Paint it. Paint it all.

[TheCableVine]

I still have a hard time believing someone did this thinking it was okay.

[yahoo]

that is some of usic1's work......i bet he'll own up to it.....hahahhahahah

[Goldenboy]

Whoever did that must not be a homeowner. I think I'd just about kill the person that did that to my yard. No respect whatsoever.

[Dave72]

Now thats just funny... Id imagine if there was a boat or a dog in the way, the locator would have sprayed it too ! The local cable co apparently 'located' through this one guys back yard garden.. he was pretty ticked and wanting to know who painted his lettuce ! (nice stripes all the way across his plants .. ) Guess the guy couldnt be bothered going to get his stakes or flags.

[underground quester]

The other day I did a homeowner whose entire yard was xerascaping (essentially rocks and cement, no grass). He came out and specifically asked me to use NO paint. Which, is good, I appreciate when they give me clear instructions.

He had an 8 foot high fence and a gate latch up high. So I tucked my transmitter and paint gun undr my left arm so I could open the gate and walk to the gas meter. The whole time unknown to me my paint gun is spraying yellow paint all down his sidewalk.

So, I asked him for varsol or gas, anything to get it off with. I went to my truck and got out the rags I carry for this and other purposes. He brought out a can of WD40. It worked like a damn!

It took me probably half an hour just to clean his walk. He even got down on his knees and helped me.

AHHHH...I love those great first thing in the morning starts!!!

[beyond help]

Nice paint on the fence

[2RUDE]

In defense of the locator, don't any of you guys ever get fed up with homeowners that bury pedestals/transformers/meters under a bunch of heavy shrubbery, or boulders? I got a severe corneal abrasion this past spring from a branch on a shrub that sprung back and cracked me in the eye, while I was hooking up to a transformer.

I realize these "boxes" are unsightly in the opinion of the homeowners, but legally they're not allowed to impeded access to them in any way.

[Dave72]

In defense of the locator, don't any of you guys ever get fed up with homeowners that bury pedestals/transformers/meters under a bunch of heavy shrubbery, or boulders? I got a severe corneal abrasion this past spring from a branch on a shrub that sprung back and cracked me in the eye, while I was hooking up to a transformer.

I realize these "boxes" are unsightly in the opinion of the homeowners, but legally they're not allowed to impeded access to them in any way.

Knocked your safety glasses clear off did it ?

I hear ya though.. had one the other week where the ped was basically inside a pine tree against a fence and beside a compost box. Nice..
I just tore in breaking branches.. (suppose thats not polite, but.. meh..)

Edit: Hehe, just remembered another one.. had a trouble that showed into the ped that was apparently in this yard.. no ped to be found.. looked and looked, then it became obvious that the ped was actually inside a pile of firewood.

[ifinditunderground]

It doesn't matter whether or not they are "allowed" to do it. You should NEVER paint on stuff like that. That is truly vandalism. The job sucks sometimes, but that guy should have bent his fat ass over and moved the two pots before painting the ground under them. That is just laziness at it's finest. And tagging the fence is just as unacceptable.

[yahoo]

and the best part is he actually took a picture of all this......what a duck?????? hey ifindit...... that is the one you need to take behind the barn and horsewhip>>>>>

[gypsygirl]

I agree that was excessive, however, we still have to have paint with flags. In this case, I would have just marked up to the landscaping timber and not even bothered with anything in there (including the lines going back to the fence).. would have had picture of that. I try very hard to think of how I would want my yard marked, but I never put just flags in, there will always be at least a dot of paint with the flag.

[big boots mcghee]

Who's to say that the homeowner didn't ask for locates specifically around the utility pedestals and then opted not to move all their crap out of the way prior to the site being marked?

[UULC]

I would have to agree with Gypsy. Here on Florida, most peds, dog houses, transformers and any utility structure, the home owner tries to cover up. The bet is a transformer. I will usually just put a VERY large circle around the bushes, landscaping etc. I mark the secondaries or drops up to the circle.

I have seen FPL go out to get to their transformer and just destroy the hedges the homeowner had planted to obscure it. When we get out there to do marking, we are accused of doing the damage. I will politely tell the they blocked access to the equipment.

As for marking brick paver's, flower pots, fences I will use judgment and the type of work being done.

I also will use a lot of flags.

[duke]

As to the pictures, yes, that's clearly unacceptable. I would have moved the pots or just planted a few flags right around the ped without painting. It seems that it would be obvious that a contractor/homeowner needs to hand dig the couple of feet right around a ped/transformer, but homeowners typically have no clue what's going on in their yard.

You've hit a nerve with the "impediments", though. I carry a set of loppers and a machete. When I need to access a ped, I'll be as low-key as possible with my cutting, but I WILL cut a path if I need to get to it.

I can understand peds/transformers that have "wild" growth around them that isn't actively tended to. But it does upset me when homeowner intentionally plant "hostile" plants (THICK bushes, thorny bushes, etc.) right around the edge of a ped/trans cluster. How many tickets have you had where they specifically request a 10' radius of the "green box" in the front yard? You KNOW what they're going to do there, right?

But, in the end, we're powerless, so it really doesn't matter. Meanwhile, my loppers are my best friend.

[sprayandpray]

Does anyone else carry Wipe-OUT! At least on return visits the area around transformers, peds etc. is cleared out better.