Today I survived a "walk through" of a 3 mile proposed route for a force-fed 24" discharge pipe from a generation plant to the nearest creek. At this time I have removed 9 ticks from my person. I'm betting I'll find at least one more "hitchhiker" before bed.
All in all their were 10 folks that I helped navigate the woods. Myself and an assistant, two R/W agents and three managers from the utility company..with the consulting firm responsible for construction prints and construction contract administration represented by 3 personnel. All their collective ages was probably still less than mine. Really.
We looked like a bunch of lunar astronauts with head gear, fire rated clothing, safety glasses, steel toed boots and gloves. I expected our biggest danger would have been heat prostration from all the gear. The first thing I did when we cleared the generating plant's property was peel off all that fool gear and get comfortable for a good jaunt through the woods.
The first mile was paralleling one of the transmission lines that leaves the plant. The R/W is owned by a utility company other than my client, so the cross-fenced gates were locked and we didn't have their keys, but we had permission to add our own locks. So the rather young "project manager" carried along a large pair of chain cutters and a bag of locks. I watched as each and every person followed him single file as we walked up to every gate. After about four or five gates, we got into a good routine. As we all approached this one gate in particular, I noticed there was no fence attached to the posts on either side of the gate. Still, they all walked up behind the young man with the gear and kindly waited for him to cut a link out of the chain and open the gate.
I startled a few of them by walking around the gate. (and yes, I was asked, "How'd you get over there so quick?") :pinch:
The route was fairly unremarkable. We did find one abandoned meth-lab hideout and a wrinkled metal back-yard shed in the woods; the shed was most likely deposited there by the last tornado. A "blue racer" snake did cause some concern for everyone, especially the sole female in the group. And as one would imagine, she WAS the first to spy the little fella slipping through the grass.
It will probably be the last of these kind of jobs of which I will be associated. The youthful inexperience of all the attendees was enjoyable. The consultant's team leader was somewhat overwhelmed I think. He constantly referred to another job in Dallas he had just completed. I believe it was probably his only experience. What I really needed to know concerned their CAD standards. Things like if they had their own levels (layers) and linetypes, etc. He had no idea. After about the fiftieth time he told me he would 'get back with me' about something; the young lady there just told me "give me your email and I'll have our cad supervisor get a hold of you". Finally, something got accomplished!
Fun was had by all. I was astonished at their ignorance of the nature of easements and R/W acquisition. The utility company's "project manager" had to have the difference between easement and fee explained several times. I'm still not sure he has it down pat.
These newbies will get a first class survey from me, as always. As they continue on in their careers I want them to look upon the surveys they get in the future from others and compare them against what I will be giving them on this project. I have a golden opportunity to make an impression upon them concerning what a survey should be. I can't screw up this chance. This will be Paden's silver bullet into the future...Lord, keep my aim steady.
It was fun for this old man to wear out a bunch folks younger than myself. They were tattered, tick covered and breathing hard by the time we finished. I enjoyed all their bewildered wonderment. A few of them will continue through their career and do well.
Sail on, young'uns.
paden cash, post: 369944, member: 20 wrote: Today I survived ... ... What I really needed to know concerned their CAD standards. Things like if they had their own levels (layers)...
Levels? are you a Microstation guy?
Steve
sjc1989, post: 369947, member: 6718 wrote: Levels? are you a Microstation guy?
Steve
Have to be. That's just about all the utility companies around here use. I do have one old cpu that has an older version of AutoCAD on it.
And as I've said for many years, "those that use both are proficient at neither".
"I was astonished at their ignorance of the nature of easements and R/W acquisition."
I too am astounded at the lack of understanding of what easements are, particularly by people who should know. It seems so simple to me...
I have a personal vendetta regarding the improper use of the term "Right-of-Way" when dealing with properly dedicatated City/County streets and with Interstate Highway corridors owned in fee by the State. I am sure I will die trying, but I will not give up trying to educate folks to use the correct words!
Jim in AZ, post: 370003, member: 249 wrote: "I was astonished at their ignorance of the nature of easements and R/W acquisition."
I too am astounded at the lack of understanding of what easements are, particularly by people who should know. It seems so simple to me...
I have a personal vendetta regarding the improper use of the term "Right-of-Way" when dealing with properly dedicatated City/County streets and with Interstate Highway corridors owned in fee by the State. I am sure I will die trying, but I will not give up trying to educate folks to use the correct words!
The words are not important until you end up in court and have to use Black's Law Dictionary to define them.
Jim in AZ, post: 370003, member: 249 wrote: the improper use of the term "Right-of-Way" when dealing with properly dedicatated City/County streets and with Interstate Highway corridors owned in fee by the State.
RADAR, post: 370005, member: 413 wrote: Right-of-Way
"Railroads own title to a right of way upon which to build permanent tracks."
Nope - - if they own it they CAN"T have an easement for themselves across it. One of the basic tenants of an easement is that there have to be two different parties involved - One party to grant the right and a second perty to recieve it.
Fee means it can be inherited. Easements can be in fee. An easement is an interest in the land of another.
Fee simple absolute is an estate in land. It is what is usually referred to as fee.
paden cash, post: 369944, member: 20 wrote: Today I survived a "walk through" of a 3 mile proposed route for a force-fed 24" discharge pipe from a generation plant to the nearest creek. At this time I have removed 9 ticks from my person. I'm betting I'll find at least one more "hitchhiker" before bed.
All in all their were 10 folks that I helped navigate the woods. Myself and an assistant, two R/W agents and three managers from the utility company..with the consulting firm responsible for construction prints and construction contract administration represented by 3 personnel. All their collective ages was probably still less than mine. Really.
We looked like a bunch of lunar astronauts with head gear, fire rated clothing, safety glasses, steel toed boots and gloves. I expected our biggest danger would have been heat prostration from all the gear. The first thing I did when we cleared the generating plant's property was peel off all that fool gear and get comfortable for a good jaunt through the woods.
The first mile was paralleling one of the transmission lines that leaves the plant. The R/W is owned by a utility company other than my client, so the cross-fenced gates were locked and we didn't have their keys, but we had permission to add our own locks. So the rather young "project manager" carried along a large pair of chain cutters and a bag of locks. I watched as each and every person followed him single file as we walked up to every gate. After about four or five gates, we got into a good routine. As we all approached this one gate in particular, I noticed there was no fence attached to the posts on either side of the gate. Still, they all walked up behind the young man with the gear and kindly waited for him to cut a link out of the chain and open the gate.
I startled a few of them by walking around the gate. (and yes, I was asked, "How'd you get over there so quick?") :pinch:
The route was fairly unremarkable. We did find one abandoned meth-lab hideout and a wrinkled metal back-yard shed in the woods; the shed was most likely deposited there by the last tornado. A "blue racer" snake did cause some concern for everyone, especially the sole female in the group. And as one would imagine, she WAS the first to spy the little fella slipping through the grass.
It will probably be the last of these kind of jobs of which I will be associated. The youthful inexperience of all the attendees was enjoyable. The consultant's team leader was somewhat overwhelmed I think. He constantly referred to another job in Dallas he had just completed. I believe it was probably his only experience. What I really needed to know concerned their CAD standards. Things like if they had their own levels (layers) and linetypes, etc. He had no idea. After about the fiftieth time he told me he would 'get back with me' about something; the young lady there just told me "give me your email and I'll have our cad supervisor get a hold of you". Finally, something got accomplished!
Fun was had by all. I was astonished at their ignorance of the nature of easements and R/W acquisition. The utility company's "project manager" had to have the difference between easement and fee explained several times. I'm still not sure he has it down pat.
These newbies will get a first class survey from me, as always. As they continue on in their careers I want them to look upon the surveys they get in the future from others and compare them against what I will be giving them on this project. I have a golden opportunity to make an impression upon them concerning what a survey should be. I can't screw up this chance. This will be Paden's silver bullet into the future...Lord, keep my aim steady.
It was fun for this old man to wear out a bunch folks younger than myself. They were tattered, tick covered and breathing hard by the time we finished. I enjoyed all their bewildered wonderment. A few of them will continue through their career and do well.
Sail on, young'uns.
You should stalk their Facebook pages and see if they comment about the geezer they had to sheperd thru the day....
Rankin_File, post: 370046, member: 101 wrote: You should stalk their Facebook pages and see if they comment about the geezer they had to sheperd thru the day....
Don't even want to know!
It takes years to understand the phrase in its full depth, but...."ignorance is bliss." 😉
Ignorance is bliss.
Anyone who has ever raised a child from birth to out of high school has learned the truth in that saying.
