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Non handy people


chasineyes

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Has anyone notice lately that there are less and less people who know how to actually doing something physical/mechanical??? I bust a gut every time I hear my neighbors say "I don't know how to do something". AND THEIR BOTH MECHANICAL ENGINEERS!!! Neither of the two even own an extension ladder. Just curious if anyone else sees this more and more.

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They're missing the garage gene. I know people who probably have never changed their own oil and wouldn't know how to change spark plugs or a head/tail light bulb,

I worked with a guy who had purchased a small, high-mileage car. I asked him how his miles per gallon was going and he asked me, "how do you figure that out?"

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It takes all kinds to make the world go round. We can't all be good at everything. If we could do it all, carpenters, mechanics, plumbers, electricians, and boiler makers would all be out of a job.

I still have to have my kid start the DVD player, but a few weeks ago I overhauled the transmission in his car.

It all evens out.

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Actually what is worse is people who THINK they can do things or know things. I have found that if you don't get paid to do something, there is someone else who does and they know more than you do.

Point is, (talking trades)if you can't make a living at it, you aren't all that good at it.

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Originally Posted By: Roofer

Point is, (talking trades)if you can't make a living at it, you aren't all that good at it.

That could be argued, but I'm not going to.

laugh

Maybe I was a little harsh by saying that.

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My mortgage gets paid by people who don't know how to run a screwdriver. winkgrin

Just read DTE's post and its soooo true. Many close friends that are painters, builders, or lumber jockeys that are having really tough times. Makes me thankful for what I have.

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Everyone is good at something, thats what makes the world go round. Roofer is right at home on a roof but I wouldn't want him in a diplomacy situation. In that same breath I wouldn't want a Diplomat on my roof. Still I person should have some basic skills. For instance if you drive a car you should know how to change a tire. Then again some folks would rather wait for AAA to show up and change it for them.

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Still I person should have some basic skills. For instance if you drive a car you should know how to change a tire.

Well said, I think you're right on about the basic skills comment. It costs a lot of money to always have to call someone or bring something in, especially if it's something simple. Plus, it keeps the experts in business when the basic skills person has to call them when they really screw it up... crazy

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If people knew how to use the library and internet, they could solve a lot of their problems.

For instance, I thought that a plug wire was bad on my old Honda motorcycle. I researched that and found discussions with similiar symptoms. Turns out a quick filing of the ignition points solved the problem.

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My son just graduated from IT at the U with a degree in electrical engineering. For his last semester he had to work on a practical with 3 mechanical engineers and two other Ee's. We talked about the project and in about 5 minutes I had about 5 suggesetions on how things might work better. The ME's rejected all of them. When push came to shove my son and another kid were the ones to get the rig going. The other kid grew up on a farm and was used to improvising.

It all starts with the parents. When your kid is 4 years old go and buy her a set of real tools and give her stuff to take apart. Old computer parts, lawnmowers, whatever. They will learn to use tools and how to think about things. Your son shouldn't be able to use the car until he can change a tire - and make him do it in the driveway so you can watch. Change a light switch or an outlet - a must. Put in a new drain pipe under a sink, or know how to hook up a washer and dryer - you can't afford to hire that out when you're only earning $15 an hour.

My middle kid was one of the most popular girls on campus in colelge because she had a cordless drill and a full set of tools. Oh, and she also knew how to take care of herself if someone wanted to get cute - self-defense classes at age 12.

Folks, it's our job to teach the kids these things.

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Even among farm kids it's not like it used to be. Had to laugh awhile back when the guy who farms the field around my building site wanted to borrow the 656 Farmall w/loader to grab a rock they'd snagged with the digger. He got on it and had no clue as to how to start or shift it after running all the electronic gizmo's on his new stuff.

I agree, there need to be some basic skills, especially things like tire changing, checking the oil, checking tire pressure, etc. My buddy just mentioned the other day he was going to buy his daughters each a cross wrench or T-bar, show them how to change a tire, then have them do it. Good idea but hey, I think he still has my cross wrench!

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Not sure about all that. There are very few people who will change a tire on the side of the road. My wife will not do anything of the sort, but her vehicles are never more than a few years old....her dad is a mechanic...and her uncle owns the biggest towing company in the area.

In some cases, it's not what you know....it's who you know. smile

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Worse than nonhandy are those that think they are handy, but are not. Sometimes you need to know when to call in someone more qualified. My sister and her husband are trying to finish their basement before their daughter's graduation. They have been working on this for a long time. Every time we visit, he has the latest big tool to help him out. The biggest, newest gadgets are not going to get your project done on time if you struggle with how to go about it. I bet they could have hired someone to help them out with the amount of tools they have invested in.

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Ill second what Fishinchicks said. There have been otehr good points made too but for me more than anything you've got to want to. If someone really wants to do something and be good at it you've got to want to. It's not always the case but if someone has enough want to they can usually do just about anything.

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Ill second what Fishinchicks said. There have been otehr good points made too but for me more than anything you've got to want to. If someone really wants to do something and be good at it you've got to want to. It's not always the case but if someone has enough want to they can usually do just about anything.

I'm a jack of all trades and master of none crazy . I work on computers for my day job so I know what I'm doing there. Growing up I was alwaysing building stuff with my Dad. When I was in a band, I built all our staging, our monitors and lighting grids. Learned a lot about wiring and how it works so I'm decent with that. I can do some plumbing, but I hate doing it cause it never works right for me. You should have some basic skills like said before. Know how to change a switch, outlet, ceiling light, sink plumbing, just basic home repairs.

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Not sure about all that. There are very few people who will change a tire on the side of the road. My wife will not do anything of the sort, but her vehicles are never more than a few years old....her dad is a mechanic...and her uncle owns the biggest towing company in the area.

In some cases, it's not what you know....it's who you know. smile

Great idea! I'll have to tell Jonny to make sure his daughters date and/or marry only mechanics and tow truck drivers. That way the next time they call him, he won't have to drive 100 miles to help them change a tire. He can skip the demonstration too and come to my place to help me work on emptying the garage refrigerator. While he's at it, he can bring my wrench back! grin

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it isnt always a case of knowing how to do something. A good number of people do not have the confidence to try. I went to school with guys who wouldnt try anything for fear of making it worse, meanwhile I had guys who didnt know diddly and were over confident and did end up screwing things up. One of the most overconfident was a farmer. He made every fitting "farmer tight" and ended up cracking a fitting that led to a flooded basement.

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Just finish snaking out my kitchen drain last night. Not that I don't like plumbers but sorry wasn't going to pay $100 min. to unclog some lettuce.:) Of course I also justified to the wife to buy a power auger!!!!!!!!!!

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Some jobs are better off hiring out. Someone mentioned hooking up a washer and dryer. Does the average person know how to correctly run gas lines? Venting it? Probably not, so they rely on the expert at Menards or Home Depot to tell them how to do it. Of course, if these people were really experts, they'd be making a living at doing it instead of dispensing there generally incorrect knowledge to unsuspecting customers. I'm not saying a person shouldn't try some of the easier or simpler tasks but you also need to know when you aren't qualified to do the job. Is saving a few bucks worth putting your family's well being at risk?

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Wow. A guy could think about this for a while.

What makes you the way you are?

Some are probably "born with" some mechanical curiosity and desire to pull wrenches. Some are not.

The level you learned to think at in the environment you grew up in probably has a lot to do with how you are. Do you think its worth the time and energy to maintain your own vehicles and property or should you hire that out and spend your lifes energy contemplating investing and buisness?

I know a guy that could mechanic circles around me if he wanted to but he prefers to work as a freelance artist and teacher.

I know a guy who has a masters in psychology (did I even spell it right?) but quit that to play in a band.

Progress in technology probably has some effect also. Teenagers today don't need to know how change the points, set the dwell, and adjust the timing on their car. A computer that never wears out keeps it running. If something does break the technology is probably not servicable by the average mechanic anyway and you will need to hire someone.

Society changed. Do highschools still have autoshop, metal shop, woodshop?

Ya, I noticed a lot of younger people now a days don't have the garage gene.

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My son just graduated from IT at the U with a degree in electrical engineering. For his last semester he had to work on a practical with 3 mechanical engineers and two other Ee's. We talked about the project and in about 5 minutes I had about 5 suggesetions on how things might work better. The ME's rejected all of them. When push came to shove my son and another kid were the ones to get the rig going. The other kid grew up on a farm and was used to improvising.

I graduated from IT at the U 3 years ago with a BSME. Im not sure how college was run back in the day but I know today you dont have to know how to operate a screwdriver to be a 4.0 student. I was far from a 4.0 but i know many (even related) that graduated with me that couldnt change their own oil. Its all about the book smarts and number crunching in college. That being said, the ones I still keep in touch with ended up right where I figured.

Ones that were mechanically inclined prior to college have mechanical type careers where they are very hands on. Those who couldnt change their oil are design engineers and never see/interact with hardware.

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