# Whats the worst thing you've lost or left at a job site?



## sac-climber (Oct 29, 2014)

Poof...brand new Silky Tsurugi has vanished from job site to the shop. I'm so bummed, I need a little moral support. Share your stories please...


On the bright side I get to make another order to TreeStuff and I gotta make sure I hit that $100 free shipping you know


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## Pelorus (Oct 29, 2014)

My innocence and trust in humanity.


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## sac-climber (Oct 29, 2014)

Awesome, at least you didn't say your virginity.


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## Pelorus (Oct 29, 2014)

You asked for the worst thing....


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## pdqdl (Oct 29, 2014)

I had a guy leave out a Husky 372xp once. By the wood splitting pile.

Nope. Didn't get it back.


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## jefflovstrom (Oct 29, 2014)

sac-climber said:


> I need a little moral support. Share your stories please...
> 
> I had a climber loose 2 good MS200T saws,,,,
> I don't know how you do that, but he does not work here anymore,,
> ...


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## sac-climber (Oct 29, 2014)

Feeling better, I think I'll have our next tailgate meeting be about keeping track of our tools


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## StihlRockin' (Oct 30, 2014)

sac-climber said:


> *Whats the worst thing you've lost or left at a job site?*



I have many to list, but to be direct...

...*about 3 oz. of my blood.*

Got my bar pinched on a 3/8" size piece of brush trying to cut it in half with an under cut and it wouldn't work. Pushed up so hard it made it pinch worse and now smoke starts to appear at the friction point. Got mad, threw the saw forward, saw flips back at me sommersaulting and it's like time and space went slow motion...

The saw was flipping in air back at me and the tip hit my left knee incurring enough damage to require stitches... and fill my shoe with the red stuff.

Fun times.

*StihlRockin'*


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## yarightdawg (Oct 30, 2014)

A mobark chipper


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## Groundman One (Oct 30, 2014)

Ropes.

(Plural.)


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## mr.bear (Oct 30, 2014)

I had a greenhorn leave the keys in a bobcat and someone came along and took it for a joyride and ended up getting it stuck in some deep mud


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## treeclimber101 (Oct 30, 2014)

2 Mexicans


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## hseII (Oct 30, 2014)

yarightdawg said:


> A mobark chipper


Winner


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## tidy (Oct 30, 2014)

I recently left all the tarpaulins and large bags I use for cleanup at a clients house, long story short:Its hard for me to go back there and pick the stuff up easier just to write off...


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## Zale (Oct 30, 2014)

At one point or another over a span of many years, everything you find on a standard tree truck.


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## pro94lt (Oct 30, 2014)

My pants. a limb tore the entire back side open. Don't think anyone but my ground man seen it but not sure I usually get 2 or 3 more jobs in a new neighborhood it was my only one...


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## Knobby57 (Oct 30, 2014)

Lost lots of things but the one that really ticks me off is stolen tailgates . I've had 2 swiped from me. Now I have a chain running to frame from the gate . 


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## pro94lt (Oct 30, 2014)

Where you working


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## Knobby57 (Oct 30, 2014)

One was while I was behind a building working came out around lunch and it was missing . The second we left a truck at the site overnight and the gate was missing in the morning 


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## IHateTrees (Oct 31, 2014)

Over the years me and my guys have left throw balls, rakes, a saddle, an employee, ropes, and other little stuff.


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## sac-climber (Oct 31, 2014)

This has got pretty good. I'm interested in hearing the story about the chipper


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## TC262 (Oct 31, 2014)

Knobby57 said:


> Lost lots of things but the one that really ticks me off is stolen tailgates . I've had 2 swiped from me. Now I have a chain running to frame from the gate .
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


On the pickup tailgates I put a hose clamp around the hinge and fill the screw driver slot with epoxy. It's not theft proof but I figure it's probably not going to be worth the extra effort on their part.


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## Stihlmadd (Oct 31, 2014)

my temper, time and time again.


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## NCTREE (Oct 31, 2014)

Just lost a pair of fairly new felcos. Ugg!


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## fatkoala1 (Oct 31, 2014)

How do you loose a Chipper?


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## ozzy42 (Oct 31, 2014)

Hitch clip pins.


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## ozzy42 (Oct 31, 2014)

But seriously, the item we seem to lose the most is pitchforks for some reason. And on occasion,,, my azz.


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## treeclimber101 (Oct 31, 2014)

The correct tree that was "supposed" to be removed !


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## lone wolf (Oct 31, 2014)

treeclimber101 said:


> The correct tree that was "supposed" to be removed !


You would think if they are not going to be home they would at least mark it! Then there are people who are home and who never come out to talk to you or let you know they are there and when you leave and call to get paid they say they were home.


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## KenJax Tree (Oct 31, 2014)

A $5600 check[emoji15]


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## KenJax Tree (Oct 31, 2014)

treeclimber101 said:


> The correct tree that was "supposed" to be removed !


We've done that....not my crew but another one went to the wrong house all together and took out a nice white oak...wasn't their fault though the address on the invoice was wrong.


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## GrassGuerilla (Oct 31, 2014)

A cherry 026 pro. I really, really wish I could blame someone else. Just finished a "freeby" for the Mrs. best friend. She came out to talk, I set the saw on my trailer as it was still hot, we talked a couple minutes. Just as I was about to put the saw in the back of the truck, my phone rings about another job. Jumped in the truck and drove off talking to the perspective customer, didn't even think about the 026 until I got home. 

I'm still mad at myself.


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## mckeetree (Oct 31, 2014)

Years ago I left a 038 super under a customers back steps when we went to lunch...got back and it was gone. Last spring we had 150 feet of almost new 3/4 inch stable braid disappear from the job. We still don't know what happened there.


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## treeclimber101 (Oct 31, 2014)

KenJax Tree said:


> We've done that....not my crew but another one went to the wrong house all together and took out a nice white oak...wasn't their fault though the address on the invoice was wrong.


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## treeclimber101 (Oct 31, 2014)




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## KenJax Tree (Oct 31, 2014)




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## DR. P. Proteus (Oct 31, 2014)

My respect for humanity so that also means my self. Ugh!


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## treebilly (Oct 31, 2014)

We had another crew working down the street from us that forgot a climber. He walked into the back yard to double check for tools and when he come back around they had left. I waved as they went by us and a few minutes later here comes the climber walking up the road. I already had a six man crew with two trucks so he had to ride home in the toolbox( chip beds were both full)


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## sac-climber (Oct 31, 2014)

Love that one treebilly!


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## KenJax Tree (Oct 31, 2014)

A guy in the chip bed reminds me of the time we were working in a backyard and there were 2 ground guys one was gonna start chipping brush so he fired up the chipper not knowing the other ground guy was taking his morning crap in the chip box, so i'm up in this tree looking out front over the house and see him start the chipper to warm it up and all of a sudden i see the other ground guy come flying outta the chip box with his pants around his ankles and tuck and roll as he hit the grass. I thought i was gonna die from laughing and everytime i thought about that day i would just bust out laughing


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## SDB777 (Nov 1, 2014)

Left the boss there.....oh, you meant something that was important. Sorry misread the question.



Scott (didn't go back for him either) B


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## chevybob (Nov 1, 2014)

Rakes....Lots of rakes. And recently left my lanyard at a job because I left so quickly. It's amazing some of the people you come across contract climbing....


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## sac-climber (Nov 1, 2014)

Chevy, I've got the same problem with rakes, always have. I used to lose them drive over them, bury them under chips, etc. luckily they have a short life and don't cost much!


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## chevybob (Nov 1, 2014)

I buy the cheap $5 ones haha I snap 1 every job


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## old_soul (Nov 4, 2014)

treebilly said:


> We had another crew working down the street from us that forgot a climber. He walked into the back yard to double check for tools and when he come back around they had left. I waved as they went by us and a few minutes later here comes the climber walking up the road. I already had a six man crew with two trucks so he had to ride home in the toolbox( chip beds were both full)View attachment 376779



NICE..... How did you find enough room in any tool box for a rider


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## NCTREE (Nov 5, 2014)

Wheel chocks but always manage to get them back. 


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## treebilly (Nov 5, 2014)

He's not a real big guy. Short and stout. Boss is to cheap to stock the truck with extra equipment.


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## jefflovstrom (Nov 5, 2014)

chevybob said:


> I buy the cheap $5 ones haha I snap 1 every job



LOL,, how does that math work out for you?
Just curious,
Jeff


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## chevybob (Nov 6, 2014)

jefflovstrom said:


> LOL,, how does that math work out for you?
> Just curious,
> Jeff



Let's just say I work an extra 5 or 10 bucks into the bill for rake failure lol


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## sac-climber (Nov 6, 2014)

jefflovstrom said:


> LOL,, how does that math work out for you?
> Just curious,
> Jeff


Jeff you guys must blow through your fair share of rakes and tarps....I know it's hard to get a month out of the stupid poly tarps for us.


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## jefflovstrom (Nov 6, 2014)

sac-climber said:


> Jeff you guys must blow through your fair share of rakes and tarps....I know it's hard to get a month out of the stupid poly tarps for us.



Since I started issuing a rake to each ground guy, I am not going thru that many. If they don't have a rake, they don't have the rake I issued them. Where is it? It was an experiment that I tried and seems to work. No more saying I don't know, some one took it, etc. I will write them up for loosing tools. Kinda hard core maybe, but that is how it seems to work best.  Yeah, 'sac-climber',,, I had a period of buying rakes every day or two, but with 17 guys and no witnesses, hard to blame. Anyway,
we don't use tarps, we use burlaps and they last a month or so. But a rake or scoop shovel will have your name on it and you will be responsible for it. 
How about this weather?!,,,,awesome!
Jeff


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## sac-climber (Nov 6, 2014)

Ever since they stopped treating the burlap it just doesn't last. And yes...this weather is perfect.


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## BC WetCoast (Nov 6, 2014)

jefflovstrom said:


> Since I started issuing a rake to each ground guy, I am not going thru that many. If they don't have a rake, they don't have the rake I issued them. Where is it? It was an experiment that I tried and seems to work. No more saying I don't know, some one took it, etc. I will write them up for loosing tools. Kinda hard core maybe, but that is how it seems to work best.  Yeah, 'sac-climber',,, I had a period of buying rakes every day or two, but with 17 guys and no witnesses, hard to blame. Anyway,
> we don't use tarps, we use burlaps and they last a month or so. But a rake or scoop shovel will have your name on it and you will be responsible for it.
> How about this weather?!,,,,awesome!
> Jeff



Where we have the biggest problem is when there are 2-3 crews on the same job. Equipment gets shared and mixed up and at the end of the day everybody's too tired to sort it all out. Next morning 1 guy has 4 rakes but no signs, other guy has all the shovels, then someone leaves early with everyone else's stuff.


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## sac-climber (Nov 6, 2014)

Yeah and then your stuck driving **** between crews for the next three hours.


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## Aldegar (Nov 8, 2014)

Worst thing I ever lost was my truck keys, I put them in my pocket but didn't realize there was a hole. After getting out of the tree and almost cleaned up the neighbor comes home and flips a switch that those were his trees and get out of his driveway. Never found the keys, sat there for a couple hours waiting for a locksmith while the two home owners and a sheriff got into it over the property line.


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## hseII (Nov 8, 2014)

Aldegar said:


> Worst thing I ever lost was my truck keys, I put them in my pocket but didn't realize there was a hole. After getting out of the tree and almost cleaned up the neighbor comes home and flips a switch that those were his trees and get out of his driveway. Never found the keys, sat there for a couple hours waiting for a locksmith while the two home owners and a sheriff got into it over the property line.


Woah, 
That Had to Suck


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## chevybob (Nov 8, 2014)

treeclimber101 said:


>




"If I was stoned, I wasn't anymore" 

Hahaha that had me laughin


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## defensiblespace (Nov 22, 2014)

We've left all kinds of small stuff likes rakes and other various hand tools. My crew left a bucket of rigging stuff like rope, port a wrap, pulleys and slings once. I've been pretty lucky and been able to retrieve most everything we've left behind. My luck ran out last week though when my crew dropped a big ass tree on a 4 month old 372xp. Ouch!


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## RVALUE (Nov 22, 2014)

This is an almost....... I was cutting at the school, with a big crowd watching, and it didn't go as smoothly as I hoped, so I was a bit distracted. I had set the 3120 with a 48 near the fence, and crowd. Sometime later I couldn't find it, and the excitement being over, the crowd had dispersed. I thought they had 'hid' it but couldn't get a rise. On a subsequent trip, I spotted a tad of orange in the burn pile, under alot of big brush. Someone had set the saw into the dump, and I loaded the trailer without looking. It didn't do any damage, but OH so close. I was about to torch the pile.


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## bigremovals (Nov 22, 2014)

my oakley sunglasses haha


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## treebilly (Nov 22, 2014)

The other day we somehow lost four longer chokers with new caribiners that I had spliced the night before. It was a long day and a yard full of debris. All I know is a crew went in the next afternoon to finish up and said they found nothing.


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## bigremovals (Nov 22, 2014)

Was at the dump last year and watched these guys dump their poles for the polesaw..... i got 3 new poles haha


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## derwoodii (Nov 23, 2014)

i been lucky as my tasks are mixed and move about a lot so i have many opportunitys to put something down and leave it,, but 30+ years i not left much more than a lunch box or chain file behind i think its my OCD that kicks in and the saying before i turn the truck key,,,, spectacles testicles phone wallet saw and watch ok good to go

i'd like to get back the lost time i wasted when i get the,,,, uh oh feeling and have to pull over to check the tool box


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## one2tree (Dec 1, 2014)

previous boss of mine had his brief case stolen (cheques cash cards) portfolios of hard copy before an after shots (culmination of twenty five 
yrs worth )


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## jefflovstrom (Dec 1, 2014)

Life is hard, never soft,
grow it long, shave it off, 
(van halen) 
Jeff


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## one2tree (Dec 3, 2014)

at end of long ....last tree in a long large row of pines had placed 66 at base ready for fell. talking with boss an digger driver . was given the "HURRY UP". i turned to walk toward tree, digger reached over my head to put bucket down to lift me up for steal cable installation for pulling ..30 tonne digger didn't even notice he'd pushed 66 into the ground which needless to say was f#@*ed.


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## treesmith (Dec 13, 2014)

In a reserve last week, somehow left my petzl grillon lanyard that I've had since 2002 (though on its third rope), thankfully still there two days later, expected a little old lady to be using it for a dog lead


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## Stihlmadd (Dec 13, 2014)

one2tree :quote (30 tonne digger didn't even notice he'd pushed 66 into the ground which needless to say was f#@*ed.)
that genuinely sucks.


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## one2tree (Dec 13, 2014)

Stihlmadd said:


> one2tree :quote (30 tonne digger didn't even notice he'd pushed 66 into the ground which needless to say was f#@*ed.)
> that genuinely sucks.


it did until the new one showed up the stihl shop was 5 min down road two phone calls an quick drive ..... insurance excess 500


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## Maineiac (Dec 13, 2014)

sac-climber said:


> Poof...brand new Silky Tsurugi has vanished from job site to the shop. I'm so bummed, I need a little moral support. Share your stories please...
> 
> 
> On the bright side I get to make another order to TreeStuff and I gotta make sure I hit that $100 free shipping you know



I lost a silky Zubat this summer, and I still have no clue what happened to it. I still had the sheath so it obviously fell out at some point on the job but I scraped the grounds for it with a fine tooth comb. My best bet is that the homeowner's german shepherd ran off with it. SO pissed! When a few weeks passed and I realized it wasn't gonna turn up I just bought another one. It just made me that much more careful to run a gear check before I left each jobsite. A laminated checklist with an erasable marker works great.


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## DLCRL (Jan 10, 2015)

sac-climber said:


> Chevy, I've got the same problem with rakes, always have. I used to lose them drive over them, bury them under chips, etc. luckily they have a short life and don't cost much!


I know guys who buy craftsman rakes at Sears because when they break or wear out there's lifetime warranty they bring them back for a free new replacement.


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## treesmith (Jan 10, 2015)

Maineiac said:


> I lost a silky Zubat this summer, and I still have no clue what happened to it. I still had the sheath so it obviously fell out at some point on the job but I scraped the grounds for it with a fine tooth comb. My best bet is that the homeowner's german shepherd ran off with it. SO pissed! When a few weeks passed and I realized it wasn't gonna turn up I just bought another one. It just made me that much more careful to run a gear check before I left each jobsite. A laminated checklist with an erasable marker works great.


Left my sugoi in a couple of hedges and cupressus, luckily was still on site when I noticed, little branch goes under the handle and out she comes. Easy done when you're climbing through an angry salad


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## Stihlmadd (Jan 10, 2015)

treesmith said:


> climbing through an angry salad


oh yeh feel the burn......


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## ChoppyChoppy (Jan 10, 2015)

That's pretty f-ed up actually. The right thing would have been to tell those guys, not steal from them!

Just as bad as someone dropped money out of their pocket and instead of picking it up and handing it to them you pocket it.



bigremovals said:


> Was at the dump last year and watched these guys dump their poles for the polesaw..... i got 3 new poles haha


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## bigremovals (Jan 10, 2015)

ValleyFirewood said:


> That's pretty f-ed up actually. The right thing would have been to tell those guys, not steal from them!
> 
> Just as bad as someone dropped money out of their pocket and instead of picking it up and handing it to them you pocket it.


we didnt even see they dropped it until we were dumping our chips and they were long gone by then


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## ChoppyChoppy (Jan 11, 2015)

You just said in the post before you watched some guys dump out their poles. Which is it, you saw them or you didn't?


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## pdqdl (Jan 11, 2015)

ValleyFirewood said:


> That's pretty f-ed up actually. The right thing would have been to tell those guys, not steal from them!
> 
> Just as bad as someone dropped money out of their pocket and instead of picking it up and handing it to them you pocket it.



Character. Some folks have it, some are just characters.

I found a 4'x4' "Mowers ahead" highway sign last year. While I wanted to keep it, I knew who had the mowing contract for that stretch of road. I called 'em. They lost it. It turns out the guy that lost it used to work for me.

I'm still waiting for some of my good karma to come back around to me, though.


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## bigremovals (Jan 11, 2015)

ValleyFirewood said:


> You just said in the post before you watched some guys dump out their poles. Which is it, you saw them or you didn't?


we didnt know they dumped it until we got everything unhooked and took the rakes and stuff out and dumped our chips out and saw there was the poles there... i wasnt planning on going for a wild goose chase to find them... if we didnt take them the next guy that came by would of...if they wouldnt of left so quick we would of gave them back


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## mike515 (Jan 11, 2015)

We don't leave much. I once had a groundman lose a fiberglass pole extension. Maybe $75 but it kind of irritated me. How hard is it to make sure you put the poles away? 

We were recently dumping chips at a locked city-owned brush dump where you have to check out a key from the city. There was a brand new, thick ratchet strap on the ground next to the pile. The guy with me thought we should keep it but I rolled it up and turned it in with the key. I found out later that some kid almost got fired over it but got out of the frying pan because they got that strap back. I'd never fire someone over a strap but it was nice to feel like doing the right thing helped the kid out.


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## ChoppyChoppy (Jan 12, 2015)

Last year my hired hand left his chaps, felling helmet and a chainsaw up at a logging site. By his I mean stuff I bought for him to use. I had just got down to the main road with the truck with a full load on the trailer and I ask him, where's your helmet... "ahhhh.... derrrrrr". Pouring rain, dark and I didn't think I could drive back up there without chaining up.
I told him either I was taking $100 out of his pay or he could run up there and grab them. He ran the 3 miles back up the logging road to go get them. He hauled butt caused it didn't take but maybe 20 mins. Pretty darn good for running in the dark in mud!

I have only fired one person and he was cheating his hours. I wouldn't fire someone over breaking or loosing something unless it was very valuable or it was a constant issue.
One guy I had working tore a hydraulic line off my skid steer. Broke the line and coupler.
He was shaking in his boots when he came up to me, though for sure I was going to send him packing.
I wasn't exactly happy, but hey, crap happens. I ended up doing the same thing a few months later, snagged the line on a branch.


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## pdqdl (Jan 12, 2015)

I can't tell you how many hoses we have replaced. Funny how it happens more often to the new guys than it does to an experienced, careful operator.


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