Verbal tusstle with contractor....

**Mke** · May 25th, 2010, 09:15 PM

I was told today that One-call tickets do not expire. The contractor can call in a ticket and dig forever on that ticket. Which is fine and dandy, except it specifically states in the state law book that Tickets expire in 10 buisness days. I was told I didn't know crap.....i blacked out but someone told me someone holding locating equipment threw the state law book at the contractor. Sometimes being a public employee has its draw backs.

No Yelling at the contractors!
No calling everyone "bitches"
No wearing shorts
No internet porn on the laptops
No Dead Hooker jokes in meetings with supervisors.

How do they expect us to locate with all these restrictions?

I know, I shouldn't of "tossed" him my copy of the state law, but I get so tired of being pissed on by contractors who think locators are the retards of the construction field. Do you guys get this alot?

Most of the time the contractors are pretty easy to get along with, but every now and then...

mke

**wilder** · May 25th, 2010, 09:57 PM

Verbal tussle?
We are anywhere from 3 days to a week behind on everything except emergency tickets up here. If you delete the profanity I'm having very short conversations with contractors these days. Last week I had a little old lady from the local historical society cuss me out because they could not plant their historic pine on the selected day because we were late.
Verbal tussle sounds pretty good right now

**TheCableVine** · May 25th, 2010, 10:01 PM

I was just talking to my coworker today who ran into a contractor with an attitude. He (the contractor) asked my coworker why she was marking the service to the other house. She explained it to him and then he got an attitude and told her she was 3 hours late and to forget about the locate. She said no she wasn't 3 hours late, the ticket is due tomorrow at 11:24. He told her to get her equipment and get the 'f' out of there. She, as loud as she could, told him to "F*** OFF". There was a bit more to the conversation but you get what happened.

I've shown up and done locates and had no problems only to get back to the office to find out that I was rude and tried to rip a fence post out of the ground. My manager just laughed at the guy.

**FiosKing** · May 25th, 2010, 10:03 PM

i had the best day today... there is this company who hit a line a while back and is still in the courts with my company trying to get out of it blamming it on us, even tho it was marked (it was a big damage).... so today i go to a ticket that they are already digging at with the ticket not being due till the next day... i notice no utilities marked out so i decide to hang out in my truck and watch for a few min since i noticed it was the same crew.... none the less 10 min later these guys hit a water main LOL... i then get out of my truck and mark my utility and take photos of them digging.... as im packing up i say "nice job guys this ticket is not due untill tomorrow, lets see you try to get out of this one

" haha that made my day

**6feetunder** · May 25th, 2010, 10:41 PM

Originally Posted by Mke

I was told today that One-call tickets do not expire. The contractor can call in a ticket and dig forever on that ticket. Which is fine and dandy, except it specifically states in the state law book that Tickets expire in 10 buisness days. I was told I didn't know crap.....i blacked out but someone told me someone holding locating equipment threw the state law book at the contractor. Sometimes being a public employee has its draw backs.

No Yelling at the contractors!
No calling everyone "bitches"
No wearing shorts
No internet porn on the laptops
No Dead Hooker jokes in meetings with supervisors.

How do they expect us to locate with all these restrictions?

I know, I shouldn't of "tossed" him my copy of the state law, but I get so tired of being pissed on by contractors who think locators are the retards of the construction field. Do you guys get this alot?

Most of the time the contractors are pretty easy to get along with, but every now and then...

mke

Yeah retards of the construction field, I like that. That's pretty much the same treatment I get, NO RESPECT I TELL YA!!! The only contractors I've come across that treat us with respect are ones that are directly emplyed by the utilities and are required to do some locating of their own so they can relate, even with them it seems like a 50/50 shot of whether they treat you like garbage or not. The best part is that if we were to talk to them the same way in which we are treated we could possibly face disciplinary action, almost like you lose the right to defend yourself. It's a rough , tough bad news biz for us locating folks, everyday is a fight not only with contractors but even with our own employers.

**AULupstate** · May 28th, 2010, 12:57 PM

There is 'some' truth to the explanation of a ticket being good 'forever'.

If a locate is done and the contractor begins the job once the communication from all utilities loop is complete, the said contractor CAN keep working on that ticket AS LONG AS THEY KEEP THE ORIGINAL MARKS UP THROUGHOUT THE PROJECT.

Most don't so that negates that rule, at least in New York.

**Shadowcat** · May 28th, 2010, 01:13 PM

Originally Posted by AULupstate

There is 'some' truth to the explanation of a ticket being good 'forever'.

If a locate is done and the contractor begins the job once the communication from all utilities loop is complete, the said contractor CAN keep working on that ticket AS LONG AS THEY KEEP THE ORIGINAL MARKS UP THROUGHOUT THE PROJECT.

Most don't so that negates that rule, at least in New York.

In Missouri the ticket expires within 10 days if the contractor has not started his/her work. If they have started their work in that 10 day time frame, the ticket expiration is advanced to 14 days. Of course all this hinges on if all your marks survive that long. Nothing better than a homeowner calling in a ticket that you locate on time, then they turn around and mow their grass and call in a no response ticket for you cause they where MORONS.

**AULupstate** · May 28th, 2010, 03:46 PM

Originally Posted by Shadowcat

In Missouri the ticket expires within 10 days if the contractor has not started his/her work. If they have started their work in that 10 day time frame, the ticket expiration is advanced to 14 days. Of course all this hinges on if all your marks survive that long. Nothing better than a homeowner calling in a ticket that you locate on time, then they turn around and mow their grass and call in a no response ticket for you cause they where MORONS.

HA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yep, I have had those tickets. Always loved going back to the same places because of stuff like that.

**Mke** · May 28th, 2010, 06:32 PM

Yeah, they can try to "maintain" their marks, but these ass hats have a long history of trying to get around our proceedures. This company didn't even call in the original ticket, the original call date was back in November. that is roughly six months ago durring the winter in the pacific northwest. Not only did we have tons o' rain, but the Electrical company moved the utilities 50' further to the west (out of their way). Not too sure how they are supposed to maintain that.

mke

**ProfessionalLocator** · May 28th, 2010, 07:52 PM

With a lot of contractors the base problem is there are people who have the attitude that nobody is going to tell them anything. I have found a number of people who started their own contracting firm because they could not stand to take orders from their bosses. These small contractor never realize that if you do not make a good employee you are likely to make a poor business operator.

I do not shout and raise my voice with these people, they only thrive on it. It only causes them to shout louder and attempt to "win" by downing out your voice. I just calmly impart the information and offer the state 'excavators handbook' and if they do not accept it I just leave it on site.

**yahoo** · May 28th, 2010, 10:12 PM

sounds like just another lovely day in our world!!! hang in there Mke!!!!

**The Big-E** · May 30th, 2010, 01:29 AM

I deal with morons like this everyday in my area... but I don't get in verbal tussles with them... I just state what I know to be true under the "one-dig" laws or policies in my state, and it's up to them to figure out their own ignorance.

I mean "really", they dig for a living, you would think they would know to the letter of the law what their restrictions and rights are.

**yahoo** · May 30th, 2010, 09:09 AM

Originally Posted by The Big-E

I deal with morons like this everyday in my area... but I don't get in verbal tussles with them... I just state what I know to be true under the "one-dig" laws or policies in my state, and it's up to them to figure out their own ignorance.

I mean "really", they dig for a living, you would think they would know to the letter of the law what their restrictions and rights are.