It's time to get out

[bobbo]

When you have to wear gloves sleeves and booties to soft side triplex on a house it's time to get out! When tree trimmers can't touch trees with wire and their job is line clearance trimmer, it's time to get out. Every year there gets a new wrinkle making this job a lot harder. And there is always someone out there who can tell you how to do your job that has never done it, because he can't and won't and doesn't know. I feel outnumbered with those that can't. They somehow got in charge. We use to shake the guys out that can't. Now they have polysyllabic titles and over abundant egos patrolling our right of ways. I just want to do my job with the least amount of bull****. Never seen a primary fire. Never seen anyone hurt on my crew. Doing this everyday for twenty years. I think it has something to do with the corporatization of our industry. Layers and layers of people, government and utilities, too many rules with no common sense. Rules that trump other rules to reduce liability for everyone but the guy doing the work. Yea the paycheck is great. But it isn't worth it anymore. I loved this job when I started because it took a lot of problem solving and intellect. Now that's taken away from me. Some one screaming you need a gut and I am 8 feet clear. Someone saying you need more cones and a couple more signs, when they are the only vehicle that passed in the last 2 hours. We used to do construction, rebuild and reconductor whole circuits. Now I am trying to figure out how to fit an arrestor on a 60 year old pole. So old and she'll rot it can't even hold a staple. Nobody wants to hear there is an infrastructure deficit. It's cheaper to have factories overseas, not only the labor part, but the infrastructure part. A company pays less tax and utilities somewhere else and pay nothing in labor. We have so much overhead now, how many pick ups do we need out there and how many supervisors? We used to have to support a GF, an office girl,'and a yard dog. Now you can't fit your digger and bucket because there are so many pick up trucks in the way. Counting down my days!