# Crazy 70 year old contractor



## yaacov (Aug 8, 2012)

Contractor calls me in to diagnose and fix a leak from an install he GC'd. I told him we need to open up the back of the cabinet a bit to get a better look. 

He says no problem, I'll take my angle grinder and get right at it. 

I say, umm, are you sure you don't want me to get a hole saw from my vehicle?

He says, nah, no problem. 

First he cut the tubing to the faucet. Turns off the water.

I go outside to bring in replacement parts. Come back in, homeowners on the phone with emt's.

Guy sliced the sink trap and then his leg. Long and deep. 

He was working without the guard on the angle grinder. 

What's wrong with people?


----------



## CaberTosser (Mar 7, 2013)

Can't teach an old dog safe tricks?


----------



## jc-htownplumber (Feb 29, 2012)

Ouch


----------



## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

I have been a witness to stupidity like this a lot of times
there is no fool like an old fool

as they get older they seem to need to prove that 
they can keep up with the 20 year olds....

Its a male ego kind of thing....they want to show off to
the young kids and prove that they can still cut the mustard
..bring in the herd, ..rope and brand the cattle.... whatever.....

and normally they free fall flat on their faces:blink::blink:


----------



## yaacov (Aug 8, 2012)

I really hope his wife gave him a spanking. The guy brushed it off the entire ordeal saying "it's nothing, a few stitches and I'll be alright."

Not sure he fully grasped his brush with death or becoming crippled.


----------



## newyorkcity (Nov 25, 2010)

Like Master Mark said, there is no fool like an old fool.
Imagine if he cut his femoral artery?


----------



## PLUMBER_BILL (Oct 23, 2009)

yaacov said:


> Contractor calls me in to diagnose and fix a leak from an install he GC'd. I told him we need to open up the back of the cabinet a bit to get a better look.
> 
> He says no problem, I'll take my angle grinder and get right at it. <snip>
> 
> *No! This 70 year old contractor is not crazy, he is nuts. It's the sterotype of the age 70 or older that got me. I've seen many a young buck hurt themselves real bad through stupidly. It may behoove them to work along side some crazy old man to learn some safety *


----------



## Best Darn Sewer (Dec 23, 2012)

Whats interesting and this thread reinforces this statistic but the amount of work related injuries in the USA decreases steadily from age 18 to mid thirties and bottoms out at about 35. Then the injuries start to rise again for ages 40 through 65+. These are based on OSHAs statistics. The reasons for this upside down bell curve is that when we are young (18-25) we think we are invincible and consequently we don't concern ourselves with safety as much as we should. Also, we often dont have enough life experience or negative experiences to use as precedence for WHY you should always work safely. 

As we get to about age 30 we are typically married, have some kids, a mortgage, etc. Therefore we take our role as provider more seriously which comes with being safer so we can continue to provide for our family. We are more conscientious plus often we have seen the results of unsafe practices and think about those who are dependant on us more. 

As we age and no longer have young kids as dependants, we began to become much more complacent in our work and have the deadly attitude of "I've done it this way for years!" This thread is a very real life reflection of the statistics. Its sad but is very common.


----------



## PlumbDumber (Aug 7, 2013)

Best Darn Sewer said:


> Whats interesting and this thread reinforces this statistic but the amount of work related injuries in the USA decreases steadily from age 18 to mid thirties and bottoms out at about 35. Then the injuries start to rise again for ages 40 through 65+. These are based on OSHAs statistics. The reasons for this upside down bell curve is that when we are young (18-25) we think we are invincible and consequently we don't concern ourselves with safety as much as we should. Also, we often dont have enough life experience or negative experiences to use as precedence for WHY you should always work safely.
> 
> As we get to about age 30 we are typically married, have some kids, a mortgage, etc. Therefore we take our role as provider more seriously which comes with being safer so we can continue to provide for our family. We are more conscientious plus often we have seen the results of unsafe practices and think about those who are dependant on us more.
> 
> *As we age and no longer have young kids as dependants, we began to become much more complacent in our work and have the deadly attitude of "I've done it this way for years!" *This thread is a very real life reflection of the statistics. Its sad but is very common.



OR,,, maybe it has more to do with the fact that as we age, we constantly lose some of our strength, coordination, balance, and reflexes a little bit every year. Things that we are physically able to control & get away with as a young man become increasingly harder to do as we age.

No doubt that some of us "Old Coots" will occasionally do stupid things, but those actions are not exclusively reserved for the very young or the older workers.


----------



## Best Darn Sewer (Dec 23, 2012)

PlumbDumber said:


> OR,,, maybe it has more to do with the fact that as we age, we constantly lose some of our strength, coordination, balance, and reflexes a little bit every year. Things that we are physically able to control & get away with as a young man become increasingly harder to do as we age.
> 
> No doubt that some of us "Old Coots" will occasionally do stupid things, but those actions are not exclusively reserved for the very young or the older workers.


Those are very good points, Tom. I should not have said that it is due to only attitude. Strength, motor skills, and coordination would have a lot to do with it. I apologize if I offended. You're probably right about more to do with an aging body.


----------



## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

Best Darn Sewer said:


> Those are very good points, Tom. I should not have said that it is due to only attitude. Strength, motor skills, and coordination would have a lot to do with it. I apologize if I offended. You're probably right about more to do with an aging body.


 

It all part of life...
you just become more frail; and forget that you are not
as agile as you were 35 years ago when you could run up that 25 foot alluminum ladder with a load of shingles on your shoulder....:blink:

then add in the need to prove that you can still run with the young bulls and its a recipe for disaster.....

I have watched an old fellow ride a 80lb jack hammer
off a 6 foot set of concrete steps and land face first on
the handle of the hammer then bounce onto the pavement...:blink:

seen an old fellow fall backwards off a scaffold and open up his head ... he almost died...

watched an 85 year old break his leg on a slab plumbing rough inn where he had no business being...and that same fool took a good fall backwards onto a concrete floor and about killed himself on another job a few years later


After a certain age I just think that its best to supervise the young bulls and stand back out of the way.....

sit on the bench and cheer for the home team..
hand them the tools and go get the fittings if you must...

but stay the hell out of the way

.


----------



## PlumbDumber (Aug 7, 2013)

Best Darn Sewer said:


> Those are very good points, Tom. I should not have said that it is due to only attitude. Strength, motor skills, and coordination would have a lot to do with it. I apologize if I offended. You're probably right about more to do with an aging body.


No offense taken. I just thought that someone had to speak up for us "Old Coots" :laughing:

My right hand for many years is a couple of years older than me and is still working with us. Letterrip is trying his best to keep the two of us out of the ditches and off of the roofs. We occasionally have to join in due to our heavy workload, but we are trying to be careful.

We both want to spend our golden years enjoying the fruits of our labor instead of laid up due to some momentary stupidity.


----------



## Plumber (Jan 18, 2009)

Seniors have always been a thorn in the side of the upcoming generation.

A few things complicate today's generational battle:


2. My generation (and up) is living longer and unhealthier than ever before. It is causing problems.

3. The 20-somenthing generation right now is the largest generation the world has ever seen. Think it's bad now? Wait 40 years and you'll be really crying.

4. There are more battards running around than ever before. Young men and women who don't have a clue on how to deal with male authority. It's getting worse.


----------



## Johnny Canuck (Feb 24, 2015)

I had an uncle who was a crooked, unlicensed "handyman". He would do wiring with the power on and install gas stoves and check for leaks with a lighter. Surprisingly he lived long enough for cancer to get him in his 70's but not before teaching his kids...


----------



## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

Johns_TPS said:


> I had an uncle who was a crooked, unlicensed "handyman". He would do wiring with the power on and install gas stoves and check for leaks with a lighter. Surprisingly he lived long enough for cancer to get him in his 70's but not before teaching his kids...



Now...Whats the matter with checking for gas leaks with a lighter...
I ALWAYS use my torch to check for gas leaks :laughing:


----------



## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

Johns_TPS said:


> I had an uncle who was a crooked, unlicensed "handyman". He would do wiring with the power on and install gas stoves and check for leaks with a lighter. Surprisingly he lived long enough for cancer to get him in his 70's but not before teaching his kids...


What's wrong doing the wiring with the juice on?? I hate working in the dark..


----------



## plumberkc (Jun 23, 2011)

This thread is a little depressing, I'm not looking forward to getting old.


----------



## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

plumberkc said:


> This thread is a little depressing, I'm not looking forward to getting old.




getting older doe not mean you automatically become a moron...
their are many factors that are involved.

its the hard drinking, tobacco smoking, , dope smoking, wild ladies, gambling ....lack of physical exercise ....poor diet ...living on big macs pizza and bacon...vitamin intake or lack of......
and all the other bad habits that you are doing NOW that will determine how much brain matter you have left when you reach later years..

moderation is the key....

stay frosty.


----------



## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

Master Mark said:


> its the hard drinking, tobacco smoking, , dope smoking, wild ladies, gambling ....lack of physical exercise ....poor diet ...living on big macs pizza and bacon...vitamin intake or lack of......


That's all the stuff that keeps a young guy going...

When you stop... That's when you get old and start worrying about dying...:laughing:


----------



## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

Redwood said:


> That's all the stuff that keeps a young guy going...
> 
> When you stop... That's when you get old and start worrying about dying...:laughing:




Burning the "heavy fuel" keeps the young guy going 

....at least for a while....until the liver or the lungs give out..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEUw1t8RcZ0#t=12


----------



## Plumber (Jan 18, 2009)

plumberkc said:


> This thread is a little depressing, I'm not looking forward to getting old.


Staying alive past the expiration date is what's the worse. The body has only so much alive time and after that the mind goes. All this new medical stuff can keep most hearts beating, but the quality of life goes to zero. 

Enjoy what time you have because once its over, nobody will care what you did. I have a POLST DNR on file. If its my time to go, then its time to go. No whining, no regrets.

Gluttony and sloth is oh-so-cute, but totally disgusting and a waste of your one life.


----------



## srloren (Nov 19, 2014)

*Getting older*



Master Mark said:


> Burning the "heavy fuel" keeps the young guy going
> 
> ....at least for a while....until the liver or the lungs give out..
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEUw1t8RcZ0#t=12




My Mom used to say that whoever said the golden years were great, didn't know the meaning of great. It is no fun when your body starts telling you that you can't quite keep up with the youngsters. All I can advise is that the young guys should always, always get someone to help them lift something that is too heavy for them and then if it is real heavy, call for back hoe or fork lift, but for Christ's sake, do not lift it if it is too heavy. A good boss will look out for your health and understand. I know from experience. I hurt my spine two times during my working days and am paying for it every night and all day long. Believe me, it sucks.


----------



## MACPLUMB777 (Jun 18, 2008)

srloren said:


> My Mom used to say that whoever said the golden years were great, didn't know the meaning of great. It is no fun when your body starts telling you that you can't quite keep up with the youngsters. All I can advise is that the young guys should always, always get someone to help them lift something that is too heavy for them and then if it is real heavy, call for back hoe or fork lift, but for Christ's sake, do not lift it if it is too heavy. A good boss will look out for your health and understand. I know from experience. I hurt my spine two times during my working days and am paying for it every night and all day long. Believe me, it sucks.


 I AGREE


----------



## Johnny Canuck (Feb 24, 2015)

srloren said:


> All I can advise is that the young guys should always, always get someone to help them lift something that is too heavy for them and then if it is real heavy, call for back hoe or fork lift, but for Christ's sake, do not lift it if it is too heavy. A good boss will look out for your health and understand. I know from experience. I hurt my spine two times during my working days and am paying for it every night and all day long. Believe me, it sucks.


Yep. I always prided myself in being able to out work all the young guys I had working for/with me. I use to be able to bench press my wife and do push-ups with my kids sitting on my shoulders. Then I hit 40 and all the hard work pays off with a aches and pains and recurring injuries. I'm 47 and have a shoulder injury and struggle to lift my arm over my head. Very humbling.


----------

