is common sence dead?

A few months back, my son's mate had just qualified as a Mazda mechanic on the Friday. Next day he was at our place and forgot the lights on of his old little Mazda. Battery flat he asked me for jumpers. Not wanting to risk the electronics of my car I suggested we push start the car. The QUALIFIED mechanic did not know how. He had never done it before. I sat in the car for the push start while he and my son pushed the car (the old 2nd gear, ignition on and release the clutch thing we ol timers know so well). :D
Les

Yes we old blokes do.

Not sure I agree with the sentiment that the younger ones learn things more relevant to the current times. Bought a heap of rechargeable batteries and when I ask where they are - they were flat so I threw them out :o.

And pinched the ones out of the parents remote to keep theirs going :oo::((.

Ok I'm getting off the soap box again :B.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by lesmeyer

. . . . . I sat in the car for the push start while he and my son pushed the car

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Tragic but as it should be!

someone who has been to university and got a bit of paper is more qualified to do sompthing than someone that has done it all there life?

i did 2 quotes today.

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one was for materials for a fence in makay.

they wanted palings 2.5m x 250mm x 30mm with a ship lap each side.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...hiplap.dwg.gif

and needed 2400 of them.

now for a start 250mm x 30mm is not a standard size. you just cant buy it, this means we will have to custom cut it.

2.5 m isn't a standard size we will have to use 2.7m logs and dock them back.

most planning mills cant profile 250mm boards they are limited to 230 (the size of a dressed step tread), so the profile will have to be cut on a spindle molder.

they have to be f14 and class 2 durability for a fence?

we also have to supply rails for them to be screwed to. they are 175mm x 50mm x 2.4m. what are they keeping in dinosaurs. these will be mounted on 200mm x 200mm steel posts.

now them specifying non standard sizes and way oversize pieces has doubled the price.

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the other was for a city council who are building a foot bridge.

they wanted the following

100mm x 100mm finished size, seasoned, pencil round, f14 hardwood

180 x 60 finished size, seasoned, DAR, f14 hardwood

150mm x 38mm reeded reverse decking.

again none of these are standard sizes, and would have to be custom cut and machined.

i recommended standard sizes but they said thats teh way teh architect and engineer designed it so thats the way it is.:no:

once they get a shower of rain on there kiln dried hardwood it will swell and loosen then shrink back and crack.
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it will cost the tax payer extra but thats ok because these people have a sheet of paper to say they know what they are doing.

What is being pushed these days is uncommon sense, to think outside the box. I have had to babysit truly remarkably intelligent people in very dangerous environments, somehow & I don't know how, I haven't lost one, but there have been some really close calls. Its horses for courses, they could make some amazing scientific discovery which not many of us are capable of, luckily I have a broad life skill base, trade background and tertiary qualifications too, so I can see both sides of the fence. But then again no engineer in private practice would specify non standard sizes.
regards inter

Carl, in many ways what you say about common sense in your first post is not about common sense at all. It's about exerience. Many people have not had the sort of experience needed to enable them to cope with the situations you describe.

I do not carry handy bits of #8 wire and other assorted bits and pieces because I might need them to get me out of a fix! But that doesn't make me stupid or lacking in common sense.


Your examples of non- standard sizes for timber are more to the point. They show a distinct lack of common sense and - in the case of the council- an abundance of pigheadedess and a disregard for ratepayers"" money.

Here I go again,

Call it lacking common sense or lacking life experience doesn't change anything. Playing a computer game for hours or knowing the ins and outs of entertainment industry stars does not give anyone life experience or common sense.

The current day mentality relies upon instant gratification - turn it on and let me play or veg out. My parents would give me a clip over the ear if I ever had that approach and be told to go outside and play. You learnt to socialize with people and learnt from the hard knocks Today they all get driven to school just in case the school bully picks on them on the bus or train. Is it any wonder today's youth can't hold or get a job - they've never had to fight for anything for themselves.

There's a lot to be said for compulsory armed forces service to impart some common sense.

OK soap box away but I believe society today has a lot to answer for - collectively we have become so protected in cotton wool cocoons that the life skills are just disappearing.

but when they get into a situation where they can get that experience tehy dont have teh faintest idea of what to do.

i always carry the following things.

spare tyre
jack
jack handle!!!!
wheel brace
tyre plug kit
cans of air
50m of fencing wire
axe
tape
chain/strap
knead it.
toolbox with tools in it.

there is almost nothing that cant be fixed with that kit.

when i break down first thing i do is look whats wrong then i look for sompthing to fix it.

most people when they break down ring RACQ.

why would tehy fix it them selves when tehy can pay someone to do it.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by lesmeyer

A few months back, my son's mate had just qualified as a Mazda mechanic on the Friday. Next day he was at our place and forgot the lights on of his old little Mazda. Battery flat he asked me for jumpers. Not wanting to risk the electronics of my car I suggested we push start the car. The QUALIFIED mechanic did not know how. He had never done it before. I sat in the car for the push start while he and my son pushed the car (the old 2nd gear, ignition on and release the clutch thing we ol timers know so well). :D
Les

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I am a bit late in answering this but have you tried that with an automatic? They all drive them now days since you have to be able to count to more than 3 with a 5 or 6 speed box.
You won't find 2nd automatically!!! (chuckle)

We have a 16 year old 1st year apprentice, he has been working for us for 6 months now.

He went to private school, his mum, dad or sister drive him to work and pick him up from work every day, even though it would be less than 2km walk to the train station at each end of a 15 minute train ride.

He disapears at 4pm on the dot every day, 2pm on fridays unless he's out on site with one of us that generally always work until 4 on fridays (2 hours overtime on top of a 38 hour week).

He has already been given the family car for when he gets his licence, his mum went out and bought a new one for herself.

When he was offered the job by the former branch manager he was given a number of weeks to get his paperwork in to the apprentiship board. He didn't do it in time and was told the job was no longer available, but as it happens his dad is best buddys with one of the board members and after some phone calls by daddy the position was open again.

Today I arrived at the office at 7:30am and had to call one of my customers who had an urgent issue so i wasn't paying much attention to the fact he was sitting opposite me doing nothing. 15 minutes later my supervisor walks in and says to him "What's going on, have you got nothing to do?", his reply, "No no ones told me anything." supervisor: "So you've finnished such and such i gave you to do on friday then?" apprentice: "Oh yeah i forgot about that."

At about 2pm i was back in the office and heard the supervisor remind him again to put the bin out today before he goes home. Bin was still sitting at the back door when i was about to leave.

To me his behaviour and lack of initative is of someone that does not want a job. When i was that age i would have done anything for a job.

Last apprentice was the same, he made it to 3rd year before we put so much pressure on him he quit.

Anyway, time are changing i guess. Maybe we need higher unemployment so these kids actually have to try.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by nihilism

We have a 16 year old 1st year apprentice, he has been working for us for 6 months now.

He went to private school, his mum, dad or sister drive him to work and pick him up from work every day, even though it would be less than 2km walk to the train station at each end of a 15 minute train ride.

He disapears at 4pm on the dot every day, 2pm on fridays unless he's out on site with one of us that generally always work until 4 on fridays (2 hours overtime on top of a 38 hour week).

He has already been given the family car for when he gets his licence, his mum went out and bought a new one for herself.

When he was offered the job by the former branch manager he was given a number of weeks to get his paperwork in to the apprentiship board. He didn't do it in time and was told the job was no longer available, but as it happens his dad is best buddys with one of the board members and after some phone calls by daddy the position was open again.

Today I arrived at the office at 7:30am and had to call one of my customers who had an urgent issue so i wasn't paying much attention to the fact he was sitting opposite me doing nothing. 15 minutes later my supervisor walks in and says to him "What's going on, have you got nothing to do?", his reply, "No no ones told me anything." supervisor: "So you've finnished such and such i gave you to do on friday then?" apprentice: "Oh yeah i forgot about that."

At about 2pm i was back in the office and heard the supervisor remind him again to put the bin out today before he goes home. Bin was still sitting at the back door when i was about to leave.

To me his behaviour and lack of initative is of someone that does not want a job. When i was that age i would have done anything for a job.

Last apprentice was the same, he made it to 3rd year before we put so much pressure on him he quit.

Anyway, time are changing i guess. Maybe we need higher unemployment so these kids actually have to try.

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He's 16, actually gets to work, makes it to then end of the week, then turns up again the following week, in this day & age some adults are flat out doing that week in week out.
regards inter

Quote:

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Originally Posted by weisyboy

but when they get into a situation where they can get that experience tehy dont have teh faintest idea of what to do.

i always carry the following things.

spare tyre
jack
jack handle!!!!
wheel brace
tyre plug kit
cans of air
50m of fencing wire
axe
tape
chain/strap
knead it.
toolbox with tools in it.

there is almost nothing that cant be fixed with that kit.

when i break down first thing i do is look whats wrong then i look for sompthing to fix it.

most people when they break down ring RACQ.

why would tehy fix it them selves when tehy can pay someone to do it.

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And why have you decided that it is wise to carry these items in your car? Because experience has taught you they are useful.

Before you had that experience, you would not have known the practical uses of these items in those situations and would have been just as stuck as those people you claim have no common sense.

A more accurate description might well be that these people have no experience thus have not learnt the same lessons as you.

If you were picked up and placed into the life and circumstances of these people, perhaps you would be in precisely the same situation as these people find themselves when placed in your environment.

thaught it was common sense to carry enough tools to fix something if it breaks.

experience didnt tell me i could use a sapling to replace a spring common sense told me that anything that will hold the car of teh axle will work.

you cant get experience if you don't try.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by weisyboy

thaught it was common sense to carry enough tools to fix something if it breaks.
experience didnt tell me i could use a sapling to replace a spring common sense told me that anything that will hold the car of teh axle will work.
you cant get experience if you don't try.

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Agreed Carl. It's also common sense to know that things break down and commonsense to know when you're outside your comfort zone.
cheers,
Jim

Quote:

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Originally Posted by weisyboy

why would tehy fix it them selves when tehy can pay someone to do it.

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That's a good example of common sense.

:D