Having been a firefighter, you would think I would know better. My home is sorta split level, partial one-story, partial two-story. One story section roof was full of debris from recent storms. Quickest way to clear is to go out second floor window onto first floor roof and get to work. No ladder needed. Out window I went, making sure to slam it shut. OH OH!!! LOCKED OUT. Wife is off on a backcountry canoe trip. No one home but myself and the dog. Neighbors are few and far between and house not visible from road and seldom has foot traffic. Tried to break window. Not happening. Maybe, if I kept trying, but gave up after two slams. Wait. There is a second window. AND while it is open, it is offset from 1st floor roof by a few feet. Thought about trying to climb through, but figured it was too tricky for my nearly 70-year-old frame and I would plunge to the ground. But, there is a CORDLESS landline on a chest just under the window. Smash through the screen and start calling. Phone has not been updated for a decade or two. While my cellphone has updated numbers for neighbors, this cordless landline is landing me with disconnects. Finally got a friend, who called a friend and she came by and rescued me. Yep, could of called 911, but was avoiding that. A couple lessons I learned. 1) Keep all phones updated. 2) Keep cell in pocket. 3) Let someone know what you are doing and set a time for a callback If I had not reached the landline, I likely would have been forced to try the second window and likely would have fallen. Otherwise it was wait four days on the roof for wifey to return.
A couple lessons I learned. 1) Keep all phones updated. 2) Keep cell in pocket. 3) Let someone know what you are doing and set a time for a callback Nowhere on your list did you mention "not closing window behind you" or blocking your only access point to keep it from un-accessing you. Seems like that should be pretty high up on the list
Jesus, Steve -- glad you're okay. That was quite a balloon-knot in the shorts, I'm guessing At my age could prlloy get away w\ lowering myself down and dropping from an 8' eave... but at 70+? Yeah pretty leery stuff and right decisions made.
You know, I have done this roof thing maybe fifty times. I admit have it in my head to not latch window, but it gets a bit PITA as I need to close the window, but not hard enough to lock it to keep the debris I blow off from going in the house. I used to carry a small screwdriver I would put crosswise in window track to keep me from latching the window, but don't "bother" anymore...I will have to bother. Just comes down to being in a hurry and being more than a little irresponsible. Got stuck once several years ago, but wifey was home.
Unsettling but amusing and glad you survived. White conical hat earned. This could turn into a lest of 'tempting fate' escapades. Such as by me in Arches National Monument
"breaking my neck" Uff da.. Before surgery, immediate correct spinal immobilization is the key thing. Human head is a wobbly distal place to install the CPU.
Opps, sorry. I related that my roof history includes a broken neck some decades ago after a fall from another roof, but I deleted the message just as Tochatihu was replying.
Smol suggestion: rather than a driver to prop window open, how about a towel? Serves both the flying-crap seal and lockout-prevention roles... gets dirty, throw it in the washer
