# Hostile Situations



## JoeMudder (Sep 13, 2008)

I'd like to find how other contractors deal with hostile situations on the job if and when they arise. I pull off the job myself until the issue is resolved. I figure even in the event that someone threatens me and I beat his hide, it doesn't look good for me in the end.

I would like to hear your views on this and ways other contractors deal with this and even what course of action can be taken, without of course, it turning into a legal situation.


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## brdn_drywall (Apr 25, 2008)

situations like this suck but nonetheless still arise depending on the hate/tension and who/what's the cause usually a beer at the bar on Friday can smooth things over, unless it's the plumbers or sparkies they are a different breed of contractors and think that they're high and mighty freekin cry babies think everyone else should leave while their working on site.painters on the otherhand can sometimes be annoying at times when they act like their allergic to mud or dust and we should repair other trades nicks/scrapes/dents etc. hey if someones gonna pay for it I'll usually do it but out here once it's primed it's all their baby thereafter. most of the other trades are pretty easy to get along with as long as they stay outa my way and don't prevent me from doing what I'm there to do.


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## [email protected] (Dec 23, 2008)

If it can't be resolved between the two trades on site, pull off. But call the GC/builder ASAP and get your side on record, offering to re-man when he/she resolves the issue or hostile trade is done with their scope. Get these days added to the allotted time in your contract in writing.


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## Custom Drywall Svc. (Oct 31, 2008)

[email protected] said:


> If it can't be resolved between the two trades on site, pull off. But call the GC/builder ASAP and get your side on record, offering to re-man when he/she resolves the issue or hostile trade is done with their scope. Get these days added to the allotted time in your contract in writing.


i agree, this is the most professional way.


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## silverstilts (Oct 15, 2008)

That is a good post joemudder , hostile situations may be far and few in between but they do arise ... I myself have just pulled off a job until the problem cools down . I will talk with my crew and reassure them that the best solution is to let it go right or wrong there can be no winners.... the worst in my eyes are the damn pipe fitters , they usually have all there crap scattered all over ... nothing like tripping over sprinkler pipes , tools and ladders all over not to mention when they start leaning there stuff up against the walls you are trying to finish... that really chaps my hide , I don't like to move things but if i do once that should be enough.... worked on one last summer got tired of moving stuff around so come friday when they pulled out early had the guys move all there stuff down a couple of floors out of site ,,, come friday yes they were pissed but got the point and seemed to keep there crap a little more condensed to one area the way it should have been ...


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## JoeMudder (Sep 13, 2008)

I've been aware of companies that do little or nothing when these situations arise, even to the point of putting their employees back into hostile situations. Or companies sending a trouble maker back on the job with the same guy he attack previously and they told the guy that got attacked that the other guy is coming back (in an arrogant manner).

I think there is something wrong with a person that would knowingly subject someone to that sort of issue.


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## Frankawitz (Aug 13, 2008)

yeah, now I remember why I do repair work, there's no Head bumpin, just dealing with HO, 


www.frankawitz.net


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## Custom Drywall Svc. (Oct 31, 2008)

silverstilts said:


> That is a good post joemudder , hostile situations may be far and few in between but they do arise ... I myself have just pulled off a job until the problem cools down . I will talk with my crew and reassure them that the best solution is to let it go right or wrong there can be no winners.... the worst in my eyes are the damn pipe fitters , they usually have all there crap scattered all over ... nothing like tripping over sprinkler pipes , tools and ladders all over not to mention when they start leaning there stuff up against the walls you are trying to finish... that really chaps my hide , I don't like to move things but if i do once that should be enough.... worked on one last summer got tired of moving stuff around so come friday when they pulled out early had the guys move all there stuff down a couple of floors out of site ,,, come friday yes they were pissed but got the point and seemed to keep there crap a little more condensed to one area the way it should have been ...


god, cant tell you how much i agree with this. amen.


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## [email protected] (Dec 23, 2008)

Is it me, or is it usually a union trade that gets pushy? Ditto on the pipe-fitters from me. They act as if they cannot possibly be replaced ( and usually cannot on short notice ). Every time I've ever heard the phrase, "You guys gotta all work together." I know it means "This is gonna cost me money."


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## Whitey97 (Jan 27, 2009)

I have enough issues with the builders, don't get me started on the other trades


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## JoeMudder (Sep 13, 2008)

Keeping things peaceful is the other trick and sometimes no matter how nice you talk they still think you're the problem. I was finishing up a job today, had a couple buckets stacked so I could put the bucket of compound on top I was working with. Obviously I didn't have many buckets left since I was going to be done with the job at the end of today, so I needed whatever buckets I had there.

A carpenter comes in, takes them down and takes one of them to stand on. I came down, took the bucket and set them up again and said to the guy, "I'm going to stay this nicely to you. I don't appreciate other people taking things that are mine and that I'm working with." He started to flap his jaws and foam at the mouth a little so I just told him point blank, It's MY bucket. And that did the trick, I wanted to pick up some of his things and walk off with it and see how they would have reacted. I'm sure it would have been a whole nuther ball of wax.


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## Custom Drywall Svc. (Oct 31, 2008)

JoeMudder said:


> Keeping things peaceful is the other trick and sometimes no matter how nice you talk they still think you're the problem. I was finishing up a job today, had a couple buckets stacked so I could put the bucket of compound on top I was working with. Obviously I didn't have many buckets left since I was going to be done with the job at the end of today, so I needed whatever buckets I had there.
> 
> A carpenter comes in, takes them down and takes one of them to stand on. I came down, took the bucket and set them up again and said to the guy, "I'm going to stay this nicely to you. I don't appreciate other people taking things that are mine and that I'm working with." He started to flap his jaws and foam at the mouth a little so I just told him point blank, It's MY bucket. And that did the trick, I wanted to pick up some of his things and walk off with it and see how they would have reacted. I'm sure it would have been a whole nuther ball of wax.


one thing you never do:

touch another drywall finishers bucket, period.


i dont care how old, ratty, or shi-tty it looks hahahah.

am i wrong guys?


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## Whitey97 (Jan 27, 2009)

Even if it's full of mud on the sides and doesn't fit into another bucket. Hell, it might even have a little texture on the side of it. IT IS STILL MY BUCKET!


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## Custom Drywall Svc. (Oct 31, 2008)

Whitey97 said:


> Even if it's full of mud on the sides and doesn't fit into another bucket. Hell, it might even have a little texture on the side of it. IT IS STILL MY BUCKET!


exactly...

whether its a bucket for mud.......or 2-3 old buckets stacked up for height.............

...never...touch.....a drywall finishers bucket........


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## [email protected] (Dec 23, 2008)

.....Or a hanger's bags / hammer!!!


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## Whitey97 (Jan 27, 2009)

and keep your DAMN FINGERS OFF OF MY FRESH MUD!


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## croozer (Jun 7, 2009)

good to see that "bucket theft" is an acknowledged international problem, thought it might have just been a mental niuance on my behalf.dunno what it is with other trades and my buckets, they just seem to think they can pick them up and do as they wish with them. Get some great looks when they get 250 pounds of angry drywaller retrieving them and explaining the parental shortcommings of not being taught "dont touch what aint yours"...lol...Anyway, if they ask I can usually spare one for them but cant cope with blokes just grabbing them...All the best


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## Kiwiman (Jun 14, 2008)

Oh look! don't get me started.....There's a hundred and one uses for the bucket, I reckon they could be marketed on late night infomercials, They are the perfect height for a builder to sit on while fitting door handles, Bricky's use them for water, plumbers use them for carting hardfill, sparky's use them for rubbish...But wait there's more, order now and we'll throw in another bucket that can be used as a step ladder - absolutely free! 
If there are any buckets left then they are snapped up for seating at smoko time. I've given them away to people for everything from carting cows milk or picking up horse sh*t to catching drips in leaky homes. Me...I just use them for mud :innocent:


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## LadyFinisher (Apr 16, 2009)

Cute


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## moore (Dec 2, 2010)

Kiwiman said:


> Oh look! don't get me started.....There's a hundred and one uses for the bucket, I reckon they could be marketed on late night infomercials, They are the perfect height for a builder to sit on while fitting door handles, Bricky's use them for water, plumbers use them for carting hardfill, sparky's use them for rubbish...But wait there's more, order now and we'll throw in another bucket that can be used as a step ladder - absolutely free!
> If there are any buckets left then they are snapped up for seating at smoko time. I've given them away to people for everything from carting cows milk or picking up horse sh*t to catching drips in leaky homes. Me...I just use them for mud :innocent:


Had 3 days off this week , was cleaning buckets, 30 of them . neighbors driving by [farmers] seen ALL these CLEAN buckets ,,, I now have 5. :yes:


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## suncoast drywaller (Sep 4, 2009)

Kiwiman said:


> Oh look! don't get me started.....There's a hundred and one uses for the bucket, I reckon they could be marketed on late night infomercials, They are the perfect height for a builder to sit on while fitting door handles, Bricky's use them for water, plumbers use them for carting hardfill, sparky's use them for rubbish...But wait there's more, order now and we'll throw in another bucket that can be used as a step ladder - absolutely free!
> If there are any buckets left then they are snapped up for seating at smoko time. I've given them away to people for everything from carting cows milk or picking up horse sh*t to catching drips in leaky homes. Me...I just use them for mud :innocent:


Sparkys use them for rubbish yeah right Id like to see that:whistling2:


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## 800PoundGuerrilla (Nov 24, 2013)

*First Rule of a Crisis*

First rule of a crisis ... do not panic. Rather than react to the situation (the symptom), respond to the root cause. Most people I've dealt with that had a bug up their ass, a chip on their shoulder, or something stuck in their craw, who acted out irrationally by either pissing on fire hydrants or taking a dump in the middle of the room, usually were motivated to do so by some threat that had nothing to do with anything logically obvious. By calmly confronting the perpetrator of petulant performances and asking .. "What's up pal?" .. holding your ground and not getting caught up in the emotions of the moment, you can usually diffuse the situation enough to find out what's really going on. Every, *I mean every* swingin' **** out there is dealing with something, and some deal with it better than others. So, it's best to be the voice of reason who finds a way to pull the thorn from the lion's paw.


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## Kiwiman (Jun 14, 2008)

suncoast drywaller said:


> Sparkys use them for rubbish yeah right Id like to see that:whistling2:


Haha, we do get the occaisional good sparky here, I think it's a guilt thing for all the holes they cut in the wrong place.


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## suncoast drywaller (Sep 4, 2009)

Kiwiman said:


> Haha, we do get the occaisional good sparky here, I think it's a guilt thing for all the holes they cut in the wrong place.


Most of em over this side of the ditch always leave their rubbish where it lands as well as cut holes in the wrong spot and sook if you leave a wire in the wall or ceiling bloody sick of em ,


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## siddle (Apr 11, 2011)

We are not door mats. Just think of the wisdom one can learn. God is good. He never gives us more then we can handle. We can rise up to the occasion because he is Good, not because we are good. He is for us, not against us.


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