Gettin High
 

125 feet over the top of a steel yard. The machine I was in was having issues with failing in the raised position. To verify the complaint, I had to ride it up to the top and see if it would die.
The truck down there is a 13 ton GMC Top Kick.

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...20-08_1156.jpg


This is the steel yard. Millions of dollars just sitting there waiting to be melted down.

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...20-08_1155.jpg

I would have fainted

Fucked up.

ha my hands just suddenly got sweaty

I hate heights.

Heights are shit.

So what exactly does it mean when that machine 'fails'? Like it comes crashing down or it gets stuck?

I don't think I'd volunteer to be the test dummy for that....

Depending on the fault, it could mean anything. Crashing down would result in the machine being scrapped. The failure I was dealing with was an electrical problem. The engine would die and not restart from the platform. That problem has a nasty habit of trapping the operator in the air. It did die on me, but I took someone out with me to recover the machine if I needed it. I can and have refused to operate one if I think it is unsafe.

I bet that high up, the wind was making that thing sway!! I'd think it would be very cool for a few feet, then get really scary after 100 feet hehe

The wind can make them sway quite a bit. It sometimes feels like about 10 feet in either direction. I'm not sure how it can be measured though. When you look down the boom, you can watch it flex and bend. Next time I work on one, I'll take a video to post showing what its like that high up.

Hell i'd refuse if it WAS safe