What is your mindset at a locate?

[Paint Sniffer]

When I first started locating, my thoughts were to protect the utilities and to protect the contractors, that was my primary mindset.

Over the years this has changed and now my main mindset it to protect myself.... the locates are done so I don't get charged.

It kind of bugs me that my thinking has changed, even though the result is the same; protecting the utilities.

[locatethis]

When I'm doing a road project and walking along, painting and flagging, swetting and flexing my arm,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,, I'm thinking DDAAAAAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMnnnnnnnnnn, That Chick is HOT HOT HOT................ I wonder if she thinks I'm HOT HOT HOT too??????????


Just kidding.

[ProfessionalLocator]

When I first started locating, my thoughts were to protect the utilities and to protect the contractors, that was my primary mindset.

Over the years this has changed and now my main mindset it to protect myself.... the locates are done so I don't get charged.

It kind of bugs me that my thinking has changed, even though the result is the same; protecting the utilities.

This is like you pointed out, one need that gets the same results when two different mindsets are used. Thinking of protecting the utility and excavators first achieved the goal of not getting charged with damages. Thinking of not getting damages results in protecting the utility and the lives of the excavators.

My mindset is in the middle, I am here to put paint down and do it right. Also achieves the same goals as your way of thinking.

[yahoo]

dude......that was really funny! hahahahhahhahahha

When I'm doing a road project and walking along, painting and flagging, swetting and flexing my arm,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,, I'm thinking DDAAAAAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMnnnnnnnnnn, That Chick is HOT HOT HOT................ I wonder if she thinks I'm HOT HOT HOT too??????????


Just kidding.

[yahoo]

my mindset is ...wow it's 900 and i just finished my first locate ..wonder what the next 5 will be like before i go home for the day?????!!!!!!!!!!!

[GPGrasshopper]

My experience was the opposite. When I started the other locators taught the "CYA" mentality. Over the years for me it became, protect the utility lines and keep people from getting hurt.

[Locator5000]

My experience was the opposite. When I started the other locators taught the "CYA" mentality. Over the years for me it became, protect the utility lines and keep people from getting hurt.

Same here, the mentality that I don't want anyone hurt or killed, or anyone to have to sit in the dark all night, or lose phone or internet service because of me is what I went with....but you still have to CYA. Even if you do a great locate and get a cut...if you don't have enough photos or extra marks guess whose fault it is? I can't count how many times I've gotten out of a damage charge because I had put 10 extra feet of marks in the neighbors yard, or done something similar. If marking for a reckless contractor, put a mark down every 4 feet and flag it. The more paint there is, the harder it is to cover up!

[paintitnow]

i thought most of the locating companies require a certain amout of over mark. I hard mark the hell out of my area. I had the mayor requesting the head of his public works to talk to me. I hard marked his brand new downtown road. i also had the gneral contractor bring out a sweeper and try to sweep off my har mark bu the electric utlitiy guy showed up and saw this and told my CDI not to worry. Ihave burn for no pictures or documentation. Now a days i till mindset to protect the utilities first but always with in the back of my head CYA. Everytime a locator calls me with something questionable i always tell him to make sure to CYA and document and called the supervisor and always document it in your notes. to even take a pic of the logged phoned call in your pics

[ProfessionalLocator]

i thought most of the locating companies require a certain amout of over mark. I hard mark the hell out of my area. I had the mayor requesting the head of his public works to talk to me. I hard marked his brand new downtown road. i also had the gneral contractor bring out a sweeper and try to sweep off my har mark bu the electric utlitiy guy showed up and saw this and told my CDI not to worry. Ihave burn for no pictures or documentation. Now a days i till mindset to protect the utilities first but always with in the back of my head CYA. Everytime a locator calls me with something questionable i always tell him to make sure to CYA and document and called the supervisor and always document it in your notes. to even take a pic of the logged phoned call in your pics

I have had the complaints made regards marking offsets on the curbs and public sidewalks. I try not to mark sidewalks but sometimes you just have to. When I do if I can I put the paint as a dot in a crack so it does not show so bad.

When people still complain I explain that the law makes no exceptions for sidewalks, driveways, patios or anything else. The law requires a clear mark and anything short of a two inch wide and twelve inch long mark is a courtesy by me.

I have had foremen and higher ups say do not mark driveways, sidewalks, patios , etc. but I still have to mark them because the orders are ALWAYS verbal. A verbal order is a fart in the wind, gone once something goes wrong. Written orders are always to mark in compliance with the local call before you dig laws.

[Locator5000]

i thought most of the locating companies require a certain amount of over mark.

Here it's overmark 25 feet on a single address and 10% on a project...it gets a little tricky when some of the lots out here are only 50' wide, and you've got an angry homeowner because you just marked half of his yard for the t-pole set next door, but hey... rules are rules.

I hard mark the hell out of my area.

Ditto. Any curb, sidewalk, or small children that get in the way of my paint stick get tagged as a general rule of thumb

[ProfessionalLocator]

Here it's overmark 25 feet on a single address and 10% on a project...it gets a little tricky when some of the lots out here are only 50' wide, and you've got an angry homeowner because you just marked half of his yard for the t-pole set next door, but hey... rules are rules.



Ditto. Any curb, sidewalk, or small children that get in the way of my paint stick get tagged as a general rule of thumb

Actually it is usually not the client utility but the contract locating firm that set the over mark into neighboring yards. When you look at the the over mark requirement is purely arbitrary, no foundation in fact.

The thing about the over mark requirement is conflict with call before you dig laws. True the easement / right of way for these utilities extends into the neighbor's yards. But if the ticket does not call for a dig in that area by what right are the utilities marked? Just becasue some office geeks said to? My take is this is a criminal trespass, made criminal by the form of vandalism of painting someone's yard where no marks were ordered.
I have seen over mark requirements of 40 feet.

Mark for a new water service from the valve in the front yard to the front of the house says the ticket. And we mark 20' or 40' into the neighbors on both sides. I really doubt the client utilities, who are very public opinion conscious, ordered the marks like that. It is a big world and I am sure there is such a requirement by some utility somewhere but I doubt there are very many.

[sprayandpray]

ATT requires us to overmark single-address tickets by 25' in the latest contract . Also requires 10% overmark on projects.

[Oldschoollocator]

As A SUE locator its find everything no matter what.. but what bugs me the most is watching MISS U locater with 2 paint sticks taped together putting down paint and not a locate instrument in his hand to be found. no old marks even. what kind of mindset is that.. mmmm protect what????? mmm protect Who????? CY?????? dont think it covers anything other than the ticket is cleared.... Oh by the way I was a Miss u locator for a long time.... i feel sorry for you guys....

[Paint'n & Flag'n]

As A SUE locator its find everything no matter what.. but what bugs me the most is watching MISS U locater with 2 paint sticks taped together putting down paint and not a locate instrument in his hand to be found. no old marks even. what kind of mindset is that.. mmmm protect what????? mmm protect Who????? CY?????? dont think it covers anything other than the ticket is cleared.... Oh by the way I was a Miss u locator for a long time.... i feel sorry for you guys....

thought survey tix were paint stick jobs anyway...why need anything other than your paint stick.

[ProfessionalLocator]

Those are the one's that give us a bad name.

Those are the one's that do not stay too long, damage out. I do know one that did that and did not damage out, had family in management. Their damages were put onto the records of other locators who had recently been fired or had quit.
They kept their job but their family member lost their job. That person is a good locator and is marking things right now that there is nobody to protect them.