A Job That Involves Jumping On Mattresses? Seriously?

The next time you get caught jumping on your bed you can tell your parents with a straight face that you are not playing, simply getting ready for a lucrative career in 'Mattress Jumping' - Because believe it or not, there are some people who actually get paid to do that!

However, If you think the job is all 'fun' and requires no particular training or talent, you could not be far from the truth. According to Reuben Reynoso, a professional mattress tester at San Francisco's McRoskey Mattress Factory that still hand makes every mattress, it is real work and one that takes some training. For one, it's not all about jumping to new heights or doing tricks like back flips and somersaults, but rather about feeling each area of the mattress carefully using the soles and toes to detect even the tiniest lumps in the filling. In order to do it right, every bit of the mattress has to be tested slowly and deliberately.

Over the years, Reynoso has figured out the perfect routine. He begins by placing a protective mat over the mattress so that it doesn't get dirty or absorb the smell from his feet. Then begins the fun - He steps to the middle of an edge and then takes five steps back and five steps forward. In this way, he slowly but surely, covers the entire surface. The key according to him is to find the perfect number of jumps - Too many and he will end up either puncturing or flattening the mattress completely. Too few? And it will not fit into the giant stitching machine for that final sewing! Who knew a job that sounds so simple could have so many nuances!

But, before you start practicing the profession in earnest, jumping, is one of the last things that Reuben Reynoso does. Prior to that he is also responsible for assembling each mattress from scratch by laying out a layer of coil then adding fluffy layers of cotton-polyester on top, then a coil - and repeating this action, almost three dozen times. Once the mattress 'sandwich' is ready, he holds it in place with about 40 giant safety pins. Then comes the test jumps, after which it is time to complete the final stitching and declare the mattress ready for sale. It is no wonder that he gets through only 3 a day and the entire company manufactures only 12 a day. However, these are highly coveted mattresses, that retail for $2,700 USD each!

While Reuben will not reveal how he got into this profession, he will admit that it is more fun then being a carpenter, roofer, construction worker, railroad engineer and maker of corn syrup - All jobs he has tried prior to finding his true calling!

Resources: Sfgate.com, huffpo.com