The Continuiing Adventures of Windo Gai

 

1. Drew, what a marvelous account.

   I am somewhat acrophobic.  (Somewhat?  In the same sense Benedict XVI is somewhat German or somewhat Catholic.  I get mildly trembly looking up at a balcony.) I’d have used up $60 in underwear cleaning bills.

   Good for you, sir.  Someone has to do this stuff and the old fat guy isn’t a candidate.

   I’ll hold the ladder and make sure Allen doesn’t screw with the circuit breakers.

   Posted by Archie       01/19/2010  at  08:01 PM  



2. Thanks. I can’t trust him to get it right. No, I can trust him. To get it wrong. He’s that kind of a guy.

   The thing about ladders is twofold - One, only buy the very best ladders. I use the Class IAA ones rated for 300+ pounds. They are much stiffer than the other models. Two, don’t look down. Don’t look up either. Look straight ahead, and take it a slow step at a time.

   That said, there are lots of people who aren’t cut out for ladder work.

   Posted by Drew458       01/19/2010  at  08:23 PM  



3. I forgot to mention that while changing the floodlamps up under the soffet, I was standing on a POS class III-IV aluminum step ladder, rated for less than half my weight. The office’s, not mine. It twisted under me and I fell. Lucky for me it was only a 3 footer and I was on the 2nd step. Buy the best, don’t buy crap.

   Posted by Drew458       01/19/2010  at  08:27 PM  



4. Welcome to my world. That’s a fairly typical outdoor gig for a stagehand. And yeah, $60 sounds about right. I charge $15 with a 4 hour minimum.

   Once the ladder’s lashed off and you know it, and you’ve had enough practice to deal with the feeling, you can scramble up and down em pretty much at speed. But it does take some getting used to, I’ll grant you. And if you have any tiniest fear of heights, it’ll break you of it… eventually.

   Another good idea is to have at least a rope and a couple of carabiners, if not an actual harness, so when you get in place you can harness yourself off to the structure. Actual climber’s rope too, not the cheap stuff. Same as the ladder, really, but you want the rope to be rated for at least 5 times your weight, so even a jerk when you hit the end won’t part the rope. Makes you a lot more confident when you’re having to use both hands, especially if you’re having to lean out. Harness yourself off right and even if the ladder was knocked out from under you, you’d still be okay… aside from needing a change of underwear.

   

   Just remember, it’s politically incorrect to call us “riggers” anymore… we’re “ascending Americans.”

   

   Posted by GrumpyOldFart       01/19/2010  at  10:56 PM  



5. Did you charge a bit extra for a new pair of knickers after that Bzzz moment?
   Anyway, as a contrast to your day I got up at 7, spent most of the day in and out of my chair and on the phone and ended the day with $140 in sales of trivial old car crap and a few state plates to a small time collector. I definetly like my new job better tha yours today Drew.

   Posted by Rich K       01/19/2010  at  11:59 PM  



6. Hope the doc reads BMEWS

   Posted by Elvula       01/20/2010  at  01:21 AM  



7. You charged way too little for that kind of work Drew.
   You need an agent.

   Posted by peiper       01/20/2010  at  07:42 AM  

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