$100 worth of stupid 2

[exverizon]

Here's a good story I'm telling on myself; maybe someone will not repeat my mistake.

I go on a wiring job about 40 minutes' drive from home; spend a couple hours doing it. Fine. A few days later, I discover my Progressive probe is not in my tool bag. I retrace the last few days in my head: I used it last at that job and must have set it aside to run cross connects in the mall phone room. Drive all the way back, get access, no probe there. Drat. A phone company tech has probaly been there in the meantime, found it and kept it. Good spare, right?

So I order a new one, about $100 for a top-of-the line filtering type. Get it, use it. Great product. Hope that phone guy is enjoying my old one somewhere.

A couple weeks later I'm out on a rainy day with a slicker I wear only in wet weather; I stick my hand in the pocket looking for a pen. What's this? You guessed it.

Anyone want to buy a great Progressive probe? Hardly used?

LESSON: CHECK WHAT YOU WERE WEARING WHEN YOU "LOST" IT!

 

[hbiss]

Ha, that's what happens when you get old!

We are considering ordering a case of flashlights and having them imprinted with "Compliments of (company name)".

-Hal

 

[NX01]

I bought a box of high grade Cat5 for a new run, popped the ceiling tile, ran the wire and closed the ceiling. A month goes by and I realize I have no Cat5 and order some along with new poles that I thought were stolen...Three years later I go to run some coaxial and guess what I found...my Cat5, poles and my right hand glove.

In the future everything will work...

 

[ANFPS26]

It's called "CRS" syndrome.

Jim

 

[skip555]

iv'e always said a man could make a decent living following me around and picking up the tools I loose.

most recent was the tone, I couldnt find it after a late isntall , so I went back looked around and asked , wasn't there and nobody had seen it .so I bought a new one

back at the site this week and went into the confrence room and there it was still plugged into the wall . Now I remeber last minute she changed her mind and decided not to put a phone in the confrence room.

then there was the time I was sure the movers had stolen my TS22 buttset . Evan went so far as to peer into the cab of their truck with my flashlight .

bought a new buttset .

guess what? the movers broke in to my truck one night about a month later and stuck that ts22 behind the seat

then there was my cordless milwkee screwdriver that I lost after my son had been helping me , I asked him a couple of times and he looked in his room "nope dad I dont have it ".

he moved out and guess what I found under his bed (I was glad to see it again)

Personally Im far happier when the item turns up where it isn't supposed to be than when I never see it again

 

[dhnl]

what do you think of the "filtering type" probe - is it worth the extra cash?

 

[skip555]

I like mine , when replacemnt time comes Ill buy another filter probe.

well worth the money in my opion

 

[exverizon]

NX01:
Three YEARS go by and your stuff's still there? Ye gods, you must have done that job inside an Egyptian burial chamber!

As for the filtering probe (Progressive 200FP), it's a whole lot better than the el-cheapo, no-name brand I didn't mention I bought first to replace the "lost" one ($30 or so) that I decided was a piece of junk.

The only feature of the better one I don't like is the trigger: push once for "on", again for "off." When you place it back in a tool bag, it can get pushed "on" inadvertantly by jostling butt sets. It goes off automatically in 5 minutes, but that drains the battery faster.

 

[Sunrise05]

Ever leave a radio in the ceiling and walk the job talking into the other one hoping to hear yourself? Yep, me neither.

 

[hbiss]

Well, I KNOW I have CRS and I try to compensate by keeping everything together where I know they should be. I put my tools back in my tool pouch and carry other tools and materials in a canvas bag or box. I make it a point to toss them back in when I'm done using them along with all the scrap (so I don't forget to pick that up either).

The guy who works with me is just as bad CRS wise but he is always putting tools down and leaving stuff everywhere. One time we too discovered one of our radios was missing. We walked the job like you did talking into the radio we had. We found the missing radio on somebodies desk along with a bunch of this guys tools right where he left them.

I guess if we didn't lose the radio we would never have missed the tools until too late.

Another time I went back to a job (in a $$$house) after a few days to finish up and found one of our cardboard boxes filled with scrap sitting on top of the Viking range in the kitchen- again right where this guy left it last time we were there. Apparently people in these kind of houses don't do much cooking!

-Hal

 

[jeffmoss26]

would anyone enlighten me as to what CRS means?
thanks, jeff

jeff moss

 

[ANFPS26]

Heh, heh....

"Can't Remember S***!"

Jim

 

[orypecos]

I kid my 'sigificant other' that she is a victim of 'mental pause'. She finds it amusing most the time.
I have had to taken the percaution of buying extra reading glasses, pen, pencils, hats, mutlimeters and just about everything else. Then I can usually find one of them.

 

[jeffmoss26]

I always #2 phillips screwdriver bits for my drill.

jeff moss

 

[Sleepsalot]

I just call the problem Brain Gas.

Wayne

 

[macphoneguy]

I will say Yes I've suffered from "CRS" although I usually call them "Brain Farts" any Yes It's happened More then once or twice, ;-)(with everything from Screw Drivers to butt sets and everything inbetween)

 

[jakatz]

I have been known to suffer from CRS myself - damn - I just found my business card wallet I have been missing for a few months. Just also recently lost my cell phone (has anyone seen it by the way?)

I do have a recommendation though. Although it is probably not suitable for someone that leaves stuff at a job site - never to be seen again (because it is behind a panel of sheet rock, etc.), but there is a company that I just recently discovered that makes durable, fade resistant, permanent adhesive labels (they have all shapes and sizes), that attach to all sorts of stuff - if an item is found by someone, and they notice the label, they just dial the number on the label, give the registration number of the label and arrangements are made to get that item back to it's rightful owner. Obviously it's not a perfect system (if you are dealing with someone that found your item and is bent on keeping it) - but it supposedly has gotten good results. Check out the company at the following website:

http://www.stuffbak.com

I am actually wanting to purchase a bunch of these to attach to all of our laptops, cellphones, etc. at the office - it has the potential to save us a bunch of time and money in the long run.

 

[fs483]

Why not put a miniature GPS locator or a Boomrang alarm system on each and every tool ?

 

[jlshelton]

StuffBak works, but is expensive. They want $15 per incident, plus their choice of shipping costs. Not worth it to get back a screwdriver. But they do provide anonymity, and make it pretty hassle-free for the finder.

 

[Kaycek]

I empathize with each and every one of you -- let me know when one of you sits down in front of you computer, debit card in hand, doesn't move, and can't find the card when it comes time to key in the number to order a piece of equipment...

As for my cell phone, I have my home phone programmed so I can hit the cell number and call it using one button, at least you guys don't carry purses -- the phone's in the bottom of my purse, every time!!!

Kaycek
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Don't give up and Don't give in