I agree to this extent: Several decades ago, when I was in my early 30s, a coworker kept nagging me to take him to an orange grove so he could pick oranges. (He didn't have a car.) Eventually, I gave in and decided I would try it myself, as a means to earn some extra money.

I was in good physical condition but couldn't believe how difficult it was. No one will ever know unless they try it themselves. That's why I have to laugh when I hear talk-show hosts run off at the mouth about how Americans would/could do it. I don't believe the average American would be able to do it.

This is for several reasons: For example, the ladders they provide are not light weight aluminum. They are made of rough cut heavy timber to make sure that no one would ever want to steal one. These ladders are very tall and heavy and need to be moved frequently. And it's quite a balancing act trying to move from one tree to another without toppling over.

Then try filling up a bushel bag that's hung around your neck while up on the ladder. Think it's easy? Go try it! And walking up and down a ladder, with a heavy weight hung around your neck, isn't exactly easy on your feet.

In order to get your money, you have to fill up a BIG (heavy plastic) container. You get paid by the container which holds a bazillion bushels. And one container doesn't pay all that much. I don't remember exactly what it worked out to but I think you'd be lucky to get about .50 cents per bushell at the time.

Picking oranges in Florida is NOT a job for the average American.