Just a glimpse.

And then I’m done.

Saw this fellow setting up one of those over sidewalk construction safety zones this morning.

I wasn’t sure just what was going to keep him from falling through the frame work though.  He had just walked along carrying a big plank, moments before I took this photo.  He had to step gingerly from one support to the next.   The Ontario Ministry of Labour would have a conniption.  If we worked any higher than 10 feet,  we had to wear a harness.   I could totally see if you were roofing or up on a lift changing lamps in a gymnasium,  but after the “harness ruling”,  I wasn’t really supposed to even get up on a ladder.  

By the way,  if you happen to click on that link and go to the Ministry website (or the one I linked to just there) you can see all the fines they’ve doled out in the last little while.  Apparently they’ll even fine you for being stupid.  Very unfortunate that he happened to run over one of his coworkers though.  I shouldn’t make light of it.   But ya, if you’re backing up,  and your “helper” disappears,  it’s a good idea to simply stop.  Is there ever that much of a hurry?   The wheels go round and round,  and they can crush you.

 

Now,  don’t get me wrong.  Long after there were rumblings about workers and supervisors potentially getting fined for being dumb,  we still continued to go up on the roof of school buildings to fetch wayward balls,  or hang off ladders to attach banners on the walls of the gymnasium and such.   Much to the delight (and sometimes amusement)  of the staff and students.   That was all fine and dandy,  until one day when one of my coworkers decided to take a couple digital photos of some roof damage during a semi-annual roof inspection.  By the way,  these “roof inspections” were the only times we were supposed to go on the roof.  None of this going up there every Friday morning to get the balls down,  with quite frequently the result being that they’d get punted up there later that afternoon anyway. 

It’s a funny thing about digital photos in an intra company email system.  They can get spread around faster than the common cold,  so it didn’t take long for someone in the know to have a look at these roof pictures,  and ask the simple question, “What was this person doing so close to the edge?”  along with, “Have they not had any training?”  

Oh boy.  I’m sure you could have heard a pin drop.

See,  it’s all about the “training”.   If we train you,  and you still do something stupid,  then at least we’re partially off the hook.   Somehow in all the information that had been dispersed,  and all the “fall arrest”  training that we had under gone,  nobody pointed out that going on the roof was a no-no to start with,  and that even when called upon to do so,  there was no going within 10 feet of the edge.  

Fine by me,  by the way.   I’m not a big one for hanging off the roof,  unless maybe it’s the roof of my shed,  and even then I’m just as likely to lose my balance and take a header into the flower bed.

Speaking of digital photos,  I do wish I had picture of the look on the Principal’s face when I told her that I’d no longer be going up on the roof each and every week to “fetch the balls”.     Out of my control.   Really.  So sorry.   *snort*   I didn’t actually laugh out loud.  That would have just been mean.

Here’s the curious thing.  The kids learned in very short order that, if you were going to be a bit of an idiot and punt your soccer ball onto the roof,  you wouldn’t have a soccer ball to play with.  

Who knew?   See,  I could get off on a whole philosophical tangent here about setting “boundaries”  and what not on children’s behaviour,   but I’ll let you come up with your own version of just how discipline in general has gone straight into the toilet in the last,  oh I don’t know,  30 years?  

Once upon a time,   if you did something stupid,  there would be consequences.   I vividly recall getting the strap in grade four,  for “running” in the hall.  I say “running” since,  I’m sure I didn’t make it any farther than about six paces,  when I got nailed.    See,  there was “NO RUNNING" in the halls.  And they weren’t kidding.

I got two on each hand.   I’m reasonably certain that the Principal was going easy on me,  since it was my “first offence”  and all.   Either that or my hands were toughened up from simply living on a farm,  I’m not sure.   Either way,  I didn’t offer any suggestions as to his technique.  I just made sure I never ran in the hallway again.   Simple really.   I won’t get into the reasons why I thought it prudent to “run” in the hall in the first place,  but it did involve a particularly cute young lady,  and some sort of tag or something.  That part is all kind of a blur.  The part where I got the strap,  not so much.

 

I’ll now let you talk amongst yourselves.

 

Thanks for stopping by.

 

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