Wasn't his day

[fireman57]

Re: Wasn't his day

It was said that there were ratchet straps and rope all over the ground along with his fuel tank. I took it to mean that they were trying to put it back up with these items. If the tank was being held by them in the first place then they were definitely negligent. If the tank straps had just broken and his tank fell to the ground how would he have known they were bad without getting under the truck each time. That is what I meant when I ask who checks every fitting and hose before they drive. The point is that I misread it (I guess) but I hope that puma is not to embarrassed to come back and give the facts. The last thing I want to do is make him feel unwelcome here.

 

[Sixmark]

Re: Wasn't his day

I would like to hear the rest as well, he stated he works at the lake.....as a guide, a mechanic, a marina attendant?

Still think there could have been ways to handle it, at least give the guy a chance to clean up the mess or make a call to someone who could.

 

[badkins50]

Re: Wasn't his day

You mean spills on the side of the road are easier to hide and walk away from because they soak into the ground, and where do you think that chemical spills on soil go to.........the water table, runoff into streams etc.

Without trying to agrue my comment was I think if things happen on the side of the road it is easier to contain and clean. I'm not on any spill clean up crew but I think it would be easier to catch everything before it gets that far as to the spill being right there at the water. Maybe I'm wrong, anyway thats another thread.

I really hope puma does come back and help us out with more info as well. I think this tread is one comment away from being closed anyway.

 

[lncoop]

Re: Wasn't his day

I really hope puma does come back and help us out with more info as well. I think this tread is one comment away from being closed anyway.

Nope. It will have to get much worse before it gets closed. Hope no one interprets that as a challenge.

 

[jeeperman]

Re: Wasn't his day

Must have been a pretty steep ramp if those seven people could not push the truck up to level ground so as to avoid fuel running into the lake.
Or they just did not care if it did.

My tow strap would have been dragging it to level ground with or without their permission.

 

[Tim Frank]

Re: Wasn't his day

I would like to hear the rest as well, he stated he works at the lake.....as a guide, a mechanic, a marina attendant?

Still think there could have been ways to handle it, at least give the guy a chance to clean up the mess or make a call to someone who could.

The first reaction of the vehicle crew was to try and hide it..."forming a human wall"

 

[puma4440]

Re: Wasn't his day

Sorry it took me so long to reply, it is fishing season after all .

I will try to clear things up a little. Yes, the original straps had long ago rotted away, and the ratchet straps that held the tank had broke. Our ramp is very steep, and there was no way any group there was going to push it. the tank was about a 25-30 gallon unit that was full. We had just stocked tiger muskie the week before(6") they like to hang out on the shoreline for a while, it was a decent fish kill. Your tax dollars have helped alot with acid mine drainage on this lake, we don't need anymore pollution.

Things I did:
I put down 15 gallons of oil-dri, used spill booms to keep it from spreading any further, used the S.O.P. for spills that I have training for anually, and contacted everybody on the list. I would not pull the truck up the ramp, if something breaks, and we get sued, you the tax payer would foot the bill.

On to equipment: When I change my oil(3,000 miles) I grease the u-joints and front end, it doesn't take too much effort to look things over while I'm under there. I know alot of people(not accusing anyone) don't do preventive maintenance, exactly why I don't tailgate, do you trust the guy ahead of you with one light missing on his trailer? What would you think if those straps let loose while your spouse and children were behind them? I understand things go wrong, we've all been there, but there is no excuse for being negligent. If they were honest, instead of trying to cover it up, they would have asked for assisatance with the spill.

Overall, I'm glad I did what I did, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

 

[Smuggler's Blues]

Re: Wasn't his day

Puma, as I stated earlier I was not there I would not judge you. I am in a similar field and sometimes your job does not make you the most popular. That's just the way it is. Sounds like you had a job to do and a protocol to go by and you followed it. The fine may be excessive but that is not your call, you dont set the figures. I'm sure they will appear in court and work something out there. That is between them and the courts.

 

[sandersps]

Re: Wasn't his day

Sounds like he had a bad day that was not totally his fault. Seems like the fuel tank straps breaking was something that was out of his control. It could just as easily been a brake line or a hose that no one would have control over. Who checks these things before they take their vehicle out? Do you check every line, strap, hose, or connection before you get in your vehicle? No. When it breaks it breaks and then you do your best to fix it. Seems like they were doing their best to get the vehicle out of there. I know that they were running illegal fuel but that is the worst that they did. Check any farmers truck and you will see it in there too. I'm not saying that it is right but they were nailed running it because of an unforseen wear issue. This is just my opinion, and you did do the proper legal thing, but it seems that they could have used some help rather than 13,000 dollars in fines. You didn't say how much fuel was spilled or how much reached the water but if it wasn't much I think that this is a little excessive. I know that I will get beat up for posting this but things happen everyday that aren't in someone's control but they are punished severely for them. The only thing that they did wrong was running farm diesel instead of paying the exhorbitant tax and running road diesel. If it had been legal fuel would you have done the same thing or would you have helped them get the truck off the ramp and put some oil drying agent on the fuel and helped them clean it up?

I am not challenging you oppinion, but after stoping to think about it I do check my truck regularly. In fact when I change my oil every 3000 it is not uncommon to roll around on the creeper for a half hour just checking things. I just so happened to find a trans cooler line that was almost crimped shut. Not even noticable in early spring , but would have ended terribly while pulling the boat in the heat of the summer. I know its not inspecting every time I drive, but I gues its more than most do. I would urge anyone who does their own oil changes to spend a few minutes at least looking things over, Why not your already under there. Maybe I should have started a new thread for this. Anywho....like I said fireman not protesting your oppinion just borrowing your quote.

 

[fireman57]

Re: Wasn't his day

puma I am glad that you came back and posted what really happened. As I said earlier if he knew he had bungies and the like holding up the straps then he is negligent and let the chips fall where they may. I don't envy your job and a decision like that is sometimes hard to make but they left you no choice because they knew the vehicle was improperly maintained. Good luck the rest of the summer!
sandersps I applaud you for being a stickler for detail. You must have worked at a shop that trained you to look for other things to bring to the customer's attention so they could fix them. Just like a tire shop telling you that you need brakes, oh by the way, did you know that we did brakes? Anyone who does their own maintenance if they see something they take care of it but others that take it somewhere would never look at every connection, hose, etc.. but that doesn't make them negligent. We go through our tractors/combines front to rear before each season but we still have breakdowns. If you know you did not fix it properly or knew it wasn't working right and you took it on the road then you are negligent. There is no way that these people or at least the driver of the truck didn't know how that tank was attached.

puma the jury is back. You are innocent. These people are idiots! Of course, driving a truck like that they surely don't have 13,000.00 to pay the fine with or he would have had a different truck. As it was said before you are not in charge of handing out the fines.

 

[puma4440]

Re: Wasn't his day

Fireman57,

I understand where you were comming from, if it was one of those freak accidents that happen to us all at one point, but just looking at that truck, it shouldn't have been on the road, much less pulling a load. I'd much rather be the "good guy" and help people, but sometimes I have to be the "bad guy" to some to help others, thats life. There is a flow chart for almost every kind of incident here, and I can be in big trouble if I don't follow them to the letter, and I'm not going to jepardize my career for someone I know, let alone someone I don't.

 

[sandersps]

Re: Wasn't his day

Couldnt agree more, things do break on there own. Happened to me plenty of times. I did have my own motorcycle shop for a few years and pointing out things that needed attention on customers bikes not only showed them that I cared, but also brought in some extra work from time to time. I do feel at times that I am a little obsessive compulsive, but I love those AH HA moments when you find something that could bite you in the ***** later on. Is that weird?:redface:

 

[fireman57]

Re: Wasn't his day

puma and sanders I'm glad this worked out for everyone. puma I don't envy your job but at least you have a procedure that you have to follow so your *ss doesn't get bit.
sanders I know a guy that had OCD but now he has CDO. That way they are all in the right order.

Wish everyone here at iboats a great summer and try to be as nice as you can while keeping your butt out of a sling.

 

[Sixmark]

Re: Wasn't his day

The first reaction of the vehicle crew was to try and hide it..."forming a human wall"

I was playing devils advocate, 8 people standing next to a vehicle trying to help, or were they trying to block the view of others? I wasn't there so I can't say for sure and everybody's perception of something often varies from person to person.

Had somone mentioned something to the guy and he ignored it, then screw em.

Now that the OP was able to supply more information , especially the part that the guy was using ratchet straps on his fuel tank.......he had coming to him whatever he got.

This is why I don't jump to conclusions!!!

 

[Frozen]

Re: Wasn't his day

what is off-road fuel???

 

[j_martin]

Re: Wasn't his day

what is off-road fuel???

Fuel that is not taxed. It is to be used in off road (construction, farm) equipment, furnaces, etc. Usually died red.

 

[Thajeffski]

Re: Wasn't his day

Did the owner immediately call for help? Oh no he didn't. While oil and gas is contaminating the water...

at that point, screw him, guilty as charged. Sorry, but if I messed up like that I'd be calling the correct people to come out and help clean up, then I'd pay for my stupidity.

The OP did the exact right thing, and I cannot BELIEVE how many people in here are saying "look the other way" geeze, you guys are the reason our waters are more polluted everyday. Some of you must work for BP

 

[j_martin]

Re: Wasn't his day

geeze, you guys are the reason our waters are more polluted everyday. Some of you must work for BP

1. Our waters are not more polluted every day. In fact some of the great lakes have returned from dead sewers to good fisheries since I've been watching. (fifty some years) Same for the Mississippi River which starts near me, and used to be functionally dead within 100 miles of it's source (Camp Ripley, MN sewage pretty much wiped it out, and it didn't recover after that.)

2. This looks like a vicious slam against BP, who finds, refines, and markets the oil products that make modern society run, while employing a huge number of people. For that I'm grateful.

3. I would like to know just where you get the authority or attitude to compose such a sentence. I know where, but it would be good for you to reflect on how easily you are mislead into taking up an imaginary offense.

Should the subject of this thread have handled his poor maintenance resulting in a rather messy spill have done it differently? That has become pretty obvious and he probably got pretty much what he deserved.

 

[jayhanig]

Re: Wasn't his day

There was a very good point brought up in this conversation however "how many of you actually check your vehicles before you drive them?"

While many people do not check their vehicles before they drive them, it doesn't exactly mean it's ok to do, how long would it really take to do at least a walk around on a vehicle?.........think about it.

I don't check my vehicle every time I get in it. OTOH, I keep it in excellent operating order. I do not defer repairs... I expect everything on that truck to work. I keep it clean inside and out, which makes a leak very easy to spot. And rust? Are you kidding?

Any time my truck goes up on a rack I always look underneath just to keep an eye on how it's holding up. Fewer surprises that way.

 

[Bravo]

Re: Wasn't his day

Just my .02 here but I have to agree that puma did what he had to do. Yeah, it sucks about the fines, but to be honest most of that fine is for using the off road fuel. It can be as high as $10K alone. The other may be the hazmat clean up. In my profession, I have to deal with spills and other sorts of hazmat. I run a 50 ton wrecker (18 wheeler) in Atlanta, and in this sometime armpit of Georgia, I see all sorts of weird things. I, myself, had to make a similar call one night. A driver had backed into what he thought was a good parking spot for the night, but didn't see a yellow pole sticking up from the ground. I guess it had been smacked a few times already given its current height. It cleared the trailer axles and somehow the tractor made it backwards over it, but when he pulled forward to straighten it up it caught the front drive axle like a fish hook. Driver thought he was stuck in dirt, so he backed up and gunned it. This time he ripped open a 150 gallon fuel tank and destroyed the passenger side rear air bag and brakes. Bad thing is the fuel tank was full. He got out of the truck went home, and waited 12 hours before calling a heavy wrecker (our company) I get there and see this huge mess, and the driver actually asks me not to say anything about it. Umm... yeah. Not likely. I apologized to him, and said that I had a responsibility to uphold. All I did was tell the clerk at the "mini truck stop" what had happened and told her to call the owner of the property, and let him decide what to do. He (owner of property) called the local fire dept, and then before I knew it EPA was out there. I wasn't trying to be mean, even though I thought it was pretty sh!tty of him to try to hide it. It was treated as an accidental spill and cleaned up. The affected dirt had to be dug up completely and replaced as well as the cleaning of the concrete. Dunno what it cost, but anything enviromental ain't cheap. So in the end of this long winded monologue, I understand why puma made the call. Sometimes we all have to do things we don't like, but not doing something is often worse than the original "offense". I'll try to include a couple of the pics. Everything that looks wet is diesel fuel, and keep in mind that it had been sitting there for 12 hours. I haven't the slightest idea how it went unnoticed for so long either...