Not a welder by union description but a talented welder in any case. I had the repeated opportunity to follow an ironworker known to me only as "C" . I formed an initial opinion of this person's welding skills being akin to "a blind epileptic monkey could do better."
After some years of fixing "C's" work I realized this person was near singlehandedly keeping me in work and although my opinion had not changed my attitude had. I was happy for the work.
One day on a mixed trades job we were introduced to several new hires. The general foreman left the best for last.
"... Cee, you've already burned far to many bridges here. You're welcome to leave now and paid for four or stay four and play with a broom and get eight hours, up to you. Besides you've already provided a full time job for a real welder fixing your mistakes."
She had painted fingernails, worn , though immaculately clean Carhartt, "fashion boots" (doubt they were steel/safety) and the only tools she arrived with were a welding helmet and a pair of gloves.
Folks it happens everywhere. I got paid to fix a litany of no penetration, wrong process, wrong material, embrittlement, contaminated, and just plain ugly if not dangerous welding for nearly two years. After a time , even moving job to job I saw the type and quality of work and knew who had done it.
Eventually several of us got together and sent un-sat, retest requests to our state level certification . The re-tests were performed , by us. It seems this individual was protected by gender and race. We were identified as harassment if not embarrassment and forced to re-test as a penance. It nearly cost me weld inspector certification.
Several years on I arrived on the job and I saw Cee sitting at the break table.
"Sign me out . I'm done here. It won't even cost you four"
I called the hall and explained. No problem and back on the book.
I got a call several weeks from the contractor asking what my major malfunction was. I couldn't even mention Cee by name as part of a previous agreement. All I could say was that I couldn't say anything. He just asked if my reputation for re-work of structural welding was earned. I agreed to meet him off site and struck a deal that he and my union could live with. Take a guess...
I've tried to offer the benefit of knowing just how useless these discussions are. I offer another example from my trade, to focus on not the person but the job. I will only sign off on my own work or work I am intimately aware of that took place in my presence. I won't discuss other's work because , well it isn't mine. I won't run another's work down for any reason other than to say "that's gotta be fixed". because , well, the specifications (and laws in some cases) say it has to be fixed.
This is why I have over the years subscribed to mailing lists, joined forums, copied reference material from libraries, purchased manuals, acquired test equipment and learned how to use it. In the end the only "tech" you'll hear me complain about is me. The only work you'll hear me disparage is my own. The only person I have to blame is me.
In the beginning I couldn't afford a tech so if I wanted to own and operate I had to become one. This applies to radio as well...
...you thought I was talking about radio ? I was talking about motorcycles. There isn't much I don't know about or can't fix on a motorcycle made between 1960 and 2000. The rest I can puzzle out. This is because I was there. lived it, breathed it , dreamed it. Radio on the other hand , not so much. It has been far more a hobby than a passion but all the same getting it right became the reason and not the result.
What some bright youngster can today pickup in a two year course it took mt 40 years to acquire. Ohms law for AC/DC has not and will not change in the foreseeable future. So my understanding will not be outdated for some time to come. For me it didn't come easily or all at once but I will never have to
rely on someone else to fix my radio.
For all the time and energy spent on he said , she said bullshit at least some headway could have been made in the areas of personal education and self reliance. In other words , if you placed as much time and energy into learning something as you spend exposing painfully obvious ignorance you wouldn't have time for this petty waste of time.
See? It happened to me too. I wasted the time calling out all that care to read this beginning to end for their shortsighted ignorance. If the shoe fits you're already wearing it . Before you toss a meaningless insult at me remember I've been there and done that . How else would I know ? Takes one to know one ...
Now go play with something more important , like the wife , girlfriend, kids or pets . You've suffered enough mental masturbation for one day.
