The future of surveying... from a younger perspective.

RGRIGGS · 2014-04-19T10:53:00Z

Just like most of you without familial ties to the profession, when I first got into surveying, it was completely by accident.I was working at a gas station in northwest Florida and answered an ad for computer help... a month later I was researching deeds, swinging machetes, and learning cad... after various attempts at trade, I had knew I had found my calling. This is the only profession in the world were art, science, history, mathematics and law intersect. Where else could someone get a job that finds themselves having the ability to wield a machete, but yet be verse in the practice of such an honorable profession.... I AM A SURVEYOR... with that said I do believe this is the reality of our profession today....I first started out surveying in N. Florida, which after moving to another state (Washington) I am thankful that I began my career in a non-recording state. By pure necessity a field person in Florida is forced to learn and consider Boundary law just as much as an office person would be expected to understand, essentially encouraging the mutual growth of both surveying aspects.After surveying in Washington now for over a year, I have come to the realization that if something does not change soon with the way the practice of surveying is carried out here the survey profession is doomed... Unlike Florida where the party chiefs had to be on par with the LS's to do their job, the recording act in Washington, in combination with our technology has relegated our field crews to being button pushers... without any consideration to evidence and legal philosophy found on the field. This has created a situation where only an office drafter will get the necessary mathematical training needed to become a pls. Typically with minimal to none field experience. How does someone who is solely in the office all of the sudden become an expert on being able to discern and understand discovery, consideration, and evaluation of proper field evidence? When I was with my first employer in Washington, my considerations for field evidence were generally frowned upon to the point to where they looked at me as I was crazy when I asked to get a shot on some fence remnants that I found sticking out of a tree stump 5 feet away from where a new fence line had been constructed. Lucas is right unless something revolutionary happens but, with most of you guys getting ready to retire soon, the future of our profession is seen through the lens by someone that does not care about what happens to surveying 5 or 10 yrs down the road because it will not impoact them. When I went to the Washington Surveyor State Conference this past year I noticed that there was hardly anybody there that looked even remotely close to being my age, I am 33. So to those that are saying that Lucas is wrong in his opinion on the future of surveying, or that the profession is not in danger of collapse... I challenge you to do something about it, get out there and fight for the future of our profession...

Summarize Topic

Page 2 / 2 Prev

Strictly Surveying

Last Post by JOHN MACOLINI 12 years ago

21 Posts

17 Users

0 Reactions

1,630 Views

RSS

JOHN MACOLINI

(@john-macolini)

Posts: 212

Member

Translate ▼

> Machete....That's funny, what are you chopping, Rose bushes? Next thing your going to tell me is you wear jeans while surveying? No real surveyor that has worked in the elements wears jeans!

I must be missing the joke here, then. I wear jeans everyday, field and office, and use a machete in the field, over any other cutting tool.

Posted : April 21, 2014 2:18 pm

Page 2 / 2 Prev

26 Forums
54.5 K Topics
592.1 K Posts
318 Online
16.9 K Members

Forum Icons: Forum contains no unread posts Forum contains unread posts

Topic Icons: Not Replied Replied Active Hot Sticky Unapproved Solved Private Closed

The future of surveying... from a younger perspective.

Please support our supporters!

Our Policies

Quick Links

Support