That 3 a.m. call for a tower crane in downtown Seattle last week was a nightmare

Matthew Miller · 2026-04-20T15:45:10.496308+00:00

Got the call for a wind shutdown on the Potain at 5th and Union, winds were gusting to 38 mph. Spent the next two hours just sitting in the cab waiting for it to drop below 30, watching the whole site sit dead. My foreman, Dave, kept radioing every 15 minutes asking if we were good yet. What's your least favorite part of a weather hold?

beth_park5mo ago

Sounds like a paid break to me.

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evan_davis5mo ago

Our union contract pays for weather holds.

2

simonk985mo ago

Paid break? I wish. It's the worst kind of waiting, right? You're just stuck there watching the clock, knowing the whole day's schedule is shot. My last weather hold was for lightning, and we all had to sit in the trucks for three hours doing absolutely nothing. The boredom makes it feel twice as long.

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