abomination
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On British war ships, the laundry is traditionally contracted out to Chinese workers. I think I may introduce a similar tradition IMTU for a bit of added colour. Who do you think would be good at it?
Who runs the laundry?
- Thread starter abomination
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mike wightman
SOC-14 10K
Definitely the Hivers.
far-trader
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In what century? Sounds like something from the Age of Sail and Ironsides
I'm sure the modern RN does it like every other Navy*, enlisted personnel aboard ship do the laundry. In Traveller that would be part of the (High Guard) Services crew.
If any I'd have thought Chirpers. It would be a long stinky cruise from Regina to the cleaners in Hiver space :smirk:
* at least so I'd been led to believe by documentaries
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I had assumed that it was part of freshers in cabins or elsewhere, and it would either be a steward or the occupants themselves who who do their own. I pictured a small combo wash/dry/dryclean unit that cycled in about 5-10 min. Throw your clothing in the washer-thingy under the sink, shower, dry yourself, take clothes out, put cthem on, and throw towel in (IN); or, drop clothes on floor and let the droid take care of it (IIISS). High passenger: drop clothes on floor and the steward takes care of it (probably with the help of a droid).
abomination
SOC-12
In what century? Sounds like something from the Age of Sail and Ironsides
I'm sure the modern RN does it like every other Navy*, enlisted personnel aboard ship do the laundry.
I suspect the tradition of employing Hong Kong Chinese dates from the C19th but it still definatly this century. It was a doco on the strike carrier HMS Illustrious that gave me the idea. There was a Chinese laundryman killed aboard the destroyer HMS Coventry during the Falklands war.
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far-trader
SOC-14 10K
Interesting, civilian workers aboard warships in action. Did not know that. I thought you were talking dockside.
far-trader
SOC-14 10K
Sooo, I'm wondering, in light of this revelation (for me anyway 
) of civilian workers aboard warships, even in battle, if maybe High Guard's "Services" crew section could be all civilian? It might be an interesting way to play it. Someplace for (some of) those "Other" characters to be working. Is this kind of where you were headed with the laundry question abomination?
) of civilian workers aboard warships, even in battle, if maybe High Guard's "Services" crew section could be all civilian? It might be an interesting way to play it. Someplace for (some of) those "Other" characters to be working. Is this kind of where you were headed with the laundry question abomination?
far-trader
SOC-14 10K
The more I think about it the more I like the idea of Chirper launderers* aboard IN ships. They're small (less space to quarter them) and they're cheap (they'll work for food and a shiney now and then).
* and dishwashers, and floor sweepers, and... any of a hundred other menial occupations that allow them to have access to all kinds of areas of a ship and be below the notice of the crew. I'm sure you see where I'm going with this :devil:
* and dishwashers, and floor sweepers, and... any of a hundred other menial occupations that allow them to have access to all kinds of areas of a ship and be below the notice of the crew. I'm sure you see where I'm going with this :devil:
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A machine does the laundry - now and in the far future. I think that each crewman should be capable of feeding his own laundry into a closed cycle chemical steam device that cleans and dries the outfit in about a minute, so you can just rehang (officers) or fold (enlisted) the stain and wrinkle resistant uniform right away.
Now if (IYTU) the ship lands near a stream where the laundry can be beaten on rocks, then feel free to add Laundrymen to the crew.
Now if (IYTU) the ship lands near a stream where the laundry can be beaten on rocks, then feel free to add Laundrymen to the crew.
far-trader
SOC-14 10K
To be clear I've long held that the stateroom fresher is also a fancy laundromat*. High Pax can do their own but typically leave it to the Steward who uses their own (or a common, typically in the low-berth area) fresher to do larger loads all at once without interfering with the Pax freshers. Mid Pax have to do their own (or just be dirty, till the Captain suggests a long walk out a short airlock to freshen up ). Non-command crew do their own (or barter to have the Steward do it). Command crew have the Steward (or other non-command crew) do it.
However on Navy ships there's a lot of laundry so you have larger dedicated machines and crew. Well, it used to be crew imtu, I think henceforth it'll be Chirpers. That idea is just too good to pass up
* among other features: toilet, shower, sink, tanning booth, jet soak tub, secure cell, lifesupport station, shelter, and limited foodomat (and I've probably forgotten some)
). Non-command crew do their own (or barter to have the Steward do it). Command crew have the Steward (or other non-command crew) do it.However on Navy ships there's a lot of laundry so you have larger dedicated machines and crew. Well, it used to be crew imtu, I think henceforth it'll be Chirpers. That idea is just too good to pass up
* among other features: toilet, shower, sink, tanning booth, jet soak tub, secure cell, lifesupport station, shelter, and limited foodomat (and I've probably forgotten some)
Foodomat in the fresher - hmm, recycled rations for longer term emergencies? :rofl:
far-trader
SOC-14 10K
Yep*
And sometimes regular meals. Not something most Pax are aware of. High Pax of course get three full real meals a day, Middle Pax generally get two real meals a day and may supplement that from the foodomat I figure most ex-service members are well aware of the recycling nature of freshers and have overcome any queasiness about having "seconds"
while most occassional travellers are blissfully unaware.* well, the "service" side of the foodomat, the dispenser, is on the outside to psychologically distance it from the source
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(In my geekiest voice..!) As a serving member of the Royal Navy, I can confirm that we do indeed still have Chinese Laundrymen onboard our ships. The tradition comes from when Hong Kong was part of the British Empire (long time ago!). Typically, the owner of the operation is a fat cat in HK, while two laundrymen (imaginatively named Number One and Number Two) do all the hard work in conditions not much better than a stereotypical Chinese laundry in the movies. We used to have a third Chinaman as the ship's tailor who answered to the name of Sew-Sew, who would make cut price items of uniform and civvie clothing. These guys are no longer borne onboard since our uniform is now free (with conditions attached). The laundrymen make a pretty penny, but a lot of that is gobbled up by the HK fat cat so if you're going to use Chirpers in your laundry, make sure their boss is a Hiver three sectors away!
In more modern times we've even had retired Ghurkas serving onboard as laundrymen. These gents are as mad as a box of frogs and rather handy in a "crisis". Retired Imperial Marines ironing your smalls, anyone?
We also have civilian NAAFI staff serving onboard. The NAAFI staff (Navy, Army, Air Force Institute) perform a similar service to the US PX service, running the canteen selling everything from sweeties and pop to iPods, DVD players and life insurance. NAAFI staff are nearly always recruited directly from civvie street, however, there is one story of an ex-army NAAFI manager firing small arms at Argentinian Skyhawks from the upper deck of a destroyer in 1982. Not sure of the details, but heard it word-of-mouth when I joined up in 1987 and my memory's not what it was!
All of these civilian staff are immediately drafted into the RN/RFA when entering a war zone, giving them combatant status and thus the protection of the Geneva Convention. This assumes, of course, that the bad guys have signed up to the Convention...
Hope this gives you a few ideas to mull over.
Yours Aye,
Alien Dave
In more modern times we've even had retired Ghurkas serving onboard as laundrymen. These gents are as mad as a box of frogs and rather handy in a "crisis". Retired Imperial Marines ironing your smalls, anyone?
We also have civilian NAAFI staff serving onboard. The NAAFI staff (Navy, Army, Air Force Institute) perform a similar service to the US PX service, running the canteen selling everything from sweeties and pop to iPods, DVD players and life insurance. NAAFI staff are nearly always recruited directly from civvie street, however, there is one story of an ex-army NAAFI manager firing small arms at Argentinian Skyhawks from the upper deck of a destroyer in 1982. Not sure of the details, but heard it word-of-mouth when I joined up in 1987 and my memory's not what it was!
All of these civilian staff are immediately drafted into the RN/RFA when entering a war zone, giving them combatant status and thus the protection of the Geneva Convention. This assumes, of course, that the bad guys have signed up to the Convention...
Hope this gives you a few ideas to mull over.
Yours Aye,
Alien Dave
far-trader
SOC-14 10K
It does indeed. Thanks much for your service and the background and ideas Dave
Oh, and Welcome Aboard
(officially, long time lurker first time poster, excellent post to start off on)Easterner9504
SOC-13
Laundry
The classic on Chinese staff is THE SAND PEBBLES with Steve McQueen. The coolies not only did the laundry but meals and most engine room duty. Each department had a Head Coolie making assignments.
The classic on Chinese staff is THE SAND PEBBLES with Steve McQueen. The coolies not only did the laundry but meals and most engine room duty. Each department had a Head Coolie making assignments.
epicenter00
SOC-13
In more modern times we've even had retired Ghurkas serving onboard as laundrymen. These gents are as mad as a box of frogs and rather handy in a "crisis". Retired Imperial Marines ironing your smalls, anyone?
Note to self: Don't ever use words like "coolie" around such laundrymen.
BlackBat242
SOC-14 1K
From just after 1900 until just after WW2, the USN had a special arrangement with the Government of the Philippines (ok, until 1935 the US was "the Government of the Philippines") whereby Philippino citizens were brought into the US Navy (not civilian, but not really service-members) as cooks, laundrymen, stokers (coal-shovelers), and any other unsavory occupation that red-blooded (white) Americans didn't like to do. They worked beside Negro sailors who were full service-members, but did the same jobs and got treated similarly.
After WW2, the Philippino sailors became full service-members, but were banned from becoming US citizens after their service in the USN*. There was a quota system, whereby a certain number (fairly large) per year were allowed to join, having first passed a set of tests, without need for a sponsor**.
This system was only disbanded when the US bases in the P.I., Subic Bay and Clark Field, were closed in Dec. 1992. Since then, Philippinos are treated just like other nationalities, and far fewer join the USN.
When I was aboard USS Ranger in 1985-87, the Philippino sailors were still disproportionately placed in service positions, but a decent number were in skilled positions (including one in my avionics shop).
* something that is allowed for all other nationalities.
** all other nationalities need a specific US citizen as sponsor to guarantee their character (or resident alien status), and are evaluated individually.
PS: the USN ships "on China station" pre-WW2 also had Chinese , in much the same status as the Royal Navy did, but only those ships (some Chinese were able to stay aboard their ship when it rotated back to the US, but not many).
After WW2, the Philippino sailors became full service-members, but were banned from becoming US citizens after their service in the USN*. There was a quota system, whereby a certain number (fairly large) per year were allowed to join, having first passed a set of tests, without need for a sponsor**.
This system was only disbanded when the US bases in the P.I., Subic Bay and Clark Field, were closed in Dec. 1992. Since then, Philippinos are treated just like other nationalities, and far fewer join the USN.
When I was aboard USS Ranger in 1985-87, the Philippino sailors were still disproportionately placed in service positions, but a decent number were in skilled positions (including one in my avionics shop).
* something that is allowed for all other nationalities.
** all other nationalities need a specific US citizen as sponsor to guarantee their character (or resident alien status), and are evaluated individually.
PS: the USN ships "on China station" pre-WW2 also had Chinese , in much the same status as the Royal Navy did, but only those ships (some Chinese were able to stay aboard their ship when it rotated back to the US, but not many).
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BlackBat242
SOC-14 1K
Or the Droyne at the local Navy fleet base, who takes his cut and passes on the rest to the Hiver.
Gruffty
SOC-14 1K
I think not! :rofl:
mike wightman
SOC-14 10K
Well if janitorial tasks are above laundry service...
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