasser sounds horrible. Just like the band Limp Bizkit.

    It’s probably wrong to say that if you survived a Carlton v Collingwood crowd, you’ll be fine, so I won’t.

    Thanks for that.

  4. Neil Anderson says

    Fifteen years old and writing like that? Forget the pies and weiners. The world is your oyster. From selling pies at the G to trips to Germany and cramming for exams. Remarkable!

  5. Not Related says

    Bridget, your parents seem very nice, especially your Dad, who sounds like a ripping bloke.

    Also, you owe me the change from the last movie , err… whoops

  6. Very funny. Very honest. I loved the slacker, introvert, adolescent humour.
    Personally I grew up and dropped that way of looking at the world 5 years ago. Sounds like “Not Related” has a way to go but. Men tend to mature about 30 years later than women.

  7. Earl O'Neill says

    Great piece, Bridget, loved it. There’s a lot of adolescent touchstones in there that still stike a chord – “oooh, older people!” f’rinstance.
    If any boys you know read this, you might have to wait a terribly long time to live down ‘Wiener Girl’
    Hey, Peter B, it’s not that we mature 30 years later, we mature 3 years later and never catch up.

  8. Bridget you are performing a vital duty.
    There’s nothing like a pie at the footy.
    Enjoy your job.
    Enjoy writing about it.

  9. Damian Callinan says

    Despite being a vegetarian “Pie Girl’ was a great read. Well done Bridget

  10. Great read- I will show it to my Year 9 and Year 10 English class!

  11. bernard whimpress says

    Ballet training beneficial to the service of selling pies – a classic!

  12. watt price tully says

    Lovely read Weiner Girl – sounds like a Seinfeld episode! Thoroughly entertaining.

  13. Richard Naco says

    I’ve been away from these parts for some while now, but what has drawn me back – at least, for 5 very pleasant minutes – was a wondrously wry yarn spun so deftly on an impossibly enigmatic and appealing subject from straight out of left field.

    All due kudos – and please embrace this muse of yours & take it out for a good run at every possible opportunity.

    One thing did confuse me though (I should point out that I’m the second letter S in KISS Principle) (and probably the first as well): what in the name of Joel Selwood were you doing selling pies in “the cigarette smoke-filled tent music festival in Germany”?

    ;-)

  14. Bridget "Footballerina" Sch says

    Thank you everyone for your thoughtful comments.

    Yvette Wroby – Let’s hope for the best on the St. Kilda front!

    Dave Brown – I pride myself on my restraint when it comes to wiener jokes.

    Mickey Randall- So far I’ve survived 2 Collingwood matches, so again, let’s hope for the best.

    Neil Anderson – Thanks Neil for your kind words.

    Not Related – Don’t worry, I spent the change the change well on leotards.

    Peter_B & Earl O’Neill – As someone surrounded by the not-yet matured members of the opposite sex on a daily basis (what a mouthful!), I can wholeheartedly agree with your statements. As for Not Related, he’s definitely got a loooooong way to go.

    IronMike20 – Thank you. I take my duties as a Pie/Wiener Girl very seriously and I’m glad to know they are appreciated.

    Damian Callinan – Thank you! I’m not sure if there was much meat in the hot dogs anyway.

    Haje – As a current Year 10 English student, I’m absolutely thrilled that my work will be shared with those my age.

    Bernard Whimpress – Goes to show dance comes in handy almost everywhere!

    Watt Price – Your comment has reminded me of a Twitter trend a while back somewhere along the lines of “#SeinfeldMelbourne” Definitely worth a look into.

    Richard Naco -You must excuse me, I’m the one at fault here as I am woeful at keeping things simple and to the point. I was not actually selling pies at a music festival in Germany, rather, I was comparing the atmosphere of said festival to my workplace. The story is whilst I was in Germany my exchange partner took me to a music festival in a nearby village. As the attitude towards smoking is quite different in Europe, people were smoking inside. I suppose only in Germany can you find a tent heaving with people standing on tables and downing beers, getting down to a local death metal band. All of these elements culminated into a hectic environment like my first shift.

  15. Michele Davis says

    Love your work Bridget, you are a chip off the old block!

  16. Luke Reynolds says

    Well written, funny and hugely entertaining Bridget. Hope to buy a pie off you at a Collingwood game soon.
    Agree with “Not Related”, your Dad does sound like a ripping bloke!

  17. Russel Hansen says

    congratulations Bridget!

    loved reading this piece – as a teacher, your references to 1) “the chorus of angels singing and bright lights flooding through the room as you read the email during outdoor ed, and 2) tests … that would make minimal contribution to your life in the long run” certainly resonated!

    keep up the great work

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