SurveyorPhysical Danger

Oh, the possibilities. Let's start with one that resembles a Roadrunner episode from the Saturday morning cartoons. Picture yourself with 60 pounds of surveying gear on your back. You've trudged your way up this hill for half an hour, and you're almost at the summit (yes, it really is that high). Suddenly, your pack shifts and the laws of physics take over. You begin to pitch backward, in slow motion at first, then faster as your arms and legs claw frantically at some piece of grass that will stop your uncontrolled snowball roll. You can fill in the blanks on the rest.

If you survive that one, you could get frostbite while you're surveying the frozen northern Minnesota tundra in February. You could get foot rot while you're slogging through acres of Georgia marshland, serving as the main course for thousands of ravenous mosquitoes. And did we mention that the Georgia coast has some monstrous tidal swings?

Had enough of the outdoor hazards? Let's shift our focus to your office. Q: What would happen if you started seeing double after staring at the computer screen all day? A: You would start recording two of everything. You could also get a nice case of carpal tunnel syndrome after flipping back and forth through computer screens all day. Looking at all these hazards objectively, however, they're all avoidable with proper planning. Unfortunately, that means you'll have fewer surveying stories to tell your friends.