Are people lazy, don’t know how to help or scared of liability.

[Hay Dude]

Sometimes I catch my wife complaining. I give her “course corrections” and remind her what it will be like to be under 60, retired, and putting a full pension in the bank and many benefits.

All taxpayer funded.

 

[RjCorazza]

I think it comes down to a combination of "not my job" and lack of tools, ability, and experience.
I worked many years at a busy metropolitan fire dept. In the city, a small storm that downs even small trees is a life stopping major catastrophy. Not so in rural areas. I got sent way north to a very rural area to do damage survey for a tornado that crossed my county years ago. The rural residents up there had the trees cleared, cut up, and stacked by the roads a few hours afterwards. It was awesome!

 

[Hay Dude]

I think it comes down to a combination of "not my job" and lack of tools, ability, and experience.
I worked many years at a busy metropolitan fire dept. In the city, a small storm that downs even small trees is a life stopping major catastrophy. Not so in rural areas. I got sent way north to a very rural area to do damage survey for a tornado that crossed my county years ago. The rural residents up there had the trees cleared, cut up, and stacked by the roads a few hours afterwards. It was awesome!

We just had a bad freak wind storm close roads and people just found their way around the problems. Many private citizens cut trees out of the way. We did fine.

 

[lilranch2001]

I think with a pretty good number of teachers, their biggest concern rather than the kids is envy….

 

[Mtsoxfan]

I think with a pretty good number of teachers, their biggest concern rather than the kids is envy….

Care to elaborate?

 

[Fixastuff]

People have dumped trash on the sides of roads for as long as roads have existed. I don’t know where people get off on the idea of suggesting only a particular generation does it.

Yeah I've put in 10s of thousands of conduit in the right of way in the last couple years and am always digging up old litter!

 

[4570Man]

You aint missing a thing. Been there for a few weddings and had friends living there and its a mess. Gives me the creeps.

Big cities aren’t my thing but I’ve been to several. I was in Calgary Canada a couple months ago and I was surprised how clean it was compared to American cities. Canadian roads were surprisingly free of litter too.

 

[Yander]

I remember my first day at work in DT Columbus, OH. 30 story building on the riverfront. Not really a big city by NY standards but for me, having grown up in the country, it was. I felt almost sick to my stomach, thinking I had to do that every day. After almost 30 years of working in various corporate offices all over Columbus and surrounding cities. I love being downtown for work.

Then, I'm happy to drive an hour out of that place to live in the country. Sounds strange, but something about being in DT where you can walk to lunch with friends, you can get used to it. Don't get me wrong, I HATE the drive to get there and back, but once you are there it is great.

Now everyone is working from home and all of that is a thing of the past.

 

[Hay Dude]

Big cities aren’t my thing but I’ve been to several. I was in Calgary Canada a couple months ago and I was surprised how clean it was compared to American cities. Canadian roads were surprisingly free of litter too.

I was in both Boston & Tampa for extended periods recently and was pleasantly surprised how clean they were.
Tampa was beautiful. The River walks, the bars & restaurants and night life. Was very clean, never felt unsafe, although I’m sure there’s crime.
Boston is an example of one of just a few northern BIG cities left that doesn’t look like a burned out dumpster fire, like Philly or Baltimore.

 

[dodge man]

How about helping people in need, hurt, just had an accident, stuck in the snow? When we were on a vacation we drove the Blue Ridge Parkway. There were two motorcycles in the road around a corner and one had wrecked 10 seconds before we got there. Not life threatening injuries but a badly injured shoulder. He wasn’t getting up. I’m the only one whose phone had a connection so I called 911 and we stayed until help got there. It took about 20 minutes for anyone to show up, it was pretty rural. It just seemed like a necessary thing just to make sure nobody came around the corner and ran him over. Several cars did stop and offer help and one person did get his bike up and down to a parking area.

 

[lilranch2001]

Care to elaborate?

Basically I think there is selfishness in some percentage… maybe low percentage, maybe not so much…..

It is a human trait is it not?

Doesn’t seem to be such a tough thought to comprehend!

I’m sure I will get blasted by teachers spouses or families, but I tend to be a tough skinned old man

 

[Jstpssng]

If I damage anything with my backhoe it could be inconvenient to neighborhood evacuation… as in damaged underground utilities…

We’re supposed to call dig safe before digging

 

[lilranch2001]

We’re supposed to call dig safe before digging

Dig safe only does so much!

They can make a mistake, or the contractor can make a mistake, or a homeowner can get tired of mowing around flags and remove them before the contractor arrives

 

[Jstpssng]

In answer to the OP’s question I think a lot of it is because they find it inconvenient. When it comes to helping people you will never be on the right end of it. I used to be one who always stopped if I thought somebody needed help; but met too many ungrateful people and had a couple of scary situations. One day on campus it was just starting to snow when I saw a woman come around a corner on a moped and completely wipe out. I ran over, pulled it off her and asked if she was all right. Her reply was so full of vitriole that I almost picked the bike up and threw it back on top of her. I came across a mother and son sitting in a parking lot with a flat tire, long after the store had closed; he was about my age. (Early 20s) I offered to help so she gave me her keys through the window and I opened the trunk, got the jack and spare out, tried to loosen the lug nuts and broke their 4way wrench. I went to her window, explained what had happened and said that I was going to my house a couple of miles away to grab my breaker bar and sockets. I did so, got their tire changed and put everything back into their trunk. In all of that time neither of them got out of their vehicle… nor did they thank me. I went out of my way for them that night, and all they did was sit there. It really left a bad taste in my mouth.
In the back of my mind was that they might expect me to pay for the tool that I broke.

 

[Jstpssng]

Dig safe only does so much!

They can make a mistake, or the contractor can make a mistake, or a homeowner can get tired of mowing around flags and remove them before the contractor arrives

If DigSafe makes a mistake they pay. If the contractor messes up or if the homeowner moves the flags they are at fault.
Hit a fiber optics line, that free phone call will seem pretty cheap. Hit a propane line, the ensuing explosion and loss of life like what happened downstate a few years ago will make your life go downhill fast.

Spend the dime. It’s cheap insurance.

 

[4570Man]

We’re supposed to call dig safe before digging

Common misconception with digsafe is they mark everything. Really they only mark the public owned lines.

 

[lilranch2001]

Your point is mute, my point is sh/t happens

This is to jst

 

[Fixastuff]

I'm crossing a 12" gas main tomorrow morning. A guy(hes cool) from the gas company is going to be there to make sure I comply with their wishes. Have to put my 2" conduit through 4" schedule 40 pvc 20ft on either side of their main and can't go closer than 18"s to the gas line. I put in 1500 to 3000ft of conduit in everyday so I call in ALOT of locates. The bad locate stories add up fast!

 

[Jstpssng]

Your point is mute, my point is sh/t happens

This is to jst

My point is that if you don’t call them, you are responsible for what goes wrong.

Common misconception with digsafe is they mark everything. Really they only mark the public owned lines.

You still are covering your butt. If somebody doesn’t know what they buried and doesn’t have it marked, that’s their tough luck.

 

[Jstpssng]

I'm crossing a 12" gas main tomorrow morning. A guy(hes cool) from the gas company is going to be there to make sure I comply with their wishes. Have to put my 2" conduit through 4" schedule 40 pvc 20ft on either side of their main and can't go closer than 18"s to the gas line. I put in 1500 to 3000ft of conduit in everyday so I call in ALOT of locates. The bad locate stories add up fast!

Are you saying that we shouldn’t bother to call?