Things that used to not fly

[reppy007]

Todays world is a little different than yesterdays world.I remember the days when a lineman was sent to another truck to work on that day.Those were the days when you brought your hooks ,belt and rubber gloves with you everywhere you went,in case you forgot you wouldnt have to worry one bit,it was noticed by the lead lineman of the truck you were sent to.It happened to me a few years back,matter of fact it happened more than once.Im thinking to myself that this cant be real,but it was.The contractor I worked for was sending me urd make-up lineman,some with knee problems....not complaining on how they worked because they worked well and they were safe.It just was unusual for me......what would the lineman you once worked for say if you didnt bring your hooks and belt to his truck?

[Pootnaigle]

Umm back in1975 I workrd wiffa guy that swore he left his tools back home when he rode the bus ddown here He dint have bo car so he cudnt go gettem n after 6 munths he wuz told have em by next munday er else sho nuff he showed up wif sum but nobody ever seen him use em/ n inna week or two he wuz gone

[reppy007]

Umm back in1975 I workrd wiffa guy that swore he left his tools back home when he rode the bus ddown here He dint have bo car so he cudnt go gettem n after 6 munths he wuz told have em by next munday er else sho nuff he showed up wif sum but nobody ever seen him use em/ n inna week or two he wuz gone

I have to wonder about two things,make it three......how far did he travel in order to have to catch a bus.....how did he forget his tools..........and how did he blow smoke up yalls ass for 6 months? :D

[Old Line Dog]

A Real Lineman, always has his tool bag, belt and hooks, and assorted tools. NO excuses.

Ya look at his belt, hooks and tools...and ya get a pretty good idea of what ya got.

It only takes a day or two, to REALLY know if ya got a real Lineman or not.
Now all ya got to worry about is workin with his personality.

Had a "Lineman" Hire on back in 73...belt looked a bit funny. His tool pouch Had 9" Kleins, wood ruler, channel Locks, and a 10" screw driver...but it looked more like an electricians tool pouch than a Linemans. All other type of small tools. Wire snips, needle nose pliers, etc...

His hooks and Pads looked really used, as did his belt.

We were doin a 6 pole extension of a 3 phase line. The poles were already there, we were just hangin the crossarms, and extendin the line. No big deal. We were just a medium size Muni.

We had him go up and hang one of the crossarms. I swear to god...I've never seen anything like this in my life.

The poles were 40's.
He hung his handline at the telephone. Called for the Brace and Bit. The Grunt looked at me. I just shrugged..."Send it up". He got the Brace, belted up and proceeded to take literally 10 minutes to drill the hole. Came back down, sent the drill down and called for the bolt. The grunt sent up the bolt.

I was impressed that he put the bolt in from the BACK SIDE. (I hated a$$hole linemen that put the bolt in from the Front side....WITH the Crossarm):mad:

So...Now he comes back down, and calls for the crossarm. The Grunt looks at me again. I just shrugged again.
He got the crossarm, and hikes his ass up the pole AGAIN!!, AND...I swear to God...I saw it comin...and some of you probably do too. He was low...raised that crossarm over his head and lined it up with the bolt, and slammed it.

Yup, slammed that bolt right out of the pole. Down to the ground it went.
So...I won't bore ya with the rest of the story...needless to say, he was up there a LONG time, for what should have been a 10-15 min. job. AND it was about 90 degrees.

When he came down, all proud and siht...and took off his hooks and belt....The shoe polish stains from his L Pads and his linebelt, were all over his pant legs and butt.

He didn't show up for work the next morning.

Just a "Different" Trade of Linework back in those days.

Even back then...when a guy brought his tool bag....all it takes is one climb watchin him...and ya knew what ya were dealin with.

Now days....Not so much....

[reppy007]

I will agree with you swamp....it really doesnt take long at all.Im not the type to scare easily,but I knew of one guy that could scare the death of an already dead person.....It hurt me just watching him,the thing about him is that it didnt matter if he only climbed 20 feet high,never seen him ever climb much higher anyway......and I am thankful for that.

[Old Line Dog]

I knew of one guy that could scare the death of an already dead person.....It hurt me just watching him.

Guys like that didn't last more than a day or two in any place I worked.

Saw em comin...saw em leavin. Ya WERE or ya WERN'T. Was that simple, and easy to see... back in the day in Munis, and Co-ops.

But then....I never worked union...Different rules there. Even back in the day.

I've never believed in nepotism, or protectin people, that couldn't cut the mustard.

But...that's just me.

[Orgnizdlbr]

I I thought you need tools to work in any trade..... Hooks and belts are one of the most important part of your tools.... What lineman shows up without his tools......? I don't get it......

[reppy007]

I I thought you need tools to work in any trade..... Hooks and belts are one of the most important part of your tools.... What lineman shows up without his tools......? I don't get it......

I thought the same thing until that one day....I can remember way back when......even as an cold apprentice, you go to another linemans truck without your tools and he wouldnt leave the center......this is what he would do in this order.....1st he would throw a fit,then he would be so mad he would bypass the foreman and go to the supervisors office.....things would get loud.....they would get another lineman with tools to go to his truck.......and finally ....that old lineman would remember you for the rest of his life,and most likely,you wouldnt know it but he would tell your bosses to never again send reppy to his truck again.

[reppy007]

I I thought you need tools to work in any trade..... Hooks and belts are one of the most important part of your tools.... What lineman shows up without his tools......? I don't get it......

Then again I once worked for an outfit where I showed up that first morning with my tools in hand,then the second morning.....by then they felt comfortable enough to let me know that I wouldnt need them.....well they did underground residential and commercial/3 phase circuits....where I came from you still climbed ,but not as much.Well low and behold they were right.....all their risers were truck accessible......funny thing is that I can still see their faces when they saw me bring in my hooks/belt....I never saw theirs and firmly believe they didnt own a pair.

[THE KID]

We have some that don't like to carry a pocket knife. They say if they need one they will just get one off the truck. I have told them many times it is going to bite them in the butt one of these days.

[Pootnaigle]

Umm a man withoutta knife iz nekkid

[Old Line Dog]

Umm a man withoutta knife iz nekkid

"Here Here!!" :cool:

I carried 2. My Klein skinner on my line belt, and a big a$$ Buck Hunter on my other belt.

[Pootnaigle]

Umm ifn you catch me wiffoutta knife I will be wearin sumbody elses pants

[Lineman North Florida]

Tools ( hooks, belt, rubber gloves etc ) should be with the lineman on whichever truck he leaves out of the show-up in and at least one set of tools should be carried into the backyard whenever another lineman has to climb a pole, just in case they are needed and time is of the essence. Agree with the rest, I tote a pocket knife in each of my front pockets.

[reppy007]

You made an excellent point LNF....and hopefully the younger guys will make it a point to carry the extra set of tools into a backyard just in case...bucksqueeze and all....every second counts if a lineman is hurt on a pole......that was one of the best ideas I ever seen used,we did it often and it, like a bunch of other things faded away.Its a great practice,and who cares if its not put into use,but if its needed,its needed.

[reppy007]

We have some that don't like to carry a pocket knife. They say if they need one they will just get one off the truck. I have told them many times it is going to bite them in the butt one of these days.

Or an urd lineman who doesnt bring his own bag.....only thing different is he says he will just use my bag.:nightmare:

[loodvig]

I have carried a pocket knife since I was a kid and I keep it sharp!
Something else that is a no no. Asking to use someone else's rubber gloves! We had an extra guy on our crew one day and he comes out in a spare bucket truck. We're doing something and he picks up my gloves "you don't mind do you"?
Well actually I do get your own! "Oh I didn't bring my gear out today got a spare truck".

[reppy007]

Ive seen that often lood.....or worse when they do bring their gloves but still want to use your rubber gloves.Ive seen all of it.......you didnt bring your hooks.....you didnt bring your bag.....you didnt bring your rubber gloves......you didnt bring your hard hat.........No reppy I didnt bring them today......any more questions reppy? Yes,there happens to be one more question for you Mr.bring nothing lineman.......did you happen to forget your brain while you were busy forgetting everything else!:mad:

[Old Line Dog]

Something else that is a no no. Asking to use someone else's rubber gloves!

REALLY?

In almost 40 years of Linework, I've NEVER had anybody ask to use my Rubber Gloves.
There's just something sorta... perverted about that.:nightmare:

FCUK NO!!!! Like wantin to borrow my boots or my underwear.

GOD I'm glad I'm retired!!!:eek:
Otherwise I'd be fired for slappin the Siht out of a so called "Lineman" THAT friggin STUPID!!:p

[Old Line Dog]

I have carried a pocket knife since I was a kid and I keep it sharp!


Back to a subject I like!! KNIVES!

Would just LOVE to have one of these...but, unfortunately...out of my price Range, AND....currently Sold out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5OUTv3VVl4

[reppy007]

Ill never forget one of the most forgotten or didnt bring tool.....its called money$$$$$$$$$.....it goes something like this.....I didnt bring any money reppy so can you lend me a little until payday,next is I didnt bring cigarettes with me reppy,so Ill be borrowing from you for a bit.Then comes the coffee story,yea it takes money to buy coffee.Then the hambuger story....on this one he makes sure he is behind you at every McDonalds you stop at.....You mind buying me one too reppy?Might ass well add fries and a coke on this one.It goes on and on......and finally two weeks later when your getting paid,he has the nerve to tell you that he somehow has forgotten to pay you back :D

[Old Line Dog]

Ill never forget one of the most forgotten or didnt bring tool.....its called money$$$$$$$$$.....it goes something like this.....I didnt bring any money reppy so can you lend me a little until payday,next is I didnt bring cigarettes with me reppy,so Ill be borrowing from you for a bit.Then comes the coffee story,yea it takes money to buy coffee.Then the hambuger story....on this one he makes sure he is behind you at every McDonalds you stop at.....You mind buying me one too reppy?Might ass well add fries and a coke on this one.It goes on and on......and finally two weeks later when your getting paid,he has the nerve to tell you that he somehow has forgotten to pay you back :D

Ever heard the Sayin...."First time Burned...Second time Shy".
You sound like a really giving man reppy...

I was sorta like that, for a few times....back early in Linework.
Then, I learned to spot and understand...."Takers".

Taught me, they saw ME as a..."Nice guy" Chump. I AM a nice guy.

I learned...real fast...to spot the.....

[reppy007]

Actually Swamp,I was just using my name in the stories that Ive seen happen to others,Im not that easy.sure Id give a helping hand,but not when I see a guy not willing to help hiself......I happen to pick that out really fast,,,I mean how do you not notice.....Ive never understood how a guy could travel hundreds of miles ....even a thousand and be broke right off the bat......I cant see myself doing that,it may be that Im just not smart enough to figure how that can be done.....So these days I just relax in this retirement home dreaming of a pretty woman coming over in a bikini and swimming with us.....we do have a pool.....you know!:D

[Old Line Dog]

Actually Swamp,I was just using my name in the stories that Ive seen happen to others.

Interesting.

I only tell my OWN, personal experience stories. But...that's all cool. :cool:
When I tell a story like that though...I always start with...

"I worked with this guy"....
It's all good man. Appreciate the honest reply.

[loodvig]

We used to call it showing up bare-ass or showing up with just an idea.

[Lineman North Florida]

We used to call it showing up bare-ass or showing up with just an idea.

We call it showing up with nothing but the habit. Two things I learned about going to the store, it's not 1960 and hamburgers ain't a quarter and secondly I'll bring you one back but it's coming all the way and you can pick off what you don't want, no special order.

[reppy007]

Thats also true....it shouldnt be a pain in the ass to get any hamburger......I once called a boss and complained why he was sending non climbing lineman to me.....well he said ,reppy you wanted another man and thats what we sent you......and yes he was serious.....and he was right......he did send me a man.:(

[Old Line Dog]

I'll bring you one back but it's coming all the way and you can pick off what you don't want, no special order.

That's funny.:D Not really....

We use to take turns...goin to...different places to get lunch.

Always sent one guy. Mostly to Publix for their GREAT Sandwiches.
Subway, or Firehouse on occasion.

Always made up a list of what everybody wanted.

Never saw a problem with that.
Thought it was pretty cool, actually.

[Lineman North Florida]

That's funny.:D Not really....

We use to take turns...goin to...different places to get lunch.

Always sent one guy. Mostly to Publix for their GREAT Sandwiches.
Subway, or Firehouse on occasion.

Always made up a list of what everybody wanted.

Never saw a problem with that.
Thought it was pretty cool, actually.

I used to do the list thing 1 wants extra pickles, 1wants brown mustard not yellow, 1 didn't want a hamburger from there he wanted one from the other hamburger joint and 5 out of 10 times something wasn't going to be right, so we went to all the way and pick off what you don't want and it worked, getting lunch went from a chore to real simple, I still remember when you had to bring your lunch with you if you were gonna eat.

[Old Line Dog]

I still remember when you had to bring your lunch with you if you were gonna eat.

I honestly enjoyed that. Actually carried a "Lunch box", and enjoyed sittin down with the guys and eatin what ya brought from home at lunch time.

When I went to work for this one outfit...still brought my lunch. So did a couple of the other guys.

Most of em though...just did the "Go get me this" thing with a grunt. One rule was though....It was ALL from the same place. NO runnin around to different places. Everybody would say..."Ok...where's lunch today?" All depended on where we were workin....and what was available around us.

[Pootnaigle]

uMM In my day if you wuz gonna eat you either hadda bring a lunch or swipe sumbody elses. No leavin the jobsite and nowadays when the trucks roll outta the yard they head strate to sumplace to eat breakfast and if they miss that for some reason the entire crew thinks they is bein denied their rights

[reppy007]

Seen that with contractors....stop by taco cabana every morning or some catering truck that sold mexican food.....lunch time we would all find a place and sit and eat inside....that too would be mexican food mostly...mostly......now on Fridays first would be a convience store for the lineman that didnt have bank accounts,and they would cash their checks.....they charged these guys around 8 dollars to cash their checks......I tried to tell them that they were crazy,but they never listened.Anyway after cashing checks we fould again the nearest place to get spicy food in the morning.....and Im leaving the beer stops out cause I want to.....Ive seen times that when you would send somebody to buy hamburgers and different people wanted different things....it took quite a bit of time and I guess I was ok with it cause Im surely not the type to be taking orders like a waitress.......Im the sending type I guess,but not the fetching type:D

[T-Man]

Once in a while I'd get a taste for kipper snacks (smoked Herring) on rye with a big slice of onion. When I brought that in my lunch box if the crew knew what I was having they'd kick me out of the truck (we had crew cabs like sleepers back then) and I have to eat alone outside. . . . I'd use my skinning knife to slice the onion on the tailboard of the truck. . . .yummy! It didn't take long for a new crew to get the drift and out I went. . . ..:rolleyes:

[reppy007]

That reminds me of an older lineman we had when I was an apprentice,he always had a bag....inside was a simple sandwich and an whole onion,,,,the next day,the next week ...hell everyday was the same.........a simple sandwich and a whole onion.His name was Mitch....we called him Mitch the bitcch....He liked me cause I worked hard............he used to tell me this while I was working on a pole........he would say ,,,reppy.....you amaze me,,,you f-ing amaze me.....Ive never seen anyone work so hard and still get it wrong,believe me...I heard that more than once............:D

[Old Line Dog]

Seen that with contractors.

Well, ya don't see it much anymore. Least down here. Your butt better not be seen in a resturant for Breakfast or Lunch, especially by any of the people your contractor is workin for! You're paid to work and get 30-45 min. Lunch. Period. Might have been like that back in the day for some. All the outfits I worked for made it REAL plain. Stay out of Resturants!

Customers, when we'd be workin in their back yard and took 30 for lunch under a shade tree in their yard, would call and complain. When the birddog came out, he would explain to the "person"....."Their taking their lunch break mam."

No resturants here.

[reppy007]

Well ...thats Flordia,here they still take long lunch breaks at resturants....cant complain if they are making you money....cant fire them cause you aint going to get anybody to take their place....Theres even one that has one main rule..no parking in a bar parking lot.......hes not saying dont go into the bar..........all he is asking is to not display the truck there.Pretty simple to understand.

[Old Line Dog]

Well ...thats Flordia,here they still take long lunch breaks at resturants....cant complain if they are making you money....cant fire them cause you aint going to get anybody to take their place....Theres even one that has one main rule..no parking in a bar parking lot.......hes not saying dont go into the bar..........all he is asking is to not display the truck there.Pretty simple to understand.

That's some sick siht man Really. Just PART of what's wrong with our trade, and our country.
Especially nowdays in our Trade.

Ya come to work, contractor or not. Ya pick up your material, and ya go to work. Ya get a Lunch Break. Then ya go back to work.

Nowdays, all I see in this trade....especially with posts like yours...Is Linemen tryin to do the LEAST for More.

You're not talkin my language. I'll just stop here.
Otherwise my "pissed offness"...will start comin out.:mad:

[Pootnaigle]

Umm n on the flip side there wuz sum thangs usta fly but wont no more....Eneybody ever painted an apprentice ora grunt? Usta be a common practise round here n everone wuz guarenteed TURN at gettin Painted

[reppy007]

Swamp I dont know why you let things like lineman taking lunch breaks wherever they want get your heart racing ...your not paying them,and its none of your business what the owner of the contractor involved lets his crew do.Its really no big deal....the job still gets done,and as long as they work safe why would anyone complain.Just because you were treated like a dog doesnt mean it has to be that way for everyone.....your the one who mentioned that you took orders and went to two or more places to get food,.........you say its cool......did you forget what you posted,last time Ive seen that done it takes more than 30 minutes.....and if it takes more why would I care.....I could give you the names and the phone numbers of the people that own these outfits......but they would take you as a fool,so why would I bother?

[Old Line Dog]

Umm n on the flip side there wuz sum thangs usta fly but wont no more....Eneybody ever painted an apprentice ora grunt? Usta be a common practise round here n everone wuz guarenteed TURN at gettin Painted

Nowdays....any of that siht, could turn into a real Law suite, or a big time Legal issue.

Back in the day...It was just "Funnin around" and a bit of indoctrination of a newbe grunt into the Trade of Linework.

They, as I,... took it in stride. It was a way of "testin" a guy...seein if he would flip out, or just take it in stride. It was a "Look" at him, in a Freak out moment.

A lineman Needs to really know the people he is working with.

As I've said before...I'm glad I'm retired. The political correctness... our trade has become...

[Pootnaigle]

Umm we had one prentice that wuz gettin wedded...... garunteed to get you painted before the honeymoon.... n steada paintin him they told him if he rubbed BENGAY on hiz manhood he would be a legend mongst honeymooners... The big dummy dun it n him n hiz new bride spent mosta the weddin nite sittin inna tub fulla cool water

[Old Line Dog]

Umm we had one prentice that wuz gettin wedded...... garunteed to get you painted before the honeymoon.... n steada paintin him they told him if he rubbed BENGAY on hiz manhood he would be a legend mongst honeymooners... The big dummy dun it n him n hiz new bride spent mosta the weddin nite sittin inna tub fulla cool water

You're just getting Weirder and weirder poot.:D
I like it when you stay up late! Well..."Late" for you!:p It's 9:30 in texas.:p:D

We never got THAT nasty with an indoctrination of an apprentice.

Stuff like that came later.

[reppy007]

Umm we had one prentice that wuz gettin wedded...... garunteed to get you painted before the honeymoon.... n steada paintin him they told him if he rubbed BENGAY on hiz manhood he would be a legend mongst honeymooners... The big dummy dun it n him n hiz new bride spent mosta the weddin nite sittin inna tub fulla cool water

When a lineman used the word .....methylate.it wasnt long for helper/apprentice to be caught and painted.:D

[Old Line Dog]

When a lineman used the word .....methylate.it wasnt long for helper/apprentice to be caught and painted.:D

Tell us what "methylate" is reppy....that would make ya "Paint" an apprentice.

[Pootnaigle]

Umm I bleve he is referrin to mertholade which wuzza staple in every furst ade kit N jus so ya kno sumtimes I stay up way late kause zi kaint sleep and once I read a book with no pichers innit

[reppy007]

Umm I bleve he is referrin to mertholade which wuzza staple in every furst ade kit N jus so ya kno sumtimes I stay up way late kause zi kaint sleep and once I read a book with no pichers innit

Thanks Poot,yea thats the stuff,,,,you have sleeping trouble,my mom has that too....I asked her if she waz worried about something and she says no.....dont know if I buy that,but I sleep well everynight

[Pootnaigle]

Umm Me I haz my dayz n nites cornfuezd Been several weeks now n I doze off durin the day n sit up all nite wif the tellyvizion on. Tonite zi iz watchin my dawgie dawg sleep on hiz pallet by the fireplace

[reppy007]

Wow you have a pallet in your house,should have known that ,Just watch out for thems pills,my mom takes them and I can tell because the next day she acts all bittcchy ,plus they be addicting.

[Pootnaigle]

Umm the dawgies Pallet izza old sleepin bag anna pillow laid onna floor N I jus hate swallerizin pills

[rob8210]

Well I must be really old fashioned cause I still carry a lunch every day. Since I work out of town that means I pack 4 days lunch and cart it with me. Some of the fellas will go get food everyday. I admit that once in a while I will too. We used to have a couple of initiation rituals , just harmless crap like lagging a young fella to a pole . They do still happen , now and then. This political correctness is just plain garbage, you can't please everybody all the time, why try?

[reppy007]

Dont ask me but can you imagine all the names we called others.....who would still have a job today?.That being said,all the foreman and supervisors would gone as well......I can hear it now.....reppy pack your things and get out of our gate.....What for I would ask......well stupid we are firing you cause you called the other guy stupid. And I would say its good to have company cause you just called me stupid...........stupid.:D

[Old Line Dog]

Well I must be really old fashioned cause I still carry a lunch every day.

I think that's really cool Rob. It also has to do with savin a bit of money.
Years ago, we ALL packed our lunch... and on Friday....did something special for lunch, the whole crew.. Back Long time ago.

Nowdays, I think most crews "go get Lunch". A bit costly for my thinkin. But, it's so much easier to BUY lunch....than to take the time, the night before to make it. I made my own lunch to take to work.

My wife would always want to, but, though I appreciated it...I made up my own.

Sometimes, I'd come to work with 2 cans of Sardines, some French Bread, and 2 packs of Twinkies! One of my FAVORITE Lunches!! It's amazing how many people REALLY don't like Sardines.:D

[Pootnaigle]

\Umm Ya jus didnt make the misteak of tellin my wife that lunch wuz good or Youd be eatin it everdayfer the hole resta yer life

[Old Line Dog]

\Umm Ya jus didnt make the misteak of tellin my wife that lunch wuz good or Youd be eatin it everdayfer the hole resta yer life

That's why I made my own. All the way back to 1969.

I've always been a pretty good Cook. Actually worked as a "cook" for some "chump change" for a year.

So yeah...I can make a dman good tuna or chicken salad sandwich...one hell of an egg salad sandwich too!

No. I had NO problem...bringin and makin my OWN lunch.:cool: