Hello...and goodbye!

[cablemagne]

After two years of searching and being screwed and thrown under the bus I am giving up.I have taken a factory job that I am happy with.The job security is just not in the contract locating business anymore and without picking up and moving a family of ten there are no jobs available around here anyway.Now I have good benefits and the pay is conducive to what I am accustumed to making.What I don't have is the backstabing,being the sacrificial lamb to save someone elses butt who is more liked by the sup.,being blamed for all the ills of new office,but I will also miss the freedom of the road,working by myself,and taking long lunches if time permits,or naps in a empty cul de sac.I have had to many summers without a vacation because I was between jobs I feel I owe it to my family to not do what I love anymore but what is responcible and right.I will still check in now and again because I am going to miss this line of work(and besides,I love the drama of this site).

[RoadMap]

Good luck on the other side. I would go also but do not want to pay for my own gas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[underground quester]

Naps in an empty cul-d-sac....man, i have never done that...huh...what....oh sorry, I must have dozed off...

Good luck and god speed to you. I hope everything goes well for you and your family.

[yahoo]

After two years of searching and being screwed and thrown under the bus I am giving up.I have taken a factory job that I am happy with.The job security is just not in the contract locating business anymore and without picking up and moving a family of ten there are no jobs available around here anyway.Now I have good benefits and the pay is conducive to what I am accustumed to making.What I don't have is the backstabing,being the sacrificial lamb to save someone elses butt who is more liked by the sup.,being blamed for all the ills of new office,but I will also miss the freedom of the road,working by myself,and taking long lunches if time permits,or naps in a empty cul de sac.I have had to many summers without a vacation because I was between jobs I feel I owe it to my family to not do what I love anymore but what is responcible and right.I will still check in now and again because I am going to miss this line of work(and besides,I love the drama of this site).

brother ........eventually .....the same mess you're leaving ....will be waiting for you with this new comp. that's the way life is ....job security does not exist ...........that's my opinion ..Godspeed to ya dude in your new life .....ps.....if you catch yourself looking at telephone poles and peds and the such.......etc.....come on back to what you love dude......and my final thoughts to ya...............welcome to louisiana

[TheCableVine]

I don't blame you. If you aren't with a good company then what's the use. Especially in this biz.

Don't forget that you are always welcome here. Once a locator always a locator.

I've had other jobs after I became a locator but I found myself drifting back mentally and then physically to this business.

[Wingfoot]

Good Luck Brother on your new venture..... For myself, I can't image doing anything but locating as a real job. I'm home dispatched. I start when I want. I quit when I want. Every day I'm outdoors surrounded by my buddies. I seldom see or talk to my boss. I'm burning someone else's gas in an almost new, company supplied work vehicle. I consider on-call an exciting adventure. I love the spring, summer and fall paychecks. I love the bounce of the jogging HOTTIES! Most of them say "HIGH"; even when they catch me gawking! I love the neighborly MILFs seatbelted and shoulder harnessed into their SUVs, 2-seaters, Tahoes & mini-vans giving me a toot on their horn, a BIG smile and a wave; just because I'm a blue-collar boy working outside. I am a member of an outdoor fraternity that is just like family to me. I have been to weddings, funerals & wakes, graduations, school functions, retirement parties, cookouts, luncheons, hospital visits and participated in many long winded bullshit sessions with all my utility technicians and many excavation workers. The stories I've heard (sexcapades to escapades) and the things I have learned, through all these people I call friends, can not be taught by any learning institution. If I lost my locating job Monday, I am confident to be one phone call away to a buddy for a new job on Tuesday.

[RoadMap]

Damn Wing! That was quite a description.

[cablemagne]

theres no doubt that I will miss this business.I find myself walking through the plant and wondering how the water,phone,power,gas,etc comes in,and what facilities I'm walking over or what that repair that patch of cement was put there for.The free gas to and from work was nice to.Maybe someday,but I think I just burned a bridge with STS,will find out in July!

[Mr Blunderbuss]

The first 6 months that I worked at utility locating company "X", it was great. Weekly meetings built camaraderie, sharing experiences with the other locators on the team, have a few laughs, and asking for help when needed because we had enough people.

Then, something happened; the team meetings ended; a new supervisor tried to break the camaraderie of the team. He didn't last long. One by one, good locators became disgruntled and left. The common thread that made all of them leave was the DM. And they would consider coming back if the DM was no longer around. And I wasn't going to tolerate another summer under this DM.

Today, I heard a rumor which I will not elaborate on, because I'm on the outside looking in. Suffice it to say, I hope the rumor is true.

[USIC1]

Good Luck Brother on your new venture..... For myself, I can't image doing anything but locating as a real job. I'm home dispatched. I start when I want. I quit when I want. Every day I'm outdoors surrounded by my buddies. I seldom see or talk to my boss. I'm burning someone else's gas in an almost new, company supplied work vehicle. I consider on-call an exciting adventure. I love the spring, summer and fall paychecks. I love the bounce of the jogging HOTTIES! Most of them say "HIGH"; even when they catch me gawking! I love the neighborly MILFs seatbelted and shoulder harnessed into their SUVs, 2-seaters, Tahoes & mini-vans giving me a toot on their horn, a BIG smile and a wave; just because I'm a blue-collar boy working outside. I am a member of an outdoor fraternity that is just like family to me. I have been to weddings, funerals & wakes, graduations, school functions, retirement parties, cookouts, luncheons, hospital visits and participated in many long winded bullshit sessions with all my utility technicians and many excavation workers. The stories I've heard (sexcapades to escapades) and the things I have learned, through all these people I call friends, can not be taught by any learning institution. If I lost my locating job Monday, I am confident to be one phone call away to a buddy for a new job on Tuesday.

Cmon Hillary Im mean Bill I mean Wing...

Lets lighten up a little... eehhh???

[sprayandpray]

Cmon Hillary Im mean Bill I mean Wing...

Lets lighten up a little... eehhh???

Don't discourage Wing - everyone needs to keep their dobber out of the dirt somehow.

[cablemagne]

As for the rumour about company "x",it is true.I recieved my official letter last week.Thats all I can say right now.

[TBONE]

Good luck and remember we all come back and back we just cant stay away

[Goldenboy]

Good luck on your ventures. I left for two months before I realized I couldn't be inside or away from locating. That was about 8 years ago.

[nxs]

Good luck with that factory job. Before you know it, you won’t even miss the sunshine. And the sound of machinery can be mesmeric. ... seriously dude, good luck!