Evolution

In order to stay on top of the game we as professionals must change.

There has been a lot of trepidation about the new board rules that are impending.

I am going to tell you right now that I disagree with some of them and some of the changes being suggested are good.

I have said this many times before. Small companies record more doc's and file more maps than anyone.

This is a major problem, in that I personally see very little participation from the small guys. (I could be wrong).

I will tell you now that if I had time I would be right there in peoples faces bitching about a few things and trying to make things it right for all. Unfortunately time is one thing I am very short on.

This is something I feel very bad about. While I know very few of you, I think that I would like to make things better, even if I dislike you, you still deserve good things because we share the survey profession.

While my hands are tied on time and I am sure that other small companies are in the same boat I would like to hear some suggestions from small guys.

Yes we do need to progress our standards as time moves forward.

Bottom line boys and girls, the change is here. Just roll it with and bone up on the wording in your contracts to cover your ass. And just follow the rules.

In time we will all adapt to whatever rules are passed. It's kind of like getting a new software or taking on a new car payment. You just kind of grow into it.

Peace out surveyors, it's gonna be a crazy week. Have fun and be safe!!

Pain

There other night I had to stand in a public forum and explain why I am professionally qualified to sit on a board.

I wrote up my pitch and thought about it and went over it for a few days.

I got there, had it all memorized right down to my delivery. I had it stuck in my head that they were going to love me and I was going to waltz right on to that board.

When I arrived there were some people in front of me and they seemed rather calm and did a great job although they were very dull.

It was my turn and when I got up there and looked at that panel and it all went away, I forgot everything that I was going to say. I was a deer in the head lights so I did what I thought was best, took a step back and punted.

I babbled for about a minute and a half and then froze. Every thought I once had again left my brain. I looked at the panel and said "that's it" and threw my hands up palms facing them and said "frozen", I smiled and said thank you.

Then came the part that I got pissed off about. The person that nominated asked me if I realized that a certain qualification was required to sit on this particular board. I was a little dismayed and wanted to remind the person that they gave me the nomination, but instead I respectfully stumbled through an answer.

If you ever want to have a humbling experience try this. You will get an adrenaline rush that is out of this world that will last you for days. I still get butterflies in my gut when I think about this.

Oh, no I did not get appointed.

A little humility goes a long way, especially when you tube it in public.

Ha!!

Auto Topo

The other day I was out in the Rio Verde area doing a Boundary-Topo job.

I have done work in that section before and once again thanks to GDAC and it's interactive map with points and some solid surveys I was calc'd and ready to go when I got there.

Since I am a diligent monkey I went around the 1/4 section and established my measured data. The center of section was there and checked as shown on some other surveys, so I accepted it.

I proceeded to search for the lot monuments and found them all and they checked well, so now they all have nice new LS caps on them in the color of blue which is what I have always used. However when they are gone I am going to go 100% with brass and aluminum tags.

I then started the topo. I walked the lot and located all of the vegetation and dirt roads. There were no definitive washes so no need for cross sections.

After I was finished with all of that I went back to the truck and pulled the gps off of the rod and put it on a back pack that I rigged with a pvc cage to hold a small rod in place. I got everything hooked up, changed my HR and went into auto topo mode. I proceeded to walk the lot and take about 1700 shots on top of the already collected info.

This took about an hour. 1700 seems like a lot of shots but this was a 3 acre parcel and I had the DC set at 3 second intervals.

I am a huge believer that it is easier to take points out of a drawing than have to go back and get more.

Now hear is the best part about this job. Field time with travel 5.5 hours. I accomplished this because of my pre-job research and calc's and because of technology.

The office time took quite a while because I had re-calc the boundary to my measured section which actually brought the lot monuments in better and had to prepare 2 drawings, a topo and and ROS which I will file in the next month or so when I get a few stacked up. I always wait to get a few to save on the fuel cost and trip time.

I have spoken many times about how technology has enhanced out lives and made it easier to turn a profit on a job. I has also allowed me to increase my level of customer service, get things done quicker with more data and turn out a very professional looking product that I can be proud of.

Go technology!

Roof Top

One of the things that I genuinely love about surveying is the stuff we get to see and do.

Unless you are a construction monkey every job is different.

I personally take something new away from every job.

So there I am last week in Tucson at U of A breaking down a block that the Marriott sits on.

First I have to tell you that the ground view at that college is fantastic. It took me back to a much simpler and more intoxicated time in my life where the only things that were important was beer and girls. Oh yeah!!!

Flashing to present day I was surveying the block and getting ready to go on the Marriott's roof.

All was going well thanks to AZ Cors and the Pima County GIS site. I had my control and was ready.

I got up on the roof just in time for AZ Cors to take a dump due to Leica maintenance so I had to go to plan B which was go back down and set up the base.

Upon doing so I proceeded to have the crappiest GPS day I have had in years. I got tied into the ground control, went back up on that roof and what should have taken 20 minutes took 2 hours.

I was in hell. There I am above everything with a wide open sky with the wackiest constellation I have ever seen. Ugh!!

Every shot seemed to take forever so I went to plan C. I made a detailed sketch, measured everything up and shot the bare minimum.

When I got off that roof and walked outside the first thing I saw was a beautiful girl and all that BS frustration instantly left. I even got a smile out of her :)

Life can be good in the field even when the technology hands you a pile of shit. It's remarkable what a pretty face will do to my mind.

Again???

OK. It happened again. I got beat on a job. Big deal right? Win some, lose some.

This time it is epic.

Friday I received a call from a person requesting a price to do a Lot Assemblage in Scottsdale.

Considering this is where my camp is I've done a few here.

I did my diligent research and proceeded to write up a proposal. I gave a price of 2520 to do the platting which is very reasonable considering Scottsdale is always a 3 time submittal and usually asks for some things that others do not.

(Note: I always put a clause in my scope that says the client is responsible for submittal's and meetings and if they want me to do it, it is my RLS hourly rate and I usually get the project with the hourly because they don't want to deal with the city.)

Scottsdale also requires an ALTA be submitted so I worked in a cost of 1500 for the ALTA which enabled me to give the awesome price for the assemblage.

I promptly sent it off and Saturday I received this message from the person.

"weird I have gotten quotes all the way down to $550 for a combing the 2 lots-- I do have a current ALTA that is 4 months old?  So I guess I'll just go with the quote that was $550.00"

Upon seeing this I was actually relieved. You ever have that gut feeling that tells you to run from a project?

I was also a little confused and massively amused.

I wanted to call them and explain that they are setting themselves up for a very bad experience but then thought to hell with it, let them find out on their own.

I feel confident that they misconstrued the other surveyors scope unless the other surveyor is a complete moron.

Today I am the luckiest guy alive because I lost a project that was priced professionally. On the lower side of professional truth be told.

Peace out and have a great week surveyors.

It's getting psycho busy out there!!!!

Safety

Last week it was public safety in my Scottsdale Leadership class.

All I have to say about this is, wow. My concept of what public safety really is, up until now has been totally under thought and now is receiving a lot of brain time.

First to the 2 MCDOT guys that got hit by a car a week or so back, I hope that they are doing well. They were very lucky and I hope they learned something.

So there I am playing in Southern and Broadway out in Laveen today. I was taking extra caution watching the cars.

In today's world of tecnology the surveyor's chance of survival has plumetted. We are the target with the orange vest that road texters do not see.

I have had more close calls in the last few years than I have ever had and I have spent plenty of time in the street.

I wrote about this last year.

I was standing in Shea Boulevard in about 1987-1988 flagging cars while the chief was digging up a monument. I kept flagging this particular car and he kept coming, I yelled bail and we all jumped out of the way. When the guy got next to us I Koufaxed the cone I was holding into the drivers door. When it hit, he slammed on his breaks and came to a complete stop and proceeded to glare at me. I pointed at him and yelled "F*ck you you dirt bag sack of shit, pay attention". He drove off very dismayed. My chief was cracking up and said "I can't believe you did that".

Then there is 16th street and Thomas. We were doing a huge panel job from Scottsdale Road to Grand Avenue. One day we were at the above mentioned intersection, we had a merge sign board that I was towing with a truck going and a long line of cones shoving everyone over. We were standing there eating lunch when all of a sudden there was a long thump thump thump etc. We look up and here are 2 black guys in a baby blue VW bug mowing down every cone we have, we scatter, they swerve and barely miss the sign board.

Again at the same intersection but 2 ladies in a 1972 +/- LTD. I am kind of fuzzy on the details but all of a sudden I hear tires and thumps and I look up in time to see this LTD do a full 360 in the intersection and keep rocketing down Thomas. All we knew it that we lost some cones and a tripon and I think someone may have crapped themselves.

There are many more things I can talk about but these have some humor, especially since I was laughing my ass off after each one, but they could have all been tragic.

What does the surveyor need to do to better protect himself?

For a start, always pay attention. Grow eyes in the back of your head. If it feels wrong then it is wrong. Just little things can save us.

I have heard rumor that other states RP out the centerline monuments and all of the control is on the sidewalks. I love this concept.

As the world becomes a place where people more consistantly have their head shoved up their own ass we are becoming sitting ducks more than we already are.

Do I have the answer for safety?? No. All I can do is watch out for me and hope all ends well.

Boundary Survey and a Big Ugh!!

So there I am last week doing a boundary survey around 32nd Street and Camelback.

I did a bunch of research and found some surveys in the area thanks to the guys at GDAC and using the official plat I calc'd everything and went right to town.

I arrived at the site and promptly found a couple of monuments and got started. The rear corners landed in an alley so I had to bail the block wall and do some recon.

I found all of the monuments and some adjoiners and everything checked real nice. I also located the walls and they even checked really well and everyone was happy.

Now I have spoken quite often about things that a person sees in the field and frankly I have come to a point where nothing surprises me and this particular experience lacked surprise but absolutely increased my amazement and I mean a WTF!! Holy S*&T!! kind of amazement. People can definitely be very wrong at many levels.

Below are some pic's I snapped while on site accompanied by a brief narrative of each thing.



1) How cool is this? When is the last time you saw a Sears Chain Link Fence?

I love this old stuff and really enjoy seeing it. It's a throw back to a simpler time. Kind of makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside.

2) I think it must be a pre-requisite that an alley have a gratuitous shopping cart full of porn. I support this on the basis that street people need porn to.

3) Now for the most disturbing of all things ever. The public restroom. UGH!!!

Yes that's right I said it. I  think every bum within a mile radius of this alley must dump here. All along my clients wall looks like this.

I was so thankful that the property corner landed about 5' East of that bent rebar. I dug around it with arms fully extended with a long nose shovel. Fortunantly no one pooped on it.

I will tell you this boys and girls, this amazed me and made me laugh. Where else can a person enter an alley, grab some porn and take a dump within 200 feet?

I wonder if they use the honor system on returns to the library cart??

BEWARE OF ALLEYS AROUND 32ND AND CAMELBACK!!!