remember when locating was fun

**DROPINTHEBOX** · July 23rd, 2009, 06:30 PM

To all the seasoned locators do you remember when it was fun to locate? paper tickets, no photos, no paper work, fly threw your tickets, contractors were great, did your job and you felt good at the end of the day about the work you did. Now theirs so much pressure. and other things that when you get home all you worry about is are you going to have a job the next day. I started in 1993 with Steve Mike and Pat I wish they still ran SM&P. Went the first 7yrs damage free out of training. and for each yr you went damage free you got a bounus I was up too 7.000.00 a yr before i got a damage for a 6pr cable that wasn't in marking instructions it seem like it's all gone down hill. instead of protecting the public and contractor it's all about corporate greed. I've never felt like a number then i do right know.

**Goldenboy** · July 23rd, 2009, 07:01 PM

I remember judging how screwed I was by my pile of tickets in the morning. If they were held together with a paper clip I was gonna have an easy day, if they were held together with one of those black alligator clips I was gonna be busy, and if they were held wtogether with a rubber band I was screwed.

**beyond help** · July 23rd, 2009, 07:17 PM

Originally Posted by Goldenboy

I remember judging how screwed I was by my pile of tickets in the morning. If they were held together with a paper clip I was gonna have an easy day, if they were held together with one of those black alligator clips I was gonna be busy, and if they were held wtogether with a rubber band I was screwed.

Now I know how screwed I am by how long I have to hold down the down arrow, Oh crap, that's right; It fell off the keyboard. It's still not the same. I thought making a drawing of the site was pretty entertaining too, considering I couldn't even draw a straight line.

**Goldenboy** · July 23rd, 2009, 07:39 PM

I work for SM&P so now I know how screwed I am by the size of the bar on the right side of Mobile Dispatch.

How about how we never had cell phones. Dispatch would page us and then we'd have to call in on the Motorola to get the info for the emergency. And if you had to call a contractor you had to track down a pay phone and then we were supposed to keep a "quarter log" so we could be reimbursed. I don't think I ever turned in one of those logs. They probably still owe me a thousand quarters.

**yahoo** · July 23rd, 2009, 10:40 PM

those were the good ole days last century.....ha

**Goldenboy** · July 23rd, 2009, 10:45 PM

The more I think about it it sucked when I started. We used Dynatels with no paint sticks. You had to bend over to sweep,paint, and flag. I hated them old 500as.

**Lifer** · July 24th, 2009, 07:02 AM

Originally Posted by Goldenboy

The more I think about it it sucked when I started. We used Dynatels with no paint sticks. You had to bend over to sweep,paint, and flag. I hated them old 500as.

yeah that sucked, then again, you could hook to 1 house and run a whole subdivision

**Mke** · July 24th, 2009, 09:01 AM

I came in on the tail end of that era. When I first started, we had gauranteed 40hrs. So, no matter how small our ticket load was we always got our 40hrs. This was only a bonus in the winter.

I remember playing golf during working hours with the supervisor.

Keeping track of the quarters for the phone, and having expense checks.

Plowing through the ticket load and willing to go help others when you finished early.

There was alot more teamwork back then.

Then the change happened.

mke

**beyond help** · July 24th, 2009, 06:05 PM

We used to use CB's when I first started. So if you had a problem, everyone would hear it. I still can not believe what some would say over an open mic.

**TheCableVine** · July 24th, 2009, 09:49 PM

I started out with the Motorola radio. It was a form of entertainment every time that thing went off. Some of the things said over it are priceless.

The radios are gone and so is my cheap entertainment.

**Lifer** · July 25th, 2009, 10:28 AM

Originally Posted by TheCableVine

I started out with the Motorola radio. It was a form of entertainment every time that thing went off. Some of the things said over it are priceless.

The radios are gone and so is my cheap entertainment.

that was the FUN part of the CB, all the idiots and what they were willing to say to the entire listening area.

and after awhile, a few of us figured out that there was a button if you wanted to go private........we kept that to ourselves

**premo** · July 25th, 2009, 05:57 PM

The good old days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

**locator_smbk** · July 25th, 2009, 09:39 PM

Locating was fun when I got started the very first time around, then it turned to crap so I left the business. The top brass from the company had me on the phone the next morning wanting to know what happened. They wanted me back and promised changes, so I cam back a few months later.

Then I started where I am today, things were great for the first year and a half, then it went to crap again.

Now I just see what I do as a way to pay most of my bills and get screwed over at the same time.....

**DROPINTHEBOX** · July 26th, 2009, 12:02 PM

the dynatels were great that's what i learned on. Bending over sucked. I remember when you had long locates for phone we would put it on hot pair and go for a walk.

**DROPINTHEBOX** · July 26th, 2009, 12:05 PM

I remember that the guys would come in the morning and with you had rubberband on your tickets. and the alligator clips. you knew you were in for along day