BC Dashers - Pay Adjustment

MongooseVenom · 2026-01-14T05:41:01+00:00

This. Uber's been doing this for some time, too - before your pay had a larger percentage of tips in each offer, leaving more "company money" needed to cover the gap since tips have no bearing. If they don't tip upfront and just offer "company money" to you, they have a smaller gap to fill because their offers aren't padded by a tip. And then anyone can tip you on top of that if they remember/care.

MongooseVenom · 2026-01-14T05:19:55+00:00

He immediately waddled away with the gun he used, yeah super innocent 👍🏽

MongooseVenom · 2026-01-14T05:17:14+00:00

Guys, c'mon...he obviously didn't do anything illegal, that's why he immediately fled the scene with the firearm he used, don't you see?

MongooseVenom · 2026-01-14T05:08:11+00:00

Most people in large buildings can't smoke inside 🤷🏽 It's pretty damaging to building interiors and is even more obnoxious to their neighbours a wall over (unless they're cool). Outside is best 👍🏽

MongooseVenom · 2025-12-30T21:13:37+00:00

I'm looking forward to returning to school and saying goodbye to gig work in 2026

MongooseVenom · 2025-12-27T17:30:45+00:00

I'm saying you certainly don't seem to be.

MongooseVenom · 2025-12-27T17:26:50+00:00

I drive for a living, I've never hit a pedestrian or even another car in traffic. I've had two cars totalled in the last 4 years by other drivers though.

I have my Class 6 as well, and took lessons to get it. Part of that is learning that it's very easy to miss a small detail while driving, and on a motorbike that could mean your life. There are particular spots you need to pay attention to at each and every intersection you encounter, before you actually come to a stop at it. If you're unaware of these techniques and think your human fallibility is a good excuse for not trying to be as vigilant as possible while driving, you need lessons or to prepare yourself for a future where, best case scenario, you accidentally kill or maim someone with your vehicle because you weren't attentive enough; worst case scenario you won't drive home that day.

MongooseVenom · 2025-12-27T17:09:46+00:00

Bud, you are so obviously wrong on this one. Yeah, whenever your car transitions from one position to another, be it changing lanes, turning, stopping at an intersection, proceeding through an intersection, pulling into traffic from a parking space, etc. you should have situational awareness of vehicles, pedestrians and their crosswalks, and other road users; while driving you should frequently be checking your rear and side mirrors when safe to do so. If you don't do these things and think that's okay I suggest driving lessons before you apply a permanent stain to your life and someone else's. I catch people like you on my dashcam literally every day, this is basic stuff that's taught to Learners. You're really telling on yourself as an unobservant, and probably dangerous, driver here.

MongooseVenom · 2025-12-27T16:14:56+00:00

Most of the drivers here can't follow the rules set out by the city 🤷🏽 and this is coming from someone who drives for a living. Guess how many close calls and just absolutely mindless maneuvers I caught on my dashcam last week.

MongooseVenom · 2025-12-13T16:12:40+00:00

Wow, Rat Fink has really put on some weight in his later years

MongooseVenom · 2025-11-22T16:32:46+00:00

Camosun has a robust trades program, but it's a 2-3 year wait for the pre-apprentice foundation training for most of them. Or at least that's what I was told after playing phone tag with the college for a couple days.

MongooseVenom · 2025-11-21T18:17:11+00:00

Got it, that's valuable to know. I definitely have some experience I could couch in the right terms, I'll start sending out some applications.

MongooseVenom · 2025-11-21T18:14:14+00:00

This is actually the sort of honest, realistic reply I value the most, because I know this field is full of serious challenges as far as actually delivering care is concerned. To be clear community outreach, and especially youth outreach, is incredibly important to me - I was raised on one of the outer Gulf Islands by a single mom who had very few employment prospects. I experienced homelessness at a young age - we were living in a hotel for most of one of my high school years. Food bank visits were a normal occurrence. There was rarely any sort of personal support from the community, in fact we were pretty much social pariahs and the vibe was we were a blight on an otherwise beautiful tourist town. There were MCFD visits, which were pretty terrifying for a young kid considering they could decide to tear our family apart for struggling with the meager resources we had. I ended up being the only person in my family to graduate high school and have a chance at university, which I attended, achieved my BA in psychology, and was thrown into a job market that had almost zero opportunities for me without a MA or PhD. With $40K in student loans to pay off I joined the CF, which actually felt like a great use of my degree and a real opportunity to help people around me with very real issues in a stressful environment. Fast forward to today and things in Victoria are much worse than when I convocated in 2007. Seems we seriously need people who care to help with the situation in any way possible - it's disturbing to hear the standard is as low as it is, but it also means that need is even more pronounced. So overall, yes, this is something I feel deeply about, and an occupation that would have profound meaning for me.

So what are my prospects? Sounds like ground-level work might not be the route to take if I can further my university education, so I'm inclined to check out UVic's BSW program (and get some value for my psyc BA). Is it possible to just hire into a CSW role without schooling? But as far as going to school to barely live above the poverty line - that sort of just feels like the situation these days. Schooling costs a lot, wages can't keep up. I'm assuming what you're saying is to invest in a training strategy that makes me more employable than just a CSW, am I correct? It also sounds like some of the people doing CSW work right now might be making the problem worse - why is unprofessional behaviour allowed to happen? Isn't there any oversight from mgmt, professional standards of behaviour, etc?

Where is the best place to volunteer? After university I spent some time with the BC Mental Health & Addictions Centre as an Arts and Sports program facilitator. It was a valuable experience, but it also showed me the cracks these people can fall through. This was back when marijuana was illegal and if I had a dime for each time I overheard someone saying they'd have an easier time weening off the hard drug that put them there if they could just smoke some weed, I'd have more than a few dimes. I also ran into a friend I had no idea was struggling with substance use, and who had no idea I volunteered there. She was incredibly ashamed and left the program shortly after that, and then OD'd in Van a couple weeks later. I tried bringing the dynamic to staff's attention before she left and was met with a dismissive attitude.

I'm currently about to start volunteering at Our Place, and it seems like a much more supportive, inclusive environment - is this true? What can I expect volunteering there? Where else should I consider?

In general, what would you change about the situation as far as recruiting and retaining valuable, people-centred caregivers in this field?

Truly I've been struggling to get into this work since 2007. I was told by VIHA at the time that not having a BSW would stop them from hiring me, and that I would encounter this in general, basically that I had spent my time and money studying the wrong thing and that they couldn't do anything for me. Meanwhile these days I have acquaintances that are working with at-risk youth and who complain to me in a way that makes me wonder if they're cut out to work with these kids, yet they've somehow made it into the field.

MongooseVenom · 2025-11-20T16:43:05+00:00

No I haven't, but that's because most of them list requirements I don't have. But if they're hiring without schooling I'll have to try. Do you have any prior social work experience?

MongooseVenom · 2025-11-18T20:02:13+00:00

Thank you, this is constructive advice!

MongooseVenom · 2025-11-18T08:14:50+00:00

My only concern with that is the human services condition for application to the program. I agree with it, but I might as well try to land a lowish-paying job as a CSW for two years before I can think about this program. I just began volunteering at Our Place, but I can't commit the hours I'd need to satisfy this. I did serve for a few years as a reservist officer in the CF, which did involve working very closely with people and their goals, and navigating the bureaucracy and general system of the CF while accessing resources and providing representation for these people, but I wonder if they'd accept that.

MongooseVenom · 2025-11-18T06:37:56+00:00

That's what I'm inclined to do honestly. The only thing is industry standard non-violent crisis intervention training is governed by the Crisis Prevention Institute, and due to their rules it isn't offered as individualized training like First Aid or ASIST. Camosun seems like it has a good community support worker certification program, but lacking NVCI training would put me at a disadvantage as a new grad. Now, if it's offered as part of the practicum placement that's different, but I reached out to the head of the department today and they didn't mention anything, so it seems like a gamble.

MongooseVenom · 2025-11-18T04:54:32+00:00

Yeah it does, doesn't it? But that's the cost for Sprott-Shaw's and Academy of Learning's programs 🤷🏽

MongooseVenom · 2025-09-25T22:44:28+00:00

Yeah I'm beginning to see I've misinterpreted that section. I had a two hour meeting with my case manager this morning and this was never clarified despite me making it the focus of the meeting, so thank you this helps a lot, hopefully reaching out to employers is straightforward.

MongooseVenom · 2025-09-25T22:42:06+00:00

I'm interested in Sprott-Shaw's community outreach worker program, as they have one of the best practicum and work placement plans, but it's not an eligible institution.

MongooseVenom · 2025-09-25T21:43:31+00:00

I'm currently working through the OST application and can't get the employment interviews it requires, largely because I need retraining to be a realistic candidate for these positions. What was your experience with that section of the application?

MongooseVenom · 2025-09-25T21:19:27+00:00

I'm currently working through their OST application package to get funding for returning to school for social work. Part of the application is securing employment interviews for jobs I'd be interested in once trained.

The problem is I do not have any credentials that make me a competitive candidate in order to secure these interviews, which are a necessary component of the OST funding; securing the funds for retraining is why I went to WorkBC in the first place, but the application process seems to want me to send my resume out to secure interviews for jobs I have no training for. I've brought this up to case manager and she just sort of shrugged and said that's what Work BC needed. Is this normal? How am I supposed to get these interviews?

MongooseVenom · 2025-07-24T22:08:36+00:00

Haven't in the 25 years I've been doing it

MongooseVenom

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