Typical lineman construction in the 1920's-40's before OSHA and bucket trucks. Talked to many lineman from this era and they said it was "tough".

To think, just today I was on a 24' ladder installing wood hooks for this year's Christmas lights, and I was SCARED out of my mind. Some parts of my house are 30' above ground, and I can hardly brave a walk on the roof or being up on the ladder!

Old school street lighting in the US 

Love it  , these were proper old boy sparkys, no H+S red tape, no harnesses or risk assessment paperwork, just the guys in their sun hats, light shirts and the lamps for the job!

To think, just today I was on a 24' ladder installing wood hooks for this year's Christmas lights, and I was SCARED out of my mind. Some parts of my house are 30' above ground, and I can hardly brave a walk on the roof or being up on the ladder!

I'd way rather lay on the roof and reach over to put up lights than be 3 stories up on a ladder. Back when I put in screws to hang the lights on, that was a real pain..not being able to see what you're doing/just going by feel. Surprised I never dropped the screwdriver, and very few screws.

I'd way rather lay on the roof and reach over to put up lights than be 3 stories up on a ladder. Back when I put in screws to hang the lights on, that was a real pain..not being able to see what you're doing/just going by feel. Surprised I never dropped the screwdriver, and very few screws.

I considered that, and I may need to attempt it. I am installing brass "cup hooks" on the inside of my eaves, just above the bottom so that the C7 light sockets hang slightly below the eave line. This keeps my C7 strings and the new hooks out of the weather and out of sight.

Doing it from above I need to lay down on the roof, reach out and under the eave and drill the backside of the eave. I'm not sure my arm can articulate like that, and I am deathly afraid of the edge of the roof, at these points I am over 30' above a concrete driveway. However, the angle of the roof at the highest points doesn't scare me as these are the gabled ends. I only need to install 4 more cup hooks, but either I do it from the roof (doubt my arm can twist around like that with a drill in hand) or I acquire a 28' ladder.

Once I get this done, every season I can put up and take down the lights with an extension pole and Christmas light attachment. No ladder needed.

Another street light maintenance truck. Talk about brave!

Can you imagine this scene today, half of the road would have to be closed off, a ‘public safety zone’ would have to be marked out once the risk assessment was done, the power lines would all have to be de-energised and grounded, safety harnesses and hard hats would be mandatory, and all just to fix a street light!!!!!!

The public safety zone does one important thing you might be overlooking : It prevents (to some extent) a speeding idiot on his phone from crashing into the lift when the worker is up there

I wish I were born back then.

These kind of jobs would be no problem for me.

I climb radio towers and abandoned poles in my leasure time without harness. Because (...) harnesses.

Not only that. Back then "safety" was not generally given thing. Which is good in some ways and bad in some ways. Everyone was more careful because it was normal that in many everyday things you do your life is on the line

Lawyers

Ordinary people hold each other to ever increasing expectations, many of which became sort of a "social obligations". The problem is that this increase above bare minimum is generally not doing good for anyone (other than some minor convenience), yet in many cases it comes together with complete disregard to freedom of choice, sensible borders of liability, sensible risk assessment, and common sense in general

Its those attitudes, that make room for corporations to chime in and make money out of, for politicians to chime in and push agendas with, and so on. They present nicely packed solutions to imaginary problems but most of the time it is not them that imagined the problem initially

I considered that, and I may need to attempt it. I am installing brass "cup hooks" on the inside of my eaves, just above the bottom so that the C7 light sockets hang slightly below the eave line. This keeps my C7 strings and the new hooks out of the weather and out of sight.

Doing it from above I need to lay down on the roof, reach out and under the eave and drill the backside of the eave. I'm not sure my arm can articulate like that, and I am deathly afraid of the edge of the roof, at these points I am over 30' above a concrete driveway. However, the angle of the roof at the highest points doesn't scare me as these are the gabled ends. I only need to install 4 more cup hooks, but either I do it from the roof (doubt my arm can twist around like that with a drill in hand) or I acquire a 28' ladder.

Once I get this done, every season I can put up and take down the lights with an extension pole and Christmas light attachment. No ladder needed.

That would be a nearly impossible task!
When I did it, it was on the front-side of the eve, so only reaching under the gutter (still a pain).
Putting up the lights(minis/LEDs) still entitles going up on the roof, laying down, & reaching over to hook them in place. if any lights ever get dropped, I'm not sure they'd survive that fall onto a concrete patio .lol.
Other places where its just one story, I simply use a ladder which is allot easier.