Hey guys... thought I'd introduce myself so that no one thought I was jumping in and trying to hijack a forum!

I'm Jerry and I'm doing ADC work down in Florida. I had a bit of a hiatus after being run over by a teenager in NC a few years back while on a 48 ft ladder. So I've been back at it about 6 months or so. It's nice to find a forum with others in the same profession. Any knowledge and expertise is greatly appreciated. A few years away sometimes seems like an eternity. New gear and new toys!

Thanks for the opportunity to participate.

Hi Jerry , sounds like your lucky , I had a lady back out of her garage once and hit my ladder but that was nothing compared , you been getting any snakes

[quote=WTWC]Hey guys... thought I'd introduce myself so that no one thought I was jumping in and trying to hijack a forum!

I'm Jerry and I'm doing ADC work down in Florida. I had a bit of a hiatus after being run over by a teenager in NC a few years back while on a 48 ft ladder.
You did What?

I know right

Would like to to hear THAT story!

I already posted some of it up on Peskys post about ladder hooks.

I was 3/4 the way up a 48 ft ladder with a ladder stop on the ground and was taken out by a teenager in a car. My ladder was secured to the home with bungees as well. I even had my truck partially blocking the driveway. Guess he didn't mind ruining mom and dad's lawn. She came whipping into the Culdesac and cut through the yard to get into the driveway quick. Luckily I landed on my head!

The kid was anxious to get home because she had to go to the bathroom apparently. How can you get mad at that excuse? Glad I hardly damaged her BMW.

Broke my ankle, fractured my noggin, tore my labrum in my shoulder, few cracked ribs. Worse part is they broke my ladder!

Hey Pesky I do get a lot of snake calls. Mainly black racers but I've had probably 8-10 venomous snakes (cotton mouths and eastern Diamond backs. One Pygmy) in the past 6 months since opening back up my doors. One red tailed python. Looking forward to a Nile monitor since the only breeding ground in the US is right next door in Cape Coral. Not all that sure what to do with one but improvise is the name of the game.

I need to get a helmet cam or a camera man. Hard to get a picture with my iPhone while trying to keep away from something.

I get a few in the spring when we get this first warm weather , I'm guessing that's just when there coming out of the den . I know they all stack on top of each other . I took a class on snakes at MSU . Showed how to handle snakes with a broom and garbage can , cool part she brought in her live rattle snake for us to practice on . There are all kinds of snakes here but we just don't see them . Other than the harmless water snakes and gardners , no I see all these story's on the snake problems you face in the deep south , and that 160,000.000 that was granted to combat the problem . Using tracking systems ,I see it's gotten high tec for some . I was thinking I would biuld snake traps if I was down there , I get this stuff in my head for some reason . Not like I'm headed south or anything , to many bugs,way to hot for me, then my allergys would drive me nuts . Great fishing in Florida I've done that . Great eating too . Flounder yum . I would just fish for a living if I lived there now that I'm thinking of it .

Never been on a 48 footer (and don't intend to be - that's what lifts are for!), but rough calculations show you were THIRTY FEET off the ground when the ladder was knocked out from under you! You're lucky to be alive!
Plus your incident probably involved a whole host of lawyers and insurance claims folks for about three months!