# Trying to play a lineman without training & license apparently proves dangerous



## Electric_Light (Apr 6, 2010)

This moron tried to play a discrete lineman without any training or license. The worst of all, the moron got paid the salary of several years worth of a experienced lineman's salary in one month. 

The worthless existence decided it was a good idea to try to steal conductors from a live power line to cash in some copper. Unfortunately, he lived. Electricity only cost him an arm. He's done it before, but the wrath of 10,000v power line proves devastating for tax payers this time.

Several hundred thousand dollars in medical bill. The Welfare kicked in, so the tax payers took care of it all  . So essentially, the public paid this guy several years worth of legitimate lineman's salary for him. (from public records, some linemen make around $105,000/year) 

http://www.kxly.com/news/24332472/detail.html

This happened fairly recently, so it's only the beginning. I'm sure he'll be sapping more money now through disabilities now that he lost an arm, and have dependents. 

I hate people sometimes.


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## jwjrw (Jan 14, 2010)

A few years of hard labor would stop a lot of that crap.


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## HAND (Jul 15, 2010)

That happens all the time in the third world, I was out there one day and the people I was staying with have a house with a second floor view of the canopy, and I see this guy climb up the pole carrying a couple of wires.
I turn my face to answer a question and when I look back the guy was gone after I heard what sounded like a small pop.
The I ask the people I was staying with, did you all see that? happens all the time they say.


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## HAND (Jul 15, 2010)

This dude must have been there for something else, high voltage lines are not made out of copper.
I've seen others taking dry type trannys apart for the copper only to find out they are made from ferrous materials and a bunch of metal plates for the core.
then they leave all the crap behind.


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## sucocoop (Jun 23, 2010)

We see copper grounds ripped off of our poles out in the middle of nowhere all the time. Can't imagine you make much money off of them with the cost of gas figured in. But, as far as copper conductor, we still have some copper wire on the older parts of our system. This carries high voltage load, 7200 volts to ground.


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## HAND (Jul 15, 2010)

sucocoop said:


> We see copper grounds ripped off of our poles out in the middle of nowhere all the time. Can't imagine you make much money off of them with the cost of gas figured in. But, as far as copper conductor, we still have some copper wire on the older parts of our system. This carries high voltage load, 7200 volts to ground.


That takes some doing because those bare copper wires are stapled to the pole real hard.


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## McClary’s Electrical (Feb 21, 2009)

HAND said:


> That takes some doing because those bare copper wires are stapled to the pole real hard.


 

I did a 400 amp service and they had to set a new pole and transformer. I watched him nail they bare ground every six inches alll the way down the pole. I wondered why so much over kill. They told me if they didn't do that peolple steal it I can't imagine climbing up a pole for a .25 piece of wire


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## chrisfnl (Sep 13, 2010)

HAND said:


> This dude must have been there for something else, high voltage lines are not made out of copper.


Bare in mind most people stupid enough to climb a pole for a few cents worth of scrap aren't exactly skilled metalurgists....


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## den (Mar 28, 2009)

I have had to go to federal court because of people stealing wire and getting hurt. That was not fun. We still have 75% of our system in copper. Most of the time you can tie the copper stapeled on a pole to a truck and take off and the stapels will just pop out and go flying everywhere. Takes about 10 sec to strip a pole.


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## Southeast Power (Jan 18, 2009)

sucocoop said:


> We see copper grounds ripped off of our poles out in the middle of nowhere all the time. Can't imagine you make much money off of them with the cost of gas figured in. But, as far as copper conductor, we still have some copper wire on the older parts of our system. This carries high voltage load, 7200 volts to ground.


Interesting that you would call that "high voltage"


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## den (Mar 28, 2009)

jrannis said:


> Interesting that you would call that "high voltage"


 
This would be 12.5k phase to phase and is a distibution voltage. We always refered to it as high voltage and had wear 20 k rubber gloves and sleeves.


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

This thread is four months old.


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## Wireless (Jan 22, 2007)

BBQ said:


> This thread is four months old.


 
Not anymore!


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## Bkessler (Feb 14, 2007)

The modifier seems happy enough it has risen from a dead thread.


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## Southeast Power (Jan 18, 2009)

den said:


> This would be 12.5k phase to phase and is a distibution voltage. We always refered to it as high voltage and had wear 20 k rubber gloves and sleeves.


Us untrained folks call it medium voltage up to 15k. Maybe because thats what its called in the book.

Utilization voltage up to 4160
Distribution up to 15k
Transmission above 15k

Is that about right or is distribution voltage higher than 15k?


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## pjg (Nov 11, 2008)

Some of the distribution in our area is 19.9/34.5 From what I've been told, this used to be a "transmission" voltage but not any more .


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## Lone Crapshooter (Nov 8, 2008)

I will repost in the Off Topic Section


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