Author - John Sease
Submitted By -My Battery
THIS STORY COMES FROM A CONTRACT LINEMAN CONVERTING A OLD REA SYSTEM FROM 7.2 KV TO 14.4 KV. WE WERE IN THE STICKS, RE-INSULATING A TAP WHOSE ONLY CUSTOMER WAS A ELDERLY AFRICAN AMERICAN MAN. WE DECIDED TO KILL THE TAP SO I WOULDN'T HAVE TO WERE MY SLEEVES WHILE WIRING THE NEW POT AND TEMPING THE OLD ONE. I KNOCKED ON THE DOOR OF THE SHACK (FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD), AND THE MAN ANSWERED THE DOOR. I INFORMED HIM OF THE OUTAGE AND HE AGREED. WE RE-INSULATED THE MAIN LINE AND MOVED TO THE HOUSE SIDE. WHEN I SET UP ON THE TRANSFORMER POLE THE OLD MAN CAME OUT OF THE HOUSE LIKE HIS TAIL WAS ON FIRE. HE YELLED AT ME THAT I BETTER NOT MESS WITH HIS "BAATTREEY". WELL I WAS THOROUGHLY CONFUSED AND DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. I INFORMED HIM THAT I WAS JUST RE-INSULATING THE LINES AND WOULDN'T MESS WITH HIS BAATTREEY (WHATEVER THAT WAS). WHEN I DROPPED DOWN TO RE-WORK THE POTS HE HEADED BACK INSIDE. I BEGAN TO WORK THE HIGH SIDE OF THE OLD POT TO TEMPORARY IT I SAW HIM MOVING IN THE DOORWAY. THEN BOOM!!!! I NEARLY FELL OUT OF THE BUCKET. THERE, IN THE DOORWAY, STOOD THE OLD MAN WITH A SHOTGUN.
'' YOU BETTER LEAVE MY BAATTREEY ALONE. I TOLD YOU ONCE. NEXT TIME I WONT MISS"
WELL I PROMPTLY DROPPED OUT AND GOT OUT OF THERE AS FAST AS THAT OLD INTERNATIONAL BUCKET WOULD CARRY ME.
MY FOREMAN, WHO WAS NAPPING OUT AT THE ROAD, MET ME AT THE DRIVEWAY. HE WAS WONDERING WHAT HAPPENED.
"DAVE YOU GO TALK TO HIM, BUT YOU BETTER NOT MESS WITH HIS BAATTREEY! I SAID.
John Sease