You did what?

[tonyou812]

I walked out on my career as a chef, while I was on the cusp of becoming a big shot in the chef world in Manhattan.. :-?

About three 1/2 years ago I was working on an overnight shift on a partial renovation of a Marshals store It was about 20 minutes till quitting time and the store was due to open within the hour. Anyway for some reason I decided to drive a sissor lift back while it was still extended up. At the same time I was telling another helper to watch out for the sprinkler pipes and then all of a sudden all I remember is hearing a CRACK and PPPPPSSSSSS . I drove backwards right into one and got sprayed with some of the most disgusting dankest water you could imagine. The real funny thing was the store was due to open and no one had the key to the sprikler control room. The water was spewing out so fast that it started to make its way into the finished part of the store.

 

[brantmacga]

Kind of like this?

oh my goodness!!!!

i had a similar incident but different. . . ..:smile:

we had to install a new 3ph 200A service on a garage that was at the time being fed from an adjacent building. building that was getting the new service had been sold, therefore needed its own meter. the poco connected service two days later and that very afternoon, a truck making a delivery at the adjacent garage backed into the new service. the meter base exploded into two separate pieces; the 15' galvanized mast was blown approx. 20' away from the building (keep in mind it was strapped every 5' to the side of the building w/ conduit clamps and unistrut). the meter was blown into several pieces. i wish i'd been there to see it. anyway, the entire thing needed to be rebuilt but was done by another EC because the insurance company said our price was too high. :roll:

 

[brian john]

When I was a helper we were doing a tennis court and swimming pool lighting project. THis was the coldest winter in years, the Potomac River froze 36" deep. Anyway, everyday I would take a few minutes dressing in layers and coveralls (I never wear coveralls but it was SOOOOOO cold). After dressing I had to layout the power and tools. I was unrolling the extension cord walking backwards and into the deep end I went., my clothes froze as soon as I got out of the pool.

I think I was in the pool all of a split second, and of course I was the laughing stock of the crew.

 

[hardworkingstiff]

Stuck my non-insulated screwdriver in a hot meter (Don't ask)!
The good part: I created fireworks for the rest of the crew :grin:

The worse part: My protective glasses had metal stuck to the lenses
:roll:

The best part is that you were wearing those protective glasses!

 

[ptonsparky]

Almost the dumbest was while hand digging in a service to a mobile home. I hit what I thought was a tree root. For some reason I did not chop at it. Poked my screw driver down to to test the size of it then brushed the dirt away to discover the primary cable feeding a pad mount just a few feet away.

 

[acrwc10]

Almost the dumbest was while hand digging in a service to a mobile home. I hit what I thought was a tree root. For some reason I did not chop at it. Poked my screw driver down to to test the size of it then brushed the dirt away to discover the primary cable feeding a pad mount just a few feet away.

I saw a laborer put a shovel into a secondary on a house service, that sure changed the shape of the shovel.

 

[tomspark1]

I've certainly pulled my share of bonehead stunts from fishtape into a hot buss to tools falling off the ladder on my head. Just recently I was reading a truetape in a dark area and ordered 240' too much 3/0 copper wire... ouch!
Funniest thing I think I've seen though, was a 2 year or so helper squaring up a surface mount 2 x 4 light fixture in a room by using his torpedo level. Even funnier, he was showing a greener helper how to do it. I just shook my head and left the room.

 

[220/221]

Just recently I was reading a truetape in a dark area and ordered 240' too much 3/0 copper wire... ouch!

That's way better than 2' too short. Wire is easier to cut than it is to stretch.

 

[frankgi]

Cut 1/2" EMT 90 in half

Cut 1/2" EMT 90 in half

I had a helper that was asked (by another mechanic) to cut a 19" stub from a scrap piece of 1/2" EMT that had a prebent 90. He said it would not work. He was told again to "just cut the pipe at 19"". He said "ok". He measured back from the opposite end of the pipe,and it fell in the MIDDLE of the 90. He handed the pipe that was cut in the center of the 90 to the mechanic, who blew his top. Unbelievable....true story.

 

[mdshunk]

I had a helper that was asked (by another mechanic) to cut a 19" stub from a scrap piece of 1/2" EMT that had a prebent 90. He said it would not work. He was told again to "just cut the pipe at 19"". He said "ok". He measured back from the opposite end of the pipe,and it fell in the MIDDLE of the 90. He handed the pipe that was cut in the center of the 90 to the mechanic, who blew his top. Unbelievable....true story.

What's worse than that is when you see someone who used a coupling in the middle of a bend. Why do people do that kind of stuff?

 

[resistance]

The best part is that you were wearing those protective glasses!

I second that!

 

[480sparky]

What's worse than that is when you see someone who used a coupling in the middle of a bend. Why do people do that kind of stuff?

Because they can, and it doesn't specifically state in the NEC you can't.

 

[The Iceman]

I adjusted a break on a 25 ton crane hoist incorrectly and it dropped a 10 ton load. It was dumb because I'm an electrician, not a mechanic. I had no business touching that adjustment. Thats when I learned to say no thats not my job.

 

[M. D.]

I adjusted a break on a 25 ton crane hoist incorrectly and it dropped a 10 ton load. It was dumb because I'm an electrician, not a mechanic. I had no business touching that adjustment. Thats when I learned to say no thats not my job.

Ouch,.. was it an expensive 10 tons??

 

[acrwc10]

put down that gun !

put down that gun !

I got into the trades because of my father, who I could never thank enough for doing that, He had many great story's one of our favorites was. Back in the mid 1970's my father got a service call from a Mrs. Homeowner. She would not tell him what the problem was over the phone just that he needed to come out and repair something her husband had started, but she kept laughing while she was talking to him. So he went to the house and the husband was there but would not say anything. Mrs. Homeowner leads him to an attic access , laughing the whole time, but not saying what is the problem. She just says "look". So my father looks in the access and sees a series of broken in half ceilling joists. Mrs. Homeowner tells him that her husband wanted to run a new circuit, but rather then waist time drilling all the joists he took out his deer hunting rifle and tried to shoot a hole threw all of the joists at one time. OOP's

 

[POWER_PIG]

I think the dumbest thing I've done as an electrician was when a homeowner told me her range hood was shocking her. The first thing I do? grab a hold of it.........it locked my jaws tight as a hat band!!.......She says "just had to do that eh?"

 

[Minuteman]

I think the dumbest thing I've done as an electrician was when a homeowner told me her range hood was shocking her. The first thing I do? grab a hold of it.........it locked my jaws tight as a hat band!!.......She says "just had to do that eh?"

Thanks Pig, I needed that! :grin: :grin: :grin: :grin: :grin: :grin: :grin: :grin:

 

[jrclen]

I think the dumbest thing I've done as an electrician was when a homeowner told me her range hood was shocking her. The first thing I do? grab a hold of it.........it locked my jaws tight as a hat band!!.......She says "just had to do that eh?"

Now that is great. Thanks for sharing that one. :grin: :grin:

 

[frizbeedog]

I think the dumbest thing I've done as an electrician was when a homeowner told me her range hood was shocking her. The first thing I do? grab a hold of it.........it locked my jaws tight as a hat band!!.......She says "just had to do that eh?"

Wet Paint. Do not touch.

 

[jrclen]

Wet Paint. Do not touch.

I have to confess to that one. I cannot walk by a wet paint sign without testing. I have more finger prints embedded in paint than can be counted.