Pro tip: check the pit before you tell the building manager the car is fixed

Last week in a Portland high-rise, I cleared a door fault and called it good. The manager hit the call button, and we heard a loud thump from below. Turns out a contractor left a five gallon bucket of drywall mud in the shaft, right on the safety plank. Ever had a 'fixed it' moment ruined by something dumb in the pit?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_mary3mo ago

Always check the pit first (learned that the hard way too).

cameron6843mo ago

Mary's right about checking the pit first, it saves you from a nasty surprise. I found a whole family of spiders in one last summer, ruined my whole lunch. Now I give it a solid tap with a stick before I even get close. That quick check takes two seconds and saves a lot of hassle later.

alex5242mo ago

You ever had a buddy who learned this lesson the hard way? My friend Dave didn't tap the pit last spring and stuck his whole arm in there to clear out some leaves. Turns out a raccoon had made it a little home base. That thing went ballistic, clawed his arm up pretty good and he fell backwards into a pile of poison ivy. Dude spent the next week with bandages AND calamine lotion. Now he's the loudest one in the group about checking first, haha.