The Proper Welcome Wagon Post

**sundropmaster** · March 3rd, 2011, 12:27 AM

Well I had to come back and post the proper way in the Welcome Wagon! Hello all! I've had co-workers tell me about this site for sometime but USIC1 talked me into checking this website out, and I gotta say this. I've never spent so much time reading online than I did after I signed up! Thank you Steve for putting this site together! As far as reading, I can tell just from reading that a FEW people on here claim they are locators. I wouldn't trust you to mow my grass correct! Some people just don't understand locating and some people just get lucky. And yes, Like I said a few. But I'm excited to be able to talk to other True Locators that don't think of this as just a job, but you guys get down on the small details and thank you for sharing your knowledge,info and experience. For me I've been doing this for almost five years, been doing cable TV before that for five years. For some of you guys that have been doing it longer than me Five years might not seem that long and your right. But After doing this for two years I had a sewer project come up that lasted for Two and a half years. Two Damages that was mine and thats because of a major mistake in prints. Prints are just a guide bull crap. Sixteen fiber damages, Eighty four phone damages, Hundreds of Cable TV damages, and Ninty seven power damages done by the project alone. That's where I learned it all. All the locating for drops, mailboxes, sprinkler systems and every now and then a little fiber replacement etc doesn't have anything on sewer. One thing like most of you know, if there is utilities in the way, its going to get exposed on a sewer project. There is no getting around it. It helps alot when your able to see what you located exposed in a hugh hole. So you better have it marked right. The area I had nobody wanted, every locator in the area did not want to help even before the project. To me it was the perfect training ground. Just about 90% of the power was bored in, and power is also backfed so some area's up to eight different sets of power all bored in at different times. You had half the area joint trench for cable tv, which can be good and bad. I would rather it not be. Fibers bored in under the bored power. The locators that did come help, hated it, they have been all over the country and said it was the worst place they have ever been. I loved it and to cut the story short. Now I have ten to fifthteen year vets calling me to help them figure things out. I've built that rep up, even with the Utility Owners, they say if I cant figure it out no one can. Really locating can be tough, but if you have the will you can figure it out. I wont give up getting to the bottom of it, I will leave that job knowing that I'm safe from that cable getting damaged. I love my job and the thrill to it. I'm not on here with my story to brag about anything, I'm just telling you so you can get a fill for what I have been through to make me who I am today. I work for USIC and I'm PROUD to say i work for them. Some things I might not like but with every company your not going to like something. Im just glad to be working and they have some things that I do like. I don't care about GPS, because I do my job, to me if you complain about GPS then you must be sandbagging and not helping out within the group. I hope you guys can welcome me in because I'm going to start joining in on these post and I will start some too, I'm open minded to everything. So I'm not here to be an enemy, to put anyone down at all, but I'm here to share my world with yours as you share your world with mine! Thank you for your time

**Mke** · March 3rd, 2011, 09:47 AM

Welcome aboard. Have fun, Post often.

mke

**UULC** · March 3rd, 2011, 09:52 AM

Welcome to the Vine. That is a very good proper intro and I am sure everyone will welcome you to the Vine. As for the Haters of USIC, there are a few, USIC treated me ok and left because of my own doing. So post often and speak your piece.

**ifinditunderground** · March 3rd, 2011, 10:39 AM

Welcome to the show Sundrop.

**locatethis** · March 3rd, 2011, 05:47 PM

Dear Sundrop; I,m not quite sure I could even carry your paint stick, let alone dare to say I,m a locator!!! I just wish that when I'm in the weeds and I'm up against it, facing a project that would make mortal men melt with fear, You would be there, by my side to guide me and show me the way.

Oh!! Welcome to the vine