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Ran into a retired installer at the supply house this morning
He was buying a new drill and we got to talking about old drop lines. He said, 'Kid, you ever have to climb a pole in the rain with nothing but a pair of gaffs and a hand line?' I've only ever used bucket trucks. It made me think about how much of the actual climbing skill is gone now. Anyone else ever hear stories like that from the old timers?
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wendys166mo ago
Honestly, my grandad used to tell me stories like that. He'd talk about having to free-climb poles with just a belt and spurs to fix a crossarm in a snowstorm. Tbh it sounds terrifying compared to rolling up in a truck now. Makes you realize a whole set of hands-on skills just isn't needed anymore. Ngl, part of me is glad I never had to learn it the hard way like they did.
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the_jamie5mo ago
That bit about the whole gritty feel being gone, I used to think that was just old guys talking but wendys16 is right, it's a whole different job now.
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ray1896mo ago
Yeah, the part about your grandad fixing a crossarm in a snowstorm really hits home. My old foreman would tell us about having to climb with frozen hands because the gloves were too thick to feel the wire. It was just a normal Tuesday for them. We've lost that whole gritty feel for the work, you know? It's all about the truck and the remote controls now.
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