ECN Forum
Posted By: togol The Saga of Doofy........cont'd - 07/10/06 03:25 PM
You all know how much Doofy enjoys working on lighting, it is what he does best, and it turns out, that he is an exceptional troubleshooter......

except when the trouble is inserted by him !

The folks on the shipping dock asked that their existing fixtures be repaired or replaced, so the loaders could see what they were doing...(some of the castings weigh > 18,000lbs ).!

Well, Doofy to the Rescue...
armed with six brand new 1000w MH high bays he went about his magic.

You may recall that the HB fixtures were single voltage, so he was able to avoid the earlier pesky arithmetic problem..!

So, he diligently repaired ALL the existing fixtures by replacing not only the lamps, but the guts as well ...how did he manage to do this, without killing himself ?

He simply threw away all that were not
lighted...and when I say threw away, I mean throw on the floor, or the dock & ramp so apparently someone else could pick them up , haul them away and thereby have something to do......but I digress.!

In the end, Doofy had tossed five fixtures and ADDED those six big -un's he had packed for the trip.

But something had slipped past the steel trap that is his mind, and it was the new additional load on the lone circuit feeding the dock and an adjacent bay....

Before Doofy had a chance to check his own work...

....he drove off,.....

leaving a pile of broken glass, and shattered fixtures in his wake. it was after all Quittin Time, but within the hour, the breaker tripped, and would continue to trip for TWO WEEKS......isn't that just too dam funny??

Doofy eventually remembered where the dock was, and once again prepared to dazzle the folks over there with his uncanny ability to litter the place with trash.................


....to be continued

:edited for typing errors and one word



[This message has been edited by togol (edited 07-10-2006).]
Posted By: renosteinke Re: The Saga of Doofy........cont'd - 07/10/06 06:01 PM
Togol, I have a retraction to make. In some of my earlier comments, I suggested that Doofy find other employment. I was in error...

Please. please keep Doofy around. This guy is a classic; he is a source of endless entertainment. You know, if you keep a log of his activities, you just might develop a pretty good curriculum for training new apprentices!

On a more devious note.... why don't you introduce him to ECN? I am sure we would all love to meet him, even have his pic in the gallery. (I am sure each of us already has a pic in our minds... I'd just like to see how far off I am!).
Posted By: togol Re: The Saga of Doofy........cont'd - 07/10/06 08:15 PM
it is pathetic ain't it reno,

....I will try to get a photo of him but because of his keen instincts he always seems to be moving.... away.

the guy must be traveling through alternating dimensions,.....like an evil gift from a distant galaxy.

maybe he is CIA, on some black op, and has decided to sharpen his evil skills by singlehandedly destroying some random business, and is somehow using the touchscreens at this place to communicate with his superiors...I have seen him staring at a couple......

perhaps a log should be kept..but who would believe any of it....?
Posted By: Celtic Re: The Saga of Doofy........cont'd - 07/10/06 08:37 PM
Quote
perhaps a log should be kept..but who would believe any of it....?

Who cares if anyone believes it?
It's some funny stuff.
Thanks!
Posted By: togol Re: The Saga of Doofy........cont'd - 07/10/06 10:04 PM
........to be continued,

Doofy began assembling his diagnostic tools and special items prior to beginning the arduous task of troubleshooting this problem,
bear in mind that this list is not comprehensive as it is based on my own observaions and failing memory...there must have been some things I missed.

A: one Fluke T5
B: two new MH lamps, a 250w and a 400w

.....plus a boomlift and Doofys personal forktruck .

troubleshooting began at approx. 4p.m. CST and lasted until about 11:30 p.m. of the same day.


..let's pause here for a moment to explain that this was my first ..(ooops, edit:....actually my second) and last encounter with this guy,
I do not want to help him,
I do not chooose to help him ,
the deciding factors ...
.. his turn was ending,
....I was coming on,
and he had managed to plunge the entire shipping area into darkness, except for the comforting glow of the headlights on his personal forktruck.

Ok, back to the show,
after the obligatory "safety " chat, and job assignments
I get to the scene of the crime, after gingerly walking through the darkened area, only to discover Doofy has pulled the cover of an I-Line panel, yanked the breaker, and is nowhere near it !!!!

This foundry is old, so old in fact they are still operating under the 1896 ? NEC you know , the Code that states "no more than three or more wires under one or more lugs "..that Code !

Well, Doofy has really done it now,

there are eight conductors hangin out of the panel,
eight wires that were on the now missing breaker in some "special way ".!

He insisted he "thought he marked them" ?????????????

He was so determined in fact to prove he marked them, he boomed up to the ceiling before I showed up, and unwired everything in the first j-box, to show that, yes, he had taped three wires together at the panel...the fact that he had managed to tape two #10s and a #12 together was , ummm, not important.

it took about an hour, ....I let him ride up and down in the boom alone, while he put everything back together in that j-box...
and after a few checks, I let him turn the breaker on..
..( he's a trusting soul ain't he )

BTW the old breaker ,......which is most likely worn out....., got tossed onto the floor, where else?? but my curiosity got the best of me about the size of the new one.he went from 25 to 50

Hey Doofy , what's up with the breaker ?
"????????????"

How did you pick the size?
it's the biggest one back there,except for a150

Ok, g'night moron

'night, oh .....and thanks







[This message has been edited by togol (edited 07-10-2006).]
Posted By: togol Re: The Saga of Doofy........cont'd - 07/10/06 10:17 PM
Celtic,
it's true ....you can't make this stuff up,

I can see this guy starting his own bidness someday
Posted By: mahlere Re: The Saga of Doofy........cont'd - 07/10/06 10:49 PM
i've heard of that theory. it's the "multiple wire any size breaker theory"

if you put more than 4 wires on any one breaker, you can choose any size you want. because the amperage gets split up between all the wires, so it's ok [Linked Image]
Posted By: togol Re: The Saga of Doofy........cont'd - 07/10/06 11:21 PM
yeah yeah, that's it,
the infinite lug / wire / breaker lottery. !
Posted By: NORCAL Re: The Saga of Doofy........cont'd - 07/10/06 11:44 PM
I do not know if I should laugh or start bawling its has been entertaining. Is he going to injure or be the cause of someone losing their life before someone realizes they have a major problem?
Posted By: renosteinke Re: The Saga of Doofy........cont'd - 07/10/06 11:59 PM
Togol... you do realise that ECN sells books? You just might have a best-seller starting....
Posted By: Celtic Re: The Saga of Doofy........cont'd - 07/11/06 02:01 AM
I would buy it...but you gotta have pictures...you paint a great picture ~ but I've been with Doofy's illegitimate sister's half-brother ~ now, for those that haven't seen a tasmanian electrician...we need pix.

Doesn't management question his housekeeping practices at the VERY least???

[This message has been edited by Celtic (edited 07-10-2006).]
Posted By: togol Re: The Saga of Doofy........cont'd - 07/11/06 04:01 PM
just got home and out of the shower....this place is nothing but dirt and filth,

interestingly, Mmgt.decided two weeks ago to spruce up the maint. locker room and had everything torn out, hired professionals to paint , repair , and replace things like the plumbing, floor tile, and lighting....


actually they hired some college kids as Summer help.!

anyway, this place is desperate for help,
of any calibre and though misdemeanors don't count.. felonies just require answering a couple extra questions , and
who would know more about the intricacies of Drug Screening than uh....inmates
I think, ......and I may be wrong, but, there may even be a recruiter posted at the County Correctional Center.

basically the way to greet some new hire is to inquire as to the conditons of his or her parole... instead of the old fashioned .."were do you live" or "what did you do before" sort of questions.

that may provide some insight to the typical worker there, so perhaps instead of mentioning silly crap like housekeeping to some crackhead , the Dept.... referred to as Shakeout ..... culls a few from the herd and teaches these model citizens how to drive a Bobcat,

and thru the wee hours these crazies drive around at a safe speed and scoop up anything left laying on the floor...
or the parking lot..
.and once, the road out front,

that's right, driving away in your very own Bobcat down the road to....... freedom !

and freedom was about three blocks away that night.

So getting someone who can register a score on the Mech.test must be like signing Michael Jordan to play Hockey for the SouthBend Silverhawks AA baseball minimum....a rarity indeed...

will this nincompoop hurt himself??
....probably

will someone else be hurt ??
I hope not.

will he ever pick up after himself ??
if I tell you that he has new indoor fixtures sitting in the rain as I type this.......!


does that give the answer away ??

should I write a book??

should ECN sell comics??


pictures are coming soon , my camera is big and hard to hide....this place doesn't allow cameras.....geez, why not
andCeltic if you don't mind
I like tasmanian electrician...

howze bout...spazmanian for my new best friend ....... Doofy

[This message has been edited by togol (edited 07-11-2006).]
Posted By: DetroiterRob Re: The Saga of Doofy........cont'd - 07/11/06 09:51 PM
no cameras eh? we do alot of work on zug island wich is United States Steel territory and document all our work with photos, the boss has a 5mp digital camera with a pretty big body, its a kodak and has lasted fairly well in the dirt, coal, coke and ore dust, we keep it inside a little hard lunch pail and noone ever asked to check inside or anything, but i have a little fuji finepix point and shoot digital that hides easily in a pocket for those quick shots when ya need em. hope that gives ya an idea

Rob
Posted By: Celtic Re: The Saga of Doofy........cont'd - 07/12/06 01:50 AM
Quote

Celtic if you don't mind
I like tasmanian electrician...

howze bout...spazmanian for my new best friend ....... Doofy

Feel free to use my trademarked and copyrighted catch phrase "Tasmanian Electrician"...I just need some royalty money or a free signed copy of the book [Linked Image]

While I like spazmanian, I don't think it accurately paints the proper picture.

Here's another signature catch phrase of mine:
Spontaneous Construction (or deconstruction, in Doofy's case)

You can liberate that term, also.
Posted By: Mash Re: The Saga of Doofy........cont'd - 07/12/06 08:27 AM
When you say Tasmanian i am assuming you are talking about the guy with along fringe to cover his third eye, that is married to his half brothers sister variety?
Posted By: renosteinke Re: The Saga of Doofy........cont'd - 07/12/06 01:57 PM
Mash, I think he's referring to the cartoon "Tasmanian Devil", a roving whirlwind that leaves a path of destruction wherever he goes.
Appropriately, a "Looney Tune" cartoon.
Posted By: togol Re: The Saga of Doofy........cont'd - 07/12/06 01:59 PM
DetroiterRob,
I was coerced into buying a digital camcorder a few years back, but since I am one of those diehard manual focus film guys, there is approximately 14 minutes of recording on the 3 yr old original tape !!!

the thing takes so-so pictures , but I guess I could take a few .


dammit, I'll do it,
to hell with the dam rules
Posted By: Celtic Re: The Saga of Doofy........cont'd - 07/12/06 08:31 PM
This is "the" Tasmanian Devil"
[Linked Image from thenextleft.com]

This is what he says:

http://www.nonstick.com/sounds/Tasmanian_Devil/lttd_001.wav http://www.nonstick.com/sounds/Tasmanian_Devil/lttd_003.wav http://www.nonstick.com/sounds/Tasmanian_Devil/lttd_013.wav

(The last one ...LMAO)

[This message has been edited by Celtic (edited 07-12-2006).]
Posted By: Mash Re: The Saga of Doofy........cont'd - 07/12/06 11:13 PM
Ok im familiar with that version aswell, if you call someone a tasmanian here in Australia it can have a totally differnt meaning. They are very sensitive down there on their little island. They got real upset some years back when they were left off the Australian map on a coin!
Posted By: electure Re: The Saga of Doofy........cont'd - 07/13/06 03:20 AM
Quote
the thing takes so-so pictures , but I guess I could take a few . dammit, I'll do it, to hell with the dam rules

Wow, maybe we need to start another Forum...The Doofy's Disasters Forum.
Of course nobody here would ever suggest that you violate the rules [Linked Image], but if you just happen by chance to get some pictures of doofy's doings...........
Send 'em right away so I can put them up [Linked Image] [Linked Image]
Posted By: togol Re: The Saga of Doofy........cont'd - 07/13/06 04:13 PM
Smoke 'em....!

....yeah baby...,
a one man layoff....,
the Hall called, they want you back.


Celtic,
I would if I could.......
Posted By: Celtic Re: The Saga of Doofy........cont'd - 07/13/06 09:08 PM
The hall "wanted" you back...???

LMAO
Posted By: togol Re: The Saga of Doofy........cont'd - 07/14/06 12:54 AM
ok, the batteries are charging up,
the camera is cleverly concealed in a Ziploc bag
I made a bologna samich,
grabbed a power water....

and I 'm going dark at 2230 hrs
ETR 0730 hrs


I can do this.....
Posted By: Celtic Re: The Saga of Doofy........cont'd - 07/14/06 02:15 AM
May the Schwartz be with you
[Linked Image from upload.wikimedia.org]
Posted By: DetroiterRob Re: The Saga of Doofy........cont'd - 07/14/06 09:04 PM
hey togol- question bout your plant, it just hit me, did you guys have any conveyor work done from Martin Engineering acouple weeks ago, one guy from our shop helped one of their guys out at a mill in northern Indiana for 3 days.
Posted By: wa2ise Re: The Saga of Doofy........cont'd - 07/14/06 09:12 PM
Quote
I can see this guy starting his own bidness someday

Good thing inspector AHJs exist! [Linked Image]
Posted By: renosteinke Re: The Saga of Doofy........cont'd - 07/14/06 11:29 PM
Nah... Doofy will prob get a nice, safe govt job...as AHJ! ::teeth
Posted By: togol Re: The Saga of Doofy........cont'd - 07/16/06 04:10 PM
DetroiterRob,
sorry for the lag in responding.

I don't know if Martin was here, it's possible, but most of the time a local outfit Tonn & Blank is used .

also, this plant is in LaPorte , but there are mini-mills all around,
in New Carlisle, Portage, Burns Harbor, Gary, Whiting, East Chicago....etc,etc,etc.
Posted By: togol Re: The Saga of Doofy........cont'd - 07/16/06 04:35 PM
I have only a few pics to send to electure,

the place is so gloomy, and dusty, the little camera can't focus on too much inside the plant...but since the newbie 3rd shift supervisor is on vacation this week I will take my film camera tonight

I am planning on leaving this hellhole soon, a casino is going up in Michigan, about 15 minutes away, and is supposed to last about a year, and with other large projects starting up in the area the benches might start moving .....

I got my fingers crossed.....
Posted By: togol Re: The Saga of Doofy........cont'd - 07/16/06 05:15 PM
Dark Helmet.......hahahahahahahha

"I knew it , I'm surrounded by . . . . .les "


thanks again Celtic
Posted By: renosteinke Re: The Saga of Doofy........cont'd - 07/16/06 08:57 PM
Careful what you wish for...

About a decade ago, a monster of a casino opened here. Employees of existing casinos flocked to apply at the new place.

One gent expressed great eagerness to get away from the jerk he was working for. What he didn't know was that said jerk was also going to the new place...
Posted By: togol Re: The Saga of Doofy........cont'd - 07/17/06 02:07 AM
John.
I meant to say
work on the casino,
not at the casino..
if I pick up the call
Doofys chances instantly become <0%
Posted By: Trumpy Re: The Saga of Doofy........cont'd - 07/17/06 07:00 AM
togol,
I'm not the sort to be a party-pooper, but, how would you like it if somebody posted all of your mistakes?.
Sure this guy might be a bit "different" in the IQ stakes, but does that warrant having all of his mistakes posted over the Internet?.
And believe me, they will be copied from here, if anything else from ECN is anything is to go by.
Perhaps you should have let that guy go, before he became a danger to life and property, not merely laugh about him.
It seems to me that a lack of training caused this.
Having been a trainer of electricians and Line -Mechanics, I find it hard to believe that a person like this could have been employed so long, with things like insurance risks.
Posted By: electure Re: The Saga of Doofy........cont'd - 07/17/06 10:10 AM
Togol's pictures of Doofy's Dirtywork are a new thread over in the Photos Submitted for Discussion Area. (partly so this thread doesn't take too long to load)


It can be reached by clicking HERE

Also,links to the other Chapters of Doofy's story are there.

[This message has been edited by electure (edited 07-17-2006).]
Posted By: bigventure Re: The Saga of Doofy........cont'd - 07/17/06 12:04 PM
Trumpy,
I agree. However it is amusing. This should serve as a reminder to all home owners and EC's that hiring an inept electrician can cause trouble.
Several years ago we were against the same situation. I was being told that the guy I hired was a real Doofy 2. Being in the office 90% of the time I couldn't see it for myself.
One evening on a service call while changing a CH 200 amp main breaker loadcenter DOOFY 2 laid the ground across the live bus bars blowing the fuses on the transformer. Once the power was restored and everything and everyone safe DOOFY 2 did it again this time igniting some paper that was below the panel.
The fire dept was called then I was called and DOOFY 2 was fired on the spot.
We talk about this now and laugh when in reality we were lucky that the house didn't burn down or worse yet someone was killed.
Posted By: togol Re: The Saga of Doofy........cont'd - 07/17/06 01:35 PM
Mike,
there are several reasons for my skewering this guy,

and while I have gone down that list in a rather sarcastic manner, I am in no position to "let him go"

he is a fraud as far as I am concerned, since he had misrepresented his background when he hired in, but the company accepted his line of BS and has for whatever reason turned a blind eye ever since. shame on them huh?

I have taught my share of Apprentices, and helped other Journeyman over the past 30 or so years, and have also been embarassed by the knowledge of others, especially on this forum

I have attended many JW classes throughout my career, to gain more knowledge but I still know my limitations .
.....and I have many,.......

but this guy is an impostor, in a sometimes lethal business.
and having to deal with his antics at work by writing about them here has been therapeutic for me..and I may have to continue


Tom
Posted By: renosteinke Re: The Saga of Doofy........cont'd - 07/17/06 03:53 PM
Tom Peters ("In Search of Excellence") documented the effect management has upon safety in workplaces. Safety foes far beyond equipment, procedures, training, or rules; for the maximum effect, "safety" has to be something actively sought by all, and placed a value on by management.

The saga of Doofy is a good example of management not doing its' job.... with the result of everyone being put at risk. From the story, management didn't even follow its' own procedures when Doofy failed the electrical test.

I am glad the tale is being told. It is of some value to show folks that such lousy workplaces, and inept workers, do exist. There is also the small chance that the responsible parties will see the thread, realise everyone is laughing at them, and be inspired to clean up their act.

I won't feel sympathy for Doofy's lack of training. From the account, he seems to be the sort who deliberately chooses to never learn anything...why, he already knows, or can figure out, anything!
Folks like Doofy exist only because management let them. Indeed, such characters do a fine job of driving away competent, responsible folks.
Posted By: trobb Re: The Saga of Doofy........cont'd - 07/17/06 10:28 PM
And let's not forget that those "competant reliable folks" sometimes cost more per hour (which the co. sees) but less in the long run (fewer rewires, for example, thus less lost time) which the company doesn't see per se since without anything to "see"...
Maybe it's short-sightedness on the co.'s part?
Posted By: Trumpy Re: The Saga of Doofy........cont'd - 07/19/06 12:37 AM
togol,
Having read all 4 threads that you've posted here, I have to say I firmly agree with your opinion, this guy is a walking disaster zone!.
I can agree with a person making an honest silly mistake on a job, but this guy is just flat-out incompetent!.
I feel sorry for the next person that has the mis-fortune of hiring him, people like him need to be kept out of the industry, for everyone's safety.
Sort of like an "electrical" Protection Order.
Posted By: renosteinke Re: The Saga of Doofy........cont'd - 07/19/06 12:57 AM
There is another, more subtle downside to a guy like Doofy.

Without getting into the tedious details, whe I came to Reno I was 'frozen' out of decent employment for years; I did a lot of sub-par jobs until I could get going again.

Now, with that all well in the past, I can see why.... employers here see an endless stream of "Doofy's" who breeze into town, talk a great line, and leave disaster in their wake. The prospective employers, in my case, had no way of telling that I just might be the "real deal," and weren't about to take a chance.
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