Ground Men and Apprentices

[reppy007]

Ive seen apprentices stuck on two man trucks for years...then sent to a linecrew and were a little slow,but it wasnt their fault.Senority can screw a guy sometimes.Seen really good troubleshooters,but with not much big crew experience.Seen guys that have been on linecrews for years,then sent on a two man or 1 man truck,not that sharp on the small trucks.Seen people on linecrews that hate working alone,and seen guys that hate being on large crews...for me ,being around a newer apprentice is fun,makes the time go by.Seeing his reaction when he learns something new....and hearing them ask ,how did you know this or that.

[Pootnaigle]

uM WHAT WUD YA SAT IF i TOLD YA M COMPANY USTA HIRE RIGHT OFF THE STREET N WHEREBER YS HIRED IN THATSS WHERE YOU STARTED PROGRESSIN//...... SERVICE MEN THAT HAAAVE NEVER WERKED A DAY ON A LINE CREW LINEMEN THAT HAVE NEVER WERKED ONNA SERVICE TRUCK/ IT LEAVES DOME PURDY BIG HOLESINNA FELLERS TRAINING NEVER MADE SENSE TO ME BUT i HIRED IN ASA GRUNT INNA LINECREW. i BLVE THEY HAVE GOT AWAY FROM THAT NOW.

[reppy007]

Thats the way it was here...off the street..went to linecrews...I knew one guy that was a top notch lineman....met him with the contractors....later after he worked with a contractor that used to be a utility hand,and a slave driver we met up again....I asked the GF that if he could send the guy to my truck that I wouldnt ask for $hit anymore.Well that happened,the first day he worked with me he seemed very nervous,I told him to settle down,that I was layed back...he remained jittery for a couple of days....and that was due to the numbnut that went by the book and had one way of doing things....the hard way and his way.The guy settled down,came to work happy and went home happy.

[bren guzzi]

As a great person once said... ( dunno who ) .. We reap what we sow.. Learn from past mistakes.



I remember when I was an apprentice . ( early 80,s) . There was a guy in charge of a crew I was sent too.
" BIG JOE GAVIGAN " In them days they often put the biggest guy in charge so he could rule through fear.. Any way one Monday morning we were hanging a single phase transformer on a little spur line.. I was hand drilling the holes for the tranny , with a rusty hand auger,..he was fitting the x arm above me.. He got finished and as he was drinking most of the weekend wanted to get down for a wizz... I was slowly trying to get my hole drilled with the rubbish tools I had...
He started shouting ( as usual ) ... The next thing I knew.. He "urinated" on me from above..
Thought this was very funny.. Now I was only 18 or 19.. But what joe didn't know was that I am a black belt at shotokan karate... And was in the under 21 Irish team..
When we climbed down.. I went after this guy..he was 6,6" and built like a tank.. A proper bully.
I walked up to him and asked him to apologise ( I was only 5,10) .. He laughed... I warned him that I was a karate expert and didn't want to fight but he needed to apologise ...
Unluckily for him he stood up and went to throw a punch.... I left him black and blue... And very apologetic ..
I'm not proud of that .. Violence is never the answer..

But from then on he only ever asked me to do things... NEVER TOLD ME. ..

[reppy007]

You mean you didnt have your slicker suit on that day?A hoddy would have been good to have too...sorry.had to say that

[T-Man]

Bren, you just gave another outstanding reason to treat others with respect. . . . If ya don't you may get your arse handed to you.

[polehiker]

I caught a little sh-- when I hired on back in 62, but I don,t think it hurt me any. I still kept my pride and the old guys answered my questions when I asked. Before my first day, a neihgbor who was an old time phone lineman(yes ,those guys were good lineman too ) gave me some tips on what to expect. I guess I was there 6-8 months, and I decided to screw with one of the oldtimers and I put about 6 halfhitches around the bit before I sent it up to him. He never said a word, just slid all 6 of em back to the shank, drilled the hole by hand ,let loose of the sawdust pump and sent it back down. Niether one of us mentioned it to each other, but he was grinning when he came down. I tried to give my groundmen some sh-- to, but we still helped them learn. Made a lot of days for good memories now that I have been retired for 13 yrs. Be safe and watch out for your buddy.

[Old Line Dog]

Bren, you just gave another outstanding reason to treat others with respect. . . . If ya don't you may get your arse handed to you.

Naw.

That was back in the day...Bren was 19 back then. That WAS how things were done "back in the day" though. Not nowdays.

Shotokan huh. Cool.

I use to be a 3rd degree Blackbelt in Shotokan.
Ya still Practice Bren?

"Blackbelt", as I'm sure you know...is just a rank type thing, that's only relevant if you are an actual practionisor of the "Arts".
I "learned" when I got my blackbelt, that becoming a blackbelt, was actually the "start" of learning Shotokan Karate.

Ya still do katas Bren?

http://www.google.com/search?q=shoto...w=1093&bih=477

My Sensi told me Years ago, when I asked him for advice in a Full contact tournament.....
"Mmmm...don't get hit".....

[bren guzzi]

I don't do as much as I'd like...

My brother has two schools in Dublin.. I help them out at weekends when I'm home..

He has a lovely school for kids beside where I live.. Trouble is.. Time ... Only get home every second weekend. .. He has around 80 young kids... Love to help them out... It's a JOY. .

[Old Line Dog]

I don't do as much as I'd like...

My brother has two schools in Dublin.. I help them out at weekends when I'm home..

He has a lovely school for kids beside where I live.. Trouble is.. Time ... Only get home every second weekend. .. He has around 80 young kids... Love to help them out... It's a JOY. .

Understand Bren.
Cool on your Brother and you...for teachin the "Art".

Shotokan...