Talking Out of Both Sides of Their Mouth

**LadyLeatherneck** · June 18th, 2008, 09:23 AM

Locating companies will tell their locators not to carry personal items in their trucks. UNDERSTANDABLE! In an accident, anything loose inside a truck becomes a projectile. The companies also tell locators not to carry any form of cutting equipment in their trucks for the same reason. And yet, they tell you that you have to mark in areas that are impossible to get into without it being cleared first. Years ago the utility owners were responsible to clear their facilities for ease of access by locators. Should still be. Is it or should it be a locator's responsibility to maintain and keep up a utility owner's equipment? And, how can you clear around pedistals if you have no equipment to clear with. Those bidding contracts should consider this when agreeing to utility owners demands. Also consider the lack of productivity while you are taking care of someone else's stuff. And who suffers?

Another beef, pot holing! Is that not the "power of the paint"? Is that not the contractor's job? How much time is wasted with a shovel in hand while the contractor sits and watches? WHY ARE THESE THINGS HAPPENING?

**Goldenboy** · June 18th, 2008, 09:50 AM

I carry shovels,pruners,and branch cutters in my truck. I've never been told not to. Like you stated some of the areas we mark in you can't even open the peds without cutting away branches.

**LadyLeatherneck** · June 18th, 2008, 10:14 AM

It seems the companies tell you one thing and require you to do something else.

**LadyLeatherneck** · June 18th, 2008, 11:20 AM

You won't believe it but the locators got in trouble for not making enough money for the company today! How can they when they have to clean around pedestals and mark utilities for free to appease the contractors and mark huge areas on one ticket, etc. Wake up Supervisors!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Stop copping attitudes with the locators when YOU ARE CAUSE YOUR OWN HEARTACHES. Why would anyone want to put up with being yelled at constantly when they are just doing what you have told them to do.

SORRY MY ATTITUDE IS SHOWING!!!!!!!!!!! OH WELL, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO FIRE ME??????????????? YOU DON'T PAY ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

**yahoo** · June 18th, 2008, 07:44 PM

whoa........that sounds like a major problem..... i carry all that type of equipment in the back of my truck also.....we have got to have it....potholing is a whole another subject....very sore for all of us..... good topic though...

**2RUDE** · June 18th, 2008, 07:48 PM

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**yahoo** · June 18th, 2008, 08:09 PM

and at the end of that day ........you raised your life insurance..hahahhah ....remember you can't play dead in front of a black bear....there's some things that i don't do....mess around with bears is on the top of list

**underground quester** · June 18th, 2008, 09:30 PM

Originally Posted by 2RUDE

How about gas line ROWs where the brush is 7' high? I came face to face with a 400 lb. black bear a couple years ago while marking a 6" gathering pipeline through brush that was taller than I am (And I'm 6' 3") , luckily it didn't have any cubs (At least none that I saw) and it bolted the other way. I wish they'd start maintaining their f@cking ROWs again... Many of them haven't been brushed in 10-15 years....What a load of horseshit.

I have noticed up here they are not clearing their ROW like they used to. Have not had your bad fortune but I certainly worry about it when I am working a rural area alone. Especially pipeline ROW where we also have Moose. A full grown Moose can be bigger than a freekin horse. Came across one of those once but he just stared me down then walked away.

**Goldenboy** · June 18th, 2008, 10:02 PM

I guess I kind of forgot they used to clear the high pressure main easements. As far as I know they haven't cleared the easements in about 7 or 8 years. It really sucks locating in these easements now because they are so overgrown. It's funny when you mark and flag something and you turn around and look and can't even see a flag.

**underground quester** · June 18th, 2008, 10:07 PM

Originally Posted by Goldenboy

I guess I kind of forgot they used to clear the high pressure main easements. As far as I know they haven't cleared the easements in about 7 or 8 years. It really sucks locating in these easements now because they are so overgrown. It's funny when you mark and flag something and you turn around and look and can't even see a flag.

Last Summer, I was locating 2 parallel H.P. gas mains that had become so overgrown I was making no headway locating. So, I called the team leader who drove down to my area to meet up with me. He "miked" me on his phone and could hear the beep but could not see me. We were about 20 feet apart!

We laughed about that one for a while!

**UULC** · June 18th, 2008, 10:12 PM

You walk through an area and then you can not see the flags and forget about the paint. THEN the contractor comes in and clear cuts the area. He could not do that before he called in an locate. After he clear cuts the area they want a remark. You tell them to call another ticket in that you have photo's of the brush.

**sprayandpray** · June 18th, 2008, 10:18 PM

My rule #1 : I do not Pot Hole - it wasn't taught in class
My rule #2 : I do not locate in grass, weeds, or anywhere else I cannot see where my feet are stepping.
I tell the contractors if they want an area located it is up to them to make it safely reachable. Period.

**underground quester** · June 18th, 2008, 11:39 PM

Originally Posted by sprayandpray

My rule #1 : I do not Pot Hole - it wasn't taught in class
My rule #2 : I do not locate in grass, weeds, or anywhere else I cannot see where my feet are stepping.
I tell the contractors if they want an area located it is up to them to make it safely reachable. Period.

Spray:

Great post, I am going to print it off and put it on my clip board. Next time I get a locate request in pampas grass or brush, I will read them rule number two.

ThanX

**big boots mcghee** · June 18th, 2008, 11:56 PM

As far as I know it's on the contractor to first make the dig site safe and accessible for locating. Beyone that, if a facility is unable to be located due to inaccessibility, or safety, it needs to be escalated to the facility owner to make arrangements to get the site cleared. It's one thing to get behind a bush or some thick brush to get to a ped, it's another to spend our time hacking down tons of foliage to get a site located, especially when, in all likelihood, that foliage will be cleared prior to any excavation anyways, rendering our time spent locating in it useless.

**LadyLeatherneck** · June 19th, 2008, 11:45 AM

Ya'll need to inform the lead locators, supervisors, and dm's of this information because apparantly they think it is OUR JOB to make production while cleaning up all the areas we locate! If you don't, it's your job. I don't know how some of these people became chiefs, not to mention how they stay that way! They seem to forget the locators pay their salaries and if the locators are doing busy work they are not making money to go in their paychecks!

Sorrrrrrrrrrrrrry! There I go venting again!