Took a new job, Senior Surveyor at a well established firm. They had a problem with closures and needed some help with that. Little did I know. PC was the son of one of the owners. Did not know how to establish a stable instrument, did not know how to prove stability with but a moment to test.
I showed him what to do and he was offended. It said Party Chief on his card.
I hired a new graduate from Klamath Falls and in a month or so closures were not an issue at all, EVER. They were getting 1/5000 to 1/10000 and although that was spec for rural suverys, these rural properties were build multi-million dollar estates.
But with more time it became apparent closures was not their biggest issue. We had field books quite wonderfully indexed back to the 1930's immediatly available. It was research there for setting up current work where I found open traverses to controlling monuments on certified surveys.
And I found plenty of other surveyors who just jumped right on that data. "Per Survey book/page." Why would anyone need to measure a second time??
The one that got me fired was a stub over half a mile long 7 or 10 legs with compass and chain done in the 50's. When I saw that I scheduled the time to close out that monument so we could see what the decades of following that survey by all and sundry surveyors has done.
Boss asks me to meet with him Sat for something special. This is before closure is established. Just got one field day on it and it will take another day. He wants help replacing for his client one of the monuments he set depending upon this as yet proven position. I tell him just give me a few days so we can know best where to put that clients monument before they build the fence. Turned out that mon was cattywambus some 10 feet from what the record showed. Not bad with open compass. Sure don't make standard of 1/5000 by a long shot.
Somewhere in the statutes it says I am not to aid and abet unlawful practice, and in my mind without closure you cannot certify to any standard. It is mal-practice. I am in fact obligated to provide evidence of such to the board.
I was so glad I wouldn't be certifying anything in that area again. I would have had to turn in the lot of them.
