People walking through your jobsite

[Gavint]

Hi all, I'm trying to figure something out. 

 

A peculiarity that I have noticed working professionally in tree care is how unbelievably oblivious, entitled and belligerent passers-by are when it comes to barging through tree care jobsites.  Like, you can have everything officially closed off, with barriers and lights and noise and big equipment and groundies, and still they jog or bike or walk through without looking or deviating course or announcing their presence, and then get snippy when you say something.

 

Is this a uniquely German, or a universally international thing (hence asking you UK people!)?

Has this gotten worse over time, particularly since the advent of social media and smartphones? 

Has it always been this way everywhere, and I've just become a grumpy old man (darn kids these days!)?

 

I can't imagine ever walking through a closed off jobsite where machines and people are at work, but it happens to me every day multiple times.  In fact, the people who look up and communicate are the exceptions.  I actually did a count.

 

How is it in the UK?  Do people just walk under you and then give you shit for saying something about it?  Or walking behind you as you're backing your truck up?  I swear everyone has a death wish.  

Edited 21 hours ago by Gavint

[Peasgood]

The nanny state has resulted in the complete erosion of self preservation.

Cyclists getting into arguments with cars and joggers running towards oncoming traffic in dark clothing, at night, in the rain seem to be a national pastime. I 100% do not understand it.

[AHPP]

3 minutes ago, Peasgood said:

The nanny state has resulted in the complete erosion of self preservation.

Cyclists getting into arguments with cars and joggers running towards oncoming traffic in dark clothing, at night, in the rain seem to be a national pastime. I 100% do not understand it.

Joggers on big roads boggle my mind. Noise, fumes, danger. Aye. That’s where I want to be, trying to listen to music and breathing heavily. 

Edited 20 hours ago by AHPP

[Stubby]

17 minutes ago, Gavint said:

Hi all, I'm trying to figure something out. 

 

A peculiarity that I have noticed working professionally in tree care is how unbelievably oblivious, entitled and belligerent passers-by are when it comes to barging through tree care jobsites.  Like, you can have everything officially closed off, with barriers and lights and noise and big equipment and groundies, and still they jog or bike or walk through without looking or deviating course or announcing their presence, and then get snippy when you say something.

 

Is this a uniquely German, or a universally international thing (hence asking you UK people!)?

Has this gotten worse over time, particularly since the advent of social media and smartphones? 

Has it always been this way everywhere, and I've just become a grumpy old man (darn kids these days!)?

 

I can't imagine ever walking through a closed off jobsite where machines and people are at work, but it happens to me every day multiple times.  In fact, the people who look up and communicate are the exceptions.  I actually did a count.

 

How is it in the UK?  Do people just walk under you and then give you shit for saying something about it?  Or walking behind you as you're backing your truck up?  I swear everyone has a death wish.  

Picture this . (UK)  Drop zone . coming out from each side . Big red and white plastic barriers , cones then foot path closed sign .  Bloke jogging ignores the foot path closed sign , dodges the cones then vaults the red and white barrier . Jogs on through the "kill " zone goes to vault the next plastic barrier , catches his foot , trips and face plants . Picks himself up jogs on round the cones and the other foot path closed sign . I take my hat off and throw it on the ground in disbelief .  Luckily I had shouted up to Steve in the tree about the suicidal idiot . No one likes to be inconvenienced and would rather risk their life than go out of their way by a couple of yards . 

Edited 20 hours ago by Stubby

[JBH]

I have had cyclists attempt to walk through the canopy of felled trees before they’ve been sned and settled. 
 

We had a guy today complaining that a detour hadn’t been sign posted for him on an official closed national parks trail. 
 

People seem very distracted and/or entitled to walk directly into a work site. That or they presume that the signs have been left out by accident. 
 

I console myself with the thought that these people will be the easiest to hunt in the end days… 

[5thelement]

I was standing in a the work zone of a coned off section of the A21 with the team, receiving the usual toolbox talk with the Highways Safety Officer. 
Night time shutdown, pretty quiet, a few cars had been waiting for a couple of minutes at the red light, lights changed, they took off at speed, front car threw an unopened can of coke out of the window, smacked the safety officer clean on the side of the head.

There are some total knobheads about, it was funny as f**k at the time though. 

[green heart]

I think it's been a 'thing' in the UK for 2 decades now, honestly ?

 

I distinctly remember my groundsman promptly rugby-tackling a middle aged canal runner, in Sale, a split second before a felled Sycamore tree hit the towpath. 

Maybe he thought the warning signs and tape was his finishing line ?!?

-it nearly was his finish, tho!

 

Several similar experiences, with car drivers ignoring road operators/signs, as plenty others on here will doubtless testify! 

 

In fairness, I'd also have to confess to a couple of er, 'blank/blonde moments ' on my own sites, whilst walking round, talking on the phone...

🥴

[Peasgood]

20 minutes ago, JBH said:

That or they presume that the signs have been left out by accident.

Have to say that is the other issue, signs left out long after they should be. How many times have you seen Road Closed signs out when the road isn't closed? I'd say at least 80% of the time the road isn't closed at all. There are currently such signs outside my house, road has been open since 3pm yesterday.

Temporary traffic lights when the only obstruction is the fat feck asleep in the transit that brought the lights in the first place, you can't say you never saw that.

[scbk]

18 minutes ago, Peasgood said:

Have to say that is the other issue, signs left out long after they should be. How many times have you seen Road Closed signs out when the road isn't closed? I'd say at least 80% of the time the road isn't closed at all. There are currently such signs outside my house, road has been open since 3pm yesterday.

Temporary traffic lights when the only obstruction is the fat feck asleep in the transit that brought the lights in the first place, you can't say you never saw that.

Yep same for "warning forest operations" signs, usually left in the woods until the uv degrades the plastic and it falls to bits

[woody paul]

Did see something funny before Christmas, was working near building site how had road closed for a week connecting to main drain. They had it coned and signed off, cars came up and turned around. While on a tea break popped out on to road to have a look and three cyclist went by me and didn't even slow up through work site loads of shouting from workmen and they carried on regardless, then 6 more came by me 2 lads work in road spotted them and quickly pulled heras fencing across road, you should of heard the shouting then. But the first 2 came back looking for others then all hell let loss until digger driver got out of cab he must of been 6ft 6 and 20 stone with just a couple of words the turned around and went.

Have had many run ins to many to mention would be typing all night.