People Who Work

Series produced by Richard Paul

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A series of self-narrated stories of blue-collar workers

Whenever governments -- especially local governments -- cut back, there's always a lot of talk about "essential services" .... The ones everyone expects to be performed. This is a look at people who perform those "essential services." We spend time with a garbage man, a bus driver, a parking ticket writer, the owner of a barber shop, an aerobics instructor and the drivers of a van that checks on the health of pregnant women in the inner city.

These pieces originally aired on WAMU-FM in Washington in the late 1990s.


12 Pieces

Order by: Newest First | Oldest First
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Keeping community alive along an aging business strip that's either all the way down or well-on-its-way-up.

Bought by Raven Radio, WHCP-LP Cambridge, Raven Radio, XRAY.fm, KBCS 91.3 FM Community Radio and more


  • Added: Jan 06, 2004
  • Length: 04:40
  • Purchases: 8
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A trashman talks frankly about his life and work

Bought by RadioFreePalmer, KUT, Vocalo.org, PRX Remix, KVNF and more


  • Added: Jan 06, 2004
  • Length: 09:00
  • Purchases: 7
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The most hated woman in the world -- the parking ticket writer -- gives her side of the story

Bought by RadioFreePalmer, WHCP-LP Cambridge, KPIK-LP, KSJD, PRX Remix and more


  • Added: Jan 06, 2004
  • Length: 11:00
  • Purchases: 8
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You're going to the Principal's office. But don't worry. There's a nice lady down there

Bought by WHCP-LP Cambridge, KSJD, PRX Remix, KCUR, and KUHB


  • Added: Jan 06, 2004
  • Length: 06:50
  • Purchases: 5
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What the bus driver thinks about while she's staring staight-ahead

Bought by RadioFreePalmer, WHCP-LP Cambridge, The Story, PRX Remix, KUOW and more


  • Added: Jan 06, 2004
  • Length: 07:10
  • Purchases: 6
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The hardest working man in body biz

Bought by WHCP-LP Cambridge, PRX Remix, and KUHB


  • Added: Jan 06, 2004
  • Length: 06:30
  • Purchases: 3
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The van that's keeping babies healthy one mother at a time.

Bought by WHCP-LP Cambridge, KBCS 91.3 FM Community Radio, PRX Remix, New Hampshire Public Radio, KUHB and more


  • Added: Dec 27, 2003
  • Length: 03:40
  • Purchases: 7
Piece image
Keeping community alive along an aging business strip that's either all the way down or well-on-its-way-up.

Bought by KUOW, KUHB, and WBFO


  • Added: Dec 27, 2003
  • Length: 03:40
  • Purchases: 3
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The hardest working man in body biz

Bought by KZSC, KUHB, and WBFO


  • Added: Dec 22, 2003
  • Length: 03:20
  • Purchases: 3
Piece image
What the bus driver thinks about while she's staring staight-ahead

Bought by KBCS 91.3 FM Community Radio, KUOW, KUHB, and WBFO


  • Added: Dec 22, 2003
  • Length: 03:40
  • Purchases: 4
Piece image
The most hated woman in the world -- the parking ticket writer -- gives her side of the story

Bought by KBCS 91.3 FM Community Radio, KUHB, WUAL, and WBFO


  • Added: Dec 22, 2003
  • Length: 03:30
  • Purchases: 4

  • Added: Dec 22, 2003
  • Length: 04:00
  • Purchases: 11