Good Help is Hard to Find

[NoTrespassing]

I noticed one of my five gallon buckets had been run over the other day. It was crushed and broken. Since we have basically no one driving into our driveway, I questioned the wife first. She denied running it over and there was no damage on the SUV. The bucket was sitting right next to the driveway in a flower patch with a birdbath. When I was mowing yesterday I notices the concrete birdbath was in pieces on the ground. It had been run over with the bucket.

I'm sure it was the propane delivery truck who also failed to leave a bill. We have 10 days to pay the bill to receive a discount. I guess it's a good thing he ran over the birdbath or I would have paid the bill late and not received the discount LOL. I've talked to the manager who didn't offer to compensate us.

 

[paulsharvey]

That sucks. I also do to some degree get a company denying it, cause you know they probably get a dozen claims every year for driveway damage to septic tanks to people wanting an entire yard resodded over a tire rut. If it wasn't foe the fraudsters out there, I think business's could deal with people more honestly, but as things are, they look at every claim as someone with their hand out for free cash...

 

[oosik]

Last week somebody crushed my garbage can. I know what happened. It fell out of the hydraulic lift as it was being lifted up into the garbage truck. The funky plastic wheels were smashed. It will no longer stand up to be collected.

Not a word - not a peep. However - the garbage company gladly will replace - free of charge. I have a sneaky suspension - I'm not the only one. AND - they are fully aware of how this happened.

 

[dodge man]

Don’t get me started on the garbage pickup. They miss us every once in a while and it ticks me off to no end. I’ve also got cracks in the bottom of two of my cans, nice large ones I paid for.

 

[oosik]

Dodge Man - I wonder. When those hydraulic garbage trucks lower the empty can - is it possible they don't release it soon enough and smash it on the ground.

Whatever - those poor plastic wheels on mine really took a hit. And I know it wasn't the raccoons. They have managed to tip it over before. Now the garbage can is really heavy. I only have collection once per month.

 

[Dftodd]

Someone smoked my mailbox a couple months back.

Someone scooted to close to the pavement and popped off into the ditch mowing it down.

If it was someone intentionally doing it, they have a rude awakening if they hit it again.

This time around I used a thick walled pipe and concreted it into the ground.

 

[Topzide]

Someone smoked my mailbox a couple months back.

Someone scooted to close to the pavement and popped off into the ditch mowing it down.

If it was someone intentionally doing it, they have a rude awakening if they hit it again.

This time around I used a thick walled pipe and concreted it into the ground.

Be careful about that. I hope that it's totally on your property and not in the R/W for city - county - state. You could be sued for any damage that may be caused! That's why all highway signs have holes drilled in the 4x4s for break-away, and the square strut is set in a larger size to slide out of. Just want t9 pass along the info before something happens and a lawyer gets involved! Have seen what happens when someone hit one of those brick mailbox posts! Cost the homeowner a new car and then some!

 

[paulsharvey]

Be careful about that. I hope that it's totally on your property and not in the R/W for city - county - state. You could be sued for any damage that may be caused! That's why all highway signs have holes drilled in the 4x4s for break-away, and the square strut is set in a larger size to slide out of. Just want t9 pass along the info before something happens and a lawyer gets involved! Have seen what happens when someone hit one of those brick mailbox posts! Cost the homeowner a new car and then some!

I thought the same thing, but decided not to post it. There is a good reason for "clear zone" recoverable distance, and crash rated stuff close to the road.

Some of these mail boxes, I've seen 8" DIP, rail road rail, ect, could easily cause a relatively minor crash to be fatal.

Everything within a specific distance, based on speed/road classification, is designed to not cause additional hazards.

Not trying to be the police, safety guy, or whatever, but you kill a 16 year old who was screwing around, it's going to haunt you.

 

[Dftodd]

Be careful about that. I hope that it's totally on your property and not in the R/W for city - county - state. You could be sued for any damage that may be caused! That's why all highway signs have holes drilled in the 4x4s for break-away, and the square strut is set in a larger size to slide out of. Just want t9 pass along the info before something happens and a lawyer gets involved! Have seen what happens when someone hit one of those brick mailbox posts! Cost the homeowner a new car and then some!

Mine isn't that stable. Summer it would probably due some damage to the bumper with the ground being hard. Winter time with the ditch soft, they would probably just mow it over.

Mine isn't installed any differently then the others along the road.

I would be more concerned with the brick enclosure on the one up the street.

Daughter has a brick one that's been hit twice now.

Both times, the person who hit it had to pay for it.

 

[BackRoad]

Wait Mr. Dftodd...the same person hit it TWICE???

 

[NoTrespassing]

Mine isn't that stable. Summer it would probably due some damage to the bumper with the ground being hard. Winter time with the ditch soft, they would probably just mow it over.

Mine isn't installed any differently then the others along the road.

I would be more concerned with the brick enclosure on the one up the street.

Daughter has a brick one that's been hit twice now.

Both times, the person who hit it had to pay for it.

About 35 years ago I lived in town and owned a small house with street mailbox. A friend and I had a falling out and he decided to take it out on my mailbox with a baseball bat while hanging out a car window.

Working in a machine shop I decided to protect my mailbox the best way I could think of. We happened to have some 5/16" wall steel tubing the perfect radius for a mailbox to slide into. I cut the tubing lengthwise and welded the 2 halves together with plate steel to make an oval. The new box slid inside the oval tube. I welded the tube to a 6" square 3/8" wall steel tube and put in about 3 feet of concrete. This is on a small side street with a 20-mph speed limit. I'm not recommending doing this, just telling the story of what I did years ago.

The next time my ex-friend tried to take out my mailbox he got a big surprise. I talked to him about it later and he claimed he injured his ribs during the attack.

That mailbox is still standing where I put it 35 years ago.

 

[Tinhack]

If it was someone intentionally doing it, they have a rude awakening if they hit it again.

This time around I used a thick walled pipe and concreted it into the ground.

I can't do that here--I'm on a state highway. My mailbox was taken out by an accident a couple of years ago. The state had to come out and put in a new breakaway post. They're some type of hardened steel meant to break off at ground level. It's the same posts they use for highway signs.

 

[orezok]

I read a story once that a couple of teenagers decided to do some mailbox “relocation”. They took their dad’s pickup that had a camper shell on the back. There was enough room between the shell and cab and they put a 2x6 in extending out about 4’. Dove down the rod knocking down boxes, one after another until they reached one that the owner had reinforced.

It ripped the camper right off the truck. Explain that one to your dad

 

[Dftodd]

I can't do that here--I'm on a state highway. My mailbox was taken out by an accident a couple of years ago. The state had to come out and put in a new breakaway post. They're some type of hardened steel meant to break off at ground level. It's the same posts they use for highway signs.

I used a mailbox post sold at home depo, and drypacked concrete in the hole I dug. Just went with the heavier walled one they sold.

The other was a break away wooden post.

Mailboxes on county roads seem to be a Mish mash of creativity around here.

Some have posts mounted on the back side of the ditch with a support and hung by chain.

Others did the fancy brick around them.

I would be more concerned about hitting those versus mine.

If it's smoked now, it would bend the post over. If it's smoked in the winter, it would probably pull the concrete ball out of the ground.

 

[Dftodd]

I read a story once that a couple of teenagers decided to do some mailbox “relocation”. They took their dad’s pickup that had a camper shell on the back. There was enough room between the shell and cab and they put a 2x6 in extending out about 4’. Dove down the rod knocking down boxes, one after another until they reached one that the owner had reinforced.

It ripped the camper right off the truck. Explain that one to your dad

That would have been a blistered bottom.

Knocked back to the stone age.

Flinstoning it everywhere they needed to go.

Grounded with chore after chore until they worked off the damages.

And it would be the last time they ever drove any of my vehicles again.

 

[HawkinsHollow]

I have been noticing a disturbing trend with my contractors at my house addition. They don't clean up after themselves on a daily basis. They just leave the sawdust and drill hole chunks, ripped down drywall laying everywhere. I mean I get it, they are working hard often well past quitting time to get you taken care of. Last thing they want to do at 7 pm is sweep up, they want to go home to eat. So I just sweep it up every day or two. Then I feel like I am setting a precedent where they think, " oh he will just sweep it up for us". All of my subs are great workers and do good work. Is this a new trend? Let the GC or his minions clean it up?

 

[ponytug]

I have been noticing a disturbing trend with my contractors at my house addition. They don't clean up after themselves on a daily basis. They just leave the sawdust and drill hole chunks, ripped down drywall laying everywhere. I mean I get it, they are working hard often well past quitting time to get you taken care of. Last thing they want to do at 7 pm is sweep up, they want to go home to eat. So I just sweep it up every day or two. Then I feel like I am setting a precedent where they think, " oh he will just sweep it up for us". All of my subs are great workers and do good work. Is this a new trend? Let the GC or his minions clean it up?

I don't know if it is a new trend, but it is how I judge contractors. If they aren't organized/careful with their materials and waste, I have often found it reflects on the rest of the job as well.

At some level, not cleaning up demolition work is a safety issue.

All the best,

Peter

 

[paulsharvey]

So, I never really thought about "appearance" on construction site for years; and I went to work for a commercial builder, who payed us a small truck allowance, bought our gas, and put stickers on our personal trucks. Anyways, boss was instant that we needed to wash the truck every week. I always thought it was stupid, until one time I'm driving though town, and see an A+ painting or something van, with paint all over it, on bumper, on doors, on the tires, ect; and then I got it. If that guy showed up to bid a paint job, I wouldn't even talk to him; if he makes that much of a mess on his work van, how much paint does he slop of the concrete/windows/door hinges, ect

At the same time, construction is like sausage; everyone enjoys the end result, but getting to the end isn't pretty. Being a addition, I'm assuming you are actively living in the rest of the home? They should be containing the construction to the specific area, and I would Not clean up after them. If the mess is everywhere, I would discuss expectations with the contractor, clean every afternoon.

 

[BackRoad]

Slightly different view personally...big commercial builders have helpers (cheap new hires) to clean up...think Toll Bros.

Smaller custom builders have to do the clean-up themselves.

I just finished working with a local builder and his partner to construct our forever (at least while on earth) home.

Figured every minute I invested in cleaning and sweeping was one more minute they had to accomplish "real" work.

I actually ended up working with them side by side through the build.

There wasn't any pay or reduction in cost, but it created a lot of good will.

There's 10,000 minor decisions to be made as a house build progresses, and they were super flexible as we built, plus they went the extra mile to construct the house right.

Pretty sure if I had started out b-itching about them doing their own clean-up, there would have been zero interest in doing anything more than what was on the blueprints.

 

[camshawn]

When I was an apprentice electrician doing 3 floor wood frame construction, it was our responsibility to sweep up after ourselves. We would run the broom around in the last 10 minutes of the day while winding up cords and putting away tools and unused material. The labourers swept up for the carpenters and the plumbers looked after themselves. The site was always pretty clean and if any group was slacking off, they were told to look after business.