I say hi to all of them. Even if I'm driving by I'll at least roll down my window and yell at them to get real jobs
ken, post: 428276, member: 1548 wrote: These guys were robots, no emotion--just blank stares. I stuck my hand out to say hello, and it was not very easy for them to take a 5 second break to say "howdy." They shook my hand but without even saying their names or making eye contact.
This seems par for the course in Seattle, regardless of the occasion. Every time I'd introduce myself, I'd be met with a puzzled stare as though I just backed I've their dog.
The Seattle freeze is real, even in professional (or what should be professional) situations.
Also, if the crew you met is from the firm I think they are - then they were definitely on a timer and would have to answer from why they didn't finish the job by 3PM.
ken, post: 428276, member: 1548 wrote: Something really ground my gears the other day while out surveying a few weeks back. I was out in the field with my chainman on a beautiful day in Seattle (Rare, I know). I was setting up on one of our p.k. nails when I happen to see another company's crew nearby. The two were as-builting some sewer manholes and got onto the one near my setup.
Now maybe growing up in Alaska working for my dad's survey company taught me different, but when we ran into another surveyor--we always went out of our way to introduce ourselves and just say hi. These guys were robots, no emotion--just blank stares. I stuck my hand out to say hello, and it was not very easy for them to take a 5 second break to say "howdy." They shook my hand but without even saying their names or making eye contact.
I felt I was back in high school when we'd run into our crosstown rival football enemies. We would act tough and pretend we didn't know each other.
I'm not the most social of human beings, just was falling back to being courteous to those in our profession. You other owners out there, teach your young bucks to be proud to be surveyors; but also tell them to shake a hand like a man to other surveyors they meet.
Rant over.
Ken
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That surely is unprofessional, had they been cordial it could have led to some sort of relationship and you maybe have even been able to offer up some information that they didn't have.
That sort of thing sickens me, I have been abroad or vacationing domestically when I come across crews and approach who I regard as my brothers/sisters in casual conversation if safety allows it. Most companies are competing against another but there is never a need for the lack of common respect.
I hope this experience does not jade you from approaching your other brothers/sisters in the field.
Trundle, post: 428320, member: 12120 wrote: This seems par for the course in Seattle, regardless of the occasion. Every time I'd introduce myself, I'd be met with a puzzled stare as though I just backed I've their dog.
The Seattle freeze is real, even in professional (or what should be professional) situations.Also, if the crew you met is from the firm I think they are - then they were definitely on a timer and would have to answer from why they didn't finish the job by 3PM.
Yeah it was from a crew on the sweat shop outfits. But I was in a place like that years ago, but still had time for other surveyors.
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paden cash, post: 428311, member: 20 wrote: I worked for an outfit in the late seventies with six to eight crews. Within a mile radius of our office there were three other firms with similar sized survey departments. We all could choke the parking lots of the local donut shops on rainy mornings with pickups and vans when we had our 'social hour'.
Sad to hear that some boneheads won't at least share a name with others. I'd probably send their boss a sympathy card...for real.
I thought the same and had the opportunity to do so, but not worth it.
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Is it simply the state of the smartphone generation? If you don't fit inside a 6 in^2 screen, you don't really exist?
Next rain day, first hour of pool is on me. I don't care who you work for but, you better be able to find Charlie's cue & cushion.
One time we we were working on the edge of bentonville, near on of the walmart executive subdivisions. We got so tired of people asking what we were doing we started telling them we thought it was for a new strip joint. Boss thought it was hilarious, but i formed us to change it to something else more family friendly since he was already getting phone calls from the city
I was once helping a crew member remove some asphalt over a very loud Schonstedt sounding. I happened to look up and saw a guy kneeling down underneath the total station, which was about 200 feet away. As I walked back to see what he was up to I realized he had a claw hammer and was prying away at the PK nail we were set up over. I said "Hey, what are you doing? We're using that nail as a survey point!" He looked and me and said "It's in the wrong place - and I have to remove it." I repeated that we were set up over it and using it." He said something to the effect of "I can't let you do that." I asked him who he was and he handed me a business card. As I examined it he continued to pry away at the nail. His card said he was a Civil Engineer. As I informed him that if he wasn't a Land Surveyor he could not be surveying and I was going to call the Sheriff he pulled the nail out, stood up, and walked away, leaving the nail lying beside the hole. I was so dumbfounded I didn't know what to do. We put the nail back in the hole and continued working. Several years later I ran across his recorded survey map as well as his "corrected" survey map. Both showed that he had accepted the PK nail in question as a property corner! I tried to follow up and found that he had left the State. Later work in the area proved him to be a disaster.
My attitude is if somebody's got their head firmly wedged up their keister, that's their unfortunate problem and not mine and I try not to take it personally. This kind of thing exists across society. My little peeve is out I'll be out hiking miles from anywhere and pass someone on the trail and say 'Good Morning!' or whatever and smile and they will stare expressionless straight ahead without acknowledging my existence. I see this much more in the big cites. Around where I live, complete strangers will wave passing you on the road. Probably not so much in New York City unless it's a one finger salute. Hence one more reason why I choose not to live in NYC or Seattle.
Jim in AZ, post: 428378, member: 249 wrote: I was once helping a crew member remove some asphalt over a very loud Schonstedt sounding. I happened to look up and saw a guy kneeling down underneath the total station, which was about 200 feet away. As I walked back to see what he was up to I realized he had a claw hammer and was prying away at the PK nail we were set up over. I said "Hey, what are you doing? We're using that nail as a survey point!" He looked and me and said "It's in the wrong place - and I have to remove it." I repeated that we were set up over it and using it." He said something to the effect of "I can't let you do that." I asked him who he was and he handed me a business card. As I examined it he continued to pry away at the nail. His card said he was a Civil Engineer. As I informed him that if he wasn't a Land Surveyor he could not be surveying and I was going to call the Sheriff he pulled the nail out, stood up, and walked away, leaving the nail lying beside the hole. I was so dumbfounded I didn't know what to do. We put the nail back in the hole and continued working. Several years later I ran across his recorded survey map as well as his "corrected" survey map. Both showed that he had accepted the PK nail in question as a property corner! I tried to follow up and found that he had left the State. Later work in the area proved him to be a disaster.
Oh man. Where's the dislike button?
A story I remember hearing as a kid was that my grandmother (my mother's mother) thought my dad must know everyone for miles around because he always waved at almost everyone he met while driving locally. She lived about 30 miles away in one of the larger cities in our area and was not familiar with the habit of waving to almost everyone. He probably knew a significant percentage of his fellow travelers but he waved at strangers all the same.
I'm a pretty social person, but I also hyperfocus. If I'm working, I don't like distractions be it from landowners or other survey crews. Breaks are for that time. That being said, I've had an occasion to run into other survey crews from time to time. I'm cordial, but I'm also working so I give them their space and really want mine so I can focus on the task at hand. If it's someone I know, then yes I'll stop and chat for a few minutes. If another surveyor sees me and needs something, I'm happy to help. If it's someone I don't know that wants to talk about why I chose Trimble over Leica, well I have better things to do. That's just me though.....
On another note with regard to telling complete strangers what I'm doing, I'm of the opinion that it's none of their business. I'm polite, but it's really not. Now, I have worked on a few projects that I was inundated by requests for what we were doing in the field. After about 15, I typically make up a story about a new highway coming through, and then really get into the part about how the right-of-way acquisition team hasn't contacted them and I throw a paper or something and gripe about some unknown guy who I normally call Steve or John. Then, I tell them that they should leave and go to the District office two counties away and ask to speak with Steve or John. I've also been known to say I worked for a company I've heard of that's out of a metroplex area when asked who I work for. All of these things are for (A) my own entertainment and (B) punishment for being a busybody and hassling me while I'm working. It took a great many years and much titration down from medication to learn to focus without help and I don't like it interrupted.
My favorite was that I told the (then) Chief of Police that the new I69 corridor (this was about 18 years ago) was coming through my town and we were staking centerline. He didn't believe me and I went all out as to why and that maybe he wasn't doing his job properly as a department head if he didn't know what was going on in his sleepy little town. To which he left, went and found my dad, who told him what we were doing (not staking centerline) and that I was screwing with him. Needless to say I still get a big laugh out of that one and so does he (now). 🙂
I work with arrogant all knowing disrespectful engineers. If it wasn't for my family and laws against assault and battery, as my father use to say " I'd break their necks". When I go to survey seminars and am around other surveyors I'm at home as I am here. It takes all kinds...
Crossing paths with another surveyor brings out the smile with a courteous hello, handshake and passing of a business card with the "gimme a call if you need to compare notes".
Definitely gonna make an attempt to find out their business.
Too many times I've shown up and somebody else was showin' up for the same gig.
