climbing pet peeves

treegongfu said:
Drewtree, despite all the insults I appreciated the discussion and found it useful in thinking about the balance between the needs of the climber vs the demands on the groundsman.
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Totally, I always balance the needs of my Groundsman with that of my own. I'm never unreasonable about the things I request of them.
 
Worthaug said:
I can't believe no one mentioned the Treemotion bungee slap! That shit is so shocking an painful!
Suckers and twigs in the ear muffs.
When I forget to close the cam on my CT ascenders.
When I unclip at the end of a climb and my swivel swings down and hits me in the balls.
Foggy glasses!
Summer crotch chafe.
When your tail decides to tie a clove hitch around a limb.
Uncooperative inanimate objects.
Misplacing things.
Homeowners who think they actually own anything.
View pruning with the homeowners direction.
View pruning without headsets.
View pruning.
Homeowners.

Fuck it! This job sucks!

Just kidding ;-)


Reed Wortley
CTSP #01739
ISA CA #SO-6953A
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Man, I must just be lucky so far; I've never had that happen yet. Thanks a lot, now I'll be all twitchy in the tree every time I get near a small twig! Damn.
 
OOO!
I have another pet peeve to add

Climbers who cut notches on EVERYTHING they cut, even if it's unnecessary
A notch is not something you have to create every single time you cut a branch off a tree
There are situations that warrant using a notch while removing limbs; a notch is a method of directional manipulation - it is a way to influence a branch/tree/spar/etc. to fall a certain way, towards a certain direction, to avoid certain targets (i.e. swing a limb over a house in a rigging situation). A notch is not the same as an undercut, and you don't have to spend that extra minute getting your notch JUST RIGHT on a limb when there's nothing you're trying to avoid below.

It's like some people just throw a notch in there just because it's something to cut; it's as if they use one without purpose, like it's a kind of impulse with no underlying thought.

Y'all get what I'm saying right? I'm not crazy?
 
Not crazy a bit! The only thing worse is watching a groundie do the same thing on a piece they're cutting up that happens to be slightly over a target(a deck or shrub or something), instead of cutting part way through an pushing it over they cut a notch and back cut on a 3" limb and stand there waiting for it to magically fall the right way. When it doesn't go they cut more and more hinge wood until it breaks off and lands right on said target.

That alone makes my blood boil, then like icing on the cake you have to go apologize to the customer for her crushed rose bushes.
 
-People climbing in hickory shirts
- people changing into logging style boots to wear spikes in
- Cutting with a dull saw
- chunking down firewood sized wood on spars all the way to the ground when you have the room to lay out a few pieces and fell a decent stick on them.
-Egos
- Burying your ground guys.
 
wyatt spruck said:
OOO!
I have another pet peeve to add

Climbers who cut notches on EVERYTHING they cut, even if it's unnecessary
A notch is not something you have to create every single time you cut a branch off a tree
There are situations that warrant using a notch while removing limbs; a notch is a method of directional manipulation - it is a way to influence a branch/tree/spar/etc. to fall a certain way, towards a certain direction, to avoid certain targets (i.e. swing a limb over a house in a rigging situation). A notch is not the same as an undercut, and you don't have to spend that extra minute getting your notch JUST RIGHT on a limb when there's nothing you're trying to avoid below.

It's like some people just throw a notch in there just because it's something to cut; it's as if they use one without purpose, like it's a kind of impulse with no underlying thought.

Y'all get what I'm saying right? I'm not crazy?
Click to expand...

First, I'm not a working pro, so take what I say with a grain of salt, and please be gentle with me.

I get what you are saying about folks not having a clear understanding about the rational for doing things in a certain way. In the absence of such clear understanding, my impression is that these folks are probably trying to err on the side of safety. It might be irritating to watch, because maybe it seems like it makes things take too long, but I think you should at least acknowledge that these folks are trying to be conscientious about their work.

When it is obvious in the extreme to you that they are working in a manner that reveals their ignorance of the reasons things should be done a certain way, it is an absolutely prime moment to stop them and explain what technique they should be using and why that is the case.

Sometimes newer workers are told to do something in a certain way in a particilar circumstance, but the reason is never given as to why; that would take another 30 seconds, and we just don't have time for that, is the attitude. So the new guy continues doing things the way he always has, just because nobody ever bothered to explain the "why" of things.

There's a recent story in the "Awakenings" section of the forum in which a man in a bucket was killed, for want of having cut a notch in the limb he was trying to remove. Here's the link to that thread.

http://www.treebuzz.com/forum/threads/vancouver-fatality.32849/

This is the kind of information that could make a climber end up with OCD about cutting notches.

I guess I'm just trying here to advocate for having the experienced guys on a jobsite constantly training those workers around them that do not understand the background information for the way things should be done.

That is all.

Tim
 
@wyatt spruck, Wyatt, you are most welcome. I can tell by your response to my post that you would most likely be a great guy to work with or for.

There are a million little data points to learn in any craft, and it all takes a little bit of time, each time. A whole lot of employers just detest the idea of having to train people, because of the expense involved. They would prefer to have someone else spend all of that time and effort, and then try to just hire people that already come to the game knowing how to play.

I think, though, that employees might want to stick with a company that thinks enough of them to actually invest in them the time and effort it takes to develop an advanced skillset.

Thank you in return, for being so open minded and accepting of my thoughts on this.

Tim
 
I am usually in the tree but sometimes not. .


yelling Headache every time the climber wants to put something in motion is a big pet peeve of mine. Im talking to the client and all you hear is "headache!!" a screaming saw followed up by a crash coming from the back yard.. why yes ma'am we are very professional that is just how we communicate with each other, I know it may seem silly to yell headache to let the guys on the ground know they are about to do something and they are actually asking if its safe to proceed... I know, its may sound like reckless abandonment with total disregard for life and property.. , but its a cultural thing..... yea ma'am it would make more sense to have a separate system for normal stuff.
then she asks if headache is what you say when things are controlled, what do you say as a warning of something uncontrolled"? .... uuuummmmmmmm headache louder with more conviction???



Headache means get the hell out and don't look up, it means I goofed and you are about to experience it.
Stand clear means things are controlled and I am waiting for confirmation that I can set this in motion.

I did a job with a guy who I was helping to improve on some things and he insisted on yelling headache every time he wanted me on rope. every time he yelled it I ran out to safety. and looked up to see what was going on. . . totally pissed him off.

so headache can mean :

oh shit run
please come run ropes Im ready,
I'm cutting this stub/branch/limb its about to drop and I don't know were you are or where it is going, but its coming. ( this is my favorite interpretation)
I dropped my hand saw can you please come find it.
and can you please get in the first aid kit I have a headache.


so climber uses one word until the crew doesn't know what he wants, or someone gets hit with something, then all the sudden climber decides... that is the appropriate time to increase his vocabulary ..
 
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