Community Forums

Dadeaux · 10-19-2011, 10:03 AM

As a working EMT in the 70s I saw more than one wannabe sent to the emergency room for a pair of sterile fallopian tubes.

rmmpe · 10-19-2011, 12:20 PM

We were on a Snipe hunt when in Boy Scouts and were told to beware the man-eating Ramagori.
All of us were sitting there with our flashlights shining up and a bag to catch them in when one of the Leaders shines a flashlight under his chin and roars, scaring the living begesus out of us.

GMRHost · 10-19-2011, 12:44 PM

My days on the road were laced with many of such pranks... telling the newbie drivers to go grab a gallon of blinker fluid and a tanker loadlock, selling wireless extension cords on the CB and hauling a load of Sailboat fuel.
I used to have to wait in the Driver's lounge of some companies, and when freight was slow, we were all in misery, waiting to be dispatched out on a load. Occasionally, I'd go up to the window to check, and if I was among people who'd never heard it before, I'd say "I just got a load out of here!"
Invariably, this would raise the ire of those who'd been waiting as long or even longer as I, and I'd quickly add, "Well, it's a driver-unload," meaning the driver had to pull it off the truck.
"It's a load of plastics, going to the JC PENNEY'S DC in Olive Branch MS," I'd add, and apparently it's Mannequin parts." This would raise an eyebrow or two. "yep, it's a load of legs, and I gotta pull em all off, about as hard as I'm pulling yours!"
Communal groan...

JRNOLL · 10-19-2011, 03:46 PM

Being in commo, in the Army, I would be sent guys looking for a can of new Squelch for a radio.

yardpass · 10-19-2011, 03:56 PM

Working as a pipe fitter we would send the apprentices for a bucket of bevels.

sdennislee · 10-19-2011, 05:08 PM

In the Navy the popular ones were:
Bucket of steam
Light bulb repair kit
Board stretcher as in I cut this board 3 times now and it's still too short
100' of water line
Shipfitter punch, the boiler techs would send their new guys to our shop (Shipfitter Shop) and have them ask for a shipfitter punch. We were more than happy to punch them. We did the same sending our guys to the boiler room for BT punch.

scenic route · 10-19-2011, 06:36 PM

I was working DEEP in the bowls of a fuel tank of a L-1011 and asked my new helper for a 4 inch 'Dog bone' with a short 5/32nds bit from the tool room. Some of my co-workers had 'messed' with the poor guy so much, he thought I was messing with him too and refused. I wasn't too happy... it took me almost 15 minutes to worm my way out of that tank and go to the tool room to get the tool...and almost that long to get back in. There are drawbacks to our fun, sometimes.

Bob

LadyFitz... · 10-19-2011, 06:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ga traveler

I worked for Delta Air Lines. We sent the new guys to get a cup of MEK cleaner. We always gave them a foam cup. MEK would dissolve the cup in about three seconds,

We did the same thing in cabinet shops I worked in only we sent them for lacquer thinner.

One job I worked, we would tell someone, usually when they were a fair distance from the phone, there was a call for them on line 4 (we had only 3 lines).

Sequim Guy · 10-19-2011, 07:28 PM

At one time I ran a small gantry crane in a paper mill, sent new guys for track wax and buckets of live steam, sometimes a valvalizing modulater.
Years later worked with a guy that was rally anal about his Chevy Blazer, so every few days I would put a puddle of oil under his engine. He went crazy trying to find the leak, "But it doesn't leak at home." Finally told him when he said he was going to pull the oil pan.
Another time we smeared paint on a piece of Saran Wrap and let it dry, then went out and stuck it on the side of his Blazer, looked real until you got real close, he literally screamed when he saw it.
Then there was the time I wired my buddie's horn to his brake light wires.

jfran304 · 10-19-2011, 07:38 PM

Air Force Communications Squadron telephone repair would send the newbies to supply for a can of dial tone.

Smokyjoe · 10-19-2011, 07:42 PM

I used to send them after 50' of chow line..

Wolfpack Fan · 10-19-2011, 08:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sequim Guy

At one time I ran a small gantry crane in a paper mill, sent new guys for track wax and buckets of live steam, sometimes a valvalizing modulater.
Years later worked with a guy that was rally anal about his Chevy Blazer, so every few days I would put a puddle of oil under his engine. He went crazy trying to find the leak, "But it doesn't leak at home." Finally told him when he said he was going to pull the oil pan.
Another time we smeared paint on a piece of Saran Wrap and let it dry, then went out and stuck it on the side of his Blazer, looked real until you got real close, he literally screamed when he saw it.
Then there was the time I wired my buddie's horn to his brake light wires.

Wire the horn to the brake light. Hillarious!! I too served with the 9th Infantry. Not quite the same conditions. Fort Lewis, Wa 1979-1981

Wolfpack Fan · 10-19-2011, 08:42 PM

Oh my gosh! I didn't know I was going to get such a great response to my thread. My son and I just read through everyone of them and laughed histerically.

For the truckers or former truckers out there. How many ever heard of checking the air pressure in the 5th wheel. Or summer and winter air. I wasn't an air traffic controller but about 3 years of my 20 in the Army. Many more years were spent in the Infantry and transportation. We told a guy one time to change the air in the tires from winter air to summer air, with some kind of believable explanation. Half hour later he had all 6 valves stems removed from the tires of a duece and a half sittng on the wash rack.

I love the one about pouring oil on the ground under the guys blazer. That one's got me thinking about a good prank at work.

bucks2 · 10-19-2011, 09:03 PM

In the fire service we ask the probies to find the water hammer.

In the mechanical field it was fun to test the anti-freeze level in the radiator with the old dip your middle finger in the radiator then bring it quickly to your mouth and suck on the index finger. "Yep, just about right." Then ask them to taste it and see if they agree.