# Self-Labels **URL:** \ **Category:** Professional Mariner Forum\ **Created:** [December 11, 2008, 9:10am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/self-labels/706 "2008-12-11T09:10:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![seadog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@seadog](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/seadog)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2008, 9:10am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/self-labels/706/1 "2008-12-11T09:10:48Z")
How do you commonly answer the question "What do you do for a living?" Are you a Captain? A merchant mariner? A merchant seaman? In the merchant marines? I work on ships, tugs…whatever? ---
**Author:** ![New3M](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/new3m/32/394_2.png) [@New3M](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/New3M)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2008, 10:28am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/self-labels/706/2 "2008-12-11T10:28:47Z")
I used to start with the merchant marine route…but people always confused it with the “other” Marines, so I just say I work on ships…of course then they ask what I do on ships, and it’s a whole other can of worms. ---
**Author:** ![Capt\_Anonymous](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/capt_anonymous/32/1579_2.png) [@Capt\_Anonymous](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Capt_Anonymous)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2008, 10:37am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/self-labels/706/3 "2008-12-11T10:37:20Z")
I used to tell people “I’m a Mariner”, but got tired of them saying “No way, you’re too fat to be a baseball player.” Now I just tell them I drive tugboats. ---
**Author:** ![Jemplayer](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/jemplayer/32/523_2.png) [@Jemplayer](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Jemplayer)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2008, 10:44am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/self-labels/706/4 "2008-12-11T10:44:12Z")
I start with I work offshore, then either they leave it at that or ask what do I do offshore and then I tell them I’m a boat captain and run crew boats. And then if I’m still getting weird looks I tell them that I deliver supplies and sometimes people to the platforms in the gulf. ---
**Author:** ![stellarseas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ac8455/32.png) [@stellarseas](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/stellarseas)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2008, 1:07pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/self-labels/706/5 "2008-12-11T13:07:57Z")
International Man of Mystery, or I am a piano player in a whorehouse. ---
**Author:** ![Shellback7](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f08c70/32.png) [@Shellback7](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Shellback7)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2008, 1:21pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/self-labels/706/6 "2008-12-11T13:21:18Z")
When I was in the trucking business. I hauled a lot of oversized and over width machinery…That always seemed to spark lots of questions…One answer, would lead to 10 more questions… .Finally, I hit the jack pot of answers…When they ask, what do you do…? I would tell them that I am the " Greeter Guy ," at Wal Mart…That will pretty much end the conversation ,right then and there… ---
**Author:** ![anchorman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bbce88/32.png) [@anchorman](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/anchorman)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2008, 2:05pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/self-labels/706/7 "2008-12-11T14:05:18Z")
I always say that I’m a Captain for company XYZ. ---
**Author:** ![mike173](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/54ee81/32.png) [@mike173](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/mike173)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2008, 3:49pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/self-labels/706/8 "2008-12-11T15:49:08Z")
Tell them you’re a Merchant Marine, you’re in the Marine Corp. Tell them you’re a sailor, you’re in the Navy. Tell them you’re a pilot, you fly airplanes. Tell them you’re a Mate, they think you’re some Australian guy’s pal. Then I went to work on a cable ship. I would tell people I repaired submarine fiber optic cable. They would either think I worked on submarines, or asked if we used SCUBA to do the repairs. True story. Now I either tell people I’m a fry cook or a rodeo clown. It’s just easier that way. ---
**Author:** ![dougpine](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/dougpine/32/7653_2.png) [@dougpine](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/dougpine)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2008, 3:51pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/self-labels/706/9 "2008-12-11T15:51:40Z")
I tell people I’m a guitar player who drives tug boats for my day job. ---
**Author:** ![Siberfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cdc98d/32.png) [@Siberfire](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Siberfire)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2008, 9:07pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/self-labels/706/10 "2008-12-11T21:07:10Z")
“So what do you go to school for?” “I’m a cadet at the maritime academy.” “Is that like the military or something?” “No, when I graduate I will drive ships.” “Like in the Navy?” sigh ---
**Author:** ![captjacksparrow](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/captjacksparrow/32/290_2.png) [@captjacksparrow](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/captjacksparrow)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2008, 9:43pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/self-labels/706/11 "2008-12-11T21:43:17Z")
Lately I’ve found myself using “old reliable” - I could tell you, but then I’d have to kill you. It would probably go great with \stellarseas’\ “International Man of Mystery” comeback. ---
**Author:** ![john](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/john/32/5_2.png) [@john](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/john)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2008, 10:10pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/self-labels/706/12 "2008-12-11T22:10:52Z")
II usually just say “I work on ships” which usually goes ok, but sometimes it goes more like this: Them "What do you do?" Me: "I work on ships" Them "What kind" Me "Very large ones" Them "Like Cruise Ships or the navy? " Me "Like the merchant marine" Them "oh you’re a marine!" Me pointing at my hair “Do I look like a marine?” ---
**Author:** ![captmike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ba8739/32.png) [@captmike](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/captmike)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2008, 10:17pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/self-labels/706/13 "2008-12-11T22:17:26Z")
I cut holes in the ocean! ---
**Author:** ![Jeffrox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ea5d25/32.png) [@Jeffrox](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Jeffrox)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2008, 11:43pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/self-labels/706/14 "2008-12-11T23:43:40Z")
I’m a seaman, the rest is just fluff… ---
**Author:** ![seattlemariner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f08c70/32.png) [@seattlemariner](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/seattlemariner)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2008, 11:47pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/self-labels/706/15 "2008-12-11T23:47:58Z")
I tell people I work at the dump. Some actually feign interest and ask what I do there. “Security guard.” That usually ends the conversation. If they still persist I tell them about the “friday night rat shoots” and invite them down. If the’re still interested I’ve made a friend for life. ---
**Author:** ![todd.harter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/13edae/32.png) [@todd.harter](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/todd.harter)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 4:30am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/self-labels/706/16 "2008-12-15T04:30:19Z")
I was once telling a story to someone who knew I worked offshore, and referred several times to “my mate” with references to “he/him” and much later began to wonder why she seemed to think I would be so interested in the fact that they have such a strong gay community in Seattle. I then thought back and realized where the miscommunication was. ---
**Author:** ![Capt\_Brian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Capt\_Brian](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Capt_Brian)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 4:51am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/self-labels/706/17 "2008-12-15T04:51:49Z")
I tell 'em that I drive a tractor trailer on the water taking stuff to the oil rigs!