Recovering Lurker

**Mr.Cynical** · July 7th, 2010, 09:21 PM

Howdy, I'm a recovering lurker for about three years now. I used to visit this site daily to get the skinny on things , much to my chagrin I was no longer able to view without being registered so with the help of my teenage daughter I'm good to go. I have to admit it is kind of refreshing to be able to post instead of read only. FYI have been a locator for ten years at USIC.

**locator00566** · July 7th, 2010, 09:24 PM

Welcome. SO you work for USUK as well. Are things as bad where you are with them?

**TheCableVine** · July 7th, 2010, 09:41 PM

Welcome aboard, Mr. C.

**yahoo** · July 7th, 2010, 09:41 PM

welcome Lurker......post often...ask questions..get answers...............and from other lurkers as well......ha

**Paint'n & Flag'n** · July 7th, 2010, 09:45 PM

pipe..if you hate it so much why not just go locate for someone else?

I work for USIC and its not bad. Yes they can track where Im at, how long Ive idled and even tell if I'm working the ticket Im currently billing...so what. After the initial week or two its nothing now. Its actually improved my productivity and Ive learned how to get around the idle time but even knowing that Im still pumping out more tickets. My supervisor hasnt bugged me about anything gps related since the first week.

So either you have a piss poor supervisor or its you. Maybe you're doing things you shouldnt be or trying to get over on the company...may your not. Is the North Carolina office that bad or is it you!

**Paint'n & Flag'n** · July 7th, 2010, 09:46 PM

for got to welcome Cynical to the board...sorry.

**Mr.Cynical** · July 7th, 2010, 09:50 PM

It's not like it used to be where I had paper tickets and my own routine. It's really all about making production goals (theirs,not mine) and the endless amount of safety B.S we get force fed every day. It would appear that the the answer to everything that happens is to make some stickers. I am in complete amazement that I have managed to survive this long without the sage like wisdom of my leaders.

**yahoo** · July 8th, 2010, 07:44 PM

dude...........are you sure we don't work for the same company?????hahaha

**locator00566** · July 8th, 2010, 09:53 PM

Paintn N flagn. Glad everything is rosie where you are. My office bitches about idle time daily. Bitches about billling tickets out that you know are clear without going to them. Forcing us to work Saturdays, Giving us no help even though we are swamped with work, taking 6 pictures on vlear tickets, 12 on locates, drawing manifest of every job, cutting pay, blacking out our screen while in drive, preventing us from seein our map and where the hell we are going, making us stop every 2 minutes to put the truck in park to look at the map, not giving us the tools we need, out dated prints, no incentives anymore.... and so on... MAybe you are kiss ass or maybe things are ran different in Illnois. There is no other locate company to work for close to my area. Or maybe you are a sup or manager sitting in AC all day

**Paint'n & Flag'n** · July 9th, 2010, 06:19 PM

Pipe...glad I don't work out of your office. No kiss ass here nor am I a sup or manager, I spray paint just like you. But we do have to watch our idle time but nothing has been said about anyone's in the past week...guess its been low enough. We don't get bitched for billing cleared tix without visiting as long as we know for sure they are clear, if something happens then its your ass. Haven't heard about pictures in over a year..I take what ever is needed no matter if its 1, 2, or 20. If I got what I marked in however many pics I take then that's all I'm taking. I draw manifest for "some" of my tickets but not all..just enough to satisfy. If you don't know how to get around the black screen by now then that's sad. Never got any incentives nor has my pay ever been cut. Nearly all prints are shitty and nothing much we can do about that since we don't create or update the prints.

I would love to know which office you work out of in NC, if you actually do work out of NC. You can pm if you don't want to say in the open.

**Goldenboy** · July 9th, 2010, 07:01 PM

Welcome aboard.

I'm also a long time USIC locator.

You know you've been around a while when you can remember the days when you'd judge your day by what your tickets were bundled with. A paper clip was gonna be an easy day, A black clip meant you were gonna be busy, and if your tickets were bundled with a rubber band you knew you were gonna be screwed.

**Bad Robot** · July 9th, 2010, 07:28 PM

Welcome Mr. Cynical!!! Lots of us have been doing this stuff for a while, so you are in good company. Post some thoughts, gripes, ideas or whatever. It has been kind of quiet this season for some reason, so any new views are appreciated.

**yahoo** · July 10th, 2010, 12:00 AM

I would have to agree...without usic1 around it has been real quiet.....

Originally Posted by Bad Robot

Welcome Mr. Cynical!!! Lots of us have been doing this stuff for a while, so you are in good company. Post some thoughts, gripes, ideas or whatever. It has been kind of quiet this season for some reason, so any new views are appreciated.

**foefn** · July 10th, 2010, 09:25 AM

Welcome to the mix! We love to hear your stories and see what you see (post photos of those nasty locates). Together, we can all be better locators by learning from each other.

**Mr.Cynical** · July 10th, 2010, 09:22 PM

Golden Boy,
Good to hear we aren't alone. I think anything over 5 years in this gig makes us dinosaurs. We have seen alot of changes come down over the years but the one thing that remains constant is that there is more crap underground now and it will continue to get worse or better in our case.(job security) I won't go so far as to say I like this job but it would but be a world class occupation if a few things could be changed. I know it's a stretch but if I had three wishes the first one would be a little respect for us on the bottom of the food chain who assume ALL the responsibility but have zero authority.