What's A Trap?

[time-ex]

Does anyone know what "Trap" means? I hear it from time to time in my working environment. I belive it is used as a substitute for Poets Day, Where does it originate from? Is it a BOAC or BEA term that has been carried on long after the guys who started "it" have left the profession. Are there any other ways of describing a "Trap"?

[This message has been edited by time-ex (edited 09 February 2001).]

[martini lemon]

Many times during the past few years I have heard the words ( and uttered them myself) "time to trap lads" and wonder of wonders it is probably the reason I am here now. I've just had a "trap" and now I'm sat at home instead of at work! I first came across the phrase almost twenty years ago in the RAF and presume its origins are even more ancient than that.

[Golden Rivet]

I think you've got the idea. A trap or trapping equates to getting of early, but unfortunately a trap these days is'nt like the days of old when you buggered off at lunchtime with your supervisors blessing. Try that these days and your likely to be caught by the smug arse manager guarding the trapping tunnel!

As to where the term origionated from is anyones idea ?

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Happiness is a corroded shear deck

[This message has been edited by Golden Rivet (edited 09 February 2001).]

[Chilli Source]

Ahhh....'trap'...one of the few four-letter words not used in aviation these days.

CS

[The Invisible Man]

Think one explantion of the word to Trap, originates from the greyhound track. The dogs enter the "trap", then they are gone. Other times referred to as being "On the blocks" or "At then starting gate" or even "Doing an EVA " ( extra vehicular activity...space talk!! )
Best Trap ever was to phone in at 4-00pm for a night shift and being told not to bother coming in.... not sure if that counts as a trap though. That as in Air Force days.
Nowadays...Traps almost a thing of the past!!

[spannerhead]

There is of course the other type of trap.
???????? I here you say!
"If your going for a sh*t dont use trap 1, I've just downloaded in there. And it wasn't the FDR" :) :) :)

[aeroguru]

Back when I was a sprout,some smart rear end supervisors who knew there was a heavy night coming up would "do your card" for you maybe you'd get away before the refreshment houses closed(unless you had a local lock in set up).
Thus,were you trapped,as in you'd be off ;like the greyhound after the electric rabbit.But then you were trapped a couple of nights later when he was looking for overtime volunteers!

[Jango]

Early trap?
Im trapping off?
Did you get trapped off last night?
Wheres Bill?..Trapped off.

whole new language, used heavily at the old manchester hangar 5 BA night shift. think you're right TIM, comes from dog track lingo..out of the trap etc.

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Old age and treachery will always triumph over youth and enthusiasm.

[This message has been edited by Jango (edited 15 February 2001).]

[balti king]

Having been employed by BA at LHR for a considerable amount of time I can say that it was a term that was widely understood as going home before your shift ended for reasons other than business, personal, official leave/lieu day or sickness. I hadn't come across the term before then, when I was in the RN.
It's a fine carrot to dangle but can be counter productive when traps are expected as a right.

Time to trap.......

[spanners]

There were the blokes that used to dissapear near to the end that would be known as a 'self trap' or 'auto-trap'.
(Auto trap armed etc....)

[Blacksheep]

Trapping was an expression for clock watching. You remember all those folks who would be out of overalls already at the end of the shift, all togged up ready to rush out of the door as soon as the hooter sounded? Like greyhounds in the trap. Trapping was originally just getting ready to go home while still on the firm's time.

Back in BA Overseas Division there was an (unofficial) "Trap Roster" When you were at the head of the roster you went home early if the work load was light. Seems it was a tradition that went back to the days of Orville and Wilbur.

I once saw a picture of an interesting method Avro used to prevent trapping during the forties. Just in the interests of saving space of course, they had coat hangar rails instead of lockers. When you had hung up your coat and put on your overalls the coat hanger rails were winched up to the roof out of the way. At the end of the shift they were winched down again so that you could retrieve your coat and hang up your overalls. No trapping at Avro it seems!

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Through difficulties to the cinema

[spannerhead]

Quarter to five in the morning!!
Why am I at home???
I've had a trap :) :) :)

[This message has been edited by spannerhead (edited 18 February 2001).]

[time-ex]

Blacksheep - Your answer sounds about right.
Thanks for jogging my memory, I think I had a trap in the dim and distant past. On the VC10 major line of the sadly missed BOAC, I went into work on a Sunday at 6am and because the planned input had gone flying again I was back in bed at 0715 and the missus woke me up at 0730 thinking I'd overslept.
In another place we had a supervisor who was always going on about the coats hoisted up to the ceiling routine and keeping us there to the end when all the work was done. At the end of one shift we all went home and left him looking for his bike which was hanging from the hangar crane in the ceiling. He never thought of looking there.