I tried to do it by myself

Don’t try to do it by yourself

Dear Sir;

I am writing this in response to your request for additional information. In Block #3 of the accident report form, I put "trying to do the job alone" as the cause of my accident. You said in your letter to explain more fully and I trust the following details will be sufficient.

I am a brick layer by trade. On the day of the accident I was working alone on the roof of a new six story building. When I finished my work, I discovered I had about 500 pounds of bricks left over. Rather than carry them down by hand, I decided to lower them in a barrel using a pulley, which fortunately was attached to the side of the building at the sixth floor. Securing the rope at ground level I went up to the roof, swung the barrel out and loaded the bricks into it. Then I went back down to the ground and untied the rope holding tightly to ensure a slow decent of the 500 pounds of brick.

You will note in box #11 of the accident report form that I weigh only 135 pounds. Due to my surprise of being jerked off the ground so suddenly, I lost my presence of mind and forgot to let go of the rope. Needless to say I proceeded at rather a rapid rate up the side of the building. In the vicinity of the third floor I met the barrel coming down. This explains the fractured skull and broken collar bone.

Slowed only slightly, I continued my rapid accent up the side of the building, not stopping until the fingers of my right hand were two knuckles deep into the pulley.

Fortunately by this time I had regained my presence of mind and was able to hold tightly to the rope in spite of my pain. At approximately the same time however, the barrel of bricks hit the ground and the bottom of the barrel fell out dumping the bricks. The barrel now weighed approximately 50 pounds. I refer you again to my weight in box #11. I began a rapid decent down the side of the building, in the vicinity of the third floor I met the barrel coming up. This accounts for the two fractured ankles and the lacerations of my legs and lower body. The encounter with the barrel slowed me down enough to lessen my injuries when I fell onto the pile of bricks. Fortunately only three vertebras were fractured.

I'm sorry to inform you however, as I lay there on the brick in pain, unable to stand, and watching the empty barrel hovering six stories above me, I once again lost my presence of mind and let go of the rope. The empty barrel weighed more than the rope so it came back down and broke both of my legs.

I hope I've enclosed the information you required as to how the accident occurred as you see I was trying to do the job alone.

SO DON'T TRY TO DO THE JOB ALONE!