How many of you would've done this?

[joshuatree]

Been meaning to post this for a while now. First of all I'm not virtue signalling just genuinely curious if any of you have or would've done the same. 

 

So a few weeks ago now I was taking down a fir of some description. Wasn't my job I was just climbing. 

 

Roughly half way through a fella turns up and has a chat as he's cutting down a medium sized ash in next doors garden and wanted access to the rear drive for his trailer. 

 

Ok we said no problem. I know it sounds bad but we both looked at each and said he doesnt look like a tree surgeon. We thought mayb a gardener and he's having a go. 

 

We crack on taking down the tree and I keep 1 eye on him next door. The guy comes round with mechanic overalls on a helmet and a silky pole saw! I couldn't  help but laugh a little and nodded to my mate to which he chuckled too. 

 

So he starts hacking off the lower limbs tearing them as he goes. Takes down the neighbours fence. Looking at me occasionaly to see if im not looking at him. Both him and the homeowner stared in awe as I dropped the easy peasy top out of the fir and came down for a cuppa. 

 

It's at that point where he must've thought hey they cant see me now. I'll just climb this without a harness or anything and keep lopping with the silky. But I'm watching him in the mirror of the truck and I'm genuinely concerned for him. 

 

After the tea break me and the guy I was working with agree we cant let him carry on so I go and tackle some cherries closer to him and spark up a conversation. Turns out he's just finished a 12 week course from otley college and thought he'd have a go. I asked do you have climbing equipment? No. Pl? No? 39? No even tho he had an ancient echo topper. I then tell the home owner that he'd be liable for damages or injuries to which he goes a bit quiet. I asked him what his plans are for the big high branch going over the neighbours window and shed were. Blank slightly embarrassed stare. 

 

Me and the guy then have a chat and as we have a full truck with loads of logs left on the deck. We say look you cant do this we dont feel good letting you do this and I dont want to see in the paper on monday a death or accident we can prevent. So we make a deal where we take down the tree if they sorted out all the logs so we dont have to come back. To which they jumped at. Prob took an hour at most if that. And I ticked off my good deed for the day. 

 

So my question to you guys is 2 fold. Would you and have you done anything similar? And how do you feel about colleges letting people out there thinking they're tree surgeons after 12 weeks?

 

Sidenote. The guy was 50 odd and had a fulltime job. I'll give you 5 guesses what it was. 

 

[Steve Bullman]

Pet peeve of mine how people come out of colleges thinking they are qualified to go it alone.  I don't think its anyones fault, and everyones entitled to have a go I guess!

Would I have done the same as you?  Id have been tempted by the prospect of knocking a tree down if it meant not having to clear logs from my own job up, but wouldn't trust them to carry out their end of the bargain and leave the site immaculate in my absence

 

[joshuatree]

Our site was cleaned by us. And all our logs we chucked in their garden. Customer was happy. 

[TIMON]

What course had he done?
Surely even the most basic course would would give you an idea of what equipment was needed to carry out basic treework.

If I saw someone about to hurt themselves I like to think I would help. Can be a potentially tricky situation if someone’s pride is at stake.

[Alex O]

No way, if a client is happy to employe someone who has absolutely no idea and probably no insurance let them crack on. But if it helped your conscience and get your job done then good for you guys. But as Steve said I would be concerned about how they would leave the garden/ driveway. As I’m very anal in my clearing up I always make sure it’s the last thing I check before leaving and the customer is happy.

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

Call your mates to come see, break out the deck chairs and beers, fire up the BBQ and start the wake....!!  

[Husqvarna King]

I bet he was a farmer!! ?

[aspenarb]

Nothing wrong with helping folk in life and its got a funny way of turning around. Well done Joshua

 

Bob

[Mark Bolam]

You did the right thing.

I’m going with fire service or police.

[openspaceman]

18 minutes ago, Mark Bolam said:

You did the right thing.

I’m going with fire service or police.

My thoughts too