I never bothered with hand signals until a new guy on the crew proved me wrong

I used to think hand signals were outdated and just relied on the radio. Then this new operator showed me how clear signals stopped a mix-up when the radios got fuzzy. Now I use them every day, and it's cut down on confusion big time. Talking with him made me see how simple stuff from others can really help on the job.

3 comments

3 Comments

baker.thomas3d ago

Yeah, that bit about the radios getting fuzzy really hits home. I mean we all just assume the tech will work every time, but it's never that simple. It makes you realize how putting all your trust in one way to talk can actually set you up for a mess. Having that backup plan with your hands just makes the whole operation feel more solid.

evan562d ago

How often do radios actually fail that badly though, @baker.thomas? Most of the time a little static isn't a big deal. Calling it a "mess" seems like overkill for a minor hiccup.

gavinw761d ago

Man, reading @baker.thomas's point about backup plans reminds me of a desert road trip where our CB just died, full stop. We had zero bars on the phones too, so all those fancy apps were useless. Ended up using old-school hand signals for miles to warn other cars about a washed-out road up ahead.