GrassCutting (or not?)

[Nightwatch]

I’m really annoyed. So annoyed I could crush a grape.

 

I have just witnessed an unbelievable incident.

 

Heard a motor getting closer. Ride on mower complete with man onboard. Not cutting grass, there isn’t any! Kicking up a load of dust. Along comes man number two c/w strimmer with motor running. Just carrying it. Not strimming anything.

 

Wife not happy, hot day, washing speedily drying, now covered in Yorkshires finest dust. There’s a man and mower in there somewhere.

Edited July 13, 2022 by Nightwatch

[Jerra]

I suspect it is caused by CRT contracting out the grass cutting.  The contract will say grass cut every X weeks.  Apart from being a nuisance to the likes of you it is yet more pollution from engines which shouldn't be running and money spent when if it was in house work could be done on other things.

[AndrewIC]

If the contract says the grass shall be cut then the grass shall be cut, even if there isn’t any grass.

[Nightwatch]

When the man on the mower came back he said to my wife that his blades were not turning. Of course they weren’t, he wasn’t cutting grass!! But the cloud of dust was the same.

 

Surely common sense comes into play here. (Perhaps not). As has been mentioned, these grass cutting experts could be utilised else where if there’s no need for cutting nonexistent grass. And causing clouds of ‘annoying’ dust.

[Creaking Gate]

Is he actually cutting grass or just driving on the towpath throwing up dust - I mean he cannot fly.   Given there are no clippings in the water, not one, I'm inclined to think he is getting from point a to point b, in order to cut grass at a location he (or she) can.  

 

I'm not sure what you've got annoyed about to be honest. 

 

[Jerra]

1 minute ago, Creaking Gate said:

Is he actually cutting grass or just driving on the towpath throwing up dust - I mean he cannot fly.   Given there are no clippings in the water, not one, I'm inclined to think he is getting from point a to point b, in order to cut grass at a location he (or she) can.  

 

I'm not sure what you've got annoyed about to be honest. 

 

If there is no grass in one place I wonder how far you need to go before you find some to cut.   My lawns have hardly put on ay lenght of over a month now, something to do with the lack of rain I think.

[Rob-M]

7 minutes ago, Nightwatch said:

When the man on the mower came back he said to my wife that his blades were not turning. Of course they weren’t, he wasn’t cutting grass!! But the cloud of dust was the same.

 

Surely common sense comes into play here. (Perhaps not). As has been mentioned, these grass cutting experts could be utilised else where if there’s no need for cutting nonexistent grass. And causing clouds of ‘annoying’ dust.

But they are contractors employed to cut the grass so they won't be doing any other jobs as I expect their contract is for the specified job.  My understanding is the new contracts for grass cutting are more specific than what they were previously.

[Creaking Gate]

3 minutes ago, Jerra said:

If there is no grass in one place I wonder how far you need to go before you find some to cut.   My lawns have hardly put on ay lenght of over a month now, something to do with the lack of rain I think.

Im describing the thin fringe and the limited grass beneath the hedge.  Both are areas which are typically left uncut - in this location they are possible within what's left for habitat whereas 1/4 mile up the canal may not be the case.  I don't know the area well enough to say.  I do know road access points on canals are few and so often some 'pointless' travelling is required to simply get to some locations.  

[mrsmelly]

3 hours ago, Nightwatch said:

I’m really annoyed. So annoyed I could crush a grape.

 

I have just witnessed an unbelievable incident.

 

Heard a motor getting closer. Ride on mower complete with man onboard. Not cutting grass, there isn’t any! Kicking up a load of dust. Along comes man number two c/w strimmer with motor running. Just carrying it. Not strimming anything.

 

Wife not happy, hot day, washing speedily drying, now covered in Yorkshires finest dust. There’s a man and mower in there somewhere.

Stop moaning you old goat!! Its 84 million degrees here today AND, I have had to cut my own bloody lawn!!!!!!! swmbo is out for lunch and shopping therapy with her flippin mates so I decided to do it even though its her job usualy/sometimes. Pleeeeeese send the nice man from CART over here to do mine 

[Morat]

1 hour ago, Jerra said:

If there is no grass in one place I wonder how far you need to go before you find some to cut.   My lawns have hardly put on ay lenght of over a month now, something to do with the lack of rain I think.

I'm no agronomist, but I think you could well be onto something here!

[magnetman]

We had similar recently on the Limehouse Cut towpath which is fully surfaced with some very minor weed growth at the edges.

 

Man with big self propelling mower, followed by man with strimmer. On way back the mower did another pass and the man with the strimmer had a leaf blower. All petrol powered noisy equipment.

 

Its rather silly but nothing new.

 

I've seen them mowing puddles on granite shingle towpaths before now in mid winter.

 

[Lily Rose]

59 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

Stop moaning you old goat!! Its 84 million degrees here today AND, I have had to cut my own bloody lawn!!!!!!! swmbo is out for lunch and shopping therapy with her flippin mates so I decided to do it even though its her job usualy/sometimes. Pleeeeeese send the nice man from CART over here to do mine 

Is that Centigrade or Fahrenheit?

 

I'm off home tomorrow for a week after only having been away a week. I'm hoping the grass won't need cutting as it's my job. Any tips on how to persuade the missus it's her job?

 

Next trip out, in a couple of weeks, I'll be heading for that piggy place. Our first time there since you left, will it have gone downhill or improved without you?

 

[mrsmelly]

13 minutes ago, Lily Rose said:

Is that Centigrade or Fahrenheit?

 

I'm off home tomorrow for a week after only having been away a week. I'm hoping the grass won't need cutting as it's my job. Any tips on how to persuade the missus it's her job?

 

Next trip out, in a couple of weeks, I'll be heading for that piggy place. Our first time there since you left, will it have gone downhill or improved without you?

 

Piggy place still busy. apparently though the staff are now polite to everybody, even the dickheads so its obviously lost its way  Dean and Sarah are coming over here again soon as they get chance, they like the cheap beer lol. Pleeeeeeeeeeeeese have some fabulous pork chops and belly pork on the barby for me!! I so miss that PROPER pork 

[Nightwatch]

Hope they’ve dropped their prices back to normal!🤪

[Chris John]

Moaning when the grass isn’t cut, moaning when someone is travelling to a place to cut the grass. Jeez 🙄 

[MtB]

7 hours ago, mrsmelly said:

swmbo is out for lunch

 

 

That's rich coming from you

 

 

[GUMPY]

8 hours ago, mrsmelly said:

Stop moaning you old goat!! Its 84 million degrees here today AND, I have had to cut my own bloody lawn!!!!!!! swmbo is out for lunch and shopping therapy with her flippin mates so I decided to do it even though its her job usualy/sometimes. Pleeeeeese send the nice man from CART over here to do mine 

At home we have a nice man come to cut our grass every two weeks.

Only downside is he wants paying for it, still it saves me doing it.

[LadyG]

I complained, formally to CRT about complete lack of grass cutting at the height of the grass growing season, ie spring, and now cutting one strimmer width (if that) ie., just one foot width along the towpath, but not where boaters would require to disembark to moor up. Even at lock landings the job is absolutely minimal, though grass areas around most locks seem to have priority, being cut to back garden standards.

Aparently the money saved on this year's contracts will be used to cut overhanging vegetation!

I can see overhanging vegetation, I can't see big holes on the canal side where I need to disembark.

It will only get worse throughout the year, and next year the job will be even more difficult if they decide to change these contractors.

It's a semi skilled job, it's seasonal, but it's a job, and the guys need to be supervised, not set free to wander up and down the towpath trimming  stuff that is four inches high and next to the paved towpath.

I realise it costs money to cut trees, but there will be a lot more overhanging vegetation in three years time due to lack of grass cutting the canal borders.

CRT management will be meeting contractors. They want to get out there and stop paying those who don't meet contract specifications and use the money saved to pay someone to do the job properly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 23, 2022 by LadyG

[MtB]

Snowflake boaters who can't moor up where the grass is more than 6" high seem to proliferate these days. 

[Rob-M]

I heard there is a lack of people wanting a job as a grass cutter.  I've seen this in other areas as well, not just by canals but it looks like some councils aren't able to employ grass cutters either.

[LadyG]

1 minute ago, MtB said:

Snowflake boaters who can't moor up where the grass is more than 6" high seem to proliferate these days. 

I'm a bit sensitive due to already having one broken ankle this year.  The grass at Silsden earlier this year topped the windows, I often can't see the Armco edges to drop chains so have to get down on hands and knees to push the grass aside. I don't remember this last year, CRT admit there are problems, let's hope they do something about it.

[LadyG]

8 minutes ago, Rob-M said:

I heard there is a lack of people wanting a job as a grass cutter.  I've seen this in other areas as well, not just by canals but it looks like some councils aren't able to employ grass cutters either.

I think local authorities  are in a better position than CRT as it usually vanity not safety that is their priority, and they can play

the re-wilding card, benefits to birds, bees, moths, etc etc. 

I think there are loads of people who don't want the job, but I'm sure there are some who do, it's a matter of pay and conditions. Perfectly easy job for any reasonably fit person, better than signing on.

[MtB]

11 minutes ago, LadyG said:

I'm a bit sensitive due to already having one broken ankle this year.  The grass at Silsden earlier this year topped the windows, I often can't see the Armco edges to drop chains so have to get down on hands and knees to push the grass aside. I don't remember this last year, CRT admit there are problems, let's hope they do something about it.

 

Sorry to hear that, I didn't realise. 

 

Even so, blaming CRT for not cutting the grass seems a bit unfair. Do you blame local councils when they don't cut the grass on the thousands of miles of public footpaths in the countryside? 

 

 

[LadyG]

5 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

Sorry to hear that, I didn't realise. 

 

Even so, blaming CRT for not cutting the grass seems a bit unfair. Do you blame local councils when they don't cut the grass on the thousands of miles of public footpaths in the countryside? 

 

 

No it was not grass related, or whisky related, I just tipped over on to some stones,  but it has made me more aware how many traps there are for the unwary..

I was not aware the local authorities were charged with cutting grass on footpaths, many footpaths are in fields grazed by sheep, I don't think anyone cuts them.

Edited July 23, 2022 by LadyG

[Alan de Enfield]

 

12 minutes ago, LadyG said:

........many footpaths are in fields grazed by sheep, I don't think anyone cuts them.

 

I think quite a few do, Sunday lunch is a popular time for it, add a bit of mint sauce and away you go.