I have not seen any improvement in the amount of respect that is shown to surveyors by the public. Sometimes, I assume that when they are lashing out at me, they are actually lashing out at their neighbors, for "taking their land away". I assume that part of it is an underlying distaste for their perceived overreaching local government.
The one nice thing is that I am treated much differently today, as a gray haired idiot, than 25 years ago, as a young, 30 something idiot. I must appear less gullible these days.
The other notable observation I've made is that the underlying trust that we are afforded as surveyors - "people who tell us where our property lines are" - is much more respectful to me as a private surveyor, than as a county surveyor. landowners HATE county people.
Finally, in the past 30 years, I have not seen any improvement in respect for this trust we are afforded by the public in one sense:
We are trusted to "tell people where their property lines are", a distinct, given honor that is as sacred as the very freedom we have to own our own property - and what do we do with this awesome, distinct trust?
We set pincushions! We argue over trifles! We send innocent landowners to COURT over differences in MEASUREMENT! Now, they are LAUGHING at us.
Imbris, that is so true.
I was reprimanded for having the truck parked in front of this young lady's house...in the ROW.
"Excuse me, what do YOU think you're doing HERE?"
Ma'am, I'm just gonna be here 45 seconds or less and I'll be moving on.
"I HOPE you aren't gonna be here that long! This is my house! This is where I live!"
Fine, I'll move the truck further down the PUBLIC ROW. (I moved it so that the tailgate was about 0.02' passed what I thought to be her pin).
Another thing I think is hilarious are people at the end of dead end streets. They just think you have no right to be back there. Don't get me started on the large subdivisions with 80 or so lots...each with a "private property" sign. Really? How would we have ever guessed?
Angrier, impatient, and self centered. I attribute this to the invention of the drive up window, fax machine, and talk radio. In no particular order.
Have a good weekend. I will be taking in a parade and visiting the folks at the cemetery.
Just because I'm paranoid, doesn't mean they aren't out to get me.
Daniel Ralph, post: 374252, member: 8817 wrote: Angrier, impatient, and self centered. I attribute this to the invention of the drive up window, fax machine, and talk radio. In no particular order.
Have a good weekend. I will be taking in a parade and visiting the folks at the cemetery.
Electric garage doors too! When I lived in Southern California everyone had electric garage door openersand yard men so they never had the opportunity to even know their neighbors. I don't miss that! It did make surveying easier because no one cared what you were doing on your neighbors property. Here in Oregon every one seems to know their neighbors and there are less absentee owners so everyone wants to know what you are doing on Sam's property even when it is in the middle of the woods. Jp
Years ago I lived on a road that eventually dead ended, at a residence. The only other residence on that road I could see from my house. The neighbor that lived at the dead end was out of town with his entire family and had asked if I would keep an eye out.
Sure enough one evening I spied a pickup rolling down the road and it passed the driveway I could see. I gave them enough time to "be lost" and turn around and drive back past me...it didn't happen. I called the County Sheriff. The deputy that answered told me to hold a minute....then he got back on the phone and called me by my name, which I hadn't given him. He asked if it was a red pickup. I said yes.
He then told me the absent neighbor "Larry" had called earlier and said his wife's brother (red pickup) was going down to check on the cats. He told the Sheriff since he couldn't get a hold of me that the Sheriff might expect a call from me if I saw his brother in law heading that way. We laughed. It was all good. That was back in the day when we didn't have to dial the prefix (first three numbers) when we made phone calls locally.
Days gone past for sure.
lmbrls, post: 374233, member: 6823 wrote: People today believe they are entitled to what ever makes then happy. My parents grew up on cotton farms during the depression. The community was not self absorbed because they had almost nothing which included as much food as they would have liked. The neighbors took care of each other as they may be the one in need tomorrow. The right to a large screen TV with a killer cable package is not guaranteed by the Constitution or the Bible. People are meaner now because they have been raised to believe that they are the most important person in existence. Being poor does not have to make you mean. Believing that you are entitled and all these other people are just denying you your piece of the pie would make anyone mean. The entitlement mentality spans all economic groups and political parties. So people would be nicer if they had more things? I catch more crap in the affluent neighborhoods than in the hood.
Studies show that poor people are more empathetic and are more likely to help their neighbors.
Wealthy people are the opposite, generally.
Lots of good replies here. What lies behind the behavior of many people is the simple disregard for right and wrong.
Many people simply do not believe in objective right or wrong. They think that they have the RIGHT to do whatever they want. Whether they think this through or not, they are unwilling to be bound by moral laws.
Stephen
I looked at a potential small boundary survey on site yesterday for an elderly gentlemen in a rural area. I gave him a ballpark estimate on what I thought it would take me to do the job. He told me that money wasn't an issue if he agreed with the line. I explained to him that wasn't how it worked and the line would be placed on the best evidence found in accordance with the written record. I told him that i wanted a $1,000 retainer and the rest would be due at completion of the project. He just looked at me and told me to get the hell outta his driveway and that he was calling someone else.
I think most of the opinions expressed here are complete and utter hogwash and say more about the individual posters prejudices than anything about the public in general. The truth is some of you surveyor types (even the young ones) are just a bunch of grumpy old men who are getting grumpier by the day. :woot::woot:
I was working in a subdivision this morning and was looking for adjoiner's corners as none of the subject property's were in place. Garage door opens (electrically) and here comes mama wanting to know just WTH I was doing. So I told her. I got her calmed down fairly easily and then she warned me NOT to go one lot over as the neighbor, another woman, would not tolerate it for a second...."Well ma'am, we'll cross that bridge here in about 5 minutes because this pin is leaning too badly for me to use and I'm headed her way right now".
20 minutes later and I had found neighbor lady's corner and was drinking a beer on her front porch with her. Yeah, she was definitely a badass, no doubt, but there's more than one way to skin a cat 😉
astrodanco, post: 374325, member: 7558 wrote: I think most of the opinions expressed here are complete and utter hogwash and say more about the individual posters prejudices than anything about the public in general. The truth is some of you surveyor types (even the young ones) are just a bunch of grumpy old men who are getting grumpier by the day. :woot::woot:
True enough. One can read a lot into another's post...
astrodanco, post: 374325, member: 7558 wrote: I think most of the opinions expressed here are complete and utter hogwash and say more about the individual posters prejudices than anything about the public in general. The truth is some of you surveyor types (even the young ones) are just a bunch of grumpy old men who are getting grumpier by the day. :woot::woot:
DON'T CALL ME GRUMPY; I AM NOT GRUMPY!!! |-<
astrodanco, post: 374325, member: 7558 wrote: I think most of the opinions expressed here are complete and utter hogwash and say more about the individual posters prejudices than anything about the public in general. The truth is some of you surveyor types (even the young ones) are just a bunch of grumpy old men who are getting grumpier by the day. :woot::woot:
What?
[MEDIA=youtube]1EwgvDvtqQs[/MEDIA]
Have any of you ever tried to survey for Walter? I'm not going to link to it, but suffice it to say, Walter,and Jeff Dunham on you tube, remind me of some of my clients..... Don't tell them!
Old guys rule.
Dan B. Robison, post: 374168, member: 34 wrote: Yer thinkin' of ol' Uncle Slayton...
"...Sells his hardwood timber to the chipping mill
Cooks that crystal meth because the shine don't sell
A bit of a hijack here, but James McMurtry is performing here in river city on June 14. Already got the tickets. Can't wait.
Not trying to complain, but honestly, I think this is a Politics AND Religion question.
My answer: the lawlessness of our leaders is leading us in a poor direction, and both available new leaders are lawless. So...
When clients get pushy I like to push back and get a little angry, make them feel like they're wasting my time. This usually works pretty good. Next recession I'll go back to grovelling and trying to make everyone happy so as not to lose a client