Stump grinding mishap in a tight backyard taught me a lesson

Last month I took a job grinding out a big oak stump in a backyard in Portland, only about 12 feet from the house. The yard was narrow and I had my 2520 grinder backed in, but I got careless and the cutting wheel grabbed a buried root that I didn't see. It kicked the machine sideways and I slammed the skid into a brick planter, cracking two pavers and scaring the homeowner half to death. I stopped right away, checked the machine was still good, then spent an hour hand-digging around the whole stump to map out every hidden root before I touched it again. Worked out okay in the end, but I had to offer the homeowner a discount on the job to keep them happy. Any of you run into surprise roots that yank the grinder around, and how do you check for them before you start?

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