# Nut job customers



## tree md (Sep 13, 2007)

Man, I have worked for my share of nut cases in this business but I think I found one this week that takes the cake. I am removing a larger Bradford pear yesterday in a condominium complex where I have to grind the stump and root system where they are going to have to fix a drainage problem and obviously managment had not clued in the resident where the tree was located. She was a lady around 60 and she walked under me while I was having a 300+ pound chunk, that I had just cut, lowered and asked what I was doing. She asked if I was going to put all her lawn ornaments and everything back in place while standing right under my chunk hanging from my rope. I told her yes mam but she was standing in a hard hat area and would have to move along... That has been the phrase of the week for my guys... they died laughing... The property manager and Home owner's Association president were close at hand and laughed when they heard what I told her. Man, what a nut job...


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## Canyonbc (Sep 13, 2007)

hahaha

this is why kids shouldnt do drugs...


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## Dadatwins (Sep 13, 2007)

There are all kinds out there, why was she allowed to get so close to the work zone? Your groundcrew should not let anyone near the worksite. Dangerous stuff.


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## kevknep (Sep 13, 2007)

Dadatwins said:


> There are all kinds out there, why was she allowed to get so close to the work zone? Your groundcrew should not let anyone near the worksite. Dangerous stuff.



I think it is impossible to keep everyone out unless you have a dedicated person who just watches for people to come into the work zone. I would normally only have one ground guy for the job described, and he would have been watching the piece that was being lowered.

I worked on several occasions in a neighborhood that just had a real nut-case placed on the home owners association who would drive around listening for chainsaws. We were taking out a very dead hickory tree and the joker storms into the work area demanding to see the owner and his approval papers. 

I also live in the neighborhood and let him know that the tree was dead, which didn't need written approval. He told me unless I was an arborist (I'm not certified yet) that I couldn't tell if a tree was dead just by looking at it. In addition to pointing out the lack of leaves for the past couple of years I walked around the tree, stuck my arm in the hole at the base past my elbow, grabbed a chunk of rotten wood/dirt and threw it on the ground, and asked him if he really had any doubt. On a tree that was about 26" dbh, it had about 1.5 - 2" of non-rotten (but dead) wood holding the tree up, minus the hole that covered about 30% of the base.

He was just mad that he didn't get a chance to "vote" on the application for removal. He didn't make it too long on the board because he stormed around the yard until we lost daylight and we had to pack up and go home. About 2 days later the tree threw a limb through the owners house, and he let the board know what happened.


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## woodchux (Sep 13, 2007)

We did a job at some condos week before last. The job called for us to remove two Bradford pears out in the parking area. We were working on the larger of the two trees first when a very pissed off resident comes out raising hell. He practically chains himself to the second tree, parking his truck as close to the tree as he can to stop us. To make a long story short, the president and several other homeowners talk him out of his stupidity, and we finished up the job. 

Lots of nut jobs out there....


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## tree md (Sep 13, 2007)

Dadatwins said:


> There are all kinds out there, why was she allowed to get so close to the work zone? Your groundcrew should not let anyone near the worksite. Dangerous stuff.



The work zone was literally right over her condo, all she had to do was walk out her patio door and two steps in the landscaped area I was working over and she was right under me.


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## clearance (Sep 13, 2007)

Wouldn't it be cool if you were allowed to pepper spray or taser these culls? I would gladly pay a fee to be allowed to do that.


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## treeman82 (Sep 13, 2007)

Why would you want to do that when you could just as easily drop a chunk of wood on their heads making for an instant pancake.


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## masiman (Sep 14, 2007)

clearance said:


> Wouldn't it be cool if you were allowed to pepper spray or taser these culls? I would gladly pay a fee to be allowed to do that.



I would gladly pay to watch


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## ropensaddle (Sep 14, 2007)

tree md said:


> The work zone was literally right over her condo, all she had to do was walk out her patio door and two steps in the landscaped area I was working over and she was right under me.



I hear what you are saying but I would have barricaded that
area you can't leave it up to public to decide safe area or not.
I had a similar job, lady calls the management says she is locked
in by barricades, management had already informed her that we
would be working and she could either go or stay and we would
have her blocked in if she chose the later!


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## rb_in_va (Sep 14, 2007)

kevknep said:


> I worked on several occasions in a neighborhood that just had a real nut-case placed on the home owners association who would drive around listening for chainsaws. We were taking out a very dead hickory tree and the joker storms into the work area demanding to see the owner and his approval papers.
> 
> I also live in the neighborhood and let him know that the tree was dead, which didn't need written approval. He told me unless I was an arborist (I'm not certified yet) that I couldn't tell if a tree was dead just by looking at it. In addition to pointing out the lack of leaves for the past couple of years I walked around the tree, stuck my arm in the hole at the base past my elbow, grabbed a chunk of rotten wood/dirt and threw it on the ground, and asked him if he really had any doubt. On a tree that was about 26" dbh, it had about 1.5 - 2" of non-rotten (but dead) wood holding the tree up, minus the hole that covered about 30% of the base.



Seems like in cases like this you could just fire up the saw and cut at WOT until he leaves.


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## Urbicide (Sep 16, 2007)

kevknep said:


> I worked on several occasions in a neighborhood that just had a real nut-case placed on the home owners association who would drive around listening for chainsaws. We were taking out a very dead hickory tree and the joker storms into the work area demanding to see the owner and his approval papers.



I can just picture this gestapo dude with a thick German accent.
"Your papers! I must zee your papers!":crazy1:


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## RedlineIt (Sep 16, 2007)

Man, I love the do-gooders from the homeowners associations. I used to be all sweetness and light with them, but now I like to have some fun. Conversation now goes like this:

Do-gooder: (Almost bowled over by groundie running limbs out through gate) "We... we've had reports from neighbors of chainsaws running and some large tree work being done..."

Me: (Shouting over idling 200T) "Not surprised as we're cuttin' this one down. Heads Up! Clear Below!! (Do-gooder(s) scramble for safety, stubbing toes and tripping on debris in open-toed Feragami's as I cut and toss the next limb.)

Do-gooder: "Do you have the required permit?"

Me: "Heads Up! Clear! (Pound down another limb, shut saw off.) "Yes, of course, it's in the truck. Don't bother, it's locked. Why do you ask?"

Do-gooder: "We are from the homeowners association and we need to see your permit."

Me: "Well, here's how it is. I have the right to see that I have the permit. The homeowner at this actual address has the right to see that I've obtained the permit. The municipality, should an accredited representative show up, has the right to see my permit. You, as the home owners association, have the right to get off the property and go down to Municipal Hall and request to see the permit there. Alternately you have the right to remove yourself from this property and, from the comfort of your own home, call Municipal hall and have them fax the permit to you."

Do-gooder: "We just want to see the permit..."

Me: "As well you should, so off you go to Municipal Hall, drive safely."

Do-gooder: "But..."

Me: (200T fires up) "Clear Below!"


RedlineIt


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## clearance (Sep 16, 2007)

Thats pretty good Redline, I'll have to try it out. Lets see your permit, really, the nerve.


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## tree md (Sep 16, 2007)

Thank God we don't have to get any permits where I live. I had one guy from a small city municipal come up to me and and ask if I had a permit on a job once. He was trying to shake me down for $25 on the spot. Funny thing is, I was doing the Job for an attorney that I worked for on a regular basis on his rental properties and houses that he was flipping . He was more a friend than a customer. It was just me and him, I was climbing and he was running the ropes. He told the city jerk off that he practiced law in the city, indeed he was an officer of the court and had never heard of such an ordinance. And at any rate I was not working commercially, was not being paid and was doing the work as a favor for him. The city jerk off gave me a scathing look and left with his tail tucked between his legs.


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## squad143 (Sep 16, 2007)

Redline, I like your style.

I may use that line when I do work in the city.


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## cantcutter (Sep 17, 2007)

You want nut jobs.....ever tried to take a tree down on a lot line when the neighbor's both say the tree is theirs? We had a guy with a shotgun plant his kids at the base of a tree and tell us to get the hell out of his tree or he would shoot us out........We did end up taking the tree out, but not that day


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## Canyonbc (Sep 17, 2007)

HAHA...WHAT THE FU....

Thats is Crazy...right there...

My price would have doubled right there...for endangerment


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## 9th year rookie (Sep 17, 2007)

*Not too safe*

Many moons ago.... I used to rope for a guy...
When a client would come out to talk about anything, good or bad, he would start bombing down the biggest limbs in his reach, before they even had a chance to say anything.
Safe, no. Smart, no. Effective, yes.

I get flies with honey not vinegar. 
100% of time, nomatter what the mood.. 
Better for biz.


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## lees trees (Sep 17, 2007)

about 60' up in a good neighborhood I hear a bullet go by I looked for the shooter no luck another goes by close. done trimmin. found out later there was a real bad kid on the street. good thing he didn't want to hit me.


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## woodchux (Sep 17, 2007)

I got a call one time from a lady who said she was convinced the trees beside her apartment were haunted, and wanted us to come out and see about cutting them down. Yeah, like I'm gonna waste my time on that one.

I also have a regular client who is a bit 'odd'. They have a small area in the wooded part of the yard that they dont want disturbed. They told me to 'think of it as something like an indian power circle' 
Makes you wonder...


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## aggiewoodbutchr (Sep 17, 2007)

cantcutter said:


> You want nut jobs.....ever tried to take a tree down on a lot line when the neighbor's both say the tree is theirs? We had a guy with a shotgun plant his kids at the base of a tree and tell us to get the hell out of his tree or he would shoot us out........We did end up taking the tree out, but not that day



That moron should have had his nuts cut off for endangering those children. Scum like that ought not be allowed to breed.


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## Sprig (Sep 18, 2007)

How about nut relatives? Does this count? My oh-so-bananas bro is now camped out in my back yard, but, he is freekkin' nuts (in a harmless to other people sort of way), a compulsive/obsessive piece of work who I have never gotten along with, now on my door step, and quite frankly I'd like to OD the poor fukk, actually walked up to me with chainsaw screamin' away to move stuff, [email protected]@@@@@!!!! Now pssed and not here, gettin into dumb carp and I get the phone call from buds in the bay 'Hey is this really yer bro?' Unfortunately its true, and tho I love him as a bro, he is such a piece of work I just want him to go away........... I thought he 2would have got the hint 10 years ago, but apparently not. What to do, what to do...............
Sit and wait, stick him in his tent, let him sober up, help him pack his bags, and gently shove him outta the door, wtf else can ya do? :censored: 

 :jester:  :censored: 

opcorn: opcorn: 
opcorn:


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## cantcutter (Sep 18, 2007)

We have a wonderful little tool called a tree death certifacate in this city......get the county to condemn the tree and its gone no matter who owns it..... The bonehead with the gun and kids spent a few days in jail, but the charges against him where dropped....the county dilivered the death certificate and we took the tree out.


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## aggiewoodbutchr (Sep 18, 2007)

cantcutter said:


> We have a wonderful little tool called a tree death certifacate in this city......get the county to condemn the tree and its gone no matter who owns it..... The bonehead with the gun and kids spent a few days in jail, but the charges against him where dropped....the county dilivered the death certificate and we took the tree out.



Isn't it sick you have to go to such lengths just to get a friggin' tree cut down?


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## ropensaddle (Sep 18, 2007)

I had a job some years back the lovely lady that lived there
had a swimming pool with a high fence.. Just as soon as I would get
to the job and climb, start cutting out she would come with nothin on
and I would look and look, and I was wondering wtf until one day she 
looks up my way and smiles and that is when I knew, she knew that
I could see her! I get done man that job took a long time she comes 
to the door in a towel with a check and asked if I liked what I saw!
I said, why yes mam, she asked if I wanted to come in for tea and I
said I have to go but maybe next time, that was a tuff walk to my truck.
I at the time was not married but she had at least a live in boyfriend
and figured she was married and did not want to create a problem
but she was a hottie and man it was tuff.


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## mckeetree (Sep 18, 2007)

You are a stronger man than me.


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## cantcutter (Sep 19, 2007)

yup tea sounds mighty fine after all that work and sweat I think I would have not been in the mood for tea unless it included a dip in the pool.


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## TreeDivision (Oct 3, 2007)

We were doing a crane job on a local lake, removing our biggest to date white pine(huge). With no where to put down the wood but next door the nieghbor relented and at the end there was a large pile of placed weight on his septic field. He was OK but his wife came home after we left and flipped out, mean while it rains overnight and our log loader was not going in until he was sure he could make it out with all that weight. I get calls from them the customer and who knows who else at 7 am saying "you gotta get down here now and get the wood off of there", still raining hard... I show up at 9 on a Saterday and they all meet me and start laying into me. I simply said that I wouldn't get paid until the wood was removed so it was too late for complaints. 

That guy started really getting upset about his septic system,
I just looked him in the eye and patted him on the back and said, "We are going to go into your house and flush his toilet 150 times before we make any calls to my insurance company"

My brother had to walk away he was laughing so hard.


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## Canyonbc (Oct 3, 2007)

Haha...

what did he say...when you told him 150 times...???


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## TreeDivision (Oct 3, 2007)

He was shocked! Just this dumb look on his face because I said it so calmly, there was no question in his mind that I was serious and prepared to do it right then and there. 

And as it turns out the next time I went into my insurance office, the ass did call, "Just in case in the future there were any problems."


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## tree md (Oct 3, 2007)

I had a guy 2 weeks ago tell my guys to go ahead and grind out his underground phone cable that they had pointed out to him. He was standing there watching them grind the stump, which I had warned him to stay back from, and my guys noticed the cable and told him this is as far as we can go (already 6" under the ground). He said not to worry, go ahead and grind it out then had the nerve to ask one of my hands if they thought my insurance would cover it. Pissed me off but I did get the satisfaction of dropping a top of a tree that he insisted on me "topping" about 30' from him and made him jump clean out of his skin. After that, I had no problems with him loitering in my work area. :hmm3grin2orange:


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## Canyonbc (Oct 3, 2007)

Tree Division - There will always be whacked out homeowners out there..

What was the guy thinking...but good to here you got a good laugh dropping the top.


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## TimberMcPherson (Oct 4, 2007)

I have a client that wont stop talking, and I mean wont.

She has NO concept of letting someone go, I have been on my motorcycle, full helmet on, engine running, in gear and she is standing infront of me still talking (after already managing to make a quote last 2 hours.)

I only work for her on chargeup now, and I think in the last job her constant yabber cost her over $300 of labour in the bill!


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## FELLOUTOFMYTREE (Oct 5, 2007)

classic:jawdrop:


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## lees trees (Oct 8, 2007)

I have told people that insisted on being in the work area that I'm just not that good at this so you might get far away. they do


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## Trinity Honoria (Oct 8, 2007)

*Confessions of a Former Nut Job*

Reading the posts on this site have changed this former nut job into a cautious, wary customer... who shares the knowledge y'all have shared with as many people as i can, to help other potential nut jobs find their way into recovery...

Perhaps i should start a 12-Step Group... "Hello, my name is Trinity, and i am a fomer nut job around Arborists..." 

anyway, y'all talking about your jobs, your concerns, the difficulties of dealing with customers-- anyway, y'all have converted me... thanks, folks!!!


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## tree md (Oct 8, 2007)

Always good to hear from you Trinity.

You know your our favorite nut job!


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## Trinity Honoria (Oct 8, 2007)

tree md said:


> Always good to hear from you Trinity.
> 
> You know your our favorite nut job!



sigh... you make me blush... 

but to not hi-jack this thread, the information y'all have shared (and i absorbed vicariously) has been invaluable... i appreciate all of you... y'all primarily write to your own kind, and have been generous enough to let this simple woman into the fold to learn...


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## Bigus Termitius (Oct 9, 2007)

TimberMcPherson said:


> I have a client that wont stop talking, and I mean wont.
> 
> She has NO concept of letting someone go, I have been on my motorcycle, full helmet on, engine running, in gear and she is standing infront of me still talking (after already managing to make a quote last 2 hours.)
> 
> *I only work for her on chargeup now, and I think in the last job her constant yabber cost her over $300 of labour in the bill!*



Probably cheaper than a shrink...opcorn:


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## Canyonbc (Oct 10, 2007)

haha..i think ya might be right


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## tree md (Oct 12, 2007)

*Ran into another one*

Ran into another one. Not my customer but the next door neighbor. I was doing three large removals with a 64 ton crane Wed. The neighbor asked if we would leave him some fire wood. I said sure. I had the operator drop 3 leaders from a silver maple in the guy's back yard then took off the brush and cut the wood up for him in firewood lengths. The guy was taking pictures of me throughout the lifts and I asked him to email the pictures to me so I could possibly use one in my upcoming yellow page ad. He said sure. Got an email from him today saying that he hopes that I enjoy the pictures as much as he will enjoy the "2-3 ricks" of firewood I left him (no pics in the email). I only left him about a rick of wood, he wasn't pleased so he decided to not send the pictures. Some folks you just can't please. I replied to him that I hope that he enjoys the "free" firewood I did leave him, as well as the pics and the show. 

Oh well, My customer was very pleased and that's all that matters to me.

A big thank you to 046 for helping me out with hauling some of the wood. I hope you enjoy the firewood buddy and there's a lot more where that came from.


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## aggiewoodbutchr (Oct 13, 2007)

tree md said:


> Ran into another one. Not my customer but the next door neighbor. I was doing three large removals with a 64 ton crane Wed. The neighbor asked if we would leave him some fire wood. I said sure. I had the operator drop 3 leaders from a silver maple in the guy's back yard then took off the brush and cut the wood up for him in firewood lengths. The guy was taking pictures of me throughout the lifts and I asked him to email the pictures to me so I could possibly use one in my upcoming yellow page ad. He said sure. Got an email from him today saying that he hopes that I enjoy the pictures as much as he will enjoy the "2-3 ricks" of firewood I left him (no pics in the email). I only left him about a rick of wood, he wasn't pleased so he decided to not send the pictures. Some folks you just can't please. I replied to him that I hope that he enjoys the "free" firewood I did leave him, as well as the pics and the show.
> 
> Oh well, My customer was very pleased and that's all that matters to me.
> 
> A big thank you to 046 for helping me out with hauling some of the wood. I hope you enjoy the firewood buddy and there's a lot more where that came from.



What an a$$.


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## Canyonbc (Oct 13, 2007)

Ah...
I finally get to tell a story of nut jobs...it happen this morning. I was cutting down and logging up a dead Oak DBH 18'' or so. So i was in the middle of cutting the face and she decides...to walk out and stand a couple feet from my chain saw and bend towards the bar and chain...cutting waste high...After i finshed i dam near jumped...as she is less then 3 feet now from my bar...(ms 441 25'' bar)

She goes why do you do that...i am holding my self back from going what the F are you doing leaning your self towards a running chain saw...

The worst part is she wouldnt move...started going on and on how her husband use to cut down trees (he as passed away, she is in her early 80's) and didnt cut a face...and how i am wrong....she refused to leave until i explained it to her...10 minutes later she moved from in front of me..and finally went back in to her soap opera's

Does any one have a "leave me alone while working clause"...dam it, some people will drive you nuts...

I mean dont get me wrong she was a very nice lady...and i dont mind explaining things to customers...just standing that close to my bar and me working with out me knowing...


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## cantcutter (Oct 13, 2007)

tree md said:


> Ran into another one. Not my customer but the next door neighbor. I was doing three large removals with a 64 ton crane Wed. The neighbor asked if we would leave him some fire wood. I said sure. I had the operator drop 3 leaders from a silver maple in the guy's back yard then took off the brush and cut the wood up for him in firewood lengths. The guy was taking pictures of me throughout the lifts and I asked him to email the pictures to me so I could possibly use one in my upcoming yellow page ad. He said sure. Got an email from him today saying that he hopes that I enjoy the pictures as much as he will enjoy the "2-3 ricks" of firewood I left him (no pics in the email). I only left him about a rick of wood, he wasn't pleased so he decided to not send the pictures. Some folks you just can't please. I replied to him that I hope that he enjoys the "free" firewood I did leave him, as well as the pics and the show.
> 
> Oh well, My customer was very pleased and that's all that matters to me.
> 
> A big thank you to 046 for helping me out with hauling some of the wood. I hope you enjoy the firewood buddy and there's a lot more where that came from.



Silver maple isn't worth a...... as firewood anyhow


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## RichGSkyline (Oct 23, 2007)

We've all had them (wackjob tree huggers) I've enjoyed the reading. Here's one of my better ones.

Removing some big Norway Maples on a residential site a couple of years back. House is being demoed to put in a highrise. This is the last single family home in a purely high density area. Anyway.. We've started the backcut on one of the trees and one of the nutty tenants comes running into the drop zone to try to stop us. One of my groundmen had to physically pull him to safety just before the tree started to come over. Idiot goes pure white looking at where he had just been standing. Didn't smarten him up much though. He and his 400lb girlfriend/wife (he also saves whales) park their cars in the middle of a major 4 lane road blocking it until the police and media show up. The cops give them tickets and get the cars off the road but were do these idiots park them but under trees we still have to remove. Then they go inside so they don't have to talk to us about ruining our day. Problem with their plan is although they thought to take the keys out of the cars they forgot to close the windows. We spent at least 20 minutes cutting firewood with our 084 and 460 blowing sawdust directly into the open windows. By the time we were done there must have been 4-6inches of dust on every surface inside the car. Childish yes but very satisfying. Two days later we finished the job. The whale was arrested later the same month for chaining herself up in a tree. Yes up in a tree I wish I had a picture of it.


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## rb_in_va (Oct 23, 2007)

Rock'n Richy said:


> The whale was arrested later the same month for chaining herself up in a tree. Yes up in a tree I wish I had a picture of it.



Must have been a big tree! How did she get up there?


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## RichGSkyline (Oct 23, 2007)

RB
I don't know how she got up all I know is I'd have used a harpoon to get her down:hmm3grin2orange:


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## 00chris85 (Oct 25, 2007)

bad joke..........i still giggled though


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## 2000ssm6 (Oct 25, 2007)

Rock'n Richy said:


> We've all had them (wackjob tree huggers) I've enjoyed the reading. Here's one of my better ones.
> 
> Removing some big Norway Maples on a residential site a couple of years back. House is being demoed to put in a highrise. This is the last single family home in a purely high density area. Anyway.. We've started the backcut on one of the trees and one of the nutty tenants comes running into the drop zone to try to stop us. One of my groundmen had to physically pull him to safety just before the tree started to come over. Idiot goes pure white looking at where he had just been standing. Didn't smarten him up much though. He and his 400lb girlfriend/wife (he also saves whales) park their cars in the middle of a major 4 lane road blocking it until the police and media show up. The cops give them tickets and get the cars off the road but were do these idiots park them but under trees we still have to remove. Then they go inside so they don't have to talk to us about ruining our day. Problem with their plan is although they thought to take the keys out of the cars they forgot to close the windows. We spent at least 20 minutes cutting firewood with our 084 and 460 blowing sawdust directly into the open windows. By the time we were done there must have been 4-6inches of dust on every surface inside the car. Childish yes but very satisfying. Two days later we finished the job. The whale was arrested later the same month for chaining herself up in a tree. Yes up in a tree I wish I had a picture of it.



The chips in the car was good!!! LMFAO


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