These guys are right-a thankless, horrible job. Had a girl who did for the outfit back in my line clearance days, and boy did she have some horror stories, especially in the inner cities. Everything from getting dogs sicced on her to guys meeting her at the door with a gun and once even getting her truck stolen. She made $11 but that was 7-8 years ago and was definitely not enough in my opinion!
She was a great woman but it was rough for her. We got the contract to do the trimming for a power company whose lines had never been trimmed with anything more aggressive than a pole clip for the last 40 years and the power company wanted some serious holes blown down the lines. She would have to tell homeowners that guys were coming to cut a 10 foot hole through their trees. She got alot of abuse. Might not be so bad if you are working for a power company who has had a regular trimming cycle and people know what to expect.