Lesson learned (long but worth it)

Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad
Status
Not open for further replies.
J

jclark58

Member
Joined
Oct 1, 2006
Messages
206
Location
Mesa, AZ, USA.
A little over a week ago another IAP member let several of us locals know that the City of Tempe was going to remove several large Mesquite trees from the side of the road. Azpenguy (Collin), Vick (Mike), Dubdrvrkev (Kevin), and I hooked up on Thursday afternoon to cut the trunks left by the city crew into managable pieces and to haul it off.

About an hour into cutting I was in the middle of cutting an 18" log into pieces about 18" long when a car driving past at 45+ MPH threw a large sized fast food cup out the window and directly at me. I had my back turned to the road and never saw it coming. It struck me full force on my right side just above my hip and right below my ribs. The force of the impact nearly knocked me off my feet and had the chainsaw I was using at the time not been buried deep in the log who know what other injuries may have been sustained. The car continued driving and everything happened so fast we were unable to get a licence plate number.

tn_IMG_0176b.jpg


This photo was taken a couple of hours later, the impact of the bottom of the cup is clearly visable. It's now 4 days later and my side is still bruised up pretty good.

What I hope everyone can learn from this incident is that working that close to the road we should have had a lookout, we all know and trust each other but it's the people you don't know that are the real wildcard.

Jason
 
Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad
Jason, you are so lucky, that could have been a real disaster. If I say what I think about people like that I will be kicked off the site. I'm glad your OK!
 
I work on the side of the road quite often. I find some people (maybe 20%) rude and inconsiderate. They drive too fast, too close and just plain crappy. Excuse my French, but that just burns my s_ _. Fortunately I believe in karma and believe people like that will get their just rewards. And Jason, I'm especially sad to hear that about someone in Arizona. I live in Bullhead City,Az.
Anyway Jason, people like that will get whats coming to them. Take some solice in that and not revenge.
 
Look on the bright side - at least it wasn't a glass beer or liquor bottle thrown at you [;)]

Thankfully the chainsaw was preoccupied. I also believe that what goes around, comes around.
 
Jason, I'm just glad it wasn't worse. And you bring up some good points. Have a look out and work as a team. The times are indeed unfortunate. Twenty years ago, this sort of thing wasn't the commonplace it is today.
 
I was helping Collin with a large log when it happened and Jason was completely out of our line of sight. He came into our line of sight clutching his side and Collin and I both thought he had gotten hit with the chainsaw. Collin had cell phone in hand about to call 911 before we figured out what happened. Very scary! Almost turned a really good day into a really bad one.

200713016046_MesquiteHaul1.jpg
<br />

This is 1/5th of the wood haul, all total we filled 2 pickup trucks worth of bowl blanks most of them 12 inches and up.
 
Jason,

I am glad that as bad as it is...it wasn't worse. With a CS running I won't even want to imagine what could have happened. I agree that those people will get their just rewards.

On the bright side...looks like you won't have to be cutting any wood near the road for a while [:D][;)].

Enjoy your haul!!![:p][^]
 
Law enforcement officers learn very early in their careers to be very careful of traffic.
I was stopped at the side of the road investigation a traffic accident. It was raining so I was sitting in the drivers seat when the black and white vehicle was rearended. It was night time. I hand the cars flashers going, the lights on and the overhead emergency lights activated to the rear. This idiot still hit the rear end of the police car. Not DUI, just rubbernecking (looking at what is happening, not paying attention to driving).
I had one classmate seriously injured in a traffic accident while he was working at the side of the road.
This incident sounds intentional, just some idiot that does not realize a cup full of ice throwen from a moving car can cause serious injury. I am happy for you that it is only a bruise and not something more serious.
I hope everyone who harvests urban wood will learn from this and pay very close attention to traffic.
 
Unbelievable that this happened. I always think folks working on the side of the road have it so tough anyway - but throwing something directly at them?

I'm sorry it happened to you.

That wood looks great by the way!

Best,
Roger Garrett
 
Yes this was a very scary time. I was probably the first to see it since I was facing him (back to the cars) and I heard the thump and saw the cup flying off of him. I guess I was very lucky as I may have been the intended target.
I will definately think twice before collect more wood that close to that busy of a street. We were honked at a few times and I'm sure given the stink eye probably more times that we want to know.
Lets hope that karma train gains some momentum by the time it comes around for those fools.
Just goes to proove that no matter where you go there's at least on A-hole.
Hope you're feeling better Jason!!
 
I'm with Becca on this one, calling that #@%@$ what he deserves would not be appropriate on this site.

I'm glad you weren't hurt any worse than you were. Just remember, Time wounds all heels!
 
Jason,
Glad it was no more than a bad bruise... I'm a little nervous about CS's anyway, and to have some idiot use you for target practice is really scary.

A few years ago in Houston they were having trouble with people driving by and shooting blowgun darts at the highway workers... several were pretty severely injured. People seem to think the strangest things are okay and funny. Makes you wonder where our society is headed.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top Bottom