Dangerous fencing

[Buckrub]

No, not the kind with an Epee.

Just walked in from Savannah, via Tennessee, etc. While in Savannah, the boy asked me to help him tear down an old rotten piece of wood fence at their house, and put it back up. Total of 16 feet was all. The house next door was putting in a new one and it was a good time to match it and make it look good. Done a bunch of these, no problem.......

Course, it was over 80 most days I was there (from Dec 23 till yesterday), so that part wasn't fun!!! But we finally got the stuff and tore down the old fence, and Saturday we were digging fence post holes. Even that was easy, as their ground is pure loam......... he is building a double fence, each 4', so we used 10' 4X4's for both gate posts and buried them 3' in the ground with quickrete to hold the weight of gates. Even a 3' hole was easy to dig, no problem.

Well, the boy went to town to get something or other that we forgot, and I was digging the 2nd post hole. I got it about 3' deep, stuck the post in the ground and it just twitched the stringline, so I figured "OK, one more thrust with the posthole diggers".

Well, that was the problem. SSPPPPEEEEWWWWWWWWW was the next sound I heard after that last thrust. Uh, huh??? Didn't take long to figure out what it was..............Natural Gas!!!

Right then, the boy drives up, and runs over and I'm sort of stunned, not sure what to do. Gas smell is all over the yard, next yard, out into street.........bad news. The guy building the next door fence was a smoker and we had to make sure he didn't light up! The boy grabs a shovel and pushes all that dirt back into the hole. That maybe helped, for sure, but dang sure wasn't stopping things. This was also about 4' from their pool........full of water.

He gets on the phone, calling 911, the County, Fire Dept, you name it. No one is much help........but one guy finally tells him to call Atlanta Gas and Electric. Means nothing to me, at this point I'm sort of just standing there, making sure Grandma and neighbors don't fire up the grill, etc. Turns out he gets the right folks and they said they'd send someone out in about one hour. We look all over the yard and behind back fence, etc. for a meter.........but no meter. None. Nowhere! Odd.

OK.......so now it gets weird. The house has NO gas service. It does have an old gas valve coming up next to the foundation, but it's shut....so no gas is getting into the house other than ambient gas from the leak. I sort of scratch my head and ask when was the last time gas was used at the house? The boy's fiance, who owns the house and has for 15 years, said......."Um......long LONG time ago!". So, I ask why there is pressure on the line if there is no gas service and hasn't been for 15 years???

It stinks, but it's not too bad...........and the guy finally shows up. He is pretty calm about it, but he is flabbergasted that there is pressure on the line. He said that not only did this house lose service 15 years ago, but the entire island (Wilmington Island) was decommissioned by Atlanta Gas years ago! There is NO SERVICE anywhere. He said that there is ZERO way that there should be pressure in that line, and he didn't even know where to go to find the Main and turn it off! He said it just doesn't exist. I said 'Duh, dude, yes it does'.

He's still calm, and grabs a shovel and digs out a hole way wider than the post hole, and down below the pipe.........it's a plastic gas pipe, spewing to beat the band, loudly...........while his face is down there by it working on it. He finally gets to where he can handle it and gets some kind of contraption on it to cap it off. It's cut in half on the house side of the rupture, so he says we can go ahead and put the fence post in....so we do after he leaves.

He said that they'd have to get a crew in and they'd have to dig from the rupture to the street (this is a Cul De Sac, and all pie shaped lots, so a mess.........) to figure out where it's coming from. He spent a long time on phone, and he said they can't even find any records of the gas pipe/main layout!!

So, it coulda been disastrous! Maybe I'm making lemonade out of lemons, but I'm thinking this is a blessing in disguise. Guy said that if this house has pressure, they probably all do. He said if they have a meter, it'd be cut off, but most houses around do not have meters. Meaning......he has no idea the extent of houses on the entire island that have similar issues!!! First guy digging out for a pool, or fence, or whatever.........and ruptures it next to a flame, and the whole place could go up.

So.....it'll be interesting to see how it works out.

But that's the weirdest fence I ever helped build, ever since Bob Woodard decided to twist the turtle-back posts 90 degrees AFTER they'd been in concrete for 2 hours! He was a monster.......

[Buckrub]

P.S.
The MS River, as of 5 hours ago, is a dangerous looking mess!

[Thumper]

Dang! Ya' should'a capped it, switch over to all gas in the house, hot water, furnace, clothes dryer, stove/oven and heck, put in a couple BBQ's! (Leave the gas fridge for Canuckians) Then tap in and enjoy! ;)

Seriously, that's a really weird story. I'd have to think SOME company is leasing the rights to that line and somewhere along the line, a valve was eliminated or someone simply doesn't know where it is. (buried over the years?) As for no gas on W.I, it appears there are probably 10-15 suppliers to choose from. SOMEBODY has to know who's using that main.

http://www.gasgeorgia.com/local-natural-gas/city/wilmington_island

[Buckrub]

Yeah, I know nothing other than what I gleaned there. Just got home.

BUT your post is funny. The boy's fiance's father came over (lives about 1 mile away) and is a retired electric contractor, big time jobs. He said, with a smirk, "You need to hush, cap the line yourself, come back and run it into house and put in gas this, that, and the other".

[Thumper]

Speaking of hooking up to the gas line, I did a similar thing years ago with my first house .... well, kinda-sorta.

I bought my first house in L.A. and the only cable tv I ever had previously was in whatever apartments I'd lived in and cable was always supplied by the apartments (I never had my own account). Before that, I'd been in the military and cable didn't exist ... or at least I'd never had any personal experience with it before that. I grew up with an antenna on the roof!

Anyway, when I bought my L.A. house, it had a cable outlet in almost every room. I hooked up a couple of tv's and had cable tv! I'm being totally honest, I was so naive I actually thought basic cable was free (like receiving tv through the air with an antenna), and you simply paid for "upgrades" like movie channels, etc. I lived in that house almost 10 years before I got curious about a movie special the cable company was promoting. I called the cable company and they sent a representative to the house. I invited him in and he started his sales pitch, mentioned some price about basic cable and the movie channel would be X-amount extra. When he first came to the door, I'd been watching TV and simply muted it. He glanced at my tv, looked at the paperwork he brought with him, looked back at the tv with a confused look and said something about my having cable, but his records show I don't. THAT is when I learned your're s'posed ta' pay for cable tv!

I declined the movie channel offer and a few days later, some cable guy shows up at my door and said he's there to disconnect my cable tv. I follow him around to the cable box on the side of my house, he opens the door to the box, unscrews the cable input, slams the lid shut and he's off to his next job. I stood there, shook my head, opened the box, screwed the cable end back on, closed the lid and that house STILL had free cable the day I sold it! Now, that was the early to late-80's and I'm sure things have changed since that time, but the gas line story reminded me of that.

[Nandy]

wow!!!! I had to get a locate and was not allowed to build the fence until I have had them all checked.... Even thought my fence was at that back yard and there are no utilities there....

[Thumper]

wow!!!! I had to get a locate and was not allowed to build the fence until I have had them all checked.... Even thought my fence was at that back yard and there are no utilities there....

Huh? I have no clue what you just said. You been hittin' the hooch tonight Nandy? ;)

[Nandy]

Jim, I had a similar experience when I moved to charlotte from PR. At that time I was starting over again and not so much money to spent in luxuries such as cable. A few years in to this and things are getting better so I decide to call time warner to get cable. The morning of the installation I start unhooking the antennas and hooking the existing coax cables coming from TW. I see now my tv's had cable, so I assumed that the cable service here was similar to the telephone where when you call for service it is turned up remotely most of the time and the technician just comes to check it.
so the guy shows up with the box to start the installation. I tell them seems they threw the switch and you have signal already.... He looks at me and say, that is not how it works, I have to actually hook you up, that means you had cable all along.... I feel stupid and tell the guy to finish, he immediately says, they only pay me $20 per installation, if you give me the $20 I tell them you did not want the install.... I succumbed to the idea of free cable.... few months into it one of them came, got up in the post and put a filter block in my line.... lol!

[Nandy]

Huh? I have no clue what you just said. You been hittin' the hooch tonight Nandy? ;)

Getting a locate of your utilities, they paint with spraypaint on your yard where the utilities lay so you wont cut them when digging.

[HideHunter]

Getting a locate of your utilities, they paint with spraypaint on your yard where the utilities lay so you wont cut them when digging.

Nandy is right. Many states (Iowa included) have "Before You Dig" laws.. We're not supposed to drive a fence post or plant a tree without calling.. Service is free - but damned expensive if you don't and hit something.

[Buckrub]

Wouldn't have done any good to call. The company has no records of a line there........which we found out after the fact, yes. But they are clueless how there is gas in a line that isn't even on their records. The only reason they are involved is that everyone passed the buck to them, and they are the last folks to have served the area.

[airbud7]

Getting a locate of your utilities, they paint with spraypaint on your yard where the utilities lay so you wont cut them when digging.

Yep...yellow wire that runs along the gas line "tracing" it so gas line location can be easily itentified without digging/

6367

[BarryBobPosthole]

Thumper, why do you think its okay to steal cable service for all those years and then brag about it? You don't think there are people that make a living delivering and maintaining those services or what?

Jeeze louise. Stealing is fucking stealing.

BKB

[Thumper]

You're right P-hole. Can't and won't argue the fact. Guess what? I ain't perfect. I was also in my 20's and I never did a damn thing wrong back then ... much like you I'm sure. Ummm, if it makes you feel any higher and mightier, I stated I'd lived in the house for 10 years and never even knew I had to pay for cable. The only reason I called for that movie offer was because I took time off from work to repaint and prep my house for sale to move to Florida. Figured a few movies would make the off-time less boring. Once I put it on the market, it sold in 19 days. I KNOWINGLY "stole" cable for a month and a half, until I moved out. Doesn't make it right, but I wasn't going to call and have cable "installed" just to cancel it 6 weeks later. So I'm a low-life thief. When I grow up, I hope to have as clean a slate as yours. Sheesh! Who shit in YOUR Wheaties this morning?

[BarryBobPosthole]

I'm not being high and mighty about anything. We've all done shit we'd never do now. Well, most of us, I'm sure there's some amngst us who haven't. It just kind of sounded like you were bragging about is what flipped my switch.

BKB

[Thumper]

Well, I didn't mean to get your blood pressure up, but I'm sure a nice bong hit would calm you down a bit. Heck, I know that stuff is against the law and everything, but I've already admitted I'm a scofflaw so I'd love to join you. No wait! I'm confused. You wouldn't do anything illegal would you?

(Sorry, just messin' with you buddy. Cappy won't issue me an SD'er badge and I'm trying really, REALLY hard to get one!) :D

[Bwana]

Here in ND we are required to "Call before you dig." It is a free service that will be completed within 3 days if not sooner.

Whether they know there is a line in the area you want to dig or not, they will still use a locating tool to see if anything shows up. Probably not 100% effective but it seems to be a pretty good plan to follow.

[Arty]

And by not calling before you dig you are hurting the people that make a living delivering those services.

So basically you're stealing if you don't call before you dig.

[Arty]

And by not calling before you dig you are hurting the people that make a living delivering those services. So basically you're stealing if you don't call before you dig.

^^^
Who's in charge of mailing out the Senior SD badges???

[LJ3]

1-800-miss-utility

Come on people. Pull it together! Someone's gotta justify the idiotic union salaries of those people who paint lines on my grass to justify their existence.

Wait... if we're all SD'ers who's gonna be left to take the bait?

[airbud7]

Wait... if we're all SD'ers who's gonna be left to take the bait?

Apparently Me!.............y'all are very greedy with those SD'er badges....Grrrrrrrr!

6369
Let's get this straight Pyle(airbud)....I'm the only SD'er round here!

[Nandy]

:GH Shit Disturber
That goes to all of youse disturbing the peace....

bucky, you might be right but the thing is once you call it is no longer your responsibility if you cause any utilities issues with the digging. I know this is after the fact but it might be useful for future reference.

[Buckrub]

I guess I've not been clear.

Calling beforehand would have had no value, no impact. There is no one to call. The only person that ended up being called claimed they are not the ones providing service, no one is! There is no gas service in the area. None. The fact that the line has pressure on it is a mystery to everyone concerned, including the company that last provided service to the area.

Not sure what you guys are even talking about.

[Nandy]

bucky, you dont call the gas company for a locate, you call a specific number and they dispatch all the locators for all that could be there. The point is, once the locates are done you can dig and if you cut whichever utility you are not responsable so in this case, you call the locate company, they did not locate the gas line because whatever and someone did blew up after you hit the line you are not liable.... Of course, we live in a litigious country so I would not put it past someone to still try to have a legal action but that is not the way it is supposed to go....

[Buckrub]

Nandy, there was no one for them to dispatch..............

[Buckrub]

And y'all can all take your "SD'ing" and stick it. If you want to discuss stuff, say what you honestly think and be prepared to defend same. If not, don't bother me please.

[Nandy]

so you son called for a locate of his utilities and no one was dispatched to do the locates in x amount of days?

[Buckrub]

Sigh.

Never mind.

Disregard this entire post.

[HideHunter]

Bucky, I guess I don't understand where you're headed. Following the law

http://www.tenn811.com/tennessee-811/law

may *not* have kept you from hitting the line. It *would* have absolved you of any responsibility.

I'm honestly surprised you didn't catch hell anyway..

I want my badge.. ;)

[Buckrub]

Get one. Everyone has one.

A) We didn't call.

B) If we had called, they would have said "There's no gas on that island, dig away".

C) Y'all are all right. I'm wrong. I have no idea why I bother posting stuff.

D) See C.

[HideHunter]

okay... don't really see the relevance of "C".. Sorry, I was just confused. Glad no one was hurt in hitting the gas line that wasn't there..

[Nandy]

First off, dont get worked up, im not arguing with you, just trying to pass some info and after reading your last response I know 100 percent you are not understanding me at all..... So here I got, because I care, i will try to explain myself better...

When you are about to dig deeper than 6 inches anywhere in your property, specially one that has not been properly located before, you have to call for utilities location, it is the law. In nc you call 811. Now, they dont stay in the phone with you and tell you dig or no dig. They get your address and they dispatch a group of people to go to that location and locate ALL utilities, not just gas, withing an specified amounts of days. Those people come with equipment that allows them to locate everything from your phone lines to your sewer lines. Once they found those they will either use flags or spray paint to mark where the cables/sewers/gas lines, etc, are. Once they are all done you have the green light. Catch 22, the locate can be up to 2 feet off on each side and still be considered a good locate so you really need to stay away from the sprayed lines/flags.

Would it had helped in your specific situation to keep you from hitting the gas line? It is hard to tell, if the were absolutely no records anyway they would have not dispatched for a gas locate BUT it will absolve you from responsibility if something happens. Right now if that gas company feels like it they could attempt to collect for the call because there is not a record of a call to locate neither a confirmation that all utilities had been located. Will they? Doubtful....

Most people get away with it since all they are doing is planting a tree or so, most utilities are deeper than 12 inches, some stuff like power lines are set way deeper than that. all of our fiber optic cable is burried in excess of 5 feet... so you dont hear much about home owners causing an issue and when they do it only affects them for the most part..... so...


A) We didn't call. (we agree)

B) If we had called, they would have said "There's no gas on that island, dig away". (not really, you have to wait x days until you can dig)

C) Y'all are all right. I'm wrong. I have no idea why I bother posting stuff. (because we all post little things here and there, I just think you are seeing too much into what we wrote...)

D) See C. (saw it and read it again, hope you read my answer to it)

Hope this time I get thru.

[Arty]

Come on Bucky. Eerbody is just pokin' fun - not even all at you.

My response was really to Posty by calling thump a nasty dirty thievin' bastard.

If you care, I'd have dig without calling too. You were after all digging in basically same spot where a fence already was.

Geeeez.

[Buckrub]

OK, I dug badly. I dug wrongly. I was just a hired laborer. So shoot me. Beat me. Make me write bad checks.

I didn't do right. But I wasn't stealing cable, so hey.

Geez.

[Buckrub]

P.S.

Digging a TRENCH, I'd call. I know what 811 is. I ain't stoopid.

Digging a POST HOLE, no.

So that's just my view. Prolly wrong. But hey. I'm wrong often. Like Geico, it's what I do.

[Arty]

P.S. Digging a TRENCH, I'd call. I know what 811 is. I ain't stoopid. Digging a POST HOLE, no. So that's just my view. Prolly wrong. But hey. I'm wrong often. Like Geico, it's what I do. agree. A trench, a koi pond, a grave, I'd call them.
But not a post hole

[Thumper]

agree. A trench, a koi pond, a grave, I'd call them.
But not a post hole

I'd have to agree with that statement. Wrong or right, I just don't think it'd even cross my mind to worry about a fence post.

[HideHunter]

Me too.. I plant trees around here all the time. ;)

[Buckrub]

In fact, it was not just a fence post..........it was a replacement fence post. It went within inches of where the previous (rotten) one was.

Calling just never crossed my mind. I doubt it would anyone's. That's why I was head-scratching over all the posts. I read not long ago where Thump was all upset cause I hadn't posted anything stupid I did, and this was as close as it got, so it was to placate him. That's all.

Bwwaaahhh ahhhaaaaaa.

Wait........"a grave"??? Say what?

[DeputyDog]

Why would you call if you were digging a grave? Isn't that an admission of guilt? I always thought graves of those types were shallow and unmarked.

[Buckrub]

Arty, SEE? Others notice your subterfuge and innuendo and hidden meanings, too!!!

Fess up.

[Captain]

Very important information.
http://youtu.be/Khc1ciGtRAI

[Buckrub]

Oh.

Yeah........I'd have called to get to bury a cat!

[Captain]

Oh. Yeah........I'd have called to get to bury a cat!
:D

[Arty]

Why would you call if you were digging a grave? Isn't that an admission of guilt? I always thought graves of those types were shallow and unmarked.

Shallow indeed. Not deep enough to hit any gas lines! :)

[Nandy]

If after this experience you wont call for just a post hole (given that you just hit a gas line digging a post hole just a little deeper) then I dont now.... lol!!!
That reminds me back in my younger days shooting bb guns. At times we shoot thru cyclone fences and I have to say I hit the 1/8 thick wire more times than the bb passing thru the 2"x2" hole........
I have some fencing to do Bucky, let me know when you are headed this way!!! lol!

[airbud7]

Very important information.
http://youtu.be/Khc1ciGtRAI

That was funny right there^

[Buckrub]

If after this experience you wont call for just a post hole (given that you just hit a gas line digging a post hole just a little deeper) then I dont now.... lol!!!
That reminds me back in my younger days shooting bb guns. At times we shoot thru cyclone fences and I have to say I hit the 1/8 thick wire more times than the bb passing thru the 2"x2" hole........
I have some fencing to do Bucky, let me know when you are headed this way!!! lol!

Well, I ain't calling anyone to dig a new fence post hole in the place one already exists. If that makes me stupid, I'm a Registered Idiot.

[Nandy]

I'm a Registered Idiot.

And I am sure your name is right after mine...notworthy

[Thumper]

And I am sure your name is right after mine...

Nope, the "C's" are listed before the "Q's". ;)

[Arty]

If that makes me stupid, I'm a Registered Idiot.

Isn't that the same as a Registered Democrat?

[Buckrub]

Yes.

And Thump is a Republican for knowing at least two letters of the alphabet, and their relative sequencing.

[Thumper]

HEY!!!!