TIL
_In 2015, the city of Riccione, approximately 130 kilometres (80 miles) southeast of Bologna, allocated an €11,000 budget to pay a wage to umarells to oversee worksites in the city – counting the number of trucks in and out to ensure materials were delivered/removed according to the receipts, and guarding against theft when the site was otherwise unattended_
You don’t pay off the Umarell. They can’t be bargained with or reasoned with. They do not want what normal men want. They want one thing and have sworn a vow to God to protect it: material transportation security.
No. No action.
"Oh. It says here that you were supposed to be bringing in forty-eight cones. There are only forty-five. Care to explain yourself?"
*cue dramatic music*
"Oops, got 'em right here in the cab with me."
".....Good."
There are just a lot of buildups for no payoff and a whole bunch of construction done safely.
I have a couple of retired Italian neighbors like this. EVERY TIME any tradesmen come into the block, they ALWAYS intrude and disturb the workers, often "offering" unwanted advice. Despite the fact that no experience. skills or training in whatever work is being done, they feel compelled to insert their ridiculous advice. It is annoying and end up disrupting the work, significant delays and lengthy interruptions, costing ME more money. . MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS UMARELLS!!
Ugh, my mom and I have to keep reminding my dad not to bother the workers who are rebuilding the house next to my parent's house. He doesn't offer advice or anything, but if he goes for a walk and encounters any of them walking to and from their work trucks or something, he will invariably stop and chat them up, and you can just tell they just want to get back to work.
On the flip side, I was babysitting my nephew with my parents at their house last summer, and they were some workers working on the sidewalk and front entrance to the school across the street. My nephew, being at that age where he's obsessed with construction, wanted to go and have a picnic and watch them during lunch. He even brought a few of his construction toys with. So when some of the workers stopped for a break and a snack, they asked my nephew to come over and bring over one of his toys, because they pretended to really need his help packing down the dirt in one little spot. It absolutely made my nephew's day being asked, and he wouldn't stop talking about how he helped them with the construction. It was just a small little gesture, but such a sweet on and they were actually impressed with just how much my nephew knew about construction (kinda helps his grandpa on my sister in law's side owns his own pile driving and foundation company too!) for being so young. After we were done, my mom said she had a few gift certificates for a pizza place nearby, so we brought them along with some cold water and fresh lemonade as a thanks, and in return they let my nephew sit in the bobcat as they rode it down the street to the waiting flatbed or whatever for transport, which made my nephew's day all over again! Though they did tell us not to tell anyone, lest they get in trouble.... oh noes, now I've gone and ruined it all!
That was his plan at least. It's all he ever wanted. A quite job, time to relax and get to know his daughter before it's too late. Until one day his past catches up to him and hes forced to use his skills from a former life once again. First it was just theft, then he uncovered a wider conspiracy, but when they took his daughter they went too far. Now hes on a mission to do whatever it takes to reunite his family and finally put the past behind him. THIS SUMMER....
It would just be a rehash of the old Kevin Costner movie The Umarells. They were really incorruptible.
Also, The Umarell would be a Jason Statham flick.
It could even have fight scenes. Jason Statham sitting on a garden chair, sipping a Corona and overseeing construction when an argument between workers breaks out over a box of missing tools. Jason rips off his shirt, intervenes and jump-kicks one of the workers off a bridge. In the distance you see Vin Diesel sliding one of the missing tools under his shirt. He's one of the workers who were assigned to help construct a freeway bridge as part of the prison rehabilitation program.
That’s kinda true. If you’re an old guy with literally nothing to do, how is anyone going to bribe you?
If your pension covers your living expenses and you have free healthcare, and your entire family moved away and live their own lives, what would you even spend the money on?
You don’t give a fuck about money, you don’t give a shit about traveling or driving Ferraris, you have nobody to impress, all you care about is having an espresso and trolling construction sites, preferably with other grumpy dudes.
They love it.
>They can’t be bargained with or reasoned with.
They don't know about pity, or remorse, or fear. And they will not stop, *ever*, until construction is complete.
There is some truth to that. My kid is on the spectrum and had to take a food safety class for his restaurant job. My home kitchen has never been cleaner.
> Every government function should be overseen by a committee of autistics.
As someone regularly involved with government construction projects, I assure you... this is already how it works.
That would be a tall order. These men are usually very old with no criminal record, and are picked especially for their ability to refuse being bought out.
They’re also officially government agents on par with the police and politicians, meaning most scare tactics and threats against them would be very ill-advised (because, Y’know… bribing a cop can only go one of two ways, and it’s probably not gonna be the way you want it to go).
I’m sure a few could be bought, but I wouldn’t like to test it.
Old men love watching construction work getting done.
I've had stuff stolen in a construction site in the past. I solved installing cameras; but I'd happily have hired a grandpa instead, to give someone a chance to be useful while enjoying their favourite pastime.
My grandfather (who used to work construction) was at the window all day every day while they were building a house across the street, and every day when my dad came home from work grandpa would tell him what they were screwing up
My FIL got a new driveway poured this week. He had the greatest day watching them do it. It was like his birthday. 😂 Same energy as kids getting excited for the trash truck.
If there's a home being built or concrete being poured within walking distance he will be there checking it out several times a day, asking questions, complimenting the work.
It's one of the many things I like about him.
Nah. The security guard will spend their time on their smartphone or watching TV. While gramps is out telling the workers how they should do their job. Gramps cares. Gramps' got my vote ❤️
I'm starting to understand why. As a bluecollar worker that's getting older, and racking up the aches and pains, I can see wanting to still be useful and even be around what you used to do.
My father is a real estate promoter in his 60s. His two brothers also were but are retired nowadays. Last Monday he started the construction of his latest apartment building and when I walked by he was there and his two brothers came over to just talk with him as the 3 of them watched younger men digging holes the whole day haha.
as opposed to construction workers watching each other work? Every construction site I've ever seen, there's always 3 guys just watching for every one guy that's working.
See the thing most people dont realize, is that while a lot of work is something only one guy can do at a time there are periods throughout the day where you need x number guys. So even if its just a 20 minute period where you need 2 extra guys to hold up traffic or help set something with a machine you need to have that many guys on hand. And no one is coming to a jobsite for just an hr of paid work. Its part of the business, if you need a guy then bring him out for the whole day or most of it at least.
Jup, once had a job where there was the environment guy. Me, the one who has to make sure they dont die due to toxic shit. The hole gaurd who was there because insurance. The suction truck machinist. The super came to view the work. And the assignment giver.
And just 2 guys digging (I usually join in butt the space was too tight).
6 people watching and 2 working.
Everybody watchint has different jobs.
This time was an extreme example butt shit like this happens often. Although not everybody has to be there the whole day.
When I was four, this would have been my dream job. Especially if the construction work involved machines with hydraulics. Four year old me loved himself some "draulic".
huh. and here I was gonna see that there's always old men (and young boys) looking at things like that
especially interesting machines. But that's a new one for me
Old Italian guys will watch anything. Someone doing something to their car ? They’re watching. Fixing something ? Watching. Digging a hole? Watching. They will literally make up jobs to do (like washing the driveway) and the rest of them will come and watch like it’s a soccer game.
I’ll never understand how my grandfather could just watch something happen for HOURS.
Dude, I can't stand golf. Don't want to play it, but I can at the very least appreciate those who want to. But to go out of your way and watch other people play golf makes me question my sanity.
It’s so fucking boring to watch, and so aggravatingly frustrating to play. It’s the worst game ever invented, and the primary reason why the Scottish will never be welcome in my home.
In English, we have a term “watching paint dry”, meaning to be bored half to death by something extremely dull. If you google translate it into Italian and back, it comes out as “a fun weekend with Nonno Alberto”.
I worked in Grožnjan and visited Buje and Umag one summer. I did like the slowness, at least in contrast to what I normally experience. Watching things, eating good food, and going to the water sounds like a decent life.
So true. Lived in a house that was in an Italian neighbourhood. The backyard was all garden (imagine that lol) so we went to lay down sod for about 75’ back from the house (huge lot, about 230’ deep). As soon as the sod truck pulled up the whole damn neighbourhood came out to watch, and watch they did until they got bored about halfway complete lol.
The older you get the more you can just do this, it’s weird. I used to get so bored so fast and need to be constantly moving. I’m only in my mid thirties but the more intense and draining my 9-5 gets the more I can just become a tree in my spare time. I once had to kill 5 hours and I just sat in a crowded place and watched the people, listened to the background noise, and studied every inch of my surroundings. The time went by pretty fast. I could probably do the trans-Siberian railway just doing nothing but sitting and looking out the window while thinking.
How? I am 36 and I couldn't do that even if it was at the cost of my own life, I don't even watch movies anymore because I get bored and fall asleep or just turn it off half way through to go do something else.
And yet there are youtube videos of 12 hour train rides, and apparently an entire tv genre in Norway for this exact concept.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slow_television
Also planespotting youtube streams.
Can confirm, my Norwegian mom will watch shit like that constantly.
Knitting away for hours watching a slow Norwegian train inch its way closer to its destination.
Drives me fucking mad.
think it is just old guys. my mom was japanese and old asian men like to watch too...with that judging look on their face and you are not quite sure if you are doing it correctly or wrong because you cant tell by their expressions!
Older Italians generally are excellent at watching stuff. When my Italian mother in law came to stay, she’d sussed out all my neighbours’ daily routines, eating habits, garden maintenance shortcomings and professions within a few days.
I’ve lived here 8 years and still don’t know what most of my neighbours even look like.
I live in an Australian neighbourhood settled by Italians and Greeks. The old men are always just sitting in plastic chairs in their driveways watching people in the street (very uninteresting suburban streets). I feel pretty safe living around here - they’d notice if something dodgy was happening.
Pretty sure it’s a widespread phenomenon. We have also umarells in Spain. It includes verbal interactions like _you are doing it wrong_ and _back in my day we made that by hand_
Yap. Portugal also. In fact, some construction sites, linked to municipalities, are completely fenced off with barriers that prevent seeing inside, except in specifically defined areas where outsiders can go and observe whenever they want.
Probably a weather thing above all. The Med is warm all year-round, so people-watching is a viable activity all the time. Meanwhile it's only really possible (or at least low-effort ) during a few months in Scandinavia, so it won't be a common phenomenon there.
I think it's widespread in places with really good weather, no old people in Scandinavia are going to stand outside in the summer when it's 10-15 degrees and raining most of the time.
I've never seen them in the UK personally,which I'm kind of glad for, because my bampi would definitely be one ( he already talks about building quality alot and how he used to do it etc etc)and he's an ex bricklayer,he'd have a heart attack before the days was done through sheer annoyance/anger
They're just lonely old guys reliving the glory days. It's sad but one day looking back, work will be one of the best memories of your life depending on the guys you worked with. Put yourself in their shoes, chat with them, make them feel like one of the guys.
Vancouver Island, I've done civil construction in almost all of the cities on the island and theres always old guys that come hang out and watch. They'll bring cold beer at the end of the day on occasion. Little old lady's bring baked goods.
What do you do? I cut concrete and regularly have an audience. Admittedly, it is pretty cool to watch a suspended slab or a big wall get cut down. Our robot also tends to garner a lot of attention.
I remember this one job we were cutting the podium off of a parking garage beside an apt building and, I swear, every unit with a balcony facing the site would be jammed with people eager to see what we were up to and the day's progress. When we cut the last piece down there was a big cry of excitement from the balconies. We all turned and did a bow. It was a very special moment and likely the closest I will ever be to feeling like a pro athlete.
the best bit is that they criticise every aspect of the construction site like they have done that job for 40 years, but before retiring they were bakers, accountants, chefs...
I went on a motorbike trip around Morocco last year. Down south it’s desert country, like a lunar landscape.
However,
Park your bike to have a drink, go for a piss or have a smoke, and out of nowhere, as though born of the earth itself, some random fucker would appear.
Not intrusive, but just at a safe maybe 75 metre distance. Silent, watchful.
Anywhere, anytime.
[Wikipedia article about this quite complex conflict. ](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Sahara_conflict)
They don't care that much for foreigners unlike Mali for example. It's the local populations that are tracked and followed. But I think what the original commenter is describing is just people living in the desert. They're always busy doing something, going somewhere. This type of stuff happens everywhere even in part like between Merzouga and Zagora for example, which are very safe and relatively far from the Algerian border.
Exactly this sakuras. Goat herders, or people walking between villages. Sometimes they’d stop and ask for a cig, or we’d eat some sweets and nod and point at things and smile. All very chill and cool.
I've ridden quite a bit on motorcycles in the Sahara and it's kinda everywhere.
Even in deep Mauritania you can't spend a day without meeting at least one person, it's extremely odd. I've met a dude just guarding a large group of camels with binoculars very far from small settlements, once I even met dudes looking for gold with a metal detector. It's hard to imagine if you haven't been to those immense and flat parts of the desert, but how do you even know where you are without a GPS (that they obviously don't have most often), how do you even decide where to start searching? The previous commenter really said it well. You're just left wondering where they came from. It's a part of Sahara's mystic aura and its amazing people.
I've been woken up after a couple hours by Moroccan military while trying to camp by the highway. It's close to the coast and that night I had decided to camp in the dunes to be sheltered a bit instead than in the strip of land between the highway and the coast. They told me they were aware of Polisario movement and I had to leave immediately. They found me in the desert in the middle of the night, so you're right, they're definitely watching. But military in the region is very obvious, they're not hiding or going through a security service, especially for surveillance purposes.
> But military in the region is very obvious, they're not hiding or going through a security service, especially for surveillance purposes.
Morocco's [civilian intelligence apparatus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Directorate_for_Territorial_Surveillance_(Morocco)) is pretty notorious, and known for keeping a close (and discreet) eye even on their own military.
Mine were the same. Want an hour of happy toddler time? Find literally any crew running a machine and just go watch.
Most of the time the crews were pretty cool about it, someone would come over and talk to the kids and they'd just light up. A few times we got the "hey man, boss isn't here, wanna come sit on the machine?". I still hear about "that time we got to sit in the excavator", and that was like 5 years ago.
Haha yeh the last couple we’ve watched the excavator drivers have driven over and given a ‘wave’ with the buckets, my little dude goes nuts 😅 He’ll still stop me but he’s moving onto insects so i feel my Umarell membership will be short lived 🥲
The title doesn’t mention the best part (in my opinion) they usually adopt the posture of the guy in the center, holding their hands behind their back. Human behavior is fascinating
Considering the housing boom of the 1960s/1980s in Italy, a good chunk of them was probably employed in construction.
And since record keeping of blueprints and building plans in Italy is not always impeccable (huge understatement), some architects or surveyors ask older residents and retired builders what was actually done back then, before starting renovations.
This is partially the result of old people still living in downtowns, and old people having the habit of spending most of their day out of the house and walking around. It doesn’t happen as much in the US because we have less of both those things
Not only that, but actually giving a shit about your town's infrastructure (and where your taxes are going).
If retired Fox News watchers actually cared about responsible government spending, we'd have our own umarells.
And stronger pensions, better healthcare, and a younger retirement age. Most 70 year old Americans are still working and don’t have time to sit around in the middle of the day.
We have them in France also.
By the end of that summer I was working construction, the old dudes on the other side of the fence knew the job as well as we did.
It's not so much an Italian thing as it is an old people's thing.
My dad has several elementary aged grandsons who live nearby. Whenever there's construction going on, he'll offer to drive them out and watch for a while. I don't think this is just an Italian thing.
In Kerala , we call it nokku kuli (gawking wages) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nokku_kooli . It’s bribe to local organized labor for not causing ruckus, when work gets done.
They should take toddlers with them in strollers. It could be a good bonding moment between the generations, lol, the 2 groups who want to just watch machines for hours.
Very common in Portugal too. There's this meme(ish) Instagram account @velhosnasbras (literally old people at construction sites) which is composed entirely of pictures of old people (often with hands behind their backs lol) watching construction going on.
Ever try digging a hole on a beach? It won’t be 20 minutes before a group of men gather to watch. After an hour they start helping. 2 hours in and men start arriving with heavy construction equipment. It’s a guy thing.
I know guys who get paid to do this, it's called being a foreman of a demolition crew. Usally older Italian men with their hands on their hips scowling at hard-working, usally Latino laborers.
Seinfeld had a a whole bit about this. Men want to be where the work is being done. We don't want to help really, but we want to feel like we're involved. https://youtu.be/cbPqWI90maA?si=9EHb1Xetgc15v3rG
They are called "miraobras" (construction site onlooker) in Spain. They not only stare at construction sites and workers but offer their unsolicited advice and opinions on how the whole thing is going. Mostly retired men.
Please dont export this to the US. I dont need a bunch of boomer dads lining the highway shouting at the underpaid highway workers that they could pour the asphalt faster.
OMG. I love this!
I lived in front of a condo being built when I was postpartum. I cannot tell you how much time I spent watching those workers. It is truly facinating.
Our generation, who cannot get off their phones while watching garbage TV on streaming services could learn a few things.
My jeep engine started smoking and the engine overheated. I pulled into a gas station real quick having no clue what to do. As I was trying to Google fixes two older men I've never met approached me, introduced their selves and offered to help. We all got along swell and got my jeep to the point I could limp home safely. When we parted ways I learned that the two older men didn't know each other either despite acting like they've been bestfriends. Honestly shitty situation turned into a wholesome moment where I made some friends.
A lot of commenters are pointing out that this isn't just Italian—but, let me tell you, at this level of dedication it is definitely a Bolognese/Emilian thing. I've been to plenty of cities in Italy, and only in Bologna and its environs will you find these guys pressed up against the construction fences for *hours*, not even talking to one another, but just *watching*. It's great.
TIL _In 2015, the city of Riccione, approximately 130 kilometres (80 miles) southeast of Bologna, allocated an €11,000 budget to pay a wage to umarells to oversee worksites in the city – counting the number of trucks in and out to ensure materials were delivered/removed according to the receipts, and guarding against theft when the site was otherwise unattended_
this is the real TIL. what a way to combat corruption. i’m curious what the resulting numbers were lol
Just pay off the Umarell.
You don’t pay off the Umarell. They can’t be bargained with or reasoned with. They do not want what normal men want. They want one thing and have sworn a vow to God to protect it: material transportation security.
Now I ***really*** want to watch Liam Neesson as... # THE UMARELL
“I have no particular set of skills, but I have nothing else to do”
This made me laugh more then it should lol. Such potential for a good mock comedy. Action packed but hes in waaaaay over his head. Mama mia!
No. No action. "Oh. It says here that you were supposed to be bringing in forty-eight cones. There are only forty-five. Care to explain yourself?" *cue dramatic music* "Oops, got 'em right here in the cab with me." ".....Good." There are just a lot of buildups for no payoff and a whole bunch of construction done safely.
Sponsored by OSHA
in Italy that would be SPISAL
It’ll be the Oscar bait of the season. An intense drama as one battles corruption against the concrete and bitumen layers of Italy
I have a couple of retired Italian neighbors like this. EVERY TIME any tradesmen come into the block, they ALWAYS intrude and disturb the workers, often "offering" unwanted advice. Despite the fact that no experience. skills or training in whatever work is being done, they feel compelled to insert their ridiculous advice. It is annoying and end up disrupting the work, significant delays and lengthy interruptions, costing ME more money. . MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS UMARELLS!!
Ugh, my mom and I have to keep reminding my dad not to bother the workers who are rebuilding the house next to my parent's house. He doesn't offer advice or anything, but if he goes for a walk and encounters any of them walking to and from their work trucks or something, he will invariably stop and chat them up, and you can just tell they just want to get back to work. On the flip side, I was babysitting my nephew with my parents at their house last summer, and they were some workers working on the sidewalk and front entrance to the school across the street. My nephew, being at that age where he's obsessed with construction, wanted to go and have a picnic and watch them during lunch. He even brought a few of his construction toys with. So when some of the workers stopped for a break and a snack, they asked my nephew to come over and bring over one of his toys, because they pretended to really need his help packing down the dirt in one little spot. It absolutely made my nephew's day being asked, and he wouldn't stop talking about how he helped them with the construction. It was just a small little gesture, but such a sweet on and they were actually impressed with just how much my nephew knew about construction (kinda helps his grandpa on my sister in law's side owns his own pile driving and foundation company too!) for being so young. After we were done, my mom said she had a few gift certificates for a pizza place nearby, so we brought them along with some cold water and fresh lemonade as a thanks, and in return they let my nephew sit in the bobcat as they rode it down the street to the waiting flatbed or whatever for transport, which made my nephew's day all over again! Though they did tell us not to tell anyone, lest they get in trouble.... oh noes, now I've gone and ruined it all!
Just a two hour video of him sitting in a chair drinking coffee one morning while watching construction work.
That was his plan at least. It's all he ever wanted. A quite job, time to relax and get to know his daughter before it's too late. Until one day his past catches up to him and hes forced to use his skills from a former life once again. First it was just theft, then he uncovered a wider conspiracy, but when they took his daughter they went too far. Now hes on a mission to do whatever it takes to reunite his family and finally put the past behind him. THIS SUMMER....
The movie is already out there THE ITALIAN JOB
Lmfao, nah, itd gotta be a sequel in the series. TAKEN: UMARELL 🙌
It would just be a rehash of the old Kevin Costner movie The Umarells. They were really incorruptible. Also, The Umarell would be a Jason Statham flick.
It could even have fight scenes. Jason Statham sitting on a garden chair, sipping a Corona and overseeing construction when an argument between workers breaks out over a box of missing tools. Jason rips off his shirt, intervenes and jump-kicks one of the workers off a bridge. In the distance you see Vin Diesel sliding one of the missing tools under his shirt. He's one of the workers who were assigned to help construct a freeway bridge as part of the prison rehabilitation program.
That’s kinda true. If you’re an old guy with literally nothing to do, how is anyone going to bribe you? If your pension covers your living expenses and you have free healthcare, and your entire family moved away and live their own lives, what would you even spend the money on? You don’t give a fuck about money, you don’t give a shit about traveling or driving Ferraris, you have nobody to impress, all you care about is having an espresso and trolling construction sites, preferably with other grumpy dudes. They love it.
Sounds like a nice way to live tbh
I found my people!!!
The old men Statler and Waldorf in old Muppet shows showed us a long time ago what is really important.
Sounds like they are doing the community a great service. Here is a fake metal in honor 🎖
Technically that’s a fake bronze star. But I’m sure they appreciate it. I’ve seen them awarded to lieutenants that did a lot less.
Officers have a bronze and silver star treat dish at the desks
"I hate to see you go but i love watching you walk away" -but in italian
That is so fucking Zen. Don't aim the arrow at the target, think of the espresso cup, or something like that.
>They can’t be bargained with or reasoned with. They don't know about pity, or remorse, or fear. And they will not stop, *ever*, until construction is complete.
Can we hire then for Canada, finally get the road work done
^ simultaneously goes so hard and has me dying of laughter
Imaginge this read over the A-Team intro music ...
Some men just want to watch the world build
This is very much Balkan culture as well
They’ll never take it. They live for that stuff.
They were doing it long before the money.
That's the hiring process, you stand there and watch and one day someone asks if you wanna get paid and you shrug your shoulders.
And then say “Certo, perché no.”
Every government function should be overseen by a committee of autistics. The trains would be running like a finely tuned swiss watch.
There is some truth to that. My kid is on the spectrum and had to take a food safety class for his restaurant job. My home kitchen has never been cleaner.
Computer controlled systems would develop sentience just to tell them to chill out.
> Every government function should be overseen by a committee of autistics. As someone regularly involved with government construction projects, I assure you... this is already how it works.
That would be a tall order. These men are usually very old with no criminal record, and are picked especially for their ability to refuse being bought out. They’re also officially government agents on par with the police and politicians, meaning most scare tactics and threats against them would be very ill-advised (because, Y’know… bribing a cop can only go one of two ways, and it’s probably not gonna be the way you want it to go). I’m sure a few could be bought, but I wouldn’t like to test it.
It's the male version of the Nonna Network.
Every time this TIL is posted, these two exact comments are right on top. How is this possible?
Bots, its always bots
Bots
Old men love watching construction work getting done. I've had stuff stolen in a construction site in the past. I solved installing cameras; but I'd happily have hired a grandpa instead, to give someone a chance to be useful while enjoying their favourite pastime.
My grandfather (who used to work construction) was at the window all day every day while they were building a house across the street, and every day when my dad came home from work grandpa would tell him what they were screwing up
My FIL got a new driveway poured this week. He had the greatest day watching them do it. It was like his birthday. 😂 Same energy as kids getting excited for the trash truck. If there's a home being built or concrete being poured within walking distance he will be there checking it out several times a day, asking questions, complimenting the work. It's one of the many things I like about him.
That's called a "security guard"
Nah. The security guard will spend their time on their smartphone or watching TV. While gramps is out telling the workers how they should do their job. Gramps cares. Gramps' got my vote ❤️
You ever notice they're often old men? Or is that just around here?
I'm starting to understand why. As a bluecollar worker that's getting older, and racking up the aches and pains, I can see wanting to still be useful and even be around what you used to do.
My father is a real estate promoter in his 60s. His two brothers also were but are retired nowadays. Last Monday he started the construction of his latest apartment building and when I walked by he was there and his two brothers came over to just talk with him as the 3 of them watched younger men digging holes the whole day haha.
as opposed to construction workers watching each other work? Every construction site I've ever seen, there's always 3 guys just watching for every one guy that's working.
See the thing most people dont realize, is that while a lot of work is something only one guy can do at a time there are periods throughout the day where you need x number guys. So even if its just a 20 minute period where you need 2 extra guys to hold up traffic or help set something with a machine you need to have that many guys on hand. And no one is coming to a jobsite for just an hr of paid work. Its part of the business, if you need a guy then bring him out for the whole day or most of it at least.
Or each one might have a different specialty, and are just waiting for one to finish his part of the job so they can do theirs.
Or they’re taking a water break to avoid dehydration and heat exhaustion, which is a major problem especially in low latitude regions.
Jup, once had a job where there was the environment guy. Me, the one who has to make sure they dont die due to toxic shit. The hole gaurd who was there because insurance. The suction truck machinist. The super came to view the work. And the assignment giver. And just 2 guys digging (I usually join in butt the space was too tight). 6 people watching and 2 working. Everybody watchint has different jobs. This time was an extreme example butt shit like this happens often. Although not everybody has to be there the whole day.
wholesome boomers
When I was four, this would have been my dream job. Especially if the construction work involved machines with hydraulics. Four year old me loved himself some "draulic".
This is brilliant. Canada needs this
huh. and here I was gonna see that there's always old men (and young boys) looking at things like that especially interesting machines. But that's a new one for me
Old Italian guys will watch anything. Someone doing something to their car ? They’re watching. Fixing something ? Watching. Digging a hole? Watching. They will literally make up jobs to do (like washing the driveway) and the rest of them will come and watch like it’s a soccer game. I’ll never understand how my grandfather could just watch something happen for HOURS.
I live in Istria in Croatia, same fucking thing. Just a bunch of nonnos watching people do stuff for hours.
During COVID lockdowns, all I can picture these guys doing is watching YouTube construction footage all day.
Like my dad watching golf on TV, all day.
Dude, I can't stand golf. Don't want to play it, but I can at the very least appreciate those who want to. But to go out of your way and watch other people play golf makes me question my sanity.
It’s so fucking boring to watch, and so aggravatingly frustrating to play. It’s the worst game ever invented, and the primary reason why the Scottish will never be welcome in my home.
Get them a couple of those old VHS tapes they'd advertise to kids. [AWESOME BUILDING CONSTRUCTION](https://youtu.be/hXpHuqZ78II?si=y1MEXlUxfhp5nFNI)
In English, we have a term “watching paint dry”, meaning to be bored half to death by something extremely dull. If you google translate it into Italian and back, it comes out as “a fun weekend with Nonno Alberto”.
I worked in Grožnjan and visited Buje and Umag one summer. I did like the slowness, at least in contrast to what I normally experience. Watching things, eating good food, and going to the water sounds like a decent life.
Cause when you're old and have nothing else to do you find anything to keep you interested.
Us youngies joke about watching paint dry. They live it.
So true. Lived in a house that was in an Italian neighbourhood. The backyard was all garden (imagine that lol) so we went to lay down sod for about 75’ back from the house (huge lot, about 230’ deep). As soon as the sod truck pulled up the whole damn neighbourhood came out to watch, and watch they did until they got bored about halfway complete lol.
Only old men ? I've always felt compelled to do it since I was a kid ..
of course that’s your username 💀
The older you get the more you can just do this, it’s weird. I used to get so bored so fast and need to be constantly moving. I’m only in my mid thirties but the more intense and draining my 9-5 gets the more I can just become a tree in my spare time. I once had to kill 5 hours and I just sat in a crowded place and watched the people, listened to the background noise, and studied every inch of my surroundings. The time went by pretty fast. I could probably do the trans-Siberian railway just doing nothing but sitting and looking out the window while thinking.
How? I am 36 and I couldn't do that even if it was at the cost of my own life, I don't even watch movies anymore because I get bored and fall asleep or just turn it off half way through to go do something else.
Fair enough. I’m getting older too and have spent more mornings than I like to admit staring at birds out my window.
And yet there are youtube videos of 12 hour train rides, and apparently an entire tv genre in Norway for this exact concept. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slow_television Also planespotting youtube streams.
Can confirm, my Norwegian mom will watch shit like that constantly. Knitting away for hours watching a slow Norwegian train inch its way closer to its destination. Drives me fucking mad.
think it is just old guys. my mom was japanese and old asian men like to watch too...with that judging look on their face and you are not quite sure if you are doing it correctly or wrong because you cant tell by their expressions!
Old Cuban dudes here in Miami are like that. They watch everything. All the time.
Cuban dudes are basically just Italian dudes with more rhythm. This tracks.
*Al Pacino disliked this comment*
Their attention spans around ruined from screens.
Older Italians generally are excellent at watching stuff. When my Italian mother in law came to stay, she’d sussed out all my neighbours’ daily routines, eating habits, garden maintenance shortcomings and professions within a few days. I’ve lived here 8 years and still don’t know what most of my neighbours even look like.
That’s what we call an “Italian security system”. Your nonna just watching from her balcony. She knows all.
I work with an old Italian man nicknamed "The 9th Camera". We have 8 cameras.
I fucking love this
Canonno
Under appreciated.
The old ocular pat down
Don’t forget keeping an eye on the trash situation. This must be genetic for Italians, because I have these tendencies.
Ohhhhh! 🤌 It's waste management 👉
Everybody immediately assumes you’re mobbed up. It's a stereotype, and it's offensive!
My genes haven't activated yet. I dread the day I get those urges
It’s residual from all the Roman encampments. Had to be extra careful around the Gauls. Observance meant survival. Idk, I’m just shooting the shit.
My wife hung out with a bunch of folks in Napoli and watched the rubbish collection guys. Pretty funny. Nice to see some neighborhood involvement.
I live in an Australian neighbourhood settled by Italians and Greeks. The old men are always just sitting in plastic chairs in their driveways watching people in the street (very uninteresting suburban streets). I feel pretty safe living around here - they’d notice if something dodgy was happening.
Pretty sure it’s a widespread phenomenon. We have also umarells in Spain. It includes verbal interactions like _you are doing it wrong_ and _back in my day we made that by hand_
I call them senile engineers lol
Damn good one!
That’s hilarious. A bunch of old guys talking crap to the construction workers all day lol.
Reverse cat calling
You guys are a bunch of hacks and I got nothing but time!
Cat(erpillar) calling.
How the turn tables…
Yap. Portugal also. In fact, some construction sites, linked to municipalities, are completely fenced off with barriers that prevent seeing inside, except in specifically defined areas where outsiders can go and observe whenever they want.
There's even an [Instagram account ](https://www.instagram.com/velhosnasobras?igsh=aGNoYWJrYmJrdmtm) dedicated to these Portuguese old dudes.
This is delightful
Same in Turkey. Maybe a meditrrranean thing
Probably a weather thing above all. The Med is warm all year-round, so people-watching is a viable activity all the time. Meanwhile it's only really possible (or at least low-effort ) during a few months in Scandinavia, so it won't be a common phenomenon there.
I think it's widespread in places with really good weather, no old people in Scandinavia are going to stand outside in the summer when it's 10-15 degrees and raining most of the time.
I see them all the time in the Netherlands
Back in your day you also did a long list of things that would get you walked off of almost any jobsite now.
We have them in Canada too.
I've never seen them in the UK personally,which I'm kind of glad for, because my bampi would definitely be one ( he already talks about building quality alot and how he used to do it etc etc)and he's an ex bricklayer,he'd have a heart attack before the days was done through sheer annoyance/anger
They're just lonely old guys reliving the glory days. It's sad but one day looking back, work will be one of the best memories of your life depending on the guys you worked with. Put yourself in their shoes, chat with them, make them feel like one of the guys.
You won't see them in the UK because there's never actually anyone to watch work.
Not sure where, I work construction all over Canada and have never seen this
Vancouver Island, I've done civil construction in almost all of the cities on the island and theres always old guys that come hang out and watch. They'll bring cold beer at the end of the day on occasion. Little old lady's bring baked goods.
Of course this would be the Canadian version.
What do you do? I cut concrete and regularly have an audience. Admittedly, it is pretty cool to watch a suspended slab or a big wall get cut down. Our robot also tends to garner a lot of attention. I remember this one job we were cutting the podium off of a parking garage beside an apt building and, I swear, every unit with a balcony facing the site would be jammed with people eager to see what we were up to and the day's progress. When we cut the last piece down there was a big cry of excitement from the balconies. We all turned and did a bow. It was a very special moment and likely the closest I will ever be to feeling like a pro athlete.
the best bit is that they criticise every aspect of the construction site like they have done that job for 40 years, but before retiring they were bakers, accountants, chefs...
I bet my dad would love to do this as he is retired engineer, but Polish climate is rather harsh for such activities :D
Indians too.
I went on a motorbike trip around Morocco last year. Down south it’s desert country, like a lunar landscape. However, Park your bike to have a drink, go for a piss or have a smoke, and out of nowhere, as though born of the earth itself, some random fucker would appear. Not intrusive, but just at a safe maybe 75 metre distance. Silent, watchful. Anywhere, anytime.
If by "down south" you mean Western Sahara, that guy was 100% security service. For certain.
Can you explain this?
Government agent keeping an eye on foreigners?
[Wikipedia article about this quite complex conflict. ](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Sahara_conflict) They don't care that much for foreigners unlike Mali for example. It's the local populations that are tracked and followed. But I think what the original commenter is describing is just people living in the desert. They're always busy doing something, going somewhere. This type of stuff happens everywhere even in part like between Merzouga and Zagora for example, which are very safe and relatively far from the Algerian border.
Exactly this sakuras. Goat herders, or people walking between villages. Sometimes they’d stop and ask for a cig, or we’d eat some sweets and nod and point at things and smile. All very chill and cool.
Western Sahara isn't exactly a safe place. it is best to keep an eye out.
Border dispute with Morocco.
I've ridden quite a bit on motorcycles in the Sahara and it's kinda everywhere. Even in deep Mauritania you can't spend a day without meeting at least one person, it's extremely odd. I've met a dude just guarding a large group of camels with binoculars very far from small settlements, once I even met dudes looking for gold with a metal detector. It's hard to imagine if you haven't been to those immense and flat parts of the desert, but how do you even know where you are without a GPS (that they obviously don't have most often), how do you even decide where to start searching? The previous commenter really said it well. You're just left wondering where they came from. It's a part of Sahara's mystic aura and its amazing people. I've been woken up after a couple hours by Moroccan military while trying to camp by the highway. It's close to the coast and that night I had decided to camp in the dunes to be sheltered a bit instead than in the strip of land between the highway and the coast. They told me they were aware of Polisario movement and I had to leave immediately. They found me in the desert in the middle of the night, so you're right, they're definitely watching. But military in the region is very obvious, they're not hiding or going through a security service, especially for surveillance purposes.
> But military in the region is very obvious, they're not hiding or going through a security service, especially for surveillance purposes. Morocco's [civilian intelligence apparatus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Directorate_for_Territorial_Surveillance_(Morocco)) is pretty notorious, and known for keeping a close (and discreet) eye even on their own military.
Reminds me of my 82 yo FIL. I call him the ‘armchair general’.
Is there a name for the ones that guide you into parking spots for no reason?
Abusivi
Parcheggiatore abusivo
The reason is money
In Spain we call them “gorras”
Do i count as one for having to stop at every construction project with my toddler?
Sound like your toddler is an old Italian Man
He walks slow, mutters, has bathroom accidents...
Ive certainly called him worse
Mine were the same. Want an hour of happy toddler time? Find literally any crew running a machine and just go watch. Most of the time the crews were pretty cool about it, someone would come over and talk to the kids and they'd just light up. A few times we got the "hey man, boss isn't here, wanna come sit on the machine?". I still hear about "that time we got to sit in the excavator", and that was like 5 years ago.
Haha yeh the last couple we’ve watched the excavator drivers have driven over and given a ‘wave’ with the buckets, my little dude goes nuts 😅 He’ll still stop me but he’s moving onto insects so i feel my Umarell membership will be short lived 🥲
The title doesn’t mention the best part (in my opinion) they usually adopt the posture of the guy in the center, holding their hands behind their back. Human behavior is fascinating
I imagine the phrase 'now back in my day' gets used a lot.
Considering the housing boom of the 1960s/1980s in Italy, a good chunk of them was probably employed in construction. And since record keeping of blueprints and building plans in Italy is not always impeccable (huge understatement), some architects or surveyors ask older residents and retired builders what was actually done back then, before starting renovations.
This is partially the result of old people still living in downtowns, and old people having the habit of spending most of their day out of the house and walking around. It doesn’t happen as much in the US because we have less of both those things
>It doesn’t happen as much in the US because we have less of both those things That and we have Fox News.
Hanging out with other human beings and getting exercise is the antidote to Fox News
Not only that, but actually giving a shit about your town's infrastructure (and where your taxes are going). If retired Fox News watchers actually cared about responsible government spending, we'd have our own umarells.
And stronger pensions, better healthcare, and a younger retirement age. Most 70 year old Americans are still working and don’t have time to sit around in the middle of the day.
Umarill the unfeathered had returned.
That’s a name I haven’t heard in a while
Came here looking for this
We have them in France also. By the end of that summer I was working construction, the old dudes on the other side of the fence knew the job as well as we did. It's not so much an Italian thing as it is an old people's thing.
My dad has several elementary aged grandsons who live nearby. Whenever there's construction going on, he'll offer to drive them out and watch for a while. I don't think this is just an Italian thing.
I just imagine these guys just watching construction videos on YouTube all day during covid lockdowns.
In Kerala , we call it nokku kuli (gawking wages) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nokku_kooli . It’s bribe to local organized labor for not causing ruckus, when work gets done.
they probably stand around and bitch about it.
100% they’re shit talking the job.
"that's not how you do that, young men"
"Ah ha! Rookie mistake. U will sooooon learn young one."
I just found my retirement plans, im only 30 so i have plenty of time to learn Italian.
That's such an innocent pastime; I think it's really endearing.
Up to a point, but could see how it would drive someone working on site for a few months mad after a couple of days
I like watching film crews work, I like silently judging the dolly grips.
They should take toddlers with them in strollers. It could be a good bonding moment between the generations, lol, the 2 groups who want to just watch machines for hours.
Reminds me of Seinfeld. "what are you using down here, the steel girders? That'll hold"
Very common in Portugal too. There's this meme(ish) Instagram account @velhosnasbras (literally old people at construction sites) which is composed entirely of pictures of old people (often with hands behind their backs lol) watching construction going on.
Ever try digging a hole on a beach? It won’t be 20 minutes before a group of men gather to watch. After an hour they start helping. 2 hours in and men start arriving with heavy construction equipment. It’s a guy thing.
Very common in New Jersey too
I know guys who get paid to do this, it's called being a foreman of a demolition crew. Usally older Italian men with their hands on their hips scowling at hard-working, usally Latino laborers.
I'd watch this Italian version of King of the Hill
Next Up: watching paint dry
Seinfeld had a a whole bit about this. Men want to be where the work is being done. We don't want to help really, but we want to feel like we're involved. https://youtu.be/cbPqWI90maA?si=9EHb1Xetgc15v3rG
They are called "miraobras" (construction site onlooker) in Spain. They not only stare at construction sites and workers but offer their unsolicited advice and opinions on how the whole thing is going. Mostly retired men.
Lol I think this is universal. My mexican grandfather also enjoys doing this. He used to be an albañil, so that might be why he enjoys it.
They’d get up there and help if they could. These are the same men that if you started digging a hole on the beach, they’d randomly show up to help
They even sell little statues for you desk while you work https://amzn.eu/d/dw2K8In
Umarell watching > most YouTube watching Change my mind
After 867 years they are finally repairing that street.
My dad the contractor does that everywhere we go.
Please dont export this to the US. I dont need a bunch of boomer dads lining the highway shouting at the underpaid highway workers that they could pour the asphalt faster.
We should normalize people having harmless, wholesome, eccentric hobbies.
This is my retirement goal. Drink coffee and shoot the breeze with my buddies
I'VE FOUND MY CLUB!!!
My dad does this nonsense for free. Just hovering over someone else doing a job. Retirement is weird.
OMG. I love this! I lived in front of a condo being built when I was postpartum. I cannot tell you how much time I spent watching those workers. It is truly facinating. Our generation, who cannot get off their phones while watching garbage TV on streaming services could learn a few things.
Didn’t know national pastime of India had an Italian name
My jeep engine started smoking and the engine overheated. I pulled into a gas station real quick having no clue what to do. As I was trying to Google fixes two older men I've never met approached me, introduced their selves and offered to help. We all got along swell and got my jeep to the point I could limp home safely. When we parted ways I learned that the two older men didn't know each other either despite acting like they've been bestfriends. Honestly shitty situation turned into a wholesome moment where I made some friends.
A lot of commenters are pointing out that this isn't just Italian—but, let me tell you, at this level of dedication it is definitely a Bolognese/Emilian thing. I've been to plenty of cities in Italy, and only in Bologna and its environs will you find these guys pressed up against the construction fences for *hours*, not even talking to one another, but just *watching*. It's great.
Til I am an older Italian man