okay, here's the deal, I chipped that gear, and your story is all wrong. It was in Seattle, summer of 2001. Dave and I were working for Seattle Tree service on a Saturday doing sidework (We both worked for Ballard Tree Service at the time). Anyways it was at this Condo in Greenwood. It was some lame job where the Landscaper had planted these red alder trees in the 15' wide area between the buildings and they had just grown way too large for the site. The job was, I hate to say it, TOP them because the salesman somehow thought that to be some kind of solution. I went up the trees, (maybe five or ten of them) drop-crotched them about fifteen feet, and came down. While I was up there, Dave drug them out and placed them on the chute of the chipper, ON TOP OF HIS GEAR. I packed my rope, loaded MY gear into my car and went back to help Dave who was doing some sidewalk clearance on some Mountainash. I said, What can I do?"
Dave said, " I can finish this here, I just have a couple of cuts, maybe fire up that chipper and run that alder through." I went to the chipper, turned the key.....dead battery...I jiggled the wires...nothin'. Dave was only fifteen feet away, the whole time. I pulled my car around, hooked up the jumper cables...started the chipper, An old Asplundh drum chipper. Dave said, "allright man, run that [censored] through." I engaged the wheel, pulled the throttle, and within a few seconds heard the most awful apocolyptic noise a treeman could ever hear. Steel, aluminum, polypropyline webbing, carabiners, saddle, pulleys, steel core lanyard getting chopped into six inch bits. snaps and all. Everything but his ropes and his climbing hooks.
We knew it was bad, and maybe we shouldn't have gotten out of bed that morning, but all I have to say about it is this..."I knew where my gear was." I felt bad and gave him all the money I had, about three hundred dollars. I only made $150 that day, and I gave him that too.
I asked Dave this question later, and I'll ask it of you...."If you're gonna store your gear in the chipper chute, WHY IN THE [censored] WOULD YOU STACK BRUSH ON TOP OF IT?for Oxman...Did you get that picture from Leonard? How's that kid doing anyways?
