Crazy Trees

Riggs

Riggs

Participating member
Location
Bryn Mawr , Pa.
Isabelle hit , that was a little out of hand , but a couple tornados dropped down around me (today)and that puts a hurricane to shame if you ask me . Trees, roofs and poles. I can't bail out every local idiot but I don't want them to get hurt either . Cutting in split wood is as hard as it gets , and sometimes you have to cut in the splits . Besides my own problems I was dealing with I was telling people on a cell how to handle what they were doing on a job . If anything I gave them confidence. I saw so much stupid s**t in these last 2 storms I'm wondering if too much emphasis is on pruning . Big trees in urban areas are hazards everyday. Trust me , when there is a storm there is plenty of work for everyone , some people, just add water(rain), instant treeman . Utility and State(municipality) tree people are as slow as you get in tree work and you can tell them I said that . There aren't enough newspapers to keep them busy . I don't care how bad a tree is , someone is gonna do it , that is a fact.
 
AMEN BROTHER!!!!

You hit the nail on the head w/ the instant treeman comment. Living herein the Midwest, we get tornados every yr. In 2002 we got hit w/ a doozy of an ice storm. FEMA showed up and gave everyone that wanted it, $500 for chainsaws and generators, and BOOM! tree men everywhere!

Since then, I cant begin to tell you the number of people that have mentioned we need Another ice storm to help our business! BULLSH#T. If they only knew. They say the same about getting tornados. I have told my boss several times, if we get a tornado, dont bother calling me, I QUIT! I dont want any part of it. I have just about the same opinion of another MAJOR ice storm.

Best of luck to those in the NE.
 
from riggs....

</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
...I'm wondering if too much emphasis is on pruning . Big trees in urban areas are hazards everyday....

[/ QUOTE ]

What do you mean that there is too much emphasis on pruning?

Though big tree are/can be hazards, they are also assets. It's important to keep that in your head during the work day.

love
nick
 
As mentioned on another forum, many people look at us as grunt laborers. About on par with the garbageman or lawn guy. They think they are capable of doing whatever we can do, because we are 'just' tree guys. People complain when they think we are charging too much, because it is all profit for us. We charge too much for simple labor. The only reason they are paying us instead of doing it themselves is because we own a chainsaw and they don't want top have to haul off the mess. So when a storm hits, all of a sudden all these desk jockeys think they are obligated to come out and 'help' us perform all this manual labor. They hate it because they equate it to 'minimum wage' type work. They are 'above' us.

Well, I hope enough of them hurt themselves and get enough publicity to let the rest of the uppity tightwads know that we might be a little more than grunt laborers. Who knows, we might have even learned a little bit about proper tree care while chopping trees and dragging brush!
 
ok ,Nick . That's all fine , but when a tree reaches it's maximum height , or if it is over a hundred feet tall , besides all the glorious things trees do for us it really has only two things left to do , die or fall. I saw this one tree on tuesday about 120 ft. ash , 6 cables , 5 screw rods , pruned every so many years . They took care of the tree because they like it and wanted to be sure it didn't fall on their house . The asset crushed their asset . A 50 foot tree over your house is fine , but once a tree reaches over a hundred feet tall it is a hazard , I didn't see that many dead trees on houses this week , they were all beautiful assets. You keep that in mind when you buy a house with a hundred foot tree hanging over your bedroom . I'll be the first to talk you out of removing a tree , but don't ask me if it is safe .
p.s. The muncipality people aren't as bad as the Orange truck guys .I'm gonna right a top ten stupid things I saw list .
 
Here it goes , One thing about a tornado , it puts everybody together in one general area and you get to see how other people work . I really like the ego maniacs who place every truck and car they own on one street .

10: Aluminum ladders ( There were as many wires down as trees )

9: A large Locust tree trunk about 35 dbh , 40 feet tall ,being lowered off an aluminum cambium saver onto a small port a wrap with a half inch line .

8. A one man band show , climbing , chipping , lowering all by himself . I felt guilty for a second .

7. A Township crane truck , 3 ton crane , for minor loading , stabilizing a 75 ft. American Beech tree leaning on a home while a Municipal Arborist used a bucket and made undercuts near the roof till they decided they needed a crane , not a toy . The black top crew was on the lowering line and the other highway dept people were standing by ready with their dump trucks .

6. stick saw mania . reach out rip and pray .

5. A Utility tree expert , cutting a Tree limb pressing down a heavy phone line , what goes down must go up , when the limb was freed he was almost thrown out of the bucket because the phone wire hit his boom . Whoa dude..

4. A Municipal Arborist , working on a large Red Oak , the top was broke and leaning in the tree across from it . He sets the bucket up right underneath the mess. If it was going to fall it would have fell already. right?

3. A 25 ton crane set up on a wet lawn with no cribbing or outrigger pads .

2. The orange truck guys , Utility . I don’t get it , they don’t get it .

1. Was this crane strong enough ? Need to get away ?
 
Very good Riggs.
I heard there was at least one death in VA, kickback in the neck.

... Read in the paper today about a young man who was cleaning up downed trees on his property. Got a kickback that cut into his neck and chest. He died. Had just celebrated his 14th wedding anniversary the night before.
 
Well Glen, I'm not disappointed. It was funny (but in a sad way). Though, the funniest thing of all is, when I was reading it, it was all too familiar. I've probably seen all or close to every item listed (well except for the cambium saver trick- WOW).
 
Great stuff Glenn,but what about the storm chasers ? Everybody with a pickup and a chainsaw is now an expert.I'm shocked we have not heard about more stupid injuries from all this.
 
I'm with you there Roachy . I'm doing hangar chasing , still , cause all these penny pinchers went cheap and took care of the hazards that were obvious . What looks like a hangar could be a busted top , and if some nickel &amp; dime company has x amount of dollars on the "hangar" than they'll never let you know about the busted top or major cracks . After that storm I'd give a rigging clinic for free and a hot meal . Lot of stupid people out there living on a prayer.
 
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