# Ride Alongs



## PR Fect (Oct 22, 2003)

Has any of you city, county, or state guys had a alder person, board member, or upper management ride along with you for a night of plowing? Maybe even a reporter. Just wondering if you where glad you did, or if it was a mistake. What did you talk about? Why did they want to see your work? PR


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## WingPlow (Jun 18, 2007)

a few years back we had a selectman who would come in and help out during big storms
he'd take a pickup and help out doing intersections or cul-de-sacs

and i've had a reporter ride with me for alittle while...he lost interest pretty quickly


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## tailboardtech (Feb 28, 2010)

i had a reporter ride with me 2 years ago she got scared every time i went past a car or a mail box close i kicked her out of the truck after about a half hour of her saying you almost hit that... they interviewed someone else but used the footage of me plowing :realmad:

one of the guys at our shop had the county executive ride with him he said he was so nervous he almost hit a car. mostly they just want to see how the cogs work


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## coldcoffee (Jul 17, 2008)

I almost had a deer come along for a ride the other night, but I think you meant something else.


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## bighornjd (Oct 23, 2009)

I've had a few people ride along just to see what it was like plowing on the road, but it doesn't last long. The constant "you almost hit that" or "wow, that was close" like tailboardtech mentioned get's old. I tell them to relax and stop saying that, we're fine, and then they resort to just ducking and cringing everytime. Then they like to lean forward to look back out the window to see if you actually hit something, or watch the snow roll off the plow. And of course every time I want to glance over and look out the mirror, thier big head is right in my line of sight. After a half dozen times of "SIT BACK! I CAN'T SEE!", they lose interest and get out.:laughing:


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## mercer_me (Sep 13, 2008)

I go with my uncle every storm. He has a Ford L9000 with a 11' plow and 11' wing. When I fisrt started going with him when I was 13 he had a 197? Ford L8000 single axle with an 11' plow and 11' wing. That truck was beat up pretty bad but, I loved every minute. I love riding with him, I never get bored. He said he likes having me go becouse I can let him know how close he is to mail boxes and if there are cars coming. We usualy talk for a while then we will go for a while just being quite. But, it never gets boring. I found out real quik if you just sit there and wach the snow come off the wing you get tired real quik. I have gone quite a few times staying up for over 24 hours. I plowed one storm this year with him and I was up for 36 hours strait. I love just love going.


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## tailboardtech (Feb 28, 2010)

bighornjd;1199710 said:


> Then they like to lean forward to look back out the window to see if you actually hit something, or watch the snow roll off the plow. And of course every time I want to glance over and look out the mirror, thier big head is right in my line of sight. After a half dozen times of "SIT BACK! I CAN'T SEE!", they lose interest and get out.:laughing:


yea i forgot about that but your right on


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## PR Fect (Oct 22, 2003)

OK, so I know what I'm getting into. Thanks for the replies. We got 31/2 inches today with another 11/2 before its all done. Drifting and sub zero after that. My city shift starts at midnight and I will have an alderman from city council ridding with tonight. I will let you guys know tomorrow how it went. PR


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## bighornjd (Oct 23, 2009)

Well he hasn't responded yet...

maybe he pushed the guy out on the side of the road?


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## tuney443 (Jun 25, 2006)

My fiance is my co-pilot if her school is closed.She stays up for like 4-5 hours,the rocking,back and forth lullabyes her to sleep and then when I might stop quick, she'll wake up.She loves coming.Guess it's just me.


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## Philbilly2 (Aug 25, 2007)

coldcoffee;1198820 said:


> I almost had a deer come along for a ride the other night, but I think you meant something else.


Thanks, now I have to clean the coffee off my desk calander that just come out my nose.



bighornjd;1199710 said:


> I've had a few people ride along just to see what it was like plowing on the road, but it doesn't last long. The constant "you almost hit that" or "wow, that was close" like tailboardtech mentioned get's old. I tell them to relax and stop saying that, we're fine, and then they resort to just ducking and cringing everytime. Then they like to lean forward to look back out the window to see if you actually hit something, or watch the snow roll off the plow. And of course every time I want to glance over and look out the mirror, thier big head is right in my line of sight. After a half dozen times of "SIT BACK! I CAN'T SEE!", they lose interest and get out.:laughing:


I am not a city truck driver, but I can contest to the mirror thing. I had a ride along once that when I would start backing up across a parking lot, she would lean foward to look out my passenger side mirror. All I would do every time is stop halfway acorss the lot and wait for her to sit back, then tell her that the reason that she has to lean foward to look out the side mirror is because it is not for her, and if she wants a mirror that i for her, to flip down the damn visor!



tuney443;1205781 said:


> My fiance is my co-pilot if her school is closed.She stays up for like 4-5 hours,the rocking,back and forth lullabyes her to sleep and then when I might stop quick, she'll wake up.She loves coming.Guess it's just me.


Funny how both stories I have involve the same person,

LOL! I don't have that problem anymore. When my wife was my still my girlfriend, when her school was closed one snow, she said she wanted to come with. Well, about 2 hours into the next 17 hours of pushing snow, she was done. She told me that it was like getting into an accident again and again every time I hit a pile. She had had enough, I could take her home now. Well, I plow about 1 hour from our house, so you know the rest of the story. 15 hours of B*TCHING!


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## Plow man Foster (Dec 10, 2010)

I plow 5 sub divisions And they all complain that i either Push all the snow in front of their house, Dont get close enough to the mailbox and the list goes on and on. So In one sub, The president asked if he could ride with me...just to see how its like.

He couldnt believe how hard it is to plow especially around cul-de-sacs. (where i get the most complaints) I just told him "you have 2 choices, RIGHT OR LEFT!" He had a blast and said he wants to come again sometime! Also never got a complaint from that sub again! I think he went to the meeting and told him how it was also how much stress i already have since the streets are filled with CRATERS and bumps.

While he was in the truck i showed him how cars parked in the street are annoying...People walking their dogs when its pitch black out, with 5 inches of snow out thinking they are the only ones out walking in the middle of the road! I dont think *they realize what a 12,000 Pound truck With a plow on can do! *

But more on a daily basis i have a buddy of mine hes 16 who come with me alot. Loves watching me plow! Helps to have someone that you can talk to next to you. Makes the night not so stressful.


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## wideout (Nov 18, 2009)

Never had any one high up from the city ride with me but my wife loves it! she gets up the same time i do and is ready to go hell she even volunters to get out and shovel the walks for me cant beat that


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## LunchBox (Oct 28, 2010)

I've had my girlfriend come with me. Believe it or not she's pretty good. If she's bored she'll just read a book or something. It's nice having someone ride with you, who isn't *****ing all the time.


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## abbe (Sep 8, 2009)

LunchBox;1301703 said:


> I've had my girlfriend come with me. Believe it or not she's pretty good. If she's bored she'll just read a book or something. It's nice having someone ride with you, who isn't *****ing all the time.


mine did this for a little while, then it slowly turned into *****ing. now i dont even offer. its just me and my satellite radio.


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## Brian Young (Aug 13, 2005)

I realize this is from a while back but I have 7 plowers, 3 sidewalk guys and a sh!t load of customer's who ride along every friggen storm! There is nothing better than a nice quiet storm where no customer's call and guys only call in to say I'm done! I had a friend of mine ride along a few years back and I could have killed him after an hour or so. All I heard was "oh come on ram that pile", "you have to ram those piles" and "can't this thing plow any faster?"....Me- Mike we're plowing at 20mph< no it can't GOODNIGHT! He was the first AND last ride along I will ever do!


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## RLM (Jan 12, 2006)

Before we had kids my wife used to ride along alot. Now with the kids she stays with them most of the time, they get bored quick, even if we are just doing a service call, saltings, etc. Personally I like having her ride with me because I don't have to stop what I'm doing to when the phone rings, I just answer questions & she relays the info. The bus. has also gotten larger since we've had the kids to, to the point I probably should just be in the office doing paperwork, dispatch, etc., but I feel bad not being out in the storm with my guys. Trying to do all the salting, a little plowing & help everyone, then post storm wrap up (billing, re-fuels, repairs/drop off for repairs, etc.), takes its toll especially durring extended events.


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## j-man5.0 (Dec 13, 2010)

I had a newspaper reporter ride along a few years back. He did a nice write up on the experience and i made the front page lol. He couldnt wait to get out of the truck tho, he was holding on for dear life the whole time.


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## SnowMatt13 (Jan 8, 2003)

We have some officials who ride along once in awhile.
I usually tell them before hand that they should plan on a couple hours.
After that it's just boring to them. It does help them get a real good understanding of what you do and what you go through.


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## PR Fect (Oct 22, 2003)

So here it is a year latter and he still is a no show! Maybe he read this thread and decided not too.:laughing:


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## Oshkosh (Sep 11, 2005)

My G.F used to enjoy hanging with me when I was running my own iron...Infact ,she was with me when I purchased most of it....
The Town would allow me to have company but with the State it was a BIG NO, NO!!!!!
Anytime the Town selectmen would start to question anything about plowing I would threaten that I would duct tape them to the passengers seat the next storm and they could ride along for the first 24 hours. They usually saw it my way after that.


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