What’s at Whitsett
The nice part about living in a small town is that when you don’t know what you’re doing, someone else does! ~ anon
Whitsett, population 150, is best known as being the setting for the 2008 horror film The Wild Man of the Navidad.
If you’re not from Texas, mostly likely you’ve never heard of Whitsett, TX. If you are from Texas, most likely you’ve never heard of Whitsett, TX . 
So, what’s at Whitsett? Well we are, along with 5 other gate guards and a whole bunch of service wagons, waiting for assignments.
Below is the view from the front door. We only have one door and it’s on the side, but I think, in an RV, that’s still considered the front door?
But there’s more to Whitsett than GGS. We took a trip to town today to find the post office and took a few pictures of the town along the way.
The lady at the post office, whose name I’m sorry to have forgotten, couldn’t have been nicer.
She said she used to read books and fall asleep until someone came in ringing the bell and waking her up. That was before Eagle Ford Shale. She hasn’t read a book in a year!
I loved it that they have anonymous mail. What is anonymous mail do you suppose? They have signs for it and bins of it. Maybe all post offices do, I don’t know. I didn’t ask because I thought it might be a government secret or something.
A small town is a place where there’s no place to go where you shouldn’t go. ~ Burt Bacharack
To read the papers and to listen to the news… one would think the country is in terrible trouble. You do not get that impression when you travel the back roads and the small towns. They do care about their country and wish it well. ~Charles Kuralt
We couldn’t resist. We split a brisket sandwich and Heidi got a giant pickle, all for under $5. The decor in the tiny gas station/ convenience store/ deli was what we’ve become accustomed to down here. 
Possibly should have clarified that it was, indeed, beef brisket since I took this photo just across the street…
We couldn’t really find any town or J & B TACOS.
So just in case the question of what’s in Whitestt has been weighing on your mind, now you know!
Debbie, We have been doing security work – 12 hr shifts since 2005. This is our first gate guard job with the same company. When we took this assignment in July, 2011 the pay was good, we thought-. This assignment is employee status where before we were Independent Contractors. Until this assignment we had not heard of any other companies. The one we work for was recommended to us by a neighbor’s friend in 2005. Just this week I’ve found all these blogs/sites and found several gate guard companies.
Can you give me an idea of what the pay scale is for a couple for 24/7 shifts. Bird731713 above, said $175.00 a day is low for a couple. But a few GGS people I’ve met at the laundry mat said they get $125.00 a day is this for 12 hr shift or 24 hr shift.?
We leave Friday for a 3 mo break but hope to return in May for another 6 mos, hopefully at the same gate. We are 6 miles east of Flowerton of Hwy 97 – then 6 miles on nice maintained dirt road. 43 miles from rig to Wal-Mart in Pleasanton, or 40 miles to Pearsall.
Will continue to read your site and RV.Net wile on break, very interesting info.
Thanks, vmp
End of my shift is near and I’m ready for my box. Janet reminded me I gotta get up at noon. we got relief coming today so I can start the process on my volunteer thing. I recently learned that the Mcmullen County EMS is severely understaffed with one full timer and the rest volunteers, ( Which I hear are also Scarce). Janet and I want to give back to this little community, so I joined the volunteer program, Today I go to get familiar with the ambulance I’ll be driving while I take my first responders course. The EMS doesn’t get real busy. Sometimes two calls a day, but I feel this is the best way we can give back for the kindness and generosity we have experienced in the two years we’ve been working here. If anyone else is interested in volunteering I’ll see if I can get some contact info and post it here or on my site.
Jeff – what a wonderful thing to do! You’re an inspiration!
Debbie
thank you for the comments on my site. I’ve been having a number of issues getting it up and running properly. Fortunately for me Miss Kathy Stepped in and fixed everything so the site is working right. I wanted to point out if I may that my site has a chat room. We are hoping to start a late night gate Guard Chat group for all you fellow nite owls. If you Sun worshippers wanna do that in the daytime thats great too, I dunno, I crawl into my box when the sun comes up. http://gatemaster.org check us out
Hurray for Miss K!
D
I LOVE THIS!!! HOW HAVE I BEEN MISSING THIS!??
Love Jen
Well hi there, Jen! I’ve written 260 posts here at Fork in the past 14 months. I started Fork the day we started gate guarding. I didn’t begin writing Two Minutes of Grace until 7 months later.
Glad to see you wherever you pop up!
Debbie
Hi,
I was reading this article and am guessing you are probably seeing it first hand. I would welcome any comments or info from your side.
Is there going to be greater need for gate guards because of this, do you think rates will go up etc.
http://www.chron.com/business/energy/article/Drilling-in-the-Eagle-Ford-shale-sparks-S-Texas-1685388.php#page-2
Andrew – I never have assess to a newspaper. I should see if I can subscribe on line. What a great article! Thank you so much. I’ll re-post it soon. While I would imagine the demand for gate guards will go up, I’m not holding my breath for any wage increase for us…
Debbie
Send some of those gate guards to North Texas. We have been following a fracking crew since December 20 and are on our fourth site. We need to go home for some doctors appointments, etc, but Gate Guard Services cannot find a replacement for us. Help!
Hi James – Gosh, that’s awful. I think the problem is that they have most of us way down south. It’s expensive trip to go up north for just a week or two. Do you work for Brandon? He should be able to find you someone. We have a gate, starting tomorrow or we’d see if we could help you out!
~ Debbie
Where are you James. I know of a woman who goes and sits at sites for GG who have appointments or need a break. She is based in Tilden but will travel. Would you be taking your home on wheels with you.
Hi
I saw some posts about new Oil Gate Gate guard postions wanted somewhere here and now I cannot find it, so am going to post here
I see that RVJobLine.com has oil gate guard positions wanted at $175.00 a day if that helps anyone.
thanks
Reece
Reece – I think this is what you’re looking for:
Texas. We are looking to fill Oilfield Gate Guard Security positions. And we pay well!! We are a gate guard company with 14+ years in the business. You: Must be ready to work – “new jobs” coming up soon! Must have own trailer/RV. Must be a 2 person couple or team. Already security guard level 2 certified is a “huge” plus. Already having experience is a huge plus. $175.00/day. Please email: justin@Oilgates.com Phone: 512-825-7567. J&G Security. $$
Phone: 512-825-7567
Email: justin@Oilgates.com
Luke sent me this add. I don’t anything about them but would love to hear from you if you find out more.
Hope this helps.
Debbie
Seems Like I saw something about this Justin Feller on Andy’s site you might wanna ask him about it or read it on MyoldRV. I read it and di some checking with the state of texas,. They are based out of Beeville, Total number of employees is two and annual gross income of 93,000 dollars. At 175 a day, thats less than what two guards make. As Andy put it, I’d hate to see someone spend their last dollar showing up for a gate that didn’t exist
jeff – it’s that old adage, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is, right?
Debbie
Mmm, the lunch looks good! And I love the “anonymous mail”–maybe it’s for folks who never get any addressed to them? And I truly love the Burt Bacharach quote–I went to see/hear him in Seattle when I was in high school (100 yrs ago). In addition to an autograph, I got to kiss him on the cheek–back then, security wasn’t quite so life & death, as now. I thought surely I’d died and gone to heaven! (“The look of love….”)
Caddo – Really! You kissed Burt Bacharach? Gosh – their must be a haiku in that somewhere!
Debbie
No DQ??? You really are in the boonies!
Hope you get work soon!!
Love you!!
Sis – no kidding! The nearest DQ is about 15 miles. If we get the assignment we were told we’re getting, I think the nearest DQ will be about 50 miles! Now that is remote!!
Love you, too!
Deb
So the pigs either hang on pokes or fill up on beef brisket and nap across the street? We’re cancelling our vacation to Alaska… rescheduling to Whitsett! This is my kind of town, and I don’t even have to learn the language… my translator will be with me. (Pot Pie wants to know if only pigs are allowed to nap after brisket?)
mt – Please gently tell Pot Pie that I’d been down that road several times and the pig has been ‘sleeping’ for at least 3 days. He might want to pass on the brisket and go for the chicken fajitas! I’m not sure I’d cancel the Alaska trip quite yet…
Debbie
Hi Debbie,
Anonymous mail includes over 250 Million pieces that are collected daily from ‘Anonymous’ sources. This includes 300,000 blue collection boxes, mail slots in over 38,000 post offices as well as more than 100 million addresses that the usps serves. Changes were made to the post office procedures after the Antrax attack on congress. i,e, also any package weighing more than 1lb has to be handed to a clerk, not dropped in a collection box. That’s due to the unabomber.
Thats also why the clerks ask you if you want a way to track it. They have your info as well as the money the upsell creates. Congress wants the post office to know who is sending the mail. USPS says, NO can do! Too big to monitor. So the signs tell them to pay attention to who is mailing and make sure there is a return address on the packages.
Just some of my thoughts.
Cheers,
Miss K – Who knew? Well, I guess you knew but I sure didn’t! That’s fascinating! Thanks!
Debbie
Tell me that piggy is sleeping! I don’t think i can see another one on a stick
ANGEL … God bless tortillas … and America while you’re at it. I’m a fan of Burt Bacharack. He’s an amazing lyricist / poet. Also a fan of Charles Kuralt. DId he pass away? He was such an amazing man. AND, btw, i’ve been hearing all about Whitestt, and curious about the spelling? Two “t’s” Love, melis xoxoxo hope you get that assignment soon!
melis – well, if she was sleeping, she slept for several days and then just disappeared. And yes, Charles Kuralt died on the 4th of July in 1997. A friend gave us his On The Road series to listen to as we drove from Oregon to Texas. Fascinating! I have no explanation for the double tt’s in Whitsett. It just is what it is.
Debbie