We were reassigned to work in another area of the division. The foreman that covered the area was not our normal boss. He was a former Marine and considered to be a bit of a stickler.
Although we had all worked for him at various times, his methods were much different than we were used to. So, this assignment required some adjustment in styles.
Our job that day was to set some poles out in a community that was still fairly countrylike. At the last site, there was some concern about where to set the pole. This was at a time before mark outs and one call service. Because of the setting, there were no sidewalks, the streets were not well maintained and there were no curbs. In addition, the property lines were disputable.
When the foreman arrived, he and the chief lineman discussed and disagreed on where to place the pole. You could see that he was getting annoyed and wanted the pole in the ground. Finally, the chief said to him, “Where do you want me to set it?” The foreman looked around and pointed to a spot.
“You’re sure?” said the chief. The foreman, clearly irritated, walked over to the spot, made a mark on the ground, pointed, and said,” Right there!”
The lineman shrugged and told us to swing the auger over and dig. And we did. Within a few minutes, the hole was filled with water. We had gone right through a water pipe.
The look on the foreman’s face was priceless.
Terry Bellew