PDA

View Full Version : south african linesman?



west aussie les
04-16-2007, 12:35 PM
this is my first thread so bear with me.over here in Australia we are getting quite a few south african lineman so they say they are we are told that they are toaster mechanics do 3 months on a line crew and presto lineman titles.the ones we got went to america for two months and then to ireland and now call themsevles linemen so be careful as they are very dangerous as they dont know what they are doing on the live stuff
so if you come across any be carefull
see ya all soon les

upntheair
04-22-2007, 09:46 PM
Yep mate, we're afflicted with them just the same in New Zealand.
You're being too nice, it's not only the live stuff they don't know, and they sure are dangerous! Anyway don't worry if it's the same there, they'll all soon be in office jobs like happens here!

BigClive
04-23-2007, 08:03 AM
Excellent! That means I don't need to go on a course at all. I'll just bring some shoe polish to Australia with me, black up, put on a grass skirt then go and get my job. :D

Squizzy
04-23-2007, 08:56 AM
Yes Clive but I won't let you climb in grass skirt all the ground crew will be traumatized :eek:
Sounds like we must got the good ones Les having sacked the dodgey one. I must admit though I have cringed at some of Theiss's incidents...

BigClive
04-23-2007, 08:24 PM
It's OK. I'll wear grass panties too. :p

It must be terribly disappointing for the South Africans when they get to the top of the pole and there are no coconuts there.

Ooh! Bit racist that bit....

upntheair
04-24-2007, 01:52 AM
Maybe if we got some "colored" Sth Africans they might be better.
The guys i've seen here seem to have had the "bliks" as they call them, do all the work. Hence these "boss men" are hopeless lineys themselves!

livewire0999
02-06-2008, 08:37 PM
Well done fellows, there seems to be one honest response to the post and that was by Squizzy,thanks for that.There are dodgey lineys from everywhere and to single out South Africans is both racist and zenophobic.There are some of the guys that had there assistants do a lot of the work and then there were others such as myself that did 95% of the work themselves, and there are no coconuts in South Africa either.

Personally I have done some live work that has not been heard of in Australia or will not be attempted due to the high risk? We have changed 132kV breaker poles on load and 132 and 88 kV surge arrestors and CT's and VT's.Ignorant and badly trained linesmen we certainly are.

There should be no reason to have to respond to postings and defend ourselves but if one goes back to the postings from the last 2 years and see the antagonism and hatred that exists toward South Africans purely because they are relocating and looking for safety and a better future for their families and are trying to contribute to society as best they can and get cut down all the time by ill informed buffoons,what is left except retaliating.

I am who I am and I am proud of it , I have worked as hard if not harder to work safely than most I have met, and yet I get assaulted ,sworn at ,racist remarks thrown at and intimidated around every corner because I am South African.

Take some time out chaps and speak to some of the Saffies out there,sure there are a few who should not even have licenses to breed but that you have in all societies and from all groups.

You cringe at some of the accidents that "Thiess" (note the spelling) have had , don't you think that we did as well? Thiess has one of the best,if not the best safety records currently in W.A. and run the best plant and equipment available to the industry due to the fact that we needed to lift the bar and get over it.

I will be a naturalised citizen in a while but the South African stigma will never leave me.My kids on the other hand have integrated into society well and are accepted by everyone for being what they are, humans and good kindhearted honest helpful people at that.Your kids have accepted us so follow there lead and get over it.

If you think an unsafe act is being performed is it not your duty of care to bring it to that persons attention?
I know I have done so to many an Australian/Kiwi crew and been told to get stuffed,in slightly more colourful language than that though.

It doesn't matter though these were individuals and not all linesmen from these respective countries are bad,similarly work each case you meet on its merits and keep your mouths and minds off the rest of us,don't judge us all because of the actions of a few.Help the few right and enjoy working with the rest of us.

One day we may meet and you would be surprised to know it is me as I look like you, talk like you, breathe like you,bleed like you and when I get out of bed in the mornings I get dressed by putting my pants on one leg at a time,just like you?

The only difference may be that I have huge balls for moving my family 11000 km to be confronted by and not accepted by people that have no right to judge me until they have met me.

Thanks for that,this has been my first posting and hopefully not my last,keep it real and "treat others as you would have them treat you".

Regards

Livewire0999

dirtdobber
02-07-2008, 06:23 PM
couple questions for you. how long have you been in this business? where did you get your training? who from?:)

upntheair
02-07-2008, 06:41 PM
Well done fellows, there seems to be one honest response to the post and that was by Squizzy,thanks for that.There are dodgey lineys from everywhere and to single out South Africans is both racist and zenophobic.There are some of the guys that had there assistants do a lot of the work and then there were others such as myself that did 95% of the work themselves, and there are no coconuts in South Africa either.

Personally I have done some live work that has not been heard of in Australia or will not be attempted due to the high risk? We have changed 132kV breaker poles on load and 132 and 88 kV surge arrestors and CT's and VT's.Ignorant and badly trained linesmen we certainly are.

There should be no reason to have to respond to postings and defend ourselves but if one goes back to the postings from the last 2 years and see the antagonism and hatred that exists toward South Africans purely because they are relocating and looking for safety and a better future for their families and are trying to contribute to society as best they can and get cut down all the time by ill informed buffoons,what is left except retaliating.

I am who I am and I am proud of it , I have worked as hard if not harder to work safely than most I have met, and yet I get assaulted ,sworn at ,racist remarks thrown at and intimidated around every corner because I am South African.

Take some time out chaps and speak to some of the Saffies out there,sure there are a few who should not even have licenses to breed but that you have in all societies and from all groups.

You cringe at some of the accidents that "Thiess" (note the spelling) have had , don't you think that we did as well? Thiess has one of the best,if not the best safety records currently in W.A. and run the best plant and equipment available to the industry due to the fact that we needed to lift the bar and get over it.

I will be a naturalised citizen in a while but the South African stigma will never leave me.My kids on the other hand have integrated into society well and are accepted by everyone for being what they are, humans and good kindhearted honest helpful people at that.Your kids have accepted us so follow there lead and get over it.

If you think an unsafe act is being performed is it not your duty of care to bring it to that persons attention?
I know I have done so to many an Australian/Kiwi crew and been told to get stuffed,in slightly more colourful language than that though.

It doesn't matter though these were individuals and not all linesmen from these respective countries are bad,similarly work each case you meet on its merits and keep your mouths and minds off the rest of us,don't judge us all because of the actions of a few.Help the few right and enjoy working with the rest of us.

One day we may meet and you would be surprised to know it is me as I look like you, talk like you, breathe like you,bleed like you and when I get out of bed in the mornings I get dressed by putting my pants on one leg at a time,just like you?

The only difference may be that I have huge balls for moving my family 11000 km to be confronted by and not accepted by people that have no right to judge me until they have met me.

Thanks for that,this has been my first posting and hopefully not my last,keep it real and "treat others as you would have them treat you".

Regards

Livewire0999



After reading this I would like to apolgise to livewire and any other decent S.A linemen, he's quite right there are bad linemen in any group or country, and it would be stupid to believe otherwise.
Hopefully in the future i will have the chance to work with some of the better ones, just as Squizzy has.

upntheair

Squizzy
02-08-2008, 06:52 AM
Well said livewire I know quite of few from SA and its no wonder that you moved over here might have to catch up for a beer...

Squizzy
02-08-2008, 06:57 AM
I forgot to say that West Aussie Les got himself sacked for his other thread on his then boss lol and anyway he is a proven to everyone here that he has some alleged dubious methods of aquisition and may at times stretch the truth....