Almost chilly.

 

 

 

And no,  I don’t mean “Chilli”,  so it won’t be “Hot Tamale”.  So sorry.

 

 

I try to make sure to include the state symbol of Vienna in all these sky pictures.  (this is when you insert the sarcasm font?)

 

Something blew in,  and it has clouded over and cooled off.  It’s all good.  I refuse to wear socks however.   I’d like to put that off for as long as possible,  or until we go to the opera Sunday night,  whichever comes first.  The weather forecast doesn’t look all that peachy-keen for the next couple days,  but we’ll be prepared.  It’s another one of these outdoor things,  so warm clothing and an umbrella is kind of important. 

More on that later. 

Speaking of morons. 

Didn’t see that coming did you?  

It seems like there just HAS to be someone pounding/hammering/whatever somewhere.   So not only do we have the wrecking crew around the corner at the C & A,  but now we have another crew doing a roof on a building that faces Zieglergaße.

It’s an amazing thing how sound carries across the rooftops. 

You might also be amazed when you see how these guys are working.

I found it difficult to watch.  I can’t clutch my butt for very long it seems.

Do you see anything missing?

Looks like a fair drop to the ground below I would guess.  I figure we’re on about the seventh floor,  so that must be up around number five or so.  I think you’d only want to come off there once.

I’m as adverse to bureaucracy as the next fellow,  but I think there’s something about safety equipment that comes to mind here.  I suppose they figure that since they’re not visible from the street,  that perhaps it’s OK.

I can’t speak to the laws in other places,  but for a few years now,  in the province of Ontario, where we have this entity called the Ministry of Labour, they take a really dim view of anyone working at that height without a safety harness or some sort of “fall arrest”  device.

If you wish to gloat over the misfortune and or stupidity of others,  there’s a fine example here.   All of the Caretakers had been warned about that 10,000 dollar fine thing.  Seems at least our management types weren’t kidding.   I suppose the worker who fell is lucky to have only “sustained serious injuries”.   It’s all a matter of what one considers ‘lucky’.

 

 

That one got me out of having to go up on the roof of the school once a week to fetch the balls.  Initially the “deal” was,  you shouldn’t really go within 10 feet of the edge.  (I think it was in meters,  but I forget)  but that was really only supposed to be for the twice annual roof inspections.  Someone let a cat out of a bag,  and one of the suits at the Board Office found out that most Head Caretakers were going onto the roof of their buildings once a week for this ball gathering foolishness,  and in fairly short order,  a rather terse email was sent out to all parties to stop that practise immediately.  This came straight from the “Health and Safety” Dude.  

I think I recall saying out loud as I read that email,  “Yesssss”.  I might have even pumped my fist.

I made sure to very politely forward that email to the administrator of my school,  along with my apologies, and how I would no longer be able to go onto the roof to get the balls.  And please tell the kids I’m sorry.  *snigger*  

You know,  there’s a certain amount of acting involved I find.  To this day, I’m sure that administrator thinks I was genuinely sorry.   *snort*   Right.

And before you think, “Oh,  but Bob,  what if someone accidentally kicks their ball on the roof?”   Well,  just hang on there.  Not only have I seen with my very own eyes kids deliberately punting sh*t onto the roof,  but sometimes it was within a couple minutes of me sending it down to them.   The funny thing is,  once the word got around that the sucker Caretaker was no longer going up there,  the number of these ‘accidents’ dropped significantly.  Well now,  isn’t that a curious thing?  I mean, I never could figure out how a soccer ball could make its way from the soccer pitch aaaaall the way over onto the roof.  We’re talking a couple hundred meters here.   That’s a helluva good kick.  But I was never very good at physics,  so what do I know? 

 

This thought just occurred to me,  and I think I’ve said this before.  If I wanted to make the effort,  I’m sure I could go out every day in this here fine city,  and find examples of utter stupidity.  I’m not so sure I can handle feeling that smart,  so I had best leave that alone.

 

Hope your having a fine day wherever you may be.

 

Thanks for looking in.

 

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