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alabamatreehugger

How not to remove a palm tree (video)

I saw this on YouTube and nearly laughed my a** off. Don't ever try this at home ya'll ; )

Here is a link that might be useful: Palm removal

Comments (14)

  • NoVaPlantGuy_Z7b_8a
    14 years ago

    Ok, before I even look at this, Ill bet its the one with the white pick up truck, trying to attach a cable to a date palm and trying to pull it over, and... well, you can guess what happens to the pick up truck.. LOL! Ok.. gonna go watch to see if im right...

  • tropicalzone7
    14 years ago

    I saw this one before, I cant believe how dumb people can be sometimes. If they had a longer cable it probably could have worked but still, not too bright.

    Good luck!

  • alabamatreehugger 8b SW Alabama
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Yeah, it was the first time I had seen it. Anybody know the weight of palm wood compared to other types? It sure seems like it would be a lot lighter, but that video says otherwise.

  • bill_ri_z6b
    14 years ago

    Funny video! Not to mention that he practically hit the fence! Looks like a Phoenix canariensis (Canary Island Date Palm) and those things can be massive! I guess they had to move it away from the building. When I watch landscaping shows sometimes I see them cutting down palms mercilessly, and I cringe! Wish they would save them and donate them or something.

  • dln949
    14 years ago

    A couple thoughts about this.....

    As tropicalzone7 wrote, why not use a longer cable - perhaps even in conjunction with that contraption known as a "chain saw"?

    It looked like the truck had nowhere to go, it was right up against the fence. If so, that was really bad planning.

    I was struck by how nonchalant they were and just stood around and stared as their friend literally came within an inch of losing his life in the cab of the pickup.

    Were they able to turn that truck in as part of the "Cash for Clunkers" program? Probably not, I thought I heard German (?), so perhaps this was in Germany? So, I'm really surprised, I thought the Germans would think things through - after all, you know the Germans make good stuff, at least that's what Vince said while hawking the ShamWow.

    arctictropical, watch this video closely, that's going to be you in a few years with that big trachy of yours - it will be too big for your styrofoam box, so you'll be yanking on it with your pickup. You see, it pays to not have such good winter protection methods that allow a tree to get so large.

    I've included a link on what they *should* have done - the proper way to remove a palm tree.

    dln949

    Here is a link that might be useful: Proper Way to Remove a Palm Tree

  • NoVaPlantGuy_Z7b_8a
    14 years ago

    Forgot to post after I watched, and sure enough it was the video I had seen quite a while ago. Those guys are the kinds of folks that are easily candidates for a "Darwin Award". For those that don't know what that is, google it. I think the only reason the driver was not seriously injured or even killed was because the driver side appears to be on the opposite side of the truck. The tree fell on the passenger side. I think had anyone been in that seat on that side of the truck, they would have been seriously, or even fatally injured. The other thing that amazed me about that video, was the number of people watching this go on, and NOT ONE of them even had a thought that maybe that was not such a good idea, or had any bit of foresight of the possible/ probable outcome, or at least it appeared that way. The other thing that struck me as odd, was that when it happened, NO ONE seemed surprised at all. So either all of them were really just not paying attention or were just that dumb, or none of them wanted to be the one to speak up and say that it was probably not such a good plan. Amazing! lol! we can laugh at it because it ended with no serious injuries or death (other than the truck), but man that sure could have had a much more tragic outcome for sure.

  • alabamatreehugger 8b SW Alabama
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    I can't help but wonder if maybe they thought it would lay across those metal bars on the top of the truck and then they could just haul it away? It may have been one of those times where it looked smaller when it was standing. LOL

  • james760
    14 years ago

    lmfao! damn that was funny!

  • frank1965
    14 years ago

    I'm pretty sure it's in South Africa- sounds like Afrikaaner to me- I'm also astounded by everyone just standing there after the palm fell- what did they think would happen with a such a short rope!? Idiots!

  • josephine_sc
    14 years ago

    It seemed to be such a nice tree too. Sob.

  • Hunter_M
    12 years ago

    Ha,what ever happened to chainsaws? I love this video.

  • jimhardy
    12 years ago

    An oldie but a goody-

    Umm,yea-were going to have to charge a little more for this
    than we originally quoted 0:

    The chain breaking the first time was a little message from
    the universe.....last chance.....
    lucky the guy in the truck wasn't killed.

    Possible Darwin award thwarted?-LOL


  • Bamatufa
    12 years ago

    Funny!

  • softmentor
    12 years ago

    sigh.... the things people do. Yep a palm that size would weigh well over 10,000 pounds. We would not even try to get that one out with a back hoe. We would use a crane and put it on a semi truck.