Couldn't believe my eyes

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Deere John

ArboristSite Operative
Joined
Feb 2, 2001
Messages
368
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15
Location
Northern Ontario, Canada
I was on my way to the store on Sunday, and I hear the "music" down the street.

I slowed the truck, and saw the 36' Pitman that I used to own at work trimming trees. I separated the boom from the 5-ton chassis so I could sell them easier 6 years ago. The boom was remounted on a one-ton with manual stabilizers and does primarily sign work now.

The fellow was wearing shorts, a tee shirt and sneakers with no socks - and he was flailing away with a chain saw.

Within one minute (I stopped the truck), I saw no PPE, harness, lanyard etc, muffs, gloves or stabilizers being used on the truck. He was 25-30 feet from the ground with the truck up on the front lawn. The chain on the saw was hanging 1" plus from the bar, there was no chain brake on the saw and he was working alone.

He was one-cut, flush cutting all the "fine" trim work that he was doing, and managed to drop two limbs in the time I was there on the cable and hydro lines. No ropes. I could see tears where the one-cuts ripped the bark of the trunk. He was cutting into the branch collar.

I parked and waited for him to come down. I introduced myself and we talked about the nice long weekend and the fine trim work he had just finished. He was doing it as a freebee favour for his brother-in-law and said he doesn't do trees usually, just sign work. I said "I can see that". He didn't even get offended with that comment. I offered to give him a few pointers some day, but he was not interested.

Guys like this were one of the reasons I went back to forestry and got away from the individual tree work. Anyone else still see this work going on?
 
You bet, We had a strange snow storm two days ago and by my office this 40 foot pine fell down. I ran to the office real quick as I saw this guy using a hand saw to cut it up. I wanted to show some of the other guys. When I came out he got his bad boy saw out. His 10in electric remington. It was so amusing. Needless to say, most the tree is still there. The other thing I like is "bonsai" ash trees. Or bonsai anything. Topping happens all the time here. The city forester will do something if he catches you, but Denver is too large for that to happen too often. Most illegal cuts happen on the weekend. Its always interesting too see what someone else is using your old equipment for.
 
Darin - what does your town Bylaw enforcer/forester have to say about tree topping? We don't have that position in our municipal government nor the rules. What are the penalties?
 
Unfortunately, I see more bad tree work than good tree work. Standard work wear around here seems to be shorts, tennis shoes, and baseball cap. The thing that bugs me the most is seeing someone butcher a tree that I had bid on. I charge a fair price to do the right thing, but some people just don't realize you usually get what you pay for. We have tree ordinances requiring permits for removals and fines for topping, but I don't see much enforcement.
 
The one that yanks my chain is the guy who will bid a job to "city stack" so the rest of the tax payers get to support the removal of Joe Blow's silver maple removal.

Anyone remember the old comic There Oughta Be A Law? The use the acronym "TOBAL!". I think I'll start using it.
 
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