It s a groundie thang, you don t wanna understand

[Sunrise Guy]

I think some of the best gm are one's that climb or have climbed. Many times I would take the role of the gm to help one of my climbers on tough jobs with lots of rigging involved. The guy in the tree would always say why aren't our other gm's this competent on the ground?

Yeah, you got that right. My right-hand man, Dan, is my ground guy most of the time, but I'm his ground guy, other times. I think the best ground guys are the ones who climb, as well, since they know what you're counting on when you're aloft. For the most part, I would not use groundies who have no experience in trees, if I don't have at least one guy with them who has. I have tried using groundies with no climbing experience, when Dan has been out of town, and it got pretty tense, at times. "Don't pull that rope yet! NO! Don't pull it yet!"

 

[Sunrise Guy]

is priceless, still I was ridiculed seeking oppinion about "team event" at ISA climbing championship, obviously it's for dudes wearing spandexes with all this glittering gizmos on their useless teeny-weeny harnesses. No down to earth hard working goundsmen allowed. A

Hmm---- I think your idea of a team event has merit, man, but don't try to boost it while putting down the guys who climb at those competitions. I strongly take issue with your description of "useless teeny-weeny harnesses." Many of those harnesses are state of the art, and a lot of research goes into their development. Watch the top guys climb in those set-ups and you will see they are far from "useless." Again, you have a good idea about the team event. Just keep to the positive approach on promoting it.

 

[treevet]

I think some of the best gm are one's that climb or have climbed. Many times I would take the role of the gm to help one of my climbers on tough jobs with lots of rigging involved. The guy in the tree would always say why aren't our other gm's this competent on the ground?

I agree blueatlascedar (cool name and one of my fav trees in the universe.....planted some incl one in my bk yard).

What a "blast from the past" thread. What moron started this one? lol

 

[adam]

Hmm---- I think your idea of a team event has merit, man, but don't try to boost it while putting down the guys who climb at those competitions. I strongly take issue with your description of "useless teeny-weeny harnesses." Many of those harnesses are state of the art, and a lot of research goes into their development. Watch the top guys climb in those set-ups and you will see they are far from "useless." Again, you have a good idea about the team event. Just keep to the positive approach on promoting it.

I've got no idea what competition climbers climb with. I can only assume that they climb to win, not to spend up there half a day at best day in day out year after year. F350 super duty gonna look stupid in Monte Carlo, McLaren F1 will look the same or worse on a dirt road. And where is the place for groundsman in all this? By the way if I was about to promote something, it would be Stihl 220, man.

 

[Mikecutstrees]

I think some of the best gm are one's that climb or have climbed. Many times I would take the role of the gm to help one of my climbers on tough jobs with lots of rigging involved. The guy in the tree would always say why aren't our other gm's this competent on the ground?

I agree 100% ... my best groundie started climbing and bucket work about a year ago. Now as a groundie he is 100% better because he understands whats going on up top and knows when to hustle and what to do and what I need...... Mike

 

[treevet]

I have thought about TreeMD's post many times since I read it when operating my truck crane or subbing.

 

[treevet]

Worst case I know of is when one of my mentors was killed by his ground hands. Both were new and neither spoke English. They took the rigging off of a log and let the cable from the boom truck swing back into a power line. Killed my old boss who was operating the crane instantly and killed his longtime friend as well when he tried to open the door to the boom truck to shut it down.

I think this is a huge issue as to job safety esp. these days although I currently do not have a non English understanding employee. I think last month there was a death in our field due to someone not understanding English and not understanding a warning yell.

 

[ropensaddle]

The best groundies are retiring climbers imho. I had a guy I nicknamed tackle box, jewry all over him, came in one mourning with electric blue hair new nick name after that, I called him blue He was not bad when there but could not seem to be at work because of court dates.

 

[ropensaddle]

Another groundy got taken by the FBI for questioning. I have many more stories but they were when I was working as a foreman for line clearance. I check people out better than companies do. I have been using labor finders for grunt work so they cover comp and payroll nightmares all other help is subs with waivers.

 

[StihlRockin']

I fired them catching them smoking a dube behind the mansion on a huge horse farm that was my main source at that time.

Walked into my shop one afternoon getting ready to haul out and see one of my guys smokin' a "roll-your-own". For some reason I asked "What is that?" and he said "Pot".

I about flipped and asked why he thought it was ok to do that on the job, bring drugs on my property, then have the audacity to smoke in my shop in front of me?

Long story short, he got the lecture and was lucky to keep his job... for a short while anyway.

StihlRockin'

 

[treevet]

I would guess that over the 40 some odd years I have been in the biz, prob 95 percent of gm's that I have had were bye bye because of addiction. Probably well over a hundred guys (one girl) and my current one, best to date, is over 2 years sober AA. My bus is just me and a gm. Don't know what that says.

 

[blueatlascedar]

Have you ever noticed that when using a great gm, there is a lot less shouting and vocal communication going on? One of the best compliments I feel we receive on a job from the home owner is "wow, you guys hardly even talk to each other from tree top to gm". I explain that's how it is with a good gm, he knows what you're going to do next and sets up his rigging accordingly and knows when you want slack and when to bear down on that thing!

 

[Sunrise Guy]

I've got no idea what competition climbers climb with. I can only assume that they climb to win, not to spend up there half a day at best day in day out year after year. F350 super duty gonna look stupid in Monte Carlo, McLaren F1 will look the same or worse on a dirt road. And where is the place for groundsman in all this? By the way if I was about to promote something, it would be Stihl 220, man.

You were the one who posted about being ridiculed for seeking an opinion on a team event at an ISA TCC. The inference was that you might be interested in seeing such an event and thus you might be interested in promoting the same. You were the one who posted about "useless teeny-weeny harnesses," so you obviously felt that you did, indeed, have an idea what competition climbers climb with.

I have no idea where the 220 came into the picture.

 

[adam]

You were the one who posted about being ridiculed for seeking an opinion on a team event at an ISA TCC. The inference was that you might be interested in seeing such an event and thus you might be interested in promoting the same. You were the one who posted about "useless teeny-weeny harnesses," so you obviously felt that you did, indeed, have an idea what competition climbers climb with.

I have no idea where the 220 came into the picture.

I had a bad day yesterday, sorry about my post.
Best regards,
Adam

 

[gilraine]

I thank mthe goundy who thought smoking a butt was more important than watching me andthe ropes .
ah well heis now saying would you like fires with that !

But Isure wishi could have awy of attaching hius income to pay my mewdical bill increased insurance and lost jobs !
Notall ar bad most wantot learn and od . I hada young Hispanic woman on work relase from a jail I took on her brohre was the real crimanl but .. icanot say lege stuff
All 110 LBs of her was running a 395 with 50 inch bar no problesn dropin tress we took truns oswe did not become exuasted . i still call her for help she is great ! hassaw and is early !
So not all are idtiots .

Iwould watch them ona few smaller jobs and se how the go and spend time working with them so you have a soild crew that works well anscan do almost any job
Mntman

are you related to Tomtrees???

 

[treeslayer]

are you related to Tomtrees???

he never heard of spellcheck, and likes all the pretty red underscoring.

 

[oldirty]

Just thought old dirty from the " big silver maple " thread might get a look at treemd's post if he ever comes back after getting roughed up a bit.

i remember that thread. tree in somerville. got jumped on for not going by the book even though i was on the ground and taking the odd picture of the job as it went along. lol.

you ever do tree work in the city you know for a fact that it's not going to get done if you follow osha to a T.

 

[treevet]

i remember that thread. tree in somerville. got jumped on for not going by the book even though i was on the ground and taking the odd picture of the job as it went along. lol.

you ever do tree work in the city you know for a fact that it's not going to get done if you follow osha to a T.

If I remember right (and 2 years is a while back) most of those dudes are long gone now.

 

[treevet]

Have you ever noticed that when using a great gm, there is a lot less shouting and vocal communication going on? One of the best compliments I feel we receive on a job from the home owner is "wow, you guys hardly even talk to each other from tree top to gm". I explain that's how it is with a good gm, he knows what you're going to do next and sets up his rigging accordingly and knows when you want slack and when to bear down on that thing!

I agree, and he also knows when to shut it and take orders.

Take a wrap and let it run below my feet and stop it slowly....."ok"

 

[treemandan]

I couldn't sleep and was going to ring up a few of my therapist/pyscologists from MANY years ago but stumbled on this thread... so:


get a load of these 2

If the pot bothers you wait til you find out all the other stuff SERIOUSLY.

Look at this numbness; " NO, away from the statue!"

Now this one has rock in his shoe

Looks like he is more pants than person