PalenQ

or so they said on American tellie new last night - the job has been posted - with the following caveats:

$37,000 yr salary
all food included
must know short cuts in London
50-hour work weeks
33 vacation days

submit resume to the Palace - anyone interested?

Josser

What's a chaufer? Why would you need one on an ocean lineur?

Sojourntraveller

Got a link to it PalenQ? A Google search shows nothing. It doesn't seem to make any sense.

PatrickLondon

Nothing to do with the ship. He's referring, however obscurely, to this:
theroyalhousehold.tal.net/vx/mobile-0/appcentre-1/brand-2/candidate/so/pm/1/pl/4/opp/823-Chauffeur/en-GB

nytraveler

Is the queen advertising for an American chauffeur? If not, why is the salary in US $? Os should that be 37,000 euros?

Not much - but if you get room and board (but it says only meals) it might make sense.

Josser

Groan, I do wish You'd give up paint for Lent.
Here is the job http://www.itv.com/news/london/2015-...new-chauffeur/
There is free food and accommodation, so the salary isn't all that bad

PalenQ

i was just repeating pracitcally verbatim what an NBC news cast said - they obviously converted the pounds to dollars.

Here's for hoping a woman gets the job but fat chance of that. In British new tradition probably a Sihk will get the job!

PalenQ

Q E 2 a ship ? - well I meant the head of the ship of state, of course. Been off the paint since Fat Tuesday so can't be that!

PatrickLondon

>>Is the queen advertising for an American chauffeur?<<

I'm sure she's always had a secret dream of arriving to open a hospital Hollywood-style:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abYamYSx9o4

Sojourntraveller

Umm, lost in translation from your native language PalenQ. No one refers to Queen Elizabeth II as QE2. QE2 is a ship that is named after the Queen.

As for the job, all government jobs are required to be advertised in a public manner (ie. newspaper) but in fact, that job is going to go to an ex-army or ex-police officer. Not some ex-cabby or limo driver.

It's an amusing storyline but that's all it is.

PalenQ

Ah shoot - that rules me out - was hoping for a crack at the job - dish washing on the QE 2 would be more likely I guess for a bloke like me! Or picking up horse dropping from the royal carriage perhaps!

Sojourntraveller

No horse dropping jobs PalenQ. They have bag that hangs under their rear to catch the droppings.
http://s9.photobucket.com/user/Horse...00089.jpg.html

Sojourntraveller

No horse dropping jobs PalenQ. They have bag that hangs under their rear to catch the droppings.
http://s9.photobucket.com/user/Horse...00089.jpg.html

Rumour has it that when the royal droppings were just allowed to fall in the street, the American tourists were picking them up to take home as a 'royal souvenir'. US Customs objected to this as it constituted illegal importation of 'plant matter' and asked the Royal household to do something to stop it.

PalenQ

Well maybe I could empty the bags (and probably give it to Prince Charles for his organic farms?) - but I guess he has enough xxxx on his hands already?

nytraveler

Where would they find an ex-cop or security person (I assume you don;t mean those bank guards with 2 days training) wiling to work for that little - even with food and board. Assuming they have a family that would also need a home - the salary is pitiful. Our mail carriers average about $53K per year - how could you get a security trained chauffeur for so little?

Sojourntraveller

Nytraveler, you are making 2 assumptions. First, that the salary is not in line with other salaries in the UK. What someone gets to deliver mail in the USA is irrelevant.

Second assumption, there are no perks that come with the job. Now I want you to imagine that you are a 43 year old retired squaddy. Got your 25 years in and on full pension, single. You walk into a pub in London and spy an attractive female. So you start up a conversation and when the inevitable question comes up, 'so what do you do?', you answer, 'I'm the Queen's chauffeur.' Need I say more?

PalenQ

Some early retired military or police chap - besides the salary there is notoreity of the job and self-importance - I bet they can offer such a pitiful salary for such a responsible job because it's a buyer's market. Prince Charles has military experience and stature - how about getting Charles a real job for once and when his mum departs this earth he could chauffer himself around and save the Palace some badly needed money!

nytraveler

Not sure what a "squaddy" is - is that police or army?

And not sure how much "security" would be supplied by a retired beat cop or an army pfc or similar. If they were really competent wouldn't they have advanced much further and be making a lot more already?

Yes, I know salaries in the UK are low - but are they THAT bad? My colleagues there in the same type of job make less than we do in the US - but not such a huge discrepancy!

Sojourntraveller

Still missing the point nytraveler. The job is driving, not security but such jobs usually go to ex-military or police who see it in terms of honour/prestige. The security team have their own vehicles in front of and behind the Queen's car. Again, money isn't everything and it is as much the prestige of the job as the money that will see them lining up for it.

I have a cousin in the UK who retired from the Army as a Regimental Sergeant Major in a highland regiment. He retired at 43 after 25 years in the army, with a full pension. Today he would be paid around 40k GBP ($60k USD)if he were still an RSM. Instead he has a pension of around 15k GBP.

He saw action in several places and fired in anger. After retiring, just how in demand do you think his military skills were? Not many job opportunities out their for a trained killer. He took a job driving a delivery truck for a furniture company. He might have a chance at the job, you wouldn't. You could be the best trained driver and security specialist in America and you still wouldn't even be considered for the job even if you offered to work for free. PalenQ got it right, it's a buyer's market. No doubt some may even offer to do the job for free.

Peter_S_Aus

"Selection Criteria:

Applicants must be able to hum, whistle, or play on a harmonica, the first forty bars of "Zadok the Priest".

Applicants must be able to recite all words of said anthem.

Applicants must be able to sing, with gusto, both verses of Hymn 341 of the Church hymnal."