People are getting dumber

[Doc Pete]

So I'm at work trimming up the 4 yews along the sidewalk, with my 5' pole trimmer. With Cap, ear protection, glasses on and head down trimming the side of the yew, I suddenly notice 4 feet walk right by me "squezzing" between the trimmer and the edge of the sidewalk so they don't walk on the grass.
I just stopped and almost passed out. I composed myself a minute and just watched the lady and her littler girl get ready to get into the car. I couldn't take it. I walked up the lady, and said,"Don't ever walk by someone doing work like I was, again". I told her I didn't see until she was right next to me, and my machine, which I swing up, down, left and right, could easily cut off her daughter's arm.
She at least said he'd be more careful. However, as she got in her big BMW, I really felt she could care less.
Has it come down to needing "safety cones" all around to keep people from walking right into you while trimming????

Pete

[SIG]

Cones won't work-- they will move them or step over them, trust me I have seen that one many times.

[Doc Pete]

Originally posted by SIG
Cones won't work-- they will move them or step over them, trust me I have seen that one many times.

Howard,
I believe you, they do that with the parking problems. I'm getting almost too scared to work:(
Pete

[Jimbo]

I know how you feel. I do a lot of trimming and it is so hard on the nerves when I am near traffic etc.

Not much we can do. However a few of my trim jobs I do on Saturday and Sunday very early just so I don't have all the people around to worry about.

Jimbo

[awm]

u did the right thing pete. some wouldnt have had the backbone.my compliments

[Pape's Landscape Maintenance]

Hell, i'm shocked she wasn't talking on a cell phone also.

Steve :dizzy:

[A1 Lawn@Landscapes]

:D I think we just found a use for all the dog **** that people leave in their yards for us. Put in on sticks and make a circle around where you will be trimming... kind of like tiki torches. I think I was in the sun too long today.

[gusbuster]

Your statement is across the board. It has to do with everything. I have people all the time walk up and by me when edging a lawn, blowing a sidewalk ect..

My favorite when is when working with a machine, I'll stop what I'm doing, but the idiot just stands there and continues to watch me.

Then if you hit them with a blade, rock ect... it's your fault and responsibility. Gee, like what ever happened to common sense. Everybody is concetrating on making our kids brain smart, how bout a class in street smarts.
John

[Doc Pete]

Originally posted by Jimbo
I know how you feel. I do a lot of trimming and it is so hard on the nerves when I am near traffic etc.


Jimbo

Ya know, we all try to be safe and pay attention, but the rest of the world needs to be conscience of more than "How low Brittany Spears thong is", or "The 0 to 60 acceleration time of their new SUV".
Thanks for the support,
Pete

[logjammer]

I usually never reply, but this reminds me of working in downtown Cleveland. All of the suits would stand there staring at you and bums would just lay in the grass. One time a bum just laid in the grass while I mowed around him with a John Deere 935 out front. He didn't get the picture that I needed to mow the spot, so I sat about two feet away from him with the blades running until he finally got up and mumbled some cuss words at me. We got tired of being polite and told many people to move or get sprayed with grass and debris. People just do not care or want to be hassled.

Jeff

[Doc Pete]

Originally posted by gusbuster
Your statement is across the board. It has to do with everything. I have people all the time walk up and by me when edging a lawn, blowing a sidewalk ect..

John

John,
I love when I'm running 25hp 54" machine with double blades howling, and someone thinks nothing of walking past me "On the shoot side"..........

You'd think something as loud as a 25 kaw, with hummin' double blades would get your attention, just a little:p
Pete

[leaflawnandlimb]

The problem is nobody is responsable for thier own actions anymore, seems that people will sue for just about any reason.

[Doc Pete]

Originally posted by leaflawnandlimb
The problem is nobody is responsable for thier own actions anymore, seems that people will sue for just about any reason.

I think this is what made me turn around say what needed to be said. I had had enough, and just wasn't going to take "worrying about" that "I" might be the next "victim" in a law suit. And we all know if something had happened, "some way" it would be "my fault".:mad:
Thanks,
Pete

[DaddyRabbit]

I disagree totally w/your concern. If we start looking out or careing for these idiots how will we ever keep the "Darwin Awards" current? I say this might be Gods way of filtering out these people. :nono:

[Doc Pete]

Originally posted by DaddyRabbit
I disagree totally w/your concern. If we start looking out or careing for these idiots how will we ever keep the "Darwin Awards" current? I say this might be Gods way of filtering out these people. :nono:

As long as if doesn't involve my Wallet:rolleyes:
Pete

[DLCS]

I have the same problem. I have a apartment complex that I mow weekly. It never fails, I always have at least one person or child that either will not get out of the way or is too close. Just yesterday I was mowing with the 757, 25hp, 60" deck and I had to ask to women who were both holding their infant childs to get out of the way. Its like are you that dumb that the guy on the mower has to get a foot away from you before you move out of the way. I think some of these people just want you to hit them with a rock or something so they can get money out of ya.


Mike

[rodfather]

You're a whole bunch nicer and more professional then I would have been Pete...I think I would have had the urge to give her a b**** slappin' myself out of her sheer stupidity and ignorance towards the safety of her child.

Make ya wonder, huh, who has common sense and who doesn't?

[Doc Pete]

Originally posted by rodfather
You're a whole bunch nicer and more professional then I would have been Pete...I think I would have had the urge to give her a b**** slappin' myself out of her sheer stupidity and ignorance towards the safety of her child.

Make ya wonder, huh, who has common sense and who doesn't?

I hear ya:mad: I'm still trying to figure where the ability to judge things as this have gone. I know "I learned" stuff like this in school, not that I already knew stuff like before. But, between gym class, shop class, science class and phyics class, sooner or later "How to be careful of things that could hurt you" were discussed. Now I understand how even Doctors open the "traffic side of the door", to get the kids out of the SUV for Day care.
Pete

[brucec32]

Your story is typical, unfortunately. People who have never worked with power equipment don't respect it. I've had customers with small children actually send them out into the yard to play while I'm there mowing it! Others will decide they need to get out and plant some flowers exactly during the 30 minutes I'm there each week, oblivious to being in my way and forcing me to wait on them while they plant pansies.

Other dumb moves:

1. Customers trying to talk to me from 40 feet away while I have a loud mower going and am wearing headphones with a radio going. I see their mouths moving, and have to ask them to repeat what they said. Apparently they think I have some sort of lip reading skills.

2. Lawn wizards who lay high voltage extension cords (green, so they don't show so much in the grass!) over the lawn, run to flood lights in the lawn.

3. People trying to water their plants who leave 200 feet of hose laying over their lawn all week. The result is strips of dead grass and me having to spend 5 minutes coiling up hoses. I just recently started charging one customer because hers are so ridiculous.

4. One customer places clumps of turf g up while planting trees in the lawn (with no mulch, just random trees) on top of bare spots. The result is that the clump is dead in a few days, but even then, I have to scalp the turf she's laid to mow it, since it's 4" above grade.

I was in management andI've worked in offices and done this. those work in offices don't have youknowwhat for brains, except in their specific narrow field of expertise. I'm amazed some of them can find their way home at the end of the day.

[proline32]

The other day while I was mowin a yard, this kid comes out of the house and stands a few feet from where I was mowing then he decides to lay down in the grass and watch me, I stop the mower and disengage the blades and get off the mower to tell the kid to go play somewhere else because I don't want to see him get hurt... so he leaves and goes to the other side of the yard about 150 feet away, later I didn't see him so I finish the yard, as I'm loading up the truck the mother comes out and starts berating me for telling her kid he needs to go play somewhere else while I'm working and that he can play anywhere he wants because it's thier yard and not mine( At this time i'm getting really confused)
and I politely explain to her that I was only looking out for his safety and that he shouldn't be near me while I'm mowing with a tractor that he could get seriously hurt, well, Instead of saying thank you for looking out for him, she tells me I'm wrong and that I should of just went to another part of the yard to work because I had no right to speak to her son and tell him what to do..... I just said fine and finished loading up and left, I mailed them a letter that evening informing them that service has been discontinued for safety reasons.

[SLS]

Dang proline32!

Get on the phone and tell those people that they were right and that you will still be there to do their lawn...because.....

...the next time you are there the kid will want to show you 'who's the boss', will lay down in the grass while you are mowing, and then you can just MOW right over him.

Then you will have the satisfaction of telling the little brats thickheaded mother "SEE??? I TOLD YA SO!!!" :laugh:

Yep, some people are just plain stupid.

[wxmn6]

You have not see anything much yet. Try the town park. You would not believe how many people are dumb there. I worked for my town park last summer and it was tiring when I had to stop and tell people to move so I could mow. Some never listen to me so I ended up stuck sitting in pavillion waiting until they leave and then resume mowing until the next dumb people come in. :angry:

Oh well, I still get paid whether I am mowing or not.

[Doc Pete]

Originally posted by proline32
The other day while I was mowin a yard, this kid comes out of the house and stands a few feet from where I was mowing then he decides to lay down in the grass and watch me, I stop the mower and disengage the blades and get off the mower to tell the kid to go play somewhere else because I don't want to see him get hurt... so he leaves and goes to the other side of the yard about 150 feet away, later I didn't see him so I finish the yard, as I'm loading up the truck the mother comes out and starts berating me for telling her kid he needs to go play somewhere else while I'm working and that he can play anywhere he wants because it's thier yard and not mine( At this time i'm getting really confused)
and I politely explain to her that I was only looking out for his safety and that he shouldn't be near me while I'm mowing with a tractor that he could get seriously hurt, well, Instead of saying thank you for looking out for him, she tells me I'm wrong and that I should of just went to another part of the yard to work because I had no right to speak to her son and tell him what to do..... I just said fine and finished loading up and left, I mailed them a letter that evening informing them that service has been discontinued for safety reasons.

That's as good or better than my story:p
Pete

[Toroguy]

Originally posted by proline32
The other day while I was mowin a yard, this kid comes out of the house and stands a few feet from where I was mowing then he decides to lay down in the grass and watch me,

I have always believed that if I mowed a deserted island, the same thing would happen along with the 200 foot garden hose laying all over the yard.

Ran over a crowbar last week that was just laying in tall grass? $7 for a new blade.

[proline32]

What is worse is that I have one apartment complex that I do on tuesdays..... thier is this one tennant who always lets her dog out JUST as i'm starting to mow RIGHT in front of her unit.... I have to always stop and tell her to get her dog in, the next week it's the same thing, kinda like groundhog day (the movie).

[Runner]

I think this is the same condition that people have that when they read the sign on the back of a firetruck that says STAY BACK 500 FEET, that means to them to walk up within 50 feet to see what's going on. Right in the firemen's way at most times. I have a residential that whenever I go over there, it's gotten to the point where their 18-19 year old son comes out and wants to "work" in the yard. Across the street, I also had to actually shut down to go tell these people to bring their grandchild in. People just have no conception of the awesome power these mowers put out, and the fact that they would kill someone in a heartbeat if they ever hit someone with a projectile. Again, these are NOT your department store "dynamark" lawn tractors! (Even though THOSE are dangerous enough!):rolleyes:

[Doc Pete]

Thank God for this thread..... I thought I was losing my mind and I was the only sane one. Thanks guy's for saving my sanity, it "is" them and not "me".....:)
Pete

[Tvov]

We mow the local Post Office. Imagine all these stories happening, every week, every time, within the 15 +/- minutes it takes us to mow.

I, too, thank you for this thread. It makes one feel better to hear of others having the same problems.

[Holloway Lawns]

How do you think she got that BMW? Her other kid is probley missing a leg.

[hubb]

I know exactly what you mean. I used to mow this one apartment complex, and there were units sitting side by side. The people would come out and sit on their porch while I was right in front of there units! Now this isn't the bad part. Their heads were about level with my chute!!! And 2 of the tenents had babies about 6 or 7 months old that they brought out and put in swings on the porches! Every week I would have to get off and walk up to them and tell them " Ya'll might want to move back in so's I don't mess ya'll up with my mower and stuff" ;) I think watching the "Lawn mower man" (which is what they called me) might just have been the most exciting thing they seen each week.:dizzy:

[Russo]

How about these MORONS that mow on their JD tractors with their 9 month old babies or young kids on their laps?!?!?

I live out in the sticks and see it over and over in the big front yards along the highway. Pete, you've inspired me......next time I see one I will pull over and maybe save someones life.

Thank You!

[Doc Pete]

Originally posted by landscraper
How about these MORONS that mow on their JD tractors with their 9 month old babies or young kids on their laps?!?!?

I live out in the sticks and see it over and over in the big front yards along the highway. Pete, you've inspired me......next time I see one I will pull over and maybe save someones life.

Thank You!

And you all have inspired me.......... Thanks a bunch..
Pete

[leprechaun_50]

[i]People just have no conception of the awesome power these mowers put out, and the fact that they would kill someone in a heartbeat if they ever hit someone with a projectile. Again, these are NOT your department store "dynamark" lawn tractors! (Even though THOSE are dangerous enough!):rolleyes: [/B]

I'll bet that when they hauled you into court to sue you for an injury that they would be quick to point out that YOU should have known just how powerful and dangerous that your equipment was. However they wouldn't admit what ignorant fools they were to place themselves or their children in danger in the first place.
You have to wonder how some people have stayed alive as long as they have, as stupid as they are. There is an old saying, "God looks after drunks, fools, and little children." Maybe that explains it. (OOPS I shouldn't have mentioned God. Probably offended somebody.):nono:

[jeffex]

My customers will sometimes have something VERY important they want tell me! So they wait until I am flat out on the mower comming around a corner they don't get that I can't hear them with the motor running and hearing protection. I ask them to please stay inside while we are mowing for thier safety and we can discuss any concerns after we are finished. LIke lalking to a wall! Yesterday one lady risked life and limb to tell me she thinks our blades need sharpening because there are stripes in the lawn. I had just sharpened the blades the day before so I explained the concept of stripes like you see on a golf cource or ball park. I told he we could cut the lawn any way she wants. With or without stripes. She is a new customer this year and is just pissed that it only takes 15 min. to do her lawn. I took a moment to ask her how her lawn looked and she said "oh our lawn never lookd better". "Thanks HON I'll see you next week" [in my best BALTIMORONEESE],and I mowed off into the sunset!!I cut the lawn for free and deal with people $$$by the hour

[FrankenScagMachines]

Some of you guys talk about people not moving, you must mean like this: (Courtesy of Mow Ed, whom I successfully stole this picture from off of the thread "tweet tweet - Smack!" :D )

[new-man]

dynamark mowers are good enough

they mow good

[olderthandirt]

Originally posted by SIG
Cones won't work-- they will move them or step over them, trust me I have seen that one many times.


Cones are dangerous, when they smack em with there cars they come flying at you like missles.


Mac

[Island Lawn]

:(

:(

Somewhere down the line, we're all reated.

:alien: (except me...)



....must...fight...moronic...urges...

:dizzy:



I had a story, but let me just say ditto to all those before me.

[gramps]

Originally posted by Tvov
We mow the local Post Office. Imagine all these stories happening, every week, every time, within the 15 +/- minutes it takes us to mow.

I, too, thank you for this thread. It makes one feel better to hear of others having the same problems.
Hope they don't go postal:gunsfirin