White lines

Eldest back from Uni (finished his 3 year degree course) taking a year out to work and save some cash before going back to Uni in 2025 to do a PGCE to teach high school English.

He’s scrabbling around getting what temping work he can until he can find something he can stick with for a few months. Anyway today’s job was with a tree surgeon. The tree surgeon put a post on a local Facebook group looking for labourers for a couple of days grafting. My boy gave him a call and got the job. Got picked up this morning and taken to the job site. It was helping the ground crew load logs and move brash etc. Hard graft. My boy isn’t the strongest but he got stuck in, he actually quite enjoyed it.

Nearing the end of the day about 3ish the crew started passing the white stuff about. The boy got offered some but declined. There were still chainsaws being used ? The boss man wasn’t partaking either. Not sure if he knew what was going on under the others noses?

The boy was okay with it, he’s wasn’t bothered. My advice was to stay away from the guys using chainsaws after 3pm! He’s only working there tomorrow until the jobs done. He’s a bit knackered anyway, bless him.

So, my question is, is Charlie a common thing on work sites these days?

Sort of thing you should probably report to the H&SE

He’s a bit knackered anyway, bless him.

Theres an easy solve for that…

A good night’s kip?

So, my question is, is Charlie a common thing on work sites these days?

Not been on a proper site in years, but I can’t imagine much has changed. Loads of folk were on it, ket and massive amounts of mdma  (and other research chemicals) while working on geotechnical sites I used to work on.

Folk do all sorts in all walks of life.

While a tree surgeon in my 20s I was routinely hung over, not big and not clever.

So, my question is, is Charlie a common thing on work sites these days?

I do a side gig supporting a CIC that supports veterans with substance misuse issues, the larger percentage of drug use in employment is in and around trades.

It causes us issues in terms of trying to relocate individuals away from old habits even temporarily, that drove us to develop a residential facility and support finding gainful employment for the period of admission.

So, my question is, is Charlie a common thing on work sites these days

For gods sake don’t let him go working with any scaffolders! They start straight after their Maccy D’s breakfast

When I was young and stupid I used to work on the chemical plants and we used to do 6-2 shifts straight from being out clubbing and just kept going with any stimulants we happened to have on us. If you wanted to score some more then you wouldn’t struggle, because loads of people were at it

That was a long time ago. I’d imagine it’s even worse/better* nowadays

* delete as applicable

In my experience the Tree guys are more likely to be stoned, although smoking isn’t great for your lungs and climbing ability.

Absolutely not something I recognise work at a major power station amongst the directly employed staff or regular contractors. Having said that, we don’t test for drugs or alcohol, and I can only remember maybe 2 people turning up for work obviously pissed in 20 years I’ve been in the industry. Chemicals are probably a bit less obvious so maybe more common than I imagine.

Who’s driving the van?  How are they all getting home?

there’s a reason the guy is looking for ad hoc Labour at short notice.

My advice was to stay away from the guys using chainsaws after 3pm!

Just stay away from chainsaws entirely. They are lethal even when you are stone cold sober.

It’s been common place on construction sites for as long as I’ve been at work, I started work in the late 80’s. Although I’m not on sites anymore I would imagine it’s more blatant than ever!

Tree surgeons/groundies are renowned for it (if the comments on Arbtalk FB group are anything to go by).

I regularly pop into a local shop on my way in to work of a morning and often see a arb team in there at the same time (07:15) coked up yabbering away, walking around like they own the place. ****s

Right, best put me chainsaw kit on and go to work.

Was going to say scaffolders but @binners beat me to it. Notorious. I stayed away from them when we had our roof done, they were all a bunch of lunatics.

I always thought Billy was the main geezer in the trades.

I guess wages must have had a bump or two since then.

Part of the reason why you should never remonstrate after being close-passed by a roofer/scaffolder/tree surgeon vehicle!

Part of the reason why you should never remonstrate after being close-passed by a roofer/scaffolder/tree surgeon vehicle!

I was just thinking that on my pedal into work.

Back when I was doing this sort of work one of my colleagues used to do a bucket before work started. I never quite understood how he was capable of working all morning, but he seemed to manage.

He’d disappear for a while at lunch break – presumably to replenish in one way or another.

When I worked for a large contractor who sadly no longer exists our tree surgeons had to be let go for failing the “random” drugs test. It was weed if I remember rightly. Not sure how random the tests were, think it was the tree guys and most people under 25

When I worked for a large contractor who sadly no longer exists our tree surgeons had to be let go for failing the “random” drugs test. It was weed if I remember rightly. Not sure how random the tests were, think it was the tree guys and most people under 25

As I said up post, the tree surgeon (s) I’ve met would usually smoke weed, to be fair when they’re done for the day. Doesn’t help the drug test though.

Back when I used to do a lot of that sort of thing, a guy who was pals with my mate was a tree surgeon. I remember a couple of times we’d have been up all night partying and then come 6am just as we were sat in someone’s front room contemplating the day ahead with the light coming in, he’d get up and announce he was off to go to work.

Can’t help thinking that there may be some connection between the revelations on this thread and that tree surgery is a high risk occupation?

I live such a sheltered life.

Was watching some polis drama last night and we discussed the same topic ‘how common is it’s use?’

Quite scary

Stay out drinking all night, chemical uplift about 06 30 stroll into work for 12 hour shift building stages at festivals, argh to be young and bulletproof.

Now it’s all decaf coffee, and bed by 10 pm. Getting old sucks.

Back in the 90’s/early 2000’s when all my mates worked on the fishing boats in the town and had 2 or 3 days to spend a 4 figure wage there was an ungodly amount of weed/pills/mdma/coke/heroin etc being thrown around at weekend’s and in the pub where I worked, quite a normal thing to see an ounce of coke tipped out on the table on a friday night and folk dived into it as they saw fit, everyone was quite open about it at weekends but if there’s one place you don’t want to be under the influence it’s out at sea in all weathers on a scallop/queenie boat with a max of 4 hours sleep per day so there was an unspoken rule that only weed was allowed/accepted the minute you set foot on the boat otherwise if you were caught doing something else you were kicked off on the next landing, no matter where that was in the country and no wage for that trip.

Had a mate we met through the Glasgow clubbing scene at the SubClub in the late 90’s, he was a junior doctor and would join in with the rest of us on a night out then retire relatively early in the morning to give himself an IV to recover for work the following day, still mates with him and he’s now a rather high up and well regarded consultant.

I live such a sheltered life.

Was watching some polis drama last night and we discussed the same topic ‘how common is it’s use?’

Go into any pub on a Friday night and observe all the people who seem to have very weak bladders due to the amount of trips to the bog they take every hour. Its just as much a part of a weekend as having a pint for a lot of people.

I don’t know which MP it was that said that getting a load of Class A’s dropped off was easier than ordering a pizza in most UK cities, but they were right. Its been like that for years.

I always find it quite ironic that these same MPs rail against drug use, but its pretty much the only supply chain where we have the unfettered capitalist free-market which they all also espouse

A lot of the trades are on it in our little village.

One rumour is that one of them is quite a major dealer, not just to his mates.

A lot of the street violence we saw recently will be heavily fueled by it. See also the increase in footy violence.

Now it’s all decaf coffee, and bed by 10 pm.

Getting old is great. No more FOMO.

If you want to see how endemic and normalised nosebag use is in UK Society then watch this documentary on Netflix. Pretty much everyone there is clearly coked off their tits

Shame it’s not taxed really, at this stage.

Was it the Onion did a piece titled “War on drugs won by drugs” or similar?

If you want to see how endemic and normalised nosebag use is in UK Society then watch this documentary on Netflix

Or just go to a day at the races and pop to the loo. Massive queues for the stalls and no-one at the urinals.

Go into any pub on a Friday night and observe all the people who seem to have very weak bladders due to the amount of trips to the bog they take every hour.

Um. I got he the pub quite regularly  when drinkin beer. No marching powder has ever been up my nose.

anyone else notice that somafunk’s first paragraph is one entire sentence!?!

anyone else notice that somafunk’s first paragraph is one entire sentence!?!

Probably off his tits 🙂

Just passed 2 guys with petrol strimmers clearing the side of the canal of weeds (well overdue) and firing all the spiky bits onto the path, didn’t stop to say I might get a puncture as thought they would be off their heads on Garry’s and Beak.

So, my question is, is Charlie a common thing on work sites these days?

Short answer, as said is above, is “yes, very”. I’d say it’s quite common wherever you are really. Most of my friends are old enough to have grown out of it, but for a lot of the younger folk I know it’s just part of a night out.

It’s a drug that has passed through class barriers. It started as being seen as quite a “posh” drug, mainly used by city types, journalists and politicians, but it’s not transcended that and is pretty much everywhere. Trades particularly are rather partial.

I’d suggest that there would even be some usage by people in his future career as well, albeit not in the classroom.

Came for the chat about classic massive attack albums, is disappoint.

Coke and chainsaws, what a combo!

anyone else notice that somafunk’s first paragraph is one entire sentence!?

!Probably off his tits 🙂

It wasn’t on my iPad, had paragraphs and everyfing in place. 😉

Not off my tits, would love the opportunity though as I really miss MDMA and shrooms but can’t take them these days, all my daily drugs are prescription only –  3600mg gabapentin, 16mg tizanidine, and currently 1000mg ciprofloxacin and 200mg nitrofurantoin (antibiotics)

Um. I got he the pub quite regularly  when drinkin beer. No marching powder has ever been up my nose.

Same.

I must’ve led a sheltered life.  I’ve never even seen the stuff, aside from my very extended circle I don’t know anyone who takes anything stronger than weed.  Or at least, admits to it I suppose.  None of my friends smoke anymore, even.

anyone else notice that somafunk’s first paragraph is one entire sentence!?!

Very easy to follow, so suspect he’s no too high.