• WANTED: Happy members who like to discuss audio and other topics related to our interest. Desire to learn and share knowledge of science required. There are many reviews of audio hardware and expert members to help answer your questions. Click here to have your audio equipment measured for free!

A Call For Humor!

462619571_8849442678409618_4226654578421050362_n.jpg
 
View attachment 397935
(seen on the Polk Forums)
In the early 70s I ran the stock crew at a grocery store - we did this all the time, and yes, including the 'handbrake 180'.
Those things are like super sized skate boards..and fun when not loaded.
Doesn't look like they've changed much in 50+ years...:)

We also experimented with running random things over with the big battery powered one - toothpaste shot out at least 20 ft.
(Since I also ran the floor scrubber at the end of the night, I could clean up all the evidence before opening.)

One day, right after doing so, the owners (Herb Kohl and his brother) popped in for a snap inspection.
Unfortunately, the day manager had just shown up, very badly hung over, and was fired on the spot.
They were very nice to me; however, I did wonder how long they sat across the street watching before entering, however.
After that we tried to keep our tricks n skids to the warehouse side of things, out of view from the street.

Should've seen me park via handbrake 180s in my tricked out Ford Fiesta in the snow...nailed it every time, with just a gentle tap against the curb.

And got arrested once for practicing them on a two lane highway after fresh snow (no traffic).
The judge agreed that I was no risk except to the cop hidden down a side street, and dismissed it.

Life is great? :):cool:
 
How many workmans comp claims do you think he had before he perfected that move? o_O
None. The night crew I ran was all young college students, so full of energy and creativity.

Really not hard to perfect, when you are hauling out 10-20 huge skids every night; and then have to rush back to load up another one in a hurry, so why not practice on the way?
We got good enough at it that we could spin around and enter the stock room doors backwards, ready for the next skid, like in the clip, but thru swinging doors.
(Yes, dangerous, but no one back there but us chickens at the time.)

Like I said, big skate board, but with steering, that, when fully cranked sideways, makes a nice 'front handbrake' as the wheels would 'stick', skidding sideways.
Balancing/controlling the thing at speed while getting it up to speed, and manuvering was pretty inuitive, oddly enough.

Oddly enough, I recently had a chance to revisit those rusty skills when I tested out an e-scooter.
Far less fun, far safer, similar 'let go, jump off, and walk away if it gets janky' skills.
No energy recovery braking on pallet jacks however....

Doing similar with the crushing weight of the power jack, however DID take more practice (and a few tipped over lead acid battery packs).
Oh! And the panic button on the power forklift/jack was special fun - get it up to full speed and hit the panic stop, and that several thousand lb jack would jump right up in the air by about 2-3"!
But that did very bad things to the tile floor, which I got tired of explaining, so stopped doing that.

We usually rushed to finish the nights work by 3 am and served cocktails (and other treats) until it was time to look busy again (as the sun came up) for management arrival.
 
It's a US federal holiday (three-day) weekend, known up here as here come the leaf-peepers! Flee while there's still time!
so... yeah... I'll be sheltering in place this weekend as much as possible.

S'posed to rain Monday. I am sure traffic on Monday down towards Boston and NYC will be placid all day.
 
Back
Top Bottom