Thread: OT- Little (utility) flags in my yard... WTF ?

Originally Posted by spope14

You can call the local Department of Public Works and find out what they are and how long to leave them. If they do not know, they could probably give you a number of who to call by the flag type/color.

You must be retired and bored so bad you would actually waste your time calling the DPW because they were too slack to post a note regarding the flags ?

Once again, call your DPW. The alternatives for those who may be tempted to move them is fines, having to fight fines, spending a day or two in court defending something and missing out on paychecks while paying lawyer fees or court costs.....I always have to remember this balance when I am tempted to do some things

Highly unlikely...at least not the first time. I could see it if someone intentionally removed flags immediately even when the utility notified them what was going on and when removal was ok.

But the glaring point that some of you keep missing somehow is that yes the flags are necessary and ok, but come pull them up eventually ! The point is they NEVER do....so if you (utility) are going to force ME to remove YOUR flags, then you damn well better tell me what is going on and when to remove them or tough luck...your problem if I remove them too soon.

It's YOUR (utility) job to communicate with ME, not MY job to seek you out...especially when I don't even know who "you" are due to your slackness.

Originally Posted by Sean Myers

I believe in most if not all states creeks ,rivers, etc... are public domain-meaning as long as one is walking in the water or within 5 feet of the waters edge its not trespassing.

Sean

Not on this side of the Mississippi. Unless it was a navigable waterway, its private property around here.

Originally Posted by Milacron

You must be retired and bored so bad you would actually waste your time calling the DPW because they were too slack to post a note regarding the flags ?


Highly unlikely...at least not the first time. I could see it if someone intentionally removed flags immediately even when the utility notified them what was going on and when removal was ok.

But the glaring point that some of you keep missing somehow is that yes the flags are necessary and ok, but come pull them up eventually ! The point is they NEVER do....so if you (utility) are going to force ME to remove YOUR flags, then you damn well better tell me what is going on and when to remove them or tough luck...your problem if I remove them too soon.

It's YOUR (utility) job to communicate with ME, not MY job to seek you out...especially when I don't even know who "you" are due to your slackness.

I'm having my electric service moved underground. Just came home today to see how my county avoids your situation. They marked my utilities going across the street, through the flower beds, etc., all with spray paint. Nothing like having your mailbox, flowers, and trees spray painted blue and yellow...

Originally Posted by gbent

Not on this side of the Mississippi. Unless it was a navigable waterway, its private property around here.

Gbent,
Your right about that. I should have been more specific in my reply . Although national river law states navigable by kayak, canoe , or raft and you can get down some smaller creeks in a kayak. Also its not 5 feet( but is a good generalization) its the high water mark. I know in most states its also illegal to permanently change the direction of even a small creek( diverting some off for irrigation is ok).



Sean

Originally Posted by Milacron

It's YOUR (utility) job to communicate with ME, not MY job to seek you out...especially when I don't even know who "you" are due to your slackness.

If it is their easement, and they can pretty much do with it as they please.

At what point is it littering?Like realestate/political signs...they've served their purpose,now pick up what YOU planted.

Originally Posted by BWS

At what point is it littering?Like realestate/political signs...they've served their purpose,now pick up what YOU planted.

Can you littler on your own land?

Originally Posted by SamH

Can you littler on your own land?

No. Neightborhood covenants against it...probably city covenants as well.

Maybe they're not utility flags at all. Maybe the Lilliputian Army is conducting midnight war games and they're left over. Have Rivett608 make you up a tiny little Maxim gun and defend your turf

Originally Posted by Sean Myers

I believe in most if not all states creeks ,rivers, etc... are public domain-meaning as long as one is walking in the water or within 5 feet of the waters edge its not trespassing.

Sean

Not quite. That only applies to bodies of water that are considered navigable. And even that doesn't apply in all cases, such as with King's Grant bodies of water.

Mark

Obvious to me, some need to blabb away as people like you just do not get it.

Originally Posted by PaulJr.

Obvious to me, some need to blabb away as people like you just do not get it.

Without defining who "you" is your statement is meaningless. In fact it's pretty meaningless even with "you" defined now that I think about it...maybe you just like to blabb

Regardless, learn to use the quote function so that mind reading is not necessary.

Geeze Mili, you must have one hard core citizen uncooperative DPW, Ours is great. I always found though that a three minute phone call gained quite a bit of mutual cooperation and respect with our DPW people. It is seriously amazing how respect given is returned many times over.

yes, we do get a note, and if the dig safe person is in the area, he/she also knocks on the door. I was just suggesting a reasonable alternative to a DPW or whatever that does not and to find out "what is it all about", not "I am gonna tear these things out" (which the original post did not imply, he just wanted to know what it is all about in fair honesty, I answered in the spirit of the original post).

Our state laws are also very specific in dig safe regards. I call so I know when I can remove the flags as well, and do not waste time to get rid of them, but alas, they are usually gone in the specified time frame.

Maybe I live in an uncommon area.

Yes, these flag things are necessary, they protect hard working contractors as well as home owners from unforseen situations where water, electricity, gas servive phone/cable may be affected due to ignorance of where lines may be.


BWS, most politicians know of the "pick up laws" for signs. Our area is 24 hours or a fine will be levied. Hillary Clinton 's campaign got hammered with a daily fine for some signs, a nearby to ours city left them standing to earn a little extra revenue as I understand. made the news when it hit several thousand dollars.....

I have posted on this forum for many years, never saw this side of you Milicron and trusted you as a very fair MODERATOR, I will continue to do so. Hope you have a better day today.

Originally Posted by spope14

Geeze Mili, you must have one hard core citizen uncooperative DPW, Ours is great. I always found though that a three minute phone call gained quite a bit of mutual cooperation and respect with our DPW people.
yes, we do get a note, and if the dig safe person is in the area, he/she also knocks on the door.

For my curiosity, if you do get a note and/or knock on the door, what in gawds name were you doing calling the DPW ????

It is seriously amazing how respect given is returned many times over.

I presume that little gem is supposed to imply that perhaps I have had trouble with DPW type folks due to "lack of respect" ? If so, you couldn't be more wrong. Actually the one time I called the city trying to find out who actually owned the little green dome that housed what I assumed was the telephone and/or cable wiring, (due to a contractor running over it), I got such a run around I just gave up.

That is yet another one of those inconceivably lazy/dumb/arrogant/whatever situations where whoever owns the dome puts no identification on it whatsoever...just a blank green dome...owned by some mysterious utility somewhere on earth.

Problem is as Milacron stated, when and who pulls the flags.

This is usually the responibility of the person or private contractor requesting the survey.

The utilities usually are not going to waste the manpower to retrieve a 2 cent flag, it is not worth the trouble.

If you see the "USA" marking around the perimeter you can call 811 on your phone and they should be able to tell you who is requesting the work and what the work is going to be.

You also may be able to spcify that you need to be present before any digging can take place, depending on who you talk to you may get your way.

The DPW may not have a clue who is there, and if they are called usually will want to know exactly where the spot is so they can insure their responsibility is met.

Part of our job is patroling the infrastructure routes to look for folks performing work.

Nothing like a little "backhoe fade" to ruin your day.

It all goes back to the party that is needing the survery to be completed as part of their work, when they are done with the job they should clean up all remaining stuff, trash, flags and loose dirt.

In the event of paint, there is a "special" paint that wears away very quickly, just like the dollar a can stuff.

In some cities we have to go back and paint over the marks with black paint on the pavement, but the black pain wears of and the lines come back, by the time anyone notices the marks are gone.

So the beef is not with the utilities (unless they are doing the work), it is with the cable guy or contractor who is doing the task at hand.

Those green warts that show up in the yard are usually cable tv, those rats place them in the perfect spot to insure the lawnmower does not fit between them and something rigid. What is inside is smaller than a cigar box, but you can but a suitcase in there, I guess they want to insure it can be seen and tripped over.

I heard of someone digging one up and burying everything at that spot and planting grass on it, they pulled out their cable tv and went to Dish and it was no longer needed, Cable folks looked for days for stupid box when a service call to fix neighbors cable, they finally put new box in neighbors yard and called it a day.

Telco boxes are usually marked to help protect Telco, if a loss of service exceeds certian guidelines it is reportable to the FCC, not likely for POTS lines, but by placing a warning label on it they can cry foul if needed.

Power boxes will be very well protected for the obvious reasons, the wires underground however are usually direct bury so when installing sprinklers in a neighborhood without poles can be very interesting.

Sometimes the little flags (or whatever they used for markers) are put in th wrong place.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjjhVnCfahs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07wlunwsEt8

Sorry Milicron, guess I get your point now. No disrespect was intended to you, and if this was read into it, my regrets.

Our DPW (or the utility/contractor) removes the flags probably as a courtesy and probably because of past complaints.

We have the equivelant of the "domes" as well, Cable TV and Telephone posts about 12 in ch 3 ft high. They always seem to get knocked kilter by some way or another and never get fixed. THIS tends to get me a bit wound. Don't like the post in my yard anyway, but one that is all bent over and beat to heck (by the local ninja wannabe kids I imagine) or graffiti'd tends to make the property look a bit unkept. Our DPW does not touch these and our TV phone system is on its third vendor in five years.....