www.q3lv.com: Recently, the production manager came onto our bus before load in to tell the entire crew that smoking pot is not allowed on this tour during working hours. Yesterday, he came on to deliver some fine gifts of cheese and wine from the venue and the whole bus reeked of marijuana cigarettes..... reefers. He did not mention any names nor single any one person. He did make it very clear that pot smoking would not be tolerated while working. This is the way it is on bigger tours these days. Drugs and rock n’ roll do not hang out as often as they did in 1982. I prefer not to smoke only because I don’t function well around people when I get high. However, I really enjoy the company of people who are high, compared to drunk, when I am sober. However, I am much more tolerant to high people than some others.
14 comments:
Oh my goodness, I nearly jumped out of my seat thinking about a rigger going into a load-in completely high off of their arse. THAT IS TERRIFYING! I am imagining a rigger trying to load weight and forgetting how much weight they put on a line set and then having the entire line just come crashing down. Spooky. Aside from that, I believe that while marijuana is legal for recreational use in some parts of the country, I think that it's ridiculous when employees think it is okay to smoke pot while on the job. If smoking weed impairs you to the point where it's a law that you can't smoke and drive, then you certainly cannot operate heavy machinery. The author of this article makes several good points that I agree with-- I think that if you decide to partake in smoking, you should do so responsibly and treat it with the same serious repercussions of coming to work while drunk. It is not professional and should not be tolerated when one is expected to be working. You are hopefully a responsible human who has the willpower to not smoke for a full work day!
The points that this articel makes are very valid not only in the context of a production, but also for any task that could in any way result in a person getting hurt. I second the horrified thoughts I have of a rigger coming to work in any way impaired, especially in light of this week's mishap in the Chosky, but this also reminds of people I know from my hometown. These people, who I am glad to say are no longer my friends, always claimed that they "drove better" while high, and would even light up a joint or a vape on the freeway. While several years ago I might have found that okay, I am disgusted by the very idea of it. For me, operating a vehicle while under the influence of anything strikes me as one of the most incredibly selfish and callous things to, because it shows that not only that person does not value their own life, they do not value the lives of the others that surround them and who could get seriously injured or die as a result of a drunk driver's negligence.
When given a job though, one is entrusted wit a certain level of responsibility, and no matter what that is, I also think it is a hallmark of professionalism to honor that trust by keeping a clear head.
Why do people think it's a good idea to put white fonts on black. I the advertising within this article about smoking pot funny, seeing how the anecdote was about people getting fired for smoking. I can't imagine someone rigging while high. When I'm on deck I like to pretend that there arn't 30 ft flats above me, it puts me at ease of mind. I can trust the riggers to be so precise that I shouldn't have to worry about any conflicts or dangers. But the idea that a rigger, or anyone, being high during work hours is ridiculous. Its everyone responsibility to show up to work prepared, aware and professional and pot is anything but professional.
Never would have guessed that I'd be commenting on an article that low-key endorses smoking marijuana if it's a thing that you want to do, so long as it doesn't get in the way of work. At the end of the day, in the vast majority of the country, it is still an illegal substance, that, regardless of ease of use, can still cause major issues in the workplace, especially a workplace where there's loads of electricity, things flying, and people relying on you. I know that load-ins are hard, but never hard enough that consuming illegal substances is the only way to get through the work. I'm also terrified about the story of the roadie who lost his job thanks to consuming second hand smoke on a tour bus, regardless of being a non smoker. Random drug tests are a fact of life, and working with people who have no regard for the law should not mean that someone that isn't partaking should be fired and vilified. Things like failing a drug test don't go away, especially in a business where your network and your identity are all you have. At the end of the day, getting high and working should never go together.
I feel like this article kind of seems like it should go without saying, but I definitely agree with what the article, as well as what it is saying. In any show, but especially in smaller shows, oftentimes the crew can begin to take their work less seriously and feel that it is okay to show up under some kind of influence. In some positions, it may seem like it may not be necessary to be sober. I know personally, over the summer, I worked on a show where I just had to preset furniture offstage and open doors for actors as they moved on and off stage. I could have definitely done that job tipsy. However, when one crew member thinks it's okay to show up to work drunk or high, every crew member will think that. Like a lot of the other people that have commented have said, it is terrifying to think that there is a rigger that prefers to work high. That is TERRIFYING. That is absolutely not okay. In theatre, if the smallest thing goes wrong it can result in a lot of danger for a lot of people. That is especially true for riggers since they are handling thousands of pounds of weight that is dangling over people's heads. But it is really true for everyone. Work sober.
First of all, I was quite amused by the writing style of this article. I also find it somewhat sad that this article had to be written, particularly in terms of the point about not showing up to work high. Being high while at work is a bad idea for any job, let alone a job like theater, that can get very dangerous very fast if everyone is not being careful. Before reading this article, I didn’t realize that smoking buses on tours existed. I guess it makes sense, but I’d never considered the need for one. I suppose I’m just very used to thinking of buses as places where people don’t smoke. I do wonder how this varies depending on the type of tour. For example, I assume drug culture in the touring concert world would be different than the drug culture on a Broadway tour. Maybe I’m wrong about that, but I’d be curious about how it compares.
Anyone who watches one of my favorite shows on television "Roadies" knows that weed and touring are like peanut butter and jelly. That's the best sentence I'll ever write. Calling it right now. They work then smoke and smoke then work, and smoke while at work, one can not exist without the other. As an audience member I love it, I think it's funny and it feeds into every stereotype I have ever wanted to believe about life on the road, but as a professional (maybe, I hope) in their field I cringe every time someone steps on a ladder and they had a joint in their hand three frames earlier. If I cringe on TV I think I would have a full blown meltdown if I saw it in real life. This is not an anti-smoking comment. Everyone does it, it's almost as common as drinking and in my generation the stigma is basically gone, but if someone showed up drunk to a load in they would be fired, like right away, no questions asked. That same precaution has to be taken for people who smoke. There are a lot of very dangerous, heavy, and life threatening things that happen on stage and by doing your job (especially if your job is RIGGER) high it endangers your life, the lives of the people working with you, and the thousands of people who are coming to see your show. So I'm a little scared of this. I'm all about relaxing, and blowing off steam, but not when it could kill me. I never liked peanut butter and jelly sandwiches anyway.
Of course it’s an open secret that a lot of people in the entertainment industry indulge in drug use frequently and liberally, from alcohol to cigarettes to weed. I don’t think it's a coincidence that one of the main smoking areas on campus is right outside the doors of the Drama building. I try to have a very open mind when it comes to other’s use of substances, my motto is whatever gets you through the day. But once you start putting yourself or other people in danger is when it becomes a serious problem. It is frankly unbelievable to me that anyone still tolerates driving under the influence, or worse still, chooses to do it. The most shocking thing in this article was the example of the rigger who claimed to rig better while high. Like the author said, no, you don’t. You are still bad at rigging, you are just now ignoring the mistakes you make and blissfully putting the lives of everyone on stage in danger. We work in an incredibly stressful industry and I understand that people like to use alcohol or weed to unwind. But if you show up to a call I am running drunk or high, I will send you home or fire you immediately because that is not only disrespectful to everyone else working, it can be incredibly unsafe.
I'm a huge believer in do whatever you want as long as you are not doing things at other people's expense. I don't smoke cigarette or weed but I have no problem being around people who are high AT OUR FREE TIME. They are probably much more optimistic and funnier. But if you get high while we are working I would be horrified, especially work that requires absolute 100% attention and caution to details. Like previous comments point out, if you are rigging or loading-in while you are high, you are putting everyone in real danger. I do believe some rock singers may sing better while they are high and I understand fans may eat that up. But I don't believe you rig better while you are high. That is your own hallucination and it's BS. You are having fun at people's expense which I'm completely opposed to. What you do at your own free time is up to you. But if I were the manager I would make it crystal clear that no drinking or smoking is allowed during work, and if I saw people smoking weed before/during work I would fire them on the spot without even giving a warning because it's not tolerable.
Smoking weed in a closed space is even more irresponsible. I think the fact that this article uses a much more friendly and joking approach to addressing the problem is a bad sign of how rampant the issue is among rock tours. I can picture so vividly people get immediately irritated and defensive (like some comments under the original post) if you try to tell them the importance of staying sober while you are working.
I by no means want to infringe on somebody's personal freedom, but it is unacceptable to show up to work not 100% there, especially if you are working in jobs that LITERALLY are life and death. For you it may just be something you do to enjoy yourself, but the consequences are huge. I understand the difficulties associated with touring, in the way that you have very little, if any you-time, but that is no excuse. You chose your job, and you are responsible for showing up at your best. I feel very strongly on this because in high school it was a common thing for this group of guys to go out and smoke before a show. It is so wrong on so many levels, but 1) you are letting your team down. When you aren't you, the rehearsal you've had goes out the window. 2) safety is the #1 priority. I was doing a production of The Sound of Music and we had 20' columns that were on castors, and moved in between scenes. We have the men's ensemble move them during the transitions, and when I came into tech one day to find one of the actors clearly high, I was livid. When you are in a position of power and maintain safety, you can't be so selfish. On a show that runs, you can't be the one to slow it down. Anyways, I think this courtesy comes down to the fact: do what you want but don't let it affect your work.
This is honestly blowing my mind a little bit. I can’t believe this had to be written or announced by the Production Manager because I feel like as a paid adult you should know this inherently. This article is nice enough to be lenient with people who think it is okay to come high, explaining that it’s legal a lot of places and that he enjoys their company, but weed is legal for recreational use, NOT for work. You cannot RIG while being under the influence of anything. If you're job is to pick out colors or come up with a concept, yeah sure start high at your desk waste someone's time. I don’t care. But if your JOB that you are being PAID for involves being responsible for the well being of others in anyway, from stage management to automation. I agree with this article’s point that being impaired doesn’t make you better at anything, it just makes you forget that you’re bad at it, or maybe makes you lose your fear to be good about it.
I personally don't smoke, and I have nothing against people who do. However, when you show up to work high or make the entire bus smell like weed and thus compromising your coworkers' working environment, that's completely unacceptable. It's the same as showing up to work drunk. This article is very well put in that the author isn't aggressive but still manages to present a strong argument. The author also provided multiple solutions as well as links to websites that sell products that make smoking more discreet. That being said, showing up to work high is still unprofessional and irresponsible and smoking discreetly won't change that, especially when your job involves rigging and the safety of others. It all comes down to professionalism, and that's not something you can teach to someone who has already been working for a while, which is why it's so important to teach the importance of professionalism while people are still in school.
I think, while seemingly obvious at times, this is an article that needs to be written. I honestly don't care what other people do as long as it's not negatively affecting anyone else, by all means, you do you, but when you doing something that impairs your judgement while you're responsible for the safety of other people, don't do it. You would think it's as obvious as showing up drunk, less fine motor skills, impaired judgement, but not as many people see it that way, which is another reason I find this article to be so important. I also think it's a courtesy thing. I never thought about how when crossing into a state that may not be as weed friendly you might get searched, and then everyone has to pay a fine. I think that the author is entirely correct in saying that once that happens people will point fingers, and no one wants to be that person. Same goes for the need to smoke while in close proximity to those who don't or just aren't at the moment Just because someone does, it doesn't mean they want to all the time. I think in general, the use of drugs on tour when not on the clock or on the bus is a judgement call, but once you start having to do your job or be around your coworkers, be smart about it.
I’ve never smoked pot, nor do I have any intention of it. I just never had any interest in it. I know there are those who do and they enjoy it. This article seems to hit the best of both worlds. Those who do smoke should do it responsibly and not during or before work. Those who don’t shouldn’t have to deal with seeing it or smelling it. Of all the things mentioned in the article the most important is that the author clearly states not to go to work high. I’m not sure how I would handle the smoking of marijuana on a tour bus if I were in a management situation. If my tour stopped in a state where pot hasn’t been decriminalized – I wouldn’t allow it on the tour. I wouldn’t risk the company or its reputation because a roadie had to bring weed on the bus – any violation and they’re fired. Maybe I’ll start a new PSA – “Don’t Rig High”
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