"Surveying is a profession of public trust."

Good article, only wish all surveyors followed this type of professionalism.

"Surveying is a profession of public trust."

It's a very true statement and great ideal.

The reality where I'm at is the public for the most part distrusts surveyors and doesn't want one near their property. The state legislature doesn't like surveyors either. Our local county officials see no need for surveyors either and don't really care for them (they put up with me because they have too). If you get to title companies, real estate agents and such, surveyors are below ground level (see the latest Chad Erickson article in American Surveyor Magazine).

If surveyors solved problems instead of bringing them to light or worse, just plain causing them, maybe things would be different. I'm not sure whether it will ever change, probably not during my lifetime. I worry that at some point surveyors will just be done away with by the public due to distrust.

I'm very proud of what I've learned and accomplished but sadly I can't strut it in public, the distrust built up is just to great. When I tell folks I'm a surveyor I don't get much if any kudo response. I could get shot at displaying a Land Surveyor sign on the truck. I've also learned being a surveyor is death if you run for public office. It's a sad state of affairs.

We started out as presidents and ended up lower than most trades (just compare the fees you can charge).