"BOROWING EQUIPMENT "

Tugger2 said:

When your young you have enthusiasm and ability to really suck up the knowledge. At 14 i started working for the summers in a logging camp,i never wanted to come home .My high school shop teacher noticed my proficiency in welding ,gave the phone no. for the local college welding class. I paid for 2 weeks in there and challenged the DPW #3 welding ticket,passed and was ticketed before graduation. . Now they hold everyones hand thru school mostly feeding them nonsense. A young guy here cant even get a fully functioning drivers licence before hes about 20. I had friends that were driving gravel trucks soon after thier learners at 16. We were allowed to go as far as our ambitions and abilities would take us. Now theres an age limit or ticket you have to spend 6mo.s in costly school to even start. By that time your still lost at 25 .

Click to expand...

I think I was 12 when I got to run the skidsteer alone for the first time, and 14-15 driving pickup on private property, and one time at 15 I got to drive alone to go fill up wheelbarrow tire, it was me go, or trust me when concrete showed up as none of the other guys my dad had at that time drove. It's amazing how much in the last 10-15 years people have got lazy. There use to be no such thing as pumping concrete for driveways, etc, and digging by hand was no big deal. I remember digging out to replace weeping tile around a house, 2 days straight of just digging. To try and find people to do that now is virtually impossible, to even find someone willing to dig for an hour or so is like your asking for a kidney. I mean I wouldn't be caught dead doing that kind of labour now, well actually with my shoulder I couldn't, I can do 1-2 hours digging in a day tops before i'm done, but I would never do it anymore because my time is way too valuable anyway. But for a 20 year old or so, there is no reason you can't do that.

Sisters friend's kid is 18 and wanted a summer job, some people just aren't made for trades. First he tried working for my dad, who at 71 and very tough to work for and explains things, to be blunt like crap. But then he tried with my brother and his guys who are mostly 20-early 30's and did no better. I bet 5 different guys tried showing him how to pound a nail, couldn't figure it out. He had to be shown how to properly push a broom. The only thing he was capable of was pushing a wheelbarrow. Sad really, nice enough kid but not the sharpest crayon, trades is definitely the best bet but unless he learns how to hustle and put a lot more effort in, will likely be nothing more then a labourer. And there's millions just like him. Math skills are good for about 2+2 and that's about it.

I know a number of less than sharpest tool in the shed or crayon in the box. Many cannot find the shed or that crayon box.

suladas said:

Sisters friend's kid is 18 and wanted a summer job, some people just aren't made for trades. First he tried working for my dad, who at 71 and very tough to work for and explains things, to be blunt like crap. But then he tried with my brother and his guys who are mostly 20-early 30's and did no better. I bet 5 different guys tried showing him how to pound a nail, couldn't figure it out. He had to be shown how to properly push a broom. The only thing he was capable of was pushing a wheelbarrow. Sad really, nice enough kid but not the sharpest crayon, trades is definitely the best bet but unless he learns how to hustle and put a lot more effort in, will likely be nothing more then a labourer. And there's millions just like him. Math skills are good for about 2+2 and that's about it.

Click to expand...

Unfortunately I think this is a very common problem today

Have to note, the Grand Niece's 'Boyfriend' live in she just went to AZ with is Ex USAF. Spent three plus Years in the Active Service, never made E-3, "Lack Of F*****G Talent" was all I could figure as the Service generally makes a home for those that have ANY form of Talent.

suladas said:

i'm 31!

Click to expand...

suladas said:

The part that pisses me off the most is how many think just because you're doing well, it's because you got a hand out from someone,

Click to expand...

suladas said:

10-15 years people have got lazy. There use to be no such thing as pumping concrete for driveways, etc, and digging by hand was no big deal. I remember digging out to replace weeping tile around a house, 2 days straight of just digging. To try and find people to do that now is virtually impossible, to even find someone willing to dig for an hour or so is like your asking for a kidney. I mean I wouldn't be caught dead doing that kind of labour now,

Click to expand...

Oh, the irony.

And I guess I'm going to be the contrarian, I know some young guys that are go getters.

I've got a great group of guys working for me. They can really make things happen.

My son is in his second year of trade school and is looking at carpentering. I have guys calling me looking for work.

I've got a young guy hired at work, and he's green as grass, but he's trying everyday, remember, we were all young once. I think he's going to make a good employee.

I'm fortunate that I learned a lot of things from older guys, and I hope the young guys are learning something from my mistakes. I certainly make enough of them, they've got plenty of opportunity to see them.

Someone was doing what I do, before I came along. I really enjoy what I do, and hope to do it for a lot longer, but to be honest- someone is going to do it after I'm gone. The work somehow gets done all over this country, every day.

Look at all the guys on this forum, that are getting things done everyday.

And for you guys that had a bad relationship with your fathers, I'm so sorry. I don't talk to mine often enough, and he's been really cooped up with the covid going around.

crane operator said:

And for you guys that had a bad relationship with your fathers, I'm so sorry. I don't talk to mine often enough, and he's been really cooped up with the covid going around.

Click to expand...

Same here CraneOp. My dad taught me either directly or indirectly what I know today. He currently lives in Costa Rica so I don't get to see him in person often. My mom passed in April of 2018. What I would give to talk to her again.

crane operator said:

And for you guys that had a bad relationship with your fathers, I'm so sorry.

Click to expand...

Does anyone even get that there are sh!tty fathers out there-there everywhere.

I wont dig by hand and fight rocks day in and day out anymore. I did it for a good few years and now back has a hard time most days and i am only 30. I look at my father who lived a hard life and now at 65 and retired finally has the time and money to do what he wants but the body has a hard time dealing with it. I dont want that or wish it on anyone and the way i see it maybe kids are getting smarter and realizing that its not worth selling your health and the best years of your life for a low wage that really wont get them anywhere.

crane operator said:

Oh, the irony.

Click to expand...

Well there's a few differences, I don't need to do manual labour anymore. If someone has no skills or knowledge, what else are they going to do? They better not be lazy if they want to go anywhere. My time is way too valuable to spend it on the end of a shovel. I did it for years and was smart so I no longer have to do it. Frankly by 40 I don't see myself even running equipment much anymore if things go well.

Well this thread has turned a corner. My Dad hard a hard upbringing, but managed not to take it out on me. I didn’t know much but work from 13 (work and education, obviously) and it wasn’t Dad who put me down, it was people I worked with. As an old fart, I’ve learned to be patient with youngsters, as long as they’re trying. They all learn differently, and the ones who learn too quickly often stop learning just as quickly. It’s easy to have a downer on youngsters, but there’s a lot of older guys who don’t have a clue how to handle them or teach them, lack patience, or can’t keep their own egos out of things.

A lot of older guys want the young guys to figure it out on their own. In some cases if a younger guy seems pretty bright the older guys feel threatened that the young guy is there to take their job. I always tried to help apprentices and thought it was a compliment when they asked for my help. Many times apprentices have said they liked working with me because I'd explain things better instead of just telling them what to do. Very rarely did I have problems with apprentices. One in particular was guy who just got out of school and figured he knew it all and was going to set the world on fire. He figured he was going to show me. I kind of ignored him and let him do his thing. He made some rookie mistakes but I had to bring him back to reality before he made a major screwup that would have been costly to repair. He was humbled by it and realized he should have paid more attention to me.

To me, attitude comes first. If a young person has an acceptable attitude I can give him something that will improve his life. I don't discriminate against girls, never had one wander into my world.
I got sons! Two share my DNA. Each had an entourage. Home base was my home, or maybe Mrs. B's home. My theory has always been they like my toys. I bet most would say it was a mother figure who measured up to Mrs. B.
Nobody is hopeless, unless they believe it is hopeless. A person has to suffer from severe disability if they can't learn. It is common to "refuse to learn". I see that as an obstacle we must find a way around. I've met only a very few lazy young people, most of them are NOT lazy. They are only angry.


I am immensely proud of several young men who have passed many times through my dinner table. I'm even more proud of the women they attracted & married. The only exception is a perfect couple who haven't yet married. Soon, all Hell will descend on him. He will marry that young lady, or die. Yes, Mrs. B & I have gotten her approval. Several young men & women will make it happen. There will soon be a marriage.

I'm a Justice of The Peace. I can do the deed spur of the moment. If he insists on a religious ceremony, I can oblige. Or, with a weeks notice I will arrange an ordained minister. That young lady is not going to slip from his grasp!

If you people want to talk about mothers, I got comments!
My dad was a good guy, thinking back I had a chance to improve his life, but didn't. I was an adolescent son. I still grieve that I didn't do what I could to spare him the life he lived. She was cruel!

It’s getting stupid over here, until you’re 16 you can deliver leaflets or magazines, but that’s about it. At 16 you’re limited what you can do as a part-time job, so there isn’t the opportunity to work on the land or horticulture which was where a lot of us cut our operating teeth. I sneaked my boy in and let him operate a forklift and excavator a couple of times, but he doesn’t seem to have caught the bug. Even attitude I can deal with - I have one myself, apparently.

Willie B said:

If you people want to talk about mothers, I got comments!
My dad was a good guy, thinking back I had a chance to improve his life, but didn't. I was an adolescent son. I still grieve that I didn't do what I could to spare him the life he lived. She was cruel!

Click to expand...

Not going into details, as it’s too personal, but I didn’t bump along with Mum too well until a few weeks before she died of cancer. She became a Christian at the end and all that had gone before was forgotten. End of the day, they’re always our parents. You show me a parent or child that got everything right and I’ll show you a liar.

ih100 said:

Not going into details, as it’s too personal, but I didn’t bump along with Mum too well until a few weeks before she died of cancer. She became a Christian at the end and all that had gone before was forgotten. End of the day, they’re always our parents. You show me a parent or child that got everything right and I’ll show you a liar.

Click to expand...

I'll show you Mrs. B. No lie, just fact.

I had great parents that took an interest in what I did and never pushed me to do something I didn't want to do. My dad always said do the best you can. I played hockey and lacrosse and my dad coached hockey and sponsored my brothers and my teams. When we won the provincial championship for Lacrosse and went to the nationals my dad got team jackets for everybody. In hockey he always had a year end banquet and bought every player a new stick and gave them a trophy made with a hockey puck. I asked him once if anybody else ever helped pay and he said only one other parent did. He was the first coach in our city to have his coaching Canada certificate. Everybody got equal ice time and no favorites.

What was really sad was the other kids who's parent never even bothered to come to any games. A friend who was really good came with us 95% of the time. That had to have a big effect on him.

Willie B said:

I'll show you Mrs. B. No lie, just fact.

Click to expand...

I could say that about my wife, but if you ask her, she’ll say she’s got a lot of things wrong. Some get it righter than others, but we could all do better.