Stupic Apprentice Vs. Ignorant Journeyman

Northernboy

I don't know if this topic has been covered, and I'm not about to wade through 45 pages worth of old ones but it seems there has been alot of apprentice bashing going on in these posts. If we remember back to our apprenticeship days I believe we will recall some journeyman who should never have been licenced.

My Favorite.
I served my apprenticeship as an in-plant maintenance electrician after 2 years of trade school, so I had the theory down already. One day my "journeyman" wanted to go fix a row of 277v metalarc lights that was tripping the breaker, so I was sent into the MCC to keep resetting the breaker. His idea was that he would start at the first light and follow them down the row, the first one that didn't try to light was going to be the bad one. In other words he thought the wire was "empty of electrons" and he would watch as they filled up the lights going down the row. So being a "good little apprentice" I reset it for him 4 or 5 times and walked out onto the floor and we found the one with smoke rolling out of it. Since then I know of electricians that troubleshoot that way, but they know their theory and expect the smoke and fire (not saying that I agree with the practice). The funny part for me was the "empty wire" theory that us apprentices laughed about at the bar that nite.

It's better to burn out than fade away ---- Def Leppard

Speedy Petey

The only ones that get bashed are the ones that deserve it.

__________________

jrclen

And you know this guy was a licensed Journeyman electrician?

Northernboy

Yes indeed, over 10 years in-plant and went through his apprenticeship in an outside construction local (union apprenticeship). Know him, know his family. Had a journeyman's but refused to write the test for a master's cause the company wouldn't pay a higher wage for the master's license. Talk about stubborn! In house maintenance electricians are a completely different breed.