Which plant has the longest walk from the contractor parking lot?

[Mike McFarlin]

My vote goes to Davis Besse.

[RDTroja]

I never worked Besse, but TMI has a pretty good walk. The contractor lot is on the southwest end of Unit 2 (the dead reactor) and you have to walk all the way from where your car is to the Unit 2 fence, the entire length of both units, and then east to the gate which is near the northeast corner of Unit 1. Some people put their bicycles on their car rack, drove to work, then rode their bike to a parking area close to the gate. There were even a few well-beat-up bikes that were just left there and if you were lucky (and so inclined) you might find one to ride.

Calvert Cliffs had one parking lot that was used only for big outages that required a bus ride to the gate.

Turkey Point has a contractor lot that is long and narrow and perpendicular to the plant, so if you have to park at the far end it is a good hike.

I also remember DC Cook being a fairly long walk, but that just might be because it was so damned cold and windy.

[RDTroja]

Bicycles are banned at TMI since a crash & burn event (wheel reportedly got caught in the RR tracks).  There is a shuttle (school bus) that runs at shift change and a 12-passenger van that usually is available during the shift.

Typical. Ban the bicycles instead of banning the idiot that tried to ride a bike on railroad tracks. 

[HousePuke]

I seem to remember many years ago that Limerick had quite a trek.  Then there was "Cardiac Hill" to climb when you left at the end of shift.
Davis Besse used to make the contractors park in a mud lot.  That was sooo nice.

[UncaBuffalo]

Longest I know of is the upper lot at Diablo Canyon (which has the added disadvantage of some major staircases)...guess I need to get on Google Earth and compare it to the ones you guys are mentioning...

[RDTroja]

I seem to remember many years ago that Limerick had quite a trek.  Then there was "Cardiac Hill" to climb when you left at the end of shift.

Yep, forgot about that one... probably my subconscious burying it to save me from the memory.

[retired nuke]

Longest I know of is the upper lot at Diablo Canyon (which has the added disadvantage of some major staircases)...guess I need to get on Google Earth and compare it to the ones you guys are mentioning...

Never walked it - they let me park my motorcycle up front....

[Mike McFarlin]

Diablo was especially difficult at a 12 hour shift. All up hill!!!

[Mike_Koehler]

Calvert Cliffs had one parking lot that was used only for big outages that required a bus ride to the gate.

They quit running the bus one outage that I remember due to ice storms....... That was a really long walk through the woods to get to work.....

Mike

[Brett LaVigne]

That is a tough question. SONGS has a pretty good walk in and I would have to say that is the longest walk I know of. But, Diablo Canyon is a close second.

The longest walk to work I have had was really at the shipyard in Newport News, VA. That walk was ridiculous! And on top of the length, you actually had to pay to park! Those were the days!!!

[withroaj]

The longest walk to work I have had was really at the shipyard in Newport News, VA. That walk was ridiculous! And on top of the length, you actually had to pay to park! Those were the days!!!

And on top of that, your car gets broken into, or your duty van gets a hole shot through it (I wish that was a joke), and at least ten of your buddies get robbed at gunpoint coming into/out of a back shift.  Ahh, yes. Charming Newport News, VA.

[MeterSwangin]

That is a tough question. SONGS has a pretty good walk in and I would have to say that is the longest walk I know of. But, Diablo Canyon is a close second.

The longest walk to work I have had was really at the shipyard in Newport News, VA. That walk was ridiculous! And on top of the length, you actually had to pay to park! Those were the days!!!

Actually San Onofre does not have a contractor parking lot.  Parking has always just been open to all. 

Until recently, when the union negotiated a section of one lot for themselves.  But beside that, parking is open.

For the SGR, in fact, contractors have the select parking in that "non-outage" house staff are banished to parking on the mesa and bus riding in.

[desertdog]

The walk from Perry's contractor lot to the guardhouse. It is 1.4 miles (1.5 miles would have required the utility to provide shuttle service to and from the lot).

Now add to this walk the fact that the plant is on a westward facing shoreline of Lake Erie. February weather for a typical outage time could be anything from sub-zero temps with a nasty headwind or 30 something degree temps with freezing rain/sleet.

None of that matters if you don't have four-wheel drive though because you have to negotaiate a basically unimproved road through the woods to get to the lot. Gotta love that special treatment.

[Brett LaVigne]

OUCH!  Over a mile!?!?  I think you win (lose?).

I always wondered how Desertdog kept his hourgalss figure

I also think we have a winner here!

[retired nuke]

VY's may be long at our next outage - new switchyard construction has eaten up 1/2 of the parking lot - no decision yet what the conditions will be in April.....

[Brett LaVigne]

Technically correct perhaps but does not paint a truthful picture.  There was no designated "contractor" lot and all lots were open to "employees."

At SONGS, house folks could always park in Lot 4 if they wanted to get some exercise (and expose their vehicle to vandalism or outright theft) but contractors were not allowed to park in the "employee" lots like at the Reservoir or the South end.  We can use your lot but you can't use our lot was the way it was.

I can recall several occasions making it to my car at SONGS only to find that I still had my TLD on, or left my keys in the plant. Why does that never happen when working plants like Hatch where you can park right outside the protected area?! LOL! That's just how I ROLL!!! Life can be very challenging when you stupid.

[xobxdoc]

The trek to the Limerick lot was made especially pleasant when pelted with icy mung balls from the cooling tower.

There was a time when you could park close if you were on nights and you left before the majority of dayshift arrived. Then the SS guards started to paste large paper stickers which covered your windshield if you were a contractor in the employee lot. It took quite a while to get the residue off your window so you could see to drive.

[Marlin]

The trek to the Limerick lot was made especially pleasant when pelted with icy mung balls from the cooling tower.

Many moons ago at a DC Cook SGRP the operating units steam reliefs were leaking by. The breeze in from Lake Michigan made for a bone chilling walk from the back lot but it was better than coming out in the morning and having an inch or two of ice sealing your car doors shut.

[darkmatter]

Then the SS guards started to paste large paper stickers which covered your windshield if you were a contractor in the employee lot. It took quite a while to get the residue off your window so you could see to drive.

LOL.....I know the cure for that, at another plant that was doing the same window orange sticker thing, a contractor was using the product "RainX" on his windows. (it's a silicone wax) He always parked in the house lot, when he came out to find one of those horrible "orange stickers" he could just peel it off, then turn around and place it on the adjacent house union employee car window. After the indignant house union complaints---security had to stop all placing of stickers on the "wrong" cars.

[MeterSwangin]

Technically correct since no lot was designated a "contractor" only lot.  There were "employee" lots where contractors were not allowed to park.  All lots were open to "employees."

At SONGS, house folks could always park in Lot 4 if they wanted to get some exercise (and expose their vehicle to vandalism or outright theft) but contractors were not allowed to park in the "employee" lots like at the Reservoir or the South end.  We can use your lot but you can't use our lot was the way it was.

That has all changed, (name removed by moderator).  Contractors are now "Outage Critical Workers" and get the best parking...reservior and all.

[jjack50]

Millstone had the contractors park in the lot beyond the house lot. It was not such a long walk to the gatehouse but then once you got in through the gate and added the walk down to Unit 1 with the cold wind blowing in your face off Long Island Sound, you were very happy to get inside.

[Mike McFarlin]

Yes Turkey Point has quite a walk also!

[Laundry Man]

Fermi I was pretty darn close also.
LM

[Fermi2]

Until 9/11 the house parking lot for Fermi2 was very close. After 9/11 there wasn't much difference between the house and the contractor parking lot. I've never been one to snitch or worry about who is parking where. There's more important things than to whine about an extra few steps to work.

[jpap]

Songs just gave Bartlett and El Camino parking stickers. Otherwise we were not considered Critical Workers.
We parked in a dirt parking lot down at the MESA.