That's what the carpenter that is staying in our camp in Hooper Bay calls the youngsters. We have to keep the windows boarded up or they'll pitch rocks thru them. All night long they throw rocks on the roof, you end up learning how to ignore it. Lath lasts about 2 minutes (I timed it!) Flagging will get ripped up in about the same amount of time. I use 1/2 X 18" rebar instead of spikes for control points, they can't seem to pull them up!
So I go out Hooper Bay last week to pick up the finish floor elevations for our water and sewer project. Started a traverse with a 2,700' foresight, turned my angles, all good. Moved the BS up to the OP, boxed the gun and moved ahead.... some little shiite had moved the rod/bipod 2 feet! Re-set up and couldn't pull a distance. Someone had turned the prism 180! Got that all fixed and continued, while setting up on one of the control points, a lady walking by said that the kids were messing with the BS. I took a look thru the gun and NO TRIPOD!! Little bass turds had unscrewed, unsnapped, unlatched anything thing they could (glad they didn't have a crescent wrench or allen wrench!) and tossed the tripod into a pond! Blood pressure has now reached the point of steam coming out of my ears, but there's nothing you can do. It's the culture, they run feral until they are about 9 or 10. Then they are a parent by 15, the cycle continues. Ok, done ranting!!
-JD-
Good job on keeping a sense of humor! For those who haven't been to a village: It's an alternate universe where no good deed goes unpunished.
Do they have parents? If so, do they (the parents) prefer to not have their teeth knocked out in retaliation for the BS you have described? Dynamiting their homes, while extreme, might at least remove the little darlings from the village while they seek other living quarters. There is absolutely no reason why anyone should be forced to endure such criminal behavior.
I don't miss working in western AK villages. Had similar experiences. Can't recall the village names.
Sounds to me like there is a project or development that they or their parents oppose. I'm assuming it is OK to grab one of the kids and whale on their backside if they are caught??
A few years ago I was feverishly trying to get some staking complete in a residential development and the little bastards from the housing addition next over kept messing with my stakes.
I finally caught two of them on their bicycles up on the black top.
I told them if they did it again I was going to "stick them on my survey rod, roast them on an open fire, eat them with pork and beans, and then poop them out on their mother's porch." I also told them if anybody asked I would deny ever saying anything of the like.
Poor little fellas didn't know what to say. But they knew the surveyor in the green Bronco was sure enough CRAZY. They left everything alone after that...
By the above definition, I was a little Bass Turd, many yrs ago. Moved many flags, where PG&E was placing a power line. Dad was mad. Real Mad. Made me go and put them back. Sure. I put them back. Perzactly where I remembered they were. But, there were many flags. And, I was little. Had a short memory. I think it would have been better if I had NOT tried to put them back.
Now, if someone had sat me down, told me what was going on, I'd have understood. But, what do Bass Turds know?
This was the new power line running south of Oakhurst, CA, over Deadwood Mountain, and East of Coarsegold.
Often, a bass turd is created, when mom and dad are not in touch with their kids.
N
> There is absolutely no reason why anyone should be forced to endure such criminal behavior.
This criminal behavior is actually call for help/attention by many of these little darlings ...Have you ever been in a northern remote community?
Often, a bass turd is created, when mom and dad are not in touch with their kids.
:'(
My generation calls that "the 60s".
Nothing can quite beat the fun of messing with THE MAN, which of course are the outside workers that come into the village for these folks. But has anyone tried something like bringing them soccer balls or baseballs, etc. and setting them up for some other fun occupation in a friendly manner? And maybe get them involved in the project in some small way. As someone said, no good deed goes unpunished, but sometimes it can be worth it. I would look for creative solutions rather than all out war.
Messing with the Man...
I believe that was attempted down here in Indian Territory shortly before the turn of the last century. Instead of soccer balls the white MAN gave them 40 acres, whiskey and Winchesters. The results were less than favorable.
I'm thinking a deck of cards, a pair of dice and a book on Casino Game Rules would be appropriate. The Native Nations down here now fund large highway projects themselves...instead of waiting for the bureaucratic tape-snag of the status quo.
Messing with the Man...
Are they still offering the old deal? Guy could have some fun with that:)
:good:
In the early 70's I ran into a survey crew in the woods behind our house. I walked them to the old stone and pipes along the Section line they were attempting to trace. I also turned off the electric fence for the day. In return they gave me a plumb bob.
I took that Bob home and shined it up real pretty. It wasn't until the late 70's I figured out why they laughed so hard when I showed them. When I quit working in the field I shined it up again for old time sake...
The moral of the story.. you can get your revenge on those little turds by tricking them into becoming surveyors. ..
Had this problem once in an ex-mining community, where neither the little darlings or their obnoxious owners had anything better to do with their time.
Told the kids we were marking out for the new swimming pool and games pitches - no more trouble. I don't know what happened to the main contractor when the kids eventually twigged it was going to be an opencast coal site!
I usually take extra flagging with me, set up all their bicycles with flagging on the handlebars. Thing is, it is a cultural thing, until they are 10 or so, they basically do whatever they want. I try to start early in the a.m. as they are all still inbed until noon, after all staying out until 3 a.m. throwing rocks at the house is tiring! 🙂 Mostly, I think it is boredom, maybe I will take a ball or two out there next time, not a bad idea! I know when I was a kid, I stole many a lath for swords. It's a miracle nobody poked their eye out!!
-JD-
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