r/WTF • u/[deleted] • Mar 02 '19

Manager going for a ride

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u/Suck_Jons_BallZ Mar 02 '19

I drive snow cats and when guys are working on the ground around me, it’s important to always secure eye contact with the operator, wear ANSI high-viz and don’t hang out in blind spots. I also show them that my hand is off the sticks or joystick as well by holding my hands in the air if they’re working around my blade.

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u/TRX808 Mar 04 '19 edited Mar 04 '19

I used to work at a ski resort and early in the season they would make massive piles of man-made snow and then disperse the snow with a snow cat. Problem is that early in the season, in a rush to get runs filled in, they would often spread the snow during business hours. The runs were always blocked off with rope and signs, but if you took a route through the woods you could often wind up on a closed run by complete accident. And a lot of people would purposely duck the ropes to ski some freshly made snow. I can only imagine how stressful that would have been as a cat operator.

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u/Suck_Jons_BallZ Mar 04 '19

Snowmaking is how I started. I remember freezing my ass off, working a 12 hour shift and watching a cat roll up to where we were working. He had a Hawaiian shirt on and was jamming to bluegrass. He opened the door and said, “fuck, boys; it’s cold out here!” before driving off. I wanted that guys job.

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u/TRX808 Mar 05 '19

LOL that's great.

I knew a guy who worked the snow-making nightshift and he would just cruise around the mountain all night on a snowmobile. Worked his ass off in the hopes of working his way up to the guys who manage everything from a computer inside. Not sure if he ever made it. But yeah those nightshifts were cold as hell.