Turned in the Comp today

[newb]

I live in small town USA. Although I do alot of my work in the city. Today one of my customers calls me and says I have to get there right away. His neighbor is having a tree taken down by a "professional" service. He has his bucket there with his chipper. No harness or helmet on him, I can live with that. Three guys on the ground stuffing the chipper, no ppe on any of them. Here's the problem. The oldest is maybe 12 the other two younger. I am not kidding, I could have hurled. I thought about it, and I called the local cop. He talked to me and I expressed my concern. He agreed and went over and shut him down. How do these guys live with themselves. Pete

 

[JeffL]

Thats terrible. Good on ya for callin em in.

 

[paul soccodato]

"You Dirty Rat!"

You did the right thing.

 

[Nailsbeats]

If those were the guy's kids, I would be pissed if I was him. My old man had us doing all kinds of stuff young and I loved it, PPE or not. Personally my kids will have PPE, all we had was a rope and saddle and I was climbing technically "professionally" since I was 12 and so was my brother.

If he was hiring other kids that young and not protecting them then there's a case, maybe. Maybe he will take the situation to court. Some small town cop's opinion doesn't mean much. I think he'd have to prove he was employing minors.

If you're from Iron Ridge, you should know what I am talking about. Just my country boy opinion.

On a side note, my boy's will be feeding the chipper by the time they're 8, and climbing with saws at 12. Train em' right and let them go. Scare's the sh1t out of people, my dad got that a lot when we were young, and he raised 4 very skilled/competent leaders. Personally I would applaud the kids for working.

 

[ddhlakebound]

I've taken my young teenage boys to easy jobsites (where I stay on the ground) to drag brush and lug block, supervised.

Having them run the chipper unsupervised as pre-teens seems to be pretty high on the "could I be more irresponsible" list, to me.

On the other hand, I'm never a fan of calling in the law unless it's absolutely necessary. Man up, and walk over there and ask him what the hell he's doing yourself.

I wonder how many drunks drove by while the small town cop was on chipper safety patrol.

 

[Adkpk]

When I was in the Boy Scouts (about 12, I didn't last to long) We got caught with a dozen cartons of cigarettes and other contraband. It was a big summer camp in the Adirondacks. They took us out in the woods and made us feed a chipper for three days. Like ten of us. I couldn't believe it. We were eaten alive with mosquitoes.

My question is, where were then newb?:hmm3grin2orange:

My dear ole dad was scoutmaster.

 

[M.D. Vaden]

If those were the guy's kids, I would be pissed if I was him.

Yeah ...

But i think the example he saw may be nearly equivalent to child abuse.

You know like where people leave their kids unattended in vehicles, or in locked hot vehicles.

In other words, putting them in dangerous situations. Various conditions with the potential for harm.

That may have been what was running throught the policeman's thoughts.

He didn't just say they were stuffing the chipper, he said there was no ppe on them, if I read that right. That's not at all the same as just letting some kid operate a tractor on a farm at age 11. That would be like letting a kid drive a tractor, but with all the safety equipment removed, like brakes and roll bars gone and just "winging it".

 

[ropensaddle]

I would have took those kids some hard hats and eye wear
just to see the reaction and provide a safer environment.

 

[Nailsbeats]

Yeah ...

But i think the example he saw may be nearly equivalent to child abuse.

You know like where people leave their kids unattended in vehicles, or in locked hot vehicles.

In other words, putting them in dangerous situations. Various conditions with the potential for harm.

That may have been what was running throught the policeman's thoughts.

He didn't just say they were stuffing the chipper, he said there was no ppe on them, if I read that right. That's not at all the same as just letting some kid operate a tractor on a farm at age 11. That would be like letting a kid drive a tractor, but with all the safety equipment removed, like brakes and roll bars gone and just "winging it".

You mean like how we all grew up driving tractor. You were lucky if you had brakes and that's the truth. Never had roll bars either. I am sorry but that isn't child abuse.

 

[mckeetree]

When I was 12 I got into a little bit of trouble for trying to put my hand up a ladies skirt. She must have been 40 at the time. But hey, she wasn't stopping me.

 

[treemandan]

You mean like how we all grew up driving tractor. You were lucky if you had brakes and that's the truth. Never had roll bars either. I am sorry but that isn't child abuse.

Child abuse is the other thing. Flip flops, video games and way to much food. I plowed fields and milked cows around the same age. Drove under some branches that knock the muffler into my face, kept going. Work work work work work work.
I actually was pretty good at super mario brothers 3 but that's it, wasn't my game anyway.

 

[treemandan]

When I was 12 I got into a little bit of trouble for trying to put my hand up a ladies skirt. She must have been 40 at the time. But hey, she wasn't stopping me.

So how far you get?

 

[treemandan]

I would have took those kids some hard hats and eye wear
just to see the reaction and provide a safer environment.

Always can trust you to do the right thing.

 

[mckeetree]

So how far you get?

I was just about to "it" when my uncle entered the room and yelled out "Boy, what do you think you are doing?" My uncle was a preacher of sorts. It was at a Christmas party at my Grandma's house about 1972. Then my dad got wind of it and I got hauled home and that was the end of the party for me.

 

[ropensaddle]

Always can trust you to do the right thing.

I would rather help keep them safe than call some cop over
maybe the dad would buy them some if he saw its value.
It may make him think enough to realize his error without
making trouble for him probably trying to feed them kids,
want him on welfare? Not me and his kids are learning
work ethic and I assure you I held a post for my father to
drive and yes he missed and hit me, next time I held it with
channel locks and he did not have to tell me

 

[TimberMcPherson]

I think you did the right thing. Its might have been considered okay to run a chipper without the gear when he was a kid, but to have his own kids doing it? Thats just doing harm to them, just like sending them out in winter without enough clothes or making them work with asbestos.

 

[Treeinnovator]

the focus should be on that this neighbor hired a "professional tree service". when we all hire professionals in anything you expect a certain level of workmanship, safety, and resposibility to come with it. i'm all for teaching kids good skills while their young ... but not on an official jobsite.

if the guy wants to have his boys to learn to run the chipper. do it back at the shop, not on some customer's house.

 

[treemandan]

the focus should be on that this neighbor hired a "professional tree service". when we all hire professionals in anything you expect a certain level of workmanship, safety, and resposibility to come with it. i'm all for teaching kids good skills while their young ... but not on an official jobsite.

if the guy wants to have his boys to learn to run the chipper. do it back at the shop, not on some customer's house.

See? he's just been F-ing with Ya the whole time... and probably still is.
Qualamalans, yeah right.

 

[Treeinnovator]

See? he's just been F-ing with Ya the whole time... and probably still is.
Qualamalans, yeah right.

my quatemalans are 20+ yrs old. down here, landscape businesses are MORE credible with them.... people expect to see immigrant workers and a white man boss show up.

 

[treemandan]

my quatemalans are 20+ yrs old. down here, landscape businesses are MORE credible with them.... people expect to see immigrant workers and a white man boss show up.

You ain't got no God dam quatemalens and you know it.