What would you do?

[spitzair]

So say you were out driving around in the backwoods on a logging road about 50 miles from the closest town. On said logging road is about a foot or so of snow since it's been plowed, and maybe 3 feet off to the sides. You happen to notice a Cat 320C excavator sitting at the side of the road as you drive by. A few miles up the road you meet another vehicle, and being the nice guy you are, you move over to let the other guy pass and you stop and chat with him. He tells you he works for ACME logging and that he's the last one here, they won't be back here for a month or so. You chat about the girl at the bar last night, work, hunting, etc and carry on after a few minutes. Once he's past you realize you are stuck because you found the ditch, hidden under the snow which was plowed off the road, with your truck. The fellow you moved over for is oblivious of your situation and has already rounded the corner and is headed back to town for a :drinkup ... You have a shovel and you work at trying to get yourself unstuck but to no avail. Your cell phone has no reception at all, the sattelite phone's battery is dead and the handheld radio you have doesn't have the range to reach anybody. It's getting kinda late in the day and you're not really prepared to spend the night. You now remember the 320C sitting a few miles down the road and being the Heavy Equipment type that you are you're carrying a Cat key and happen to have a stout chain in your truck. What would you do?

1)Wait it out, someone will eventually notice you're missing and will come looking for you, but it could be days...

2)Hike the 50 or so miles back into town.

3)Wander the few miles back to the 320 and walk it up the road to pull yourself out, then put the machine back and don't ever tell anybody.

4)Hike over to the 320, pull yourself out, put the 320 back to where you found it, leave a note and say "I'm terribly sorry, I got stuck and used your machine to pull myself out", and an adress to where they can forward a bill to.

5) Wander down to the 320, use it to pull yourself out, put it back, come back the next day with a full jug of fuel and a case of beer to leave in the machine along with your note...

And if you were the owner of said 320, what would your reaction be?

And no, this didn't happen, but while out in the back woods for work today with just such equipment I pondered what could happen if I were to get into this kind of situation and thought it might make a good topic for discussion... Would love to hear everybody's input...

 

[CinOK]

I would walk down to it pull out my truck and leave a note. If you did no damage and left the note with an address and phone number and why you had to use it I don't think it would be a big deal but that has a lot to do with personalities. The owner might call you back and say Hope your alright thanks for the note then you could offer to pay for the fuel and buy him dinner or the cops could show up at your door and give you a shiny pair of bracelets for theft.

 

[Colorado Digger]

i would not worry about it, if you know , call him. if he is a big guy... no worrry's. what i dont see does not hurt.

 

[tonka]

5, and if i were the owner of said 320 i would have called you up and had a beer with you. Because you took the time to leave a note, fill her up with fuel, and leave a 12er. There aint many stand up guys left in this world and you sir are one of them!:drinkup

 

[Aliate]

If someone used my machine, left me fuel, beer, a note and put it back where it belonged I would be really impressed.

 

[bluntman410g]

:drinkup:drinkupi had to do that one time to get a buddies truck unstuck in mud with a skid steer but luckily i knew the guy and left money for the fuel i used and then went back to his shop later that night and drank some beers and laughed it off!

 

[liebherr1160]

Leave a note ..
and a phone #...
Not an address ..just in case the guy goes off the deep end and decides to burn your house down ...

Its cold the beer may freeze and the cans/bottles may split ..next morning when the sun come up ..ya got a mess ..

So maybe a gift card for the liqour store instead..

 

[cummins05]

Kind of an unwritten rule in the patch you use what you need to get out of a tight spot

I remember couple years ago a guy had his pickup stuck and another guy just drove by him on some lease road after the guy who was stuck tried to flag him down well he got out 23 hours later when a crew came down the road the crew worked for 5 hours got the truck out then went into town and found the other guy and knocked the crap out of him for leaving a guy stranded in the bush.

use the machine dont abuse it and if you break it you better own up and pay for it thats what i think anyway

 

[RobVG]

50 miles up a logging road with a foot of fresh snow? Yeah I might do that- back when I was young dumb and full of rum. Get the phone number off the door- or leave a note with your number. Square up later. Reminds me of a story.

I'm in my 20's and I took my girlfriend up the logging road behind our property to see what the loggers had been up to. Well, there was a pitifully decrepit 120 Kobleco with a thumb just sitting there (it was the weekend). Wouldn't ya know it, they left the key under the mat.:cool2 Sozs I fire it up (I know, I should have checked the oil first) and let it warm up. Then I did a few high spot turns, grabbed a log and did a little grading and continued to impress the hell out of Deana until.....I turn the key off and the machine keeps running:jawdrop I frantically start looking for the engine shut off handle and found it not far from the key. It doesn't work:Banghead I clammer up and pop the hood open and reach in a pull up on the throttle lever on the pump.....rpm's barely drop.:crying I run back to the cab and pull up as hard as I can(without breaking it) on the stop handle. Nothin. Run backup to pump and pull with all I got and the engine sputters and shakes to a stop.
The whole time I'm thinking I either call the logging company and tell I started their machine and can't get it shut off or- hope the machine runs out of fuel before Monday and let the operator take the blame.

I would have called...

 

[watglen]

With all that communication gear not working you could have tried smoke signals, or a ouija board.

Seriously, after giving it maybe 15 milliseconds of thought, i would be all over that rig without a concern. Done it before. However, i would check all fluids first to make sure it wasn't in the middle of an oil change. My first concern is why's it parked here, maybe its broken already, and starting it makes it worse?

Here's paranoid for you. The machine is damaged before you come along, you start it, make it worse, and someone finds out you touched it. Operator gets a bad case of amnesia, cant recall a thing, you get the bill! When you spend your formative years catching hell for everything, this is the way you think :}

The last time i did this i didn't tell a soul.

As the owner, if i found out, i would be glad the guy was able to get out of there ok, then change the locks on everything i own!

:drinkup

 

[CinOK]

Like I said Leave the note if you fuel it and some thing goes bad your going to take the balme and if it gets really cold the beer might burst Never waste the beer or make a cab smell like a bar ):

 

[stock]

No note but would record what ever tel numbers I could,failing that make a point to return to the said location an make restitution and say thanks.

 

[willie59]

If you used my rig to dislodge you from ditch, returned it, undamaged, added fuel, and supplied beer...I'd probably offer you a job.

 

[TimHay]

If someone was kind enough to call and tell me they used my hoe to get out, checked oil first, i would be very thank full. Heck i would tell them to come over and have a beer on me for being a decent person. If they brought a case we would drink it together. If someone used it and didn't tell me and i found out down the road i would punch them. Personally i woud walk out i am just stubborn

 

[cummins05]

Hey Tim i fired up your hoe cranked the motor to max cold. didnt check the oils

and I think you should by me a beer for making sure the batteries got charged

 

[Burnout]

Hey Tim.... and I cleaned the windows.....I'll take a coke though :drinkup

 

[TimHay]

you left streaks Burnout

 

[TimHay]

Hey Tim i fired up your hoe cranked the motor to max cold. didnt check the oils

and I think you should by me a beer for making sure the batteries got charged

You fit in with my crew allready
ointhead

 

[cummins05]

and i thought you could find good guys. lots of good operators lookin for work

 

[Backyard]

Save your life...

Been there, done this...

• Grab the 320, correct your mistake.
  
• Put the 320 back where you found it.
  
• How do you know the owner is not a beer drinker?
  
• After you have saved your own life, do what your heart tells you to do about the machine...
  
• Bring cold weather gear appropriate to the weather conditions, some snacks & Coca-Cola in case you have no 320 the next time...

You made a mistake that could have cost your life...if you have a Cat key, your situation warranted commandeering the 320...if you can operate the machine...

Everyone makes mistakes...the conditions were as such you had no clue to the danger.

Just don't screw up the machine...