Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Can You Hear Me Now?

I think there was something in the weather. Or maybe something in the water. The radios were all screwed up this evening. Half of the people were mumbling (we've talked about this before!) and the other half were screaming.

Kermit was one good example. He's half deaf anyway. Most of the time he can't hear his radio and the rest of the time he just doesn't listen. He tends to wear his microphone down on his chest and mumbles into it then gets pissed off when nobody can hear him.

He was trying to get through the gate to do his Del Norte walk. I was out in the P-car and all I heard was: "71 to Raccoon Station, open gate 12 please!"

And I could just barely hear him at all. A minute or so later he tried it again:
"71 to Raccoon Station, open gate 12 please!"

Then all of the sudden Captain CJ got on the radio (sounding really pissed off) and said:

"11 TO RACCOON STATION, OPEN GATE 12!!!"


And that came through loud enough that it almost set off the airbag in the P-car. Very nearly scared the snit right out of me. And that would have messed up the upholstery pretty bad.

What we figured out was that Kermit must have had his radio on channel 3. That will broadcast in the clear to any handheld radios but doesn't get picked up well by the base station in the control center.

But it took him changing radios three times before he finally managed to get one to work. And I'm sure the blame will all go to the comm room officer who issued him that first radio.

Hey, it's the way we work here in the wonder State of Confusion.

Tomorrow is supposed to be hot hot hot again. I thought summer was over.

That's what I get for thinking, I suppose.

Thursday will be Emma M. Nutt Day. It will also be Building and Code Staff Appreciation Day, Calendar Adjustment Day, Chicken Boy's Day and National No Rhyme Nor Reason Day.

And there you go!

5 comments:

  1. I know that is frustrating. Being out there and expecting the big fish bowl to listen and hear you. And nothing happens. There are usually three reasons behind the miscommunication:
    1) End User Error. The user has used the radio in such a way that 99.99% of everyone cannot hear what is going on.
    2) Tower Failure. The repeater has failed to catch the transmission and subsequently the radio traffic is lost.
    3) Chatter. I know this is argued over and over in many different ways. Chatter falls into two categories:
    a) Control's. This is the chatter between people in the fishbowl that causes the traffic to not be heard. Argue all you want I know it happens.
    b) Walker's. This is the chatter that happens when people decide that their transmission is all important and they "Walk" on the other transmission.

    hyptio--those pesky mosquito's from the swamps that drain a hippo dry in seconds.

    ReplyDelete
  2. "Chicken Boy is also lovingly refered to as the "Statue of Liberty" of Los Angeles."

    Yeah, I don't think that needs further comment.

    The password is "flawke" That's an easy one. It's like a hawk with a birth defect. You know, like it was born with a Budweiser can for a foot or something. That happens sometimes, doesn't it? I'm not a hawk expert or anything.

    ReplyDelete
  3. We have a half deaf old guy who can never hear the pages for the phone lines. So then he just picks up every single phone line to make sure it's not for him. And when it's not he always says, without fail, "I'm sorry! The receptionist connected you to the wrong department! This is pianos."

    Stupid jerk...

    It must suck to lose your hearing, but seriously. Don't get mad at everyone ELSE!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Phoenix Tears- At least we know why nobody could hear Kermit. I would say that was #1. He's a twit. I get paranoid when I'm up there and somebody says something I didn't catch on the radio. But then I'm new up there and paranoid about everything.

    Bryan- Should change their nickname from "City of Angels" to "City of Chickensnit".
    I think I've seen a few flawkes. One had a head like Ed McMahon.

    Chanel- Kermit is usually mad at and disdainful of the entire world. He is a disturbing and rude little person. Mostly just unpleasant as much as he can be.

    ReplyDelete
  5. An intriguing discussion is definitely worth comment. I do believe that you ought to write more about this topic, it might not be a taboo matter but typically people don't talk about such issues. To the next! Cheers!!

    http://travel-holiday-celebration.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete