Was it really stolen?

[Andy Collins]

This will probably ruffle a few feathers, but I've been thinking of writing this for some time now.

I live probably 4 miles from a local saw shop. As such through traffic to and from there passes on the main bendy route from all points of the compass. On the side of the road in the last year I have found and handed to Suffolk Police:

1 x Stihl MS170

1 x hard hat with visor assembly

One rope and harness

One rope bag with rope

 

In the past, I've seen stump grinders part company with the truck towing, a chipper left behind due to not being hitched correctly, a hydraulic power pack for a pole chainsaw in the bend of another road.

My point is, are people really having as much stuff stolen as claimed, or are they having it literally "fall off the back of a lorry"? None of the above items were in any way connected, happened over a period of time, so are not just one company on the same daily route. I found the owner of the hard hat assembly and sent them to the Police, but nothing else. Small items such as carabiners, strops, slings usually manifest themselves when I go to a new job and they're still where they were left.

I'm not saying all cases are not theft, but do try to at least take all your kit home with you, and make sure your teams do too. Stow gear securely on vehicles.

[harvey b davison]

I quite agree with you on this andy. I think its the same with any trade tho. I saw it a lot when working on the building sites, people leaving gear out all over the place. I think part of the problem is that people just get out all their kit instead of just what is required, and also if it doesnt belong to them, people are less inclined to ensure everything is put away correctly.

[djbobbins]

We have a 33kV power line through fields at home. When the line got re-poled a few years back and a scaffolding gantry was needed to put a safety net from our land across the adjacent A-road, we got left with loads of scaffold clips and a "man putting an umbrella up" road sign...

 

 

Sent using Arbtalk Mobile App

[skyhuck]

Did you get to keep any of it Andy, after the 28 days?

[MattyF]

I don't know any body who would make a claim for one saw or a climbing kit ... It's not worth the excess or premiums going up the next year.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Arbtalk

[fergusonforestry]

guys at one of the tips we used said they regularly found saws that had been dumped in loads of chip

[taffupatree]

Drove past a road side tree last week and could blatantly see a cabium saver still in the crotch at the top. I know it's not the same level as leaving a saw behind but still.