Wish I had a camera

[treeman82]

I was working with a good friend today cutting grass. The place we were working at was the last house for the day, and we are scheduled to remove a good sized willow tree there next month. Anywho, when we are about to leave, I see this guy in the driveway next door cutting a couple trees down. The guy was wearing shorts, sneakers, and a sleeveless shirt. If I am not mistaken, he was using a Mculloc? saw which had to be as dull as a pencil eraser. The guy came up the neigboring driveway with a truck from out of state (Dodge dakota) starts dropping some descent sized pine and spruce trees into this field right next to the truck. No wedges, no ropes, no nothing. Sadly, he didn't drop anything on his truck while I was watching, however I felt that some form of accident was bound to occur. I would have loved to have seen a Dodge pancake.

 

[xander9727]

Instead of wishing ill will on him you could have tried to educate him. Probably wouldn't have worked but at least your conscience would be clear if he did damage something or himself.

 

[Derek]

badvibe

On a recent sunday off, I took the kids to get a "freddo" at the local shop(only one here)..I did a lap of the village here and was suddenly,Hazard lights on,out of the car SCREAMING at this old man about to cut the head off a 7m gum tree...

he was standing on a ladder that was side ways to the tree...
He some old sthil, fairly big,certainly very heavey...
It was blowin pretty strong to....Couldent believe it...

I explained to him (quite angerly) that even if he had the ladder behind the tree(ie in line with scarf) when the head went off it would knock the ladder backwards with him and chiansaw falling to the ground...

Then pointed out that SIDEWAYS any tiny flick of the tree would of been quite devistating....His reply was "Well ive got the rest of it down" Yerrh and look at the fence...And look where thats going to land,It almost certainly will hit the house....

I told him in no un certain terms...Get that *&^%ing ladder out of here Cleanup that mess AND DONT TOUCH ANYTHING ELES...
I told him 'I will be back in twenty minutes to do it for you, FOR FREE...

My nerves had setteled a bit and explained that even large trucking companys here tell there drivers, If your involved in a hi speed (highway) accident...Dont try to offer help...large firms have had to pay out big buck$ to poor drivers who have been trumatized by the seen of accidents and they carnt drive anymore.

I live in this village(pop 250) to...How do you think I am going to feel when I find out one of my naighbours has been killed felling a tree??

By the time I got back(4mins) dropped off the kids,got my stuff together,I was shakin like a leaf...For all the scary stuff I get up to round power lines all the time...That seemed to be the scarist thing i've ever seen....I just stopped some one from serious injury or even dying..

I tend to agree with xander..Do somthing...Might fall on deaf ears but it also might "jog" him into rethinking what he is doing...

And treeman I dont EVER wont to see ANYTHING flattened. Be dodge or ford AND certainly not my toyota...

BTW It took me longer to get dressed, than do the tree,I went to the top removed a couple that would miss every thing and catch the wind,stuck a rope in it and got him and his mate to pull it away from the house while i cut it off at ground level....

But then I do live in a small place....However if I were to visit Westchester County N.Y and saw something like you describe going on I recon i'd still be out of the car.....My conscience would be clear....take care of your selfs AND EACH OTHER.....Derek....

 

[treeman82]

I know my buddy had worked at the neighboring house before doing tree work. I am also quite certain that whoever it was that was felling those trees did not own the property.

 

[Derek]

abitharsh

Hey treeman........Dont mind me, i'm Just a SAFTEY FREAK....
I suppose too, that i'm forgetting about the "PER CAPITA" RULES

How long would it take you to get to work if you were to try to help someone that was doing something silly or dangerous??

 

[Newfie]

"I am also quite certain that whoever it was that was felling those trees did not own the property."


WTF difference does that make?

 

[treeman82]

Well, if it's the homeowner who was cutting the trees, then its just a foolish DIY'er. However if this person was paid to do the work, then they should have DEFINATELY known better.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Word.

 

[Yellowdog]

Originally posted by treeman82
I The guy was wearing shorts, sneakers, and a sleeveless shirt. If I am not mistaken, he was using a Mculloc? saw which had to be as dull as a pencil eraser. The guy came up the neigboring driveway with a truck from out of state:

What's wrong with shorts if you have the other safety gear on? I don't think I ever wear pants. Neither does the Crocodile Hunter!

Seriously, my outfits consist of head protection, ear protection, eye protection, gloves and shorts and occasionally chaps over the shorts. Looks funny but works.

 

[Derek]

hi yellow dog ...

Shorts, if youve got the conditions for them go for it..

For me harvest wear pants ALLWAYS and overalls over them, I like my armour plating, some tress here in oz "ironbarks" will rip you to pecies...Plus we get some really painfull bugs and ants up the trees...Ive worn it all even in 43*c (I think thats over 100*f)

Spiders the size of plates,ticks,bees,wasps,stink bettels and my personal favorite BULL ANTS ..I got stung 17 times (by only about 6 ants) on one leg, and a branch on my rope (couldent prussic down)..My EX groundie was stuffing around and dident know...I had the spider knife out and was just about to cut it and pole strap down, When 4 guys and chainsaws came running..The other crew, on the other side of the line..60 m away..

Shorts here I dont think so...BTW could you post a pic of you wearing chaps over shorts..I could a good chuckle

MBTW ex is back feeding the chipper...See if he can concentrait on that...Derek..

 

[Derek]

nolaughingmatter

ok just to be fair i'll post first..

Ants are so bad in some places I wear (Homemade)leather wraps, Held on by velcro, with helmet sweatbands as padding on the top and bottom, bottom one are supposed to trap the ants..

I recon this looks pretty silly..Summer shot this, no overalls on ,but then i'm not climbing this one...

I looked bull ants up on the net on day, Just to see if they took down whole kangaroos or what..Turns out they are (older ones)
vegaterians. Its just that they look at you and chase you, will even jump on you.They go for any vibrations near there nest..Just imagin the vibes out of my 88 mag...Derek..

P.S dont you love the belt...

 

[ROLLACOSTA]

Originally posted by xander9727
Instead of wishing ill will on him you could have tried to educate him. Probably wouldn't have worked but at least your conscience would be clear if he did damage something or himself.

why give an idiot like that a free lesson???.no i say leave people like that to it and hope they 'DO FLATTEN ''there truck
or property ..i get sick of seeing firms and D.I.Yers around like that.. .P.S nobody came from out of the blue and gave me free lessons in arboriculture i either earned someones respect and was kindly shown differant/better methods or paid and whent to college and other further education courses all of which cost me time and lot of ££££s..i dont help fee loaders ....SOME OF YOU GUYS NEED TO REMEMBER THAT YOUR RUNNING A COMPANY NOT A CHARITY!!!!

i personaly ''LOVE '' reading or hearing articles on people who have done some damage whilst doing ..D.I.Y..

 

[Derek]

badkarma

G'day rolla

I admit, I dont mind watching "world funniest videos" or that other "stupid **** people get up to" type shows (mosly US),

But at the end of the day doesent it cost you some work?
Does it help or hinder your business to have STORIES floatin round about flattened trucks and the side of the house damaged(great video NE) People tend to put off things that might seem a little hazardess, potential customers might think twice about ANYONE hack or pro doing a tree "just in case" (dont people also tend to not know the difference). Do you have to spend more time "selling" your skills to a customer that knows the guy down the road suffered some damage from the last tree guys??

I suposse my many years on rescue teams(all volanteer BTW) {just to offset your concerns amout paying for info via collage}
Have taught me that prevention is better than cure...
I really dont think you can ever learn what the S.E.S has shown me in over 24 years, in any sort of school..

Despite how funny it may all seam. If you've been amongst the first on a 'scene" the amount of times I have..(NOT READING OR HEARING ABOUT ARTICALS where your info seems to come from)

Damage TO WHAT ...Does that include people too?
Lets agree to disagree on this one( I carnt quite get my head around that ATTITUDE...Still freinds thought right?

My kindest regards Derek..

 

[ROLLACOSTA]

Derek i agree with some of your last post ..and no i don't mean damage to people

BUT when i see a hack or a D.I.Y er [usualy the owner of a new car and £250,000 house] then i say theres no-way i'm not giving him a 'FREE LESSON' as for the HACK i hope they get put out of business real quick even if it means they do some damage ie pancake the truck..i've found that some people in this world give and take in life and some do a lot of takeing im not helping the takers no chance

had a client break his collerbone caused by doing his own tree work ,typical greedy taker £300,000 house several new cars etc i had not a drop of sympathy for him in fact i had a little chuckle i bid on his remaining work ,what did he do hire a hack [lowballer,with no insurance or qaulifacations climbing gear etc] money was the only thing on this guys mind he deserve what ever he gets imo

i don't want to sound totaly insensative , ive helped out many a needy 'GREATFULL ' person man ive carried out few hundred ££s worth of work for a cup of tea and slice of cake..but they weren't tight ass penny pinchers..iv'e seen a lot of first class tradesman who have never made a penny why ??they spent there life saving other better off people money and being mr nice and helpfull

DEREK i think we share the same veiws in around about way just these computers seem to change the vibes a bit

 

[MasterBlaster]

I wore shorts once, to work.

Once wuz e-nuff!:alien:

 

[OutOnaLimb]

Sounds like Darwinism at its finest. I see clowns on ladders around here all the time and wish I to had a camera. I had an "old timer" call me a young punk college boy one time when I walked across the street to watch him take down a huge locust. I definately wish I had a camera for this. He would cut a narrow humbolt it the spar of the tree, and that was his "False Crotch." he would tie a half hitch on an old piece of blue streak. and then tie a clove hitch to the 4 ft chunk that he was lowering. He would cut it with a dull saw. Then let it shock load the rope. and then lower is by hand while his wife ran the ground. I was like, "oh yeah, a true professional here." I asked about him lowering something on a rig like that, and he said. "thats why I pay for these ropes. its experience Baby. None of this college sh!t" I shook my head, made a few jokes about. his "signature tree service" He is gonna leave his signature on the home owners roof. And walked away, cleaned up my mess on the other side of the street and headed on to the next job. Would I feel bad if this guy sent a 800lbs chunck through some ones roof. Absolutely not. Would I feel bad if that chunck bounced off the roof and took out the distrobution loop that was running through the tree that he was removing, and turned him into a chrispy critter? Absolutely not. I just hope that this guy kills himself before he kills some innocent on the ground. Call me calouse. There are no teaching people like this. They have been doing stuff like this, "longer than you have been around, and nothing bad has happened." Oh well I will get off my soap box. I have zero sympathy for hacks.

Kenn

 

[xander9727]

The old guy may be a little behind the technology but don't assume too quickly you can't learn a thing or two from him. Am I to assume you don't know natural crotch rigging, both naturally occuring in the tree and cut out of natural materials (i.e. the tree) cut with your chainsaw? I agree that a arborist block and a sling are a better method but it doesn't hurt to know the old school methods. You never know when you'll find some of your gear missing the day of a huge removal. The more skills and or methods you master the less chance there is you'll look like a rube. I'd recommend using cheap three strand and knowing the wood weight charts before you start practicing.

 

[OutOnaLimb]

I will store that in my little bag of tricks. However the chances of me ever DOING that are slim to none. I like my Blocks, loopie slings and a port a wrap.

Kenn

 

[MasterBlaster]

Youse guys...

 

[OutOnaLimb]

What? I would never, and I repeate NEVER lower a chunk of wood in this manner. Sure it may work, but you wont ever see me doing it. Im just waiting on some others to sharp shoot me for not being more openminded to different techniques. How ever if I was to mention this technique in lowering large blocks of I would be labeled a hack. Go figure.

So Xander, Im just curious, do you abuse your old climb lines in this manner???

Kenn