What Sets Linemen Apart

[LostArt]

What sets linemen apart from another workforces? What makes linemen different from another workgroup?

As a lineman's wife, I've asked myself this many times. I know quite a bit of linemen, both on a long time friendship, some over 20 yrs. And it's a clanish group at times. I don't mean clanish in a bad way, but I don't see other workforces that have this kind of bonding. It sure isn't in education or the corporate world!

It's intriguing really. I've observed from a distance and even right in the middle of all the BS, linework, and dock talk. You all can go for days and not talk to each other and some days you are talking for days! :D

I'm trying to find the common bond, which is the trade for one, but some of your personalities are familar.....alike. I see dry, dense, and sunny sense of humor in you all. And it's sometimes hard to tell if you are teasing in your posts or you are dead serious. I've gotten in a lot of trouble reading you guys wrong! LOL! It's alot better in person, let me tell ya! I can read faces then.........and eyes! So much better and easier than in reading the posts here at times. And then other times, I "get it" right off the bat!

Well, let me hush or you all will be thinking I'm gettin' inside your heads. But, you all are an unique bunch of guys but you can't be compared to Law Enforcement or the Military Services....even though some of you have been there and done that too. But, I find that your group is a little different than the "regular" workforce and I wanted to know what sets you guys apart from the others.

What is it? Is it only the bond of linework?

[LostArt]

Well, ya'll all don't jump in here at once, okay? Or fight over who has the answer! Heh.

Okaaay, just wondering if it's my new deordorant or something! I must be asking some dumbass questions lately! :D

[PA BEN]

What Sets Linemen Apart; another woman who wants to talk about relationships, it’s a woman thing, believe me I know I have a house full of them “5”. I go to work, work 12470 hot with sticks, had my head in the game all day, I come home want to wind down a bit and the first thing my lovely wife wants to do is talk. To this day the “Deer in the head light stair” still gets me in trouble. O the question. What Sets Linemen Apart; Linemen are independent thinkers, we call bulls#$t bulls#$t. We have to know our jobs or people die. No one can do it better then a lineman. We can do those peoples jobs but they can’t do our job. As far as the talking and joking one day and not the next well that’s a man thing. Not just a lineman thing. :eek:

[LostArt]

As far as the talking and joking one day and not the next well that’s a man thing. Not just a lineman thing. :eek:

Oh? Well if I don't talk for days, it's STILL a woman thing! How come you guys get away with it and we don't???? :D

[PA BEN]

Oh? Well if I don't talk for days, it's STILL a woman thing! How come you guys get away with it and we don't???? :D

Because if you don't talk for days it's because your dead or we'er in trubble:D

[LostArt]

Ain't THAT the **** truth!!;)

And you only pop in to say that Swamp! :D

Jeeze. I thought I asked a simple question to a complex group of guys. Okaaay! I asked for it! Heh.

#1 thing you guys have in common...........

....being wiseasses! :D

[LostArt]

Because if you don't talk for days it's because your dead or we'er in trubble:D

Well, I guess I'll let you pass since you have more females to tend with than the average guy Ben! :D

I think I can count on one hand how many women buddies I have. I'm just not the kind to have them, I guess. Even some women have me scratchin' my head.

I don't know, must be my background or my personality, I don't know. But, I just don't have that kind of closeness that you guys seem to have with the same sex. There are very few women friends that want to "hang out" with me. Whether it is work, wives of linemen, former classmates, family or friends. What you guys have is pretty neat to me. Maybe it's because I don't have it. But, then again, what you don't have, you don't miss.

Still think it's pretty neat though. http://www.avowners.com/forum/smileys/doh001.gif

[otpig2]

PA BEN:What Sets Linemen Apart; Linemen are independent thinkers, we call bulls#$t bulls#$t. We have to know our jobs or people die. No one can do it better then a lineman. We can do those peoples jobs but they can’t do our job.
LA I think the job kind of dictates that we are different then other workforces; We Learn from one another, we share information, help one another. and still tease,joke give each other sh*t But the other Lineman is your Brother. He has done the same work,knows Your hobbies(has similar one)Knows your Family,Your troubles
Linemen can go to work in another area and do linework and fit in
That is what in my opinion makes us different

then you think about a lights out call: it maybe early morning
Thunderstorm,Snowstorm Your son/daughter birthday,whenever. You are on call
Mrs.Smith has no power. You just go

[LostArt]

LA I think the job kind of dictates that we are different then other workforces; We Learn from one another, we share information, help one another. and still tease,joke give each other sh*t But the other Lineman is your Brother. He has done the same work,knows Your hobbies(has similar one)Knows your Family,Your troubles
Linemen can go to work in another area and do linework and fit in
That is what in my opinion makes us different

then you think about a lights out call: it maybe early morning
Thunderstorm,Snowstorm Your son/daughter birthday,whenever. You are on call
Mrs.Smith has no power. You just go

I think that pretty much answers my question OT..........you said that really well buddy! And said in a nutshell! My kinda talk! :D

[Orgnizdlbr]

Well, we are all handsome, we are all gentlemen, we are all chivalrous, we all know everything, we are all courageous, we always say the right thing, we are all just plain and simply the the cat's ass......!! ;)

[Trampbag]

And we’re humble, too!!

[LostArt]

Well, we are all handsome, we are all gentlemen, we are all chivalrous, we all know everything, we are all courageous, we always say the right thing, we are all just plain and simply the the cat's ass......!! ;)



And we’re humble, too!!

http://www.avowners.com/forum/smileys/post1029.gif

For the DAG GUM ROOF to fall in that is!!!!! :eek:


(But, at least I will be laughing when it does!!! That was good Georgie....Lonesome! )

[Orgnizdlbr]

And we’re humble, too!!

Absolutely!!!!!!LOL

[tolex42]

Well, we are all handsome, we are all gentlemen, we are all chivalrous, we all know everything, we are all courageous, we always say the right thing, we are all just plain and simply the the cat's ass......!! ;)

What a coincidence, that's how people have always described me too!

[PERRY KEATON]

I Think What Sets Us Apart Is Our Ability To
Put Every Thing Else Aside When It Comes To Work.
Cause If We Don`t We Might Not Come Home
To Our Beautiful Wife And Family

[T-Saw]

maybe ....twitch twitch...........it's the ...twitch twitch... EMF messin with our brains...twitch twitch... but ... twitch..... messin with them all ...twitch ..... equally. Causing linemen to end up the same.

[Dave@PSE&G]

Oh? Well if I don't talk for days, it's STILL a woman thing! How come you guys get away with it and we don't???? :D

When a woman doesn't talk for a few days, we say nothing because we don't want to disturb the peace and quiet we dreamed of for so long and have finally found. (Please don't tell the wife I said that or i'm a dead man walking!):D

[CenterPointEX]

When you are on the pole or in a bucket playing with **** that can kill you, unspoken communication becomes second nature. Linemen spend a lot of time in close proximity to each other communicating with out words. This speechless language we use is uniquie to the trade. There are other trades in which this kind of communication is necessary, but not many where the guys are back to back making a continual stream of life or death decisions. Like your reading of the eyes Tracey, we understand each other without words. Like it or not we have to trust our life to the guy next to us in the bucket/on the pole. Thus we have a bond not normal among men.

[BigClive]

What sets linemen apart from another workforces? What makes linemen different from another workgroup?

As a lineman's wife, I've asked myself this many times. I know quite a bit of linemen, both on a long time friendship, some over 20 yrs. And it's a clanish group at times. I don't mean clanish in a bad way, but I don't see other workforces that have this kind of bonding. It sure isn't in education or the corporate world!


There's a similar bonding in other trades. I can think of three industries I've worked in where a similar cameradery exists. Electrical engineering, Industrial refrigeration and Theatre/entertainment engineering. They all share a common theme. Heavy work that can often only be achieved by working as a team, and working away from home where your work colleagues become your drinking buddies.

The corporate organisations have tried to emulate this cameradery by sending their pen pushers on "team building" events where they get to dress up and play soldiers or something similarly patronising.