Tried quick-signaling a lift differently and it almost went sideways

I was working a job last Tuesday setting HVAC units on a rooftop in Austin. My spotter and I usually do the standard hand signals but I decided to switch to a verbal radio call for the final 3 feet of the drop. He misunderstood my "down slow" as "down" and the unit came down about 2 feet too fast. I learned that mixing communication methods mid-lift can throw everyone off especially when you're both used to one way. Has anyone else had a close call from changing up your signals on the fly?

3 comments

3 Comments

taylorc409d ago

Last year I watched a guy at the grocery store try to switch from using the app to a paper list mid-shop and he ended up buying two jars of pickles he already had at home... small stuff but same exact problem. It's like once your brain settles into one system for a task, swapping it up just breaks your focus and everything gets messy. I've done the same thing trying to give directions from the passenger seat after my wife drove for six months straight and it was a disaster.

wendysanchez8d ago

Totally jumped in and took over the driving myself for a while when this happened. I noticed I could only give good directions if I closed my eyes and pictured the route from my own seat, not hers. @milacraig is right about just letting go though, sometimes it's better to be a quiet passenger than a bad co-pilot. I started saying "I trust you, you'll find it" and it took so much pressure off both of us. Plus we actually fought less about missing turns, which was a nice bonus. Now I just hand over my phone with maps open if she needs it and shut up completely.

milacraig9d ago

omg the passenger seat directions thing is SO real, I can't even navigate my own neighborhood from that side lol. what finally helped me was just letting go and not trying to help at all, just sit back and let the driver figure it out.