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Saw a surveyor in the neighborhood yesterday
Made a run to the Superette to put some gas in the Jeep yesterday. AS I wheeled around my first corner here by the house I saw someone that immediately made me think there was a swat team in action. This young man was head to toe camo, except for a light flo-green vest. He had more gear hanging off of him than an Airborne Ranger on D-Day. I made an unscheduled turn to drive past him slow so I could watch…
I hadn’t initially seen it, but he had a reflector pole on a bipod he stuck in the ground when he stopped pacing. He whipped a collapsible pin-finder off his tool-belt by a driveway and gave it a couple of left to right swings. One step forward and his swings narrowed. He replaced his pin-finder and pulled a collapsible latrine shovel off his belt. In a few seconds he had the pin plugged, uncovered and flagged. With one quick grab he had his reflector and collector plumb in front of him. After a couple of buttons he whipped a folded up plat out of his belt, made a couple of checks, and started off toward his next pin. His movements were all quick, decisive and hauntingly military. I got to the end of the block and saw his robot on a block corner. At the curb was a fairly new white Ford 1/2 ton with no company name or placard. The tailgate was open and his instrument case was sitting in the bed with a few other items, no tool box. The instrument box still had a ‘new’ patina.
I guess I just saw a young solo operator at work. I was impressed with the speed, zeal and efficiency he went about his tasks. The look on his face was so dead serious. Almost as if he were Roald Amundsen on his way to the North Pole. He was definitely taking his work seriously. And the gear he had all over him! I saw a machete, hammer, pin-finder, shovel and enough little pouches to carry every kind of nail available to man. Like I said, he looked like a Ranger just fixing to parachute behind enemy lines.
I guess I didn’t stop and chat because he looked like he wasn’t into chatting. And young surveyors are never that interested in old fart surveyors anyway. That’s too bad. I could have emailed him a CAD file with all the points all over a three block area with all the vacations ,lot splits, with the recorded books and pages noted.
But then again…naw…he’s doing ok. He’ll find them. He’ll do OK without my info.
I was happy to see an instrument set up on a property corner instead of some random point.
And the circle continues…………………
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18 Replies
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Was it Mustang Bob?…
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Beer Legs, post: 347944, member: 33 wrote: Was it Mustang Bob?…
Nope. Although in his early years Bob showed the same desire to drag along absolutely ever tool he had ever owned, this “kid” was pretty young. He might have even been in his twenties. Should’ve stopped, but I didn’t.
Don’t know who it was. If I get around the corner the next day or two (it is perfect weather to exercise my herd of motorsickles) I might have to take a look and see if there’s any new pins with tale-tell caps. Hell, with that much energy I’d like to sub him some work. 😉
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Somewhere within that collection of stuff was his Eagle Scout verification plus all 300 merit badges.
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He sounds pretty bad ass (meant as a compliment). I can picture an old Ranger fella I used to work with about 25 years ago. Great descriptive post.
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Maybe it was some kind of offspring to Mustang Bob. “Pony Boy Bobby”? “Pinto Billy”?
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No picture? Hmmm.
If I carried all of that stuff, I wouldn’t be able to move. When I first started, I did though. As I got older, less and less is being carried.
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reading glasses, check
sun screen, check
knee sleeve, check
back brace, check
asprin, check
special paper, check
dr scholls, checknow, about that other stuff……………
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Please stop and talk to me – I ONLY want to talk to the old farts. I’ve found that most of the surveyors my age are just button-pushers and mid-pointers. They have nothing of interest to me. I learn way more from the old dudes. I carry nothing on me and take too long to do my work – but I’m extremely thorough and take my time just enjoying being out there and exploring and collecting information of all kinds. That guy doesn’t sound like he would have been much fun to talk to anyway.
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I’m young. 32. Maybe you would look down on me but I move fast. Move fast. Not rush. I walk fast to save time but am very meticulous.
I always welcome (humor) people when engaged. I say humor bc most of the time I get stopped by some time wasting person that wants nothing but to make sure I’m not ‘from the city’ to make a construction mess in their road. But any person with info is more than welcome. Old fart surveyors (besides my father of course) have actually never stopped to chat but that would be great.
In my short career I can’t even count the amount of times some old fart neighbor has come out to show me right where the monument is buried.
But yes, I might only be holding a pole in my hand with a DC attached, but if you saw me I would most definitely be walking fast paced or zooming around. (When I’m not scanning a sidewalk for old crosses with my nose on the ground like sherlock holmes) but please don’t hold it against me.
And no, I’m not the one who was spotted in the camo.
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Was he packing any water? Had to be TDD…
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Rich., post: 348040, member: 10450 wrote: I’m young. 32. Maybe you would look down on me but I move fast…..but please don’t hold it against me.
Wouldn’t even THINK of lookin’ down on a young surveyor. Pretty much proud of every one of them I see and meet. I’m just a little jealous of an energetic fortitude that left me long ago. I can remember having to carry EVERYTHING. I don’t even have to think about it anymore, I just send somebody else back to the truck to get stuff. I can do that because my name’s on the paychecks.
I’ve often thought life plays cruel tricks on us. When I was young and had all that energy I had a difficult time figuring out where to put all that energy…so I put it everywhere. Now that I’ve been to a couple of rodeos and a three or four county fairs I know exactly where to put energy….when and if I ever find some!
At the risk of boring everybody here that is close to my age, I’m going to relate this joke only ONCE (it’s soooo old, I’m even embarrassed to tell it..):
Old bull and young bull sitting on the hill under a shade tree looking down on all the fine heifers. Young bull says, “Hey, let’s run down there and hump a few of them.”
Old bull replies, “Son, let’s walk…and when we get there, let’s hump them all.”
….OK – the “old bull / young bull story has officially been retold….” :pinch:
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paden cash, post: 348052, member: 20 wrote: Wouldn’t even THINK of lookin’ down on a young surveyor. Pretty much proud of every one of them I see and meet. I’m just a little jealous of an energetic fortitude that left me long ago. I can remember having to carry EVERYTHING. I don’t even have to think about it anymore, I just send somebody else back to the truck to get stuff. I can do that because my name’s on the paychecks.
I’ve often thought life plays cruel tricks on us. When I was young and had all that energy I had a difficult time figuring out where to put all that energy…so I put it everywhere. Now that I’ve been to a couple of rodeos and a three or four county fairs I know exactly where to put energy….when and if I ever find some!
At the risk of boring everybody here that is close to my age, I’m going to relate this joke only ONCE (it’s soooo old, I’m even embarrassed to tell it..):
Old bull and young bull sitting on the hill under a shade tree looking down on all the fine heifers. Young bull says, “Hey, let’s run down there and hump a few of them.”
Old bull replies, “Son, let’s walk…and when we get there, let’s hump them all.”
….OK – the “old bull / young bull story has officially been retold….” [emoji14]inch:
Love the bull story. Never heard it before.
I put all my energy into surveying. Either reading, thinking, or physically by walking jumping climbing or crawling under bushes. I’m a single man crew and I love working the way I do. Unfortunately, I’ve already began thinking of how long I’ll realistically be able to work like this. Till I’m 45? 50? 55??? Prolly not. Which makes me think either I will eventually need to get myself a rod man or start training someone to do the technician side of the job the way I do it.
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Allen Wrench, post: 348035, member: 6172 wrote: Please stop and talk to me – I ONLY want to talk to the old farts….
If he’s around more, I’ll see him. We’ll eventually have a chat if he’s not just a “flash in the pan”. If he’s really good, he’s going to find a few of my caps or a corner reference and give me a call. I really look forward to younger surveyors calling me and asking me “why?” about some of my surveys.
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I tell that story to all the newbies that come aboard. Trying to teach them by a parable how there is no point rushing around, take is steady and do it all in one go. You’re not saving time if you have to go back….
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I tell that story to all the newbies that come aboard. Trying to teach them by a parable how there is no point rushing around, take is steady and do it all in one go. You’re not saving time if you have to go back….
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Most males our age have heard the story. It has so much wisdom that it should be required reading in school. In English or Sociology, definitely not in Sex Education.
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Carrying all that stuff in my easrly years has led to a bad back (surgery last month) and bad knees!
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Had a helper once who exemplified the Scout motto of always being prepared. He kept bringing stuff from home to add to our collection of goodies in the chariot “just in case” we might need it someday. Remember space blankets?
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