UPS shorts-wearing competition ends

ikoi62 · 01-31-2008, 09:48 PM

An 11-year bet between four Calgary UPS workers to see who could survive the longest wearing shorts on the job has been won -- but it hasn't prompted the winner to start sporting long pants this week.
Call him crazy, but Shaun Finnis feels more comfortable braving Calgary's deep freeze in shorts.
"The cold really doesn't bother me," said the 38-year-old, who collected $400 in the bet.
But even Finnis said the nasty weather during the past couple of days -- dipping to -48C with the wind chill on Monday -- has been tough to bear.
"(Monday) was probably one of the coldest days I've ever had," he said.
Regardless, he's still pulling on shorts instead of pants to go to work.
"I don't even own any UPS pants," said Finnis.
"I gave them all back about five years ago,"
Four UPS colleagues chipped in $100 when the bet was made in 1996.
"It's kind of the end of an era."

helenofcalifornia · 01-31-2008, 09:53 PM

I will never complain again when it dips into the low 40's here with my shorts on. I would be interested to see how many UPSers only wear shorts. I too don't have any long pants in my wardrobe. But I don't work in -46 degree wind chill temps. Atta boy!!!

ikoi62 · 01-31-2008, 10:02 PM

I know i didn't wear the shorts for the first few years we were allowed to wear them,i thought the high socks made us look funny.
but once i did start wearing them i would be in them from April 1 till thanksgiving.

upsgrunt · 02-01-2008, 05:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by helenofcalifornia

I will never complain again when it dips into the low 40's here with my shorts on. I would be interested to see how many UPSers only wear shorts. I too don't have any long pants in my wardrobe. But I don't work in -46 degree wind chill temps. Atta boy!!!

Helen, that is Celsius, but it is still cold!

Dutch Dawg · 02-01-2008, 11:19 AM

We had single digit temps with a wind chill in the area of -20 this past week and still had at least one package driver in our building with shorts on. That might cause me to question their mental fitness for duty.

over9five · 02-01-2008, 11:32 AM

Has anyone considered how having a beard is an appearance issue......

....but delivering in -20 weather IN SHORTS is not???

I think he appears to be ~~an idiot~~ very unprofessional.

helenofcalifornia · 02-01-2008, 12:37 PM

Are you kidding??? That is the best free advertising for UPS! In advertising you want your name remembered and talked about, and if you saw some crazy UPS driver in sub-zero weather in shorts, YOU WOULD TALK ABOUT HIM! (or her) (doesn't mean you are going to ship with UPS, but you will talk about him. (or her))

rocket man · 02-01-2008, 12:44 PM

come on down to fla ill but him an iced tea good job

outamyway · 02-01-2008, 02:24 PM

I only started wearing pants to reset my unnatural tan.

over9five · 02-01-2008, 02:40 PM

Gotta agree with Helen. Hadn't thought of it that way. I wonder if that is how the Ivory Tower thinks about it?

"I only started wearing pants to reset my unnatural tan."

I'm not sure I wanna know, but......

Outamyway.....what exactly do you mean? Should you post pics???

DiadDude · 02-01-2008, 02:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by upsgrunt

Helen, that is Celsius, but it is still cold!

-48 degree Celsius = -54.4 degree Fahrenheit

outamyway · 02-01-2008, 03:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by over9five

Gotta agree with Helen. Hadn't thought of it that way. I wonder if that is how the Ivory Tower thinks about it?

"I only started wearing pants to reset my unnatural tan."

I'm not sure I wanna know, but......

Outamyway.....what exactly do you mean? Should you post pics???

During the summer only my left leg was always exposed while driving. I tend to be in the truck driving more than outside delivering. Usually traveling north to south or south to north. Just the way my eam and air routes are set up. The early morning sun would always hit my left leg so it became darker than the right.

scratch · 02-01-2008, 06:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by outamyway

During the summer only my left leg was always exposed while driving. I tend to be in the truck driving more than outside delivering. Usually traveling north to south or south to north. Just the way my eam and air routes are set up. The early morning sun would always hit my left leg so it became darker than the right.

Same here, my left leg and arm get slightly darker than my right side.

BLACKBOX · 02-01-2008, 06:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scratch

Same here, my left leg and arm get slightly darker than my right side.

Same goes for my face..left side dark..right side normal. How do I fix it?

Captain America · 02-01-2008, 06:46 PM

I am almost the opposite of that canuck. It needs to be at least 65F and sunny or I am in long pants. I am quite secure in my manliness and don't need to act like a tough guy to impress anyone. Comfort Rules!

Cementups · 02-01-2008, 07:22 PM

Before I had a rural run I would wear shorts until the first time it snowed deep enough to get in my shoes. If my feet get cold I'm done.

upsgrunt · 02-02-2008, 01:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DiadDude

-48 degree Celsius = -54.4 degree Fahrenheit

Thanks, I stand corrected. Sorry Helen. Is it possible to have that much wind chill factor here in the states?

moreluck · 02-02-2008, 03:26 PM

upsgrunt.....Idaho Falls, Idaho

actual temperature "minus 33 degrees F." in a very windy city. There are a few places that do get that cold

Stanley, Idaho
International Falls
Umiat, Alaska
are just a couple more.

The lowest ever recorded in the contiguous 48 States, was -69.7°F (rounded off to -70°F) at Rogers Pass, in Lewis and Clark County, Mont., on Jan. 20, 1954. Rogers Pass is on State Highway 200 about 40 miles northwest of Helena. It is in mountainous and heavily forested terrain about one-half mile east of and 140 feet below the summit of the Continental Divide.

The coldest temperature ever recorded east of the Mississippi River was -60°F in Tower, Minn., on Feb. 2, 1996.

rod · 02-02-2008, 06:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by moreluck

upsgrunt.....Idaho Falls, Idaho

actual temperature "minus 33 degrees F." in a very windy city. There are a few places that do get that cold

Stanley, Idaho
International Falls
Umiat, Alaska
are just a couple more.

The lowest ever recorded in the contiguous 48 States, was -69.7°F (rounded off to -70°F) at Rogers Pass, in Lewis and Clark County, Mont., on Jan. 20, 1954. Rogers Pass is on State Highway 200 about 40 miles northwest of Helena. It is in mountainous and heavily forested terrain about one-half mile east of and 140 feet below the summit of the Continental Divide.

The coldest temperature ever recorded east of the Mississippi River was -60°F in Tower, Minn., on Feb. 2, 1996.

I remember that -60 degree day in Tower, Mn. Where I was it was a balmy -56.

upsgrunt · 02-02-2008, 08:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by moreluck

upsgrunt.....Idaho Falls, Idaho

actual temperature "minus 33 degrees F." in a very windy city. There are a few places that do get that cold

Stanley, Idaho
International Falls
Umiat, Alaska
are just a couple more.

The lowest ever recorded in the contiguous 48 States, was -69.7°F (rounded off to -70°F) at Rogers Pass, in Lewis and Clark County, Mont., on Jan. 20, 1954. Rogers Pass is on State Highway 200 about 40 miles northwest of Helena. It is in mountainous and heavily forested terrain about one-half mile east of and 140 feet below the summit of the Continental Divide.

The coldest temperature ever recorded east of the Mississippi River was -60°F in Tower, Minn., on Feb. 2, 1996.

I consider myself to be able to take quite a bit of adversity on this job, but that is just wrong to have to have to work in a temperature that low. How in the heck could you get anything done?