Nut job customers

[tree md]

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...

 

[Canyonbc]

hahaha

this is why kids shouldnt do drugs...

 

[Dadatwins]

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.

 

[kevknep]

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.

 

[woodchux]

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....

 

[tree md]

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.

 

[clearance]

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.

 

[treeman82]

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.

 

[masiman]

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

 

[ropensaddle]

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!

 

[rb_in_va]

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.

 

[Urbicide]

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:

 

[RedlineIt]

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

 

[clearance]

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

 

[tree md]

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.

 

[squad143]

Redline, I like your style.

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

 

[cantcutter]

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

 

[Canyonbc]

HAHA...WHAT THE FU....

Thats is Crazy...right there...

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

 

[9th year rookie]

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.

 

[lees trees]

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.