Which rules/laws in the construction industry....
- Thread starter emahler
- Start date
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- Location
- Simi Valley, CA
emahler said:
I don't know if it's a question that can be answered. I think Bob might have said it best.
When I travel across country, it's very rare that the speedometer on my truck gets below 80 and I also carry a gun under my front seat.
I go 80 because like most people I think the most wasted time is between point A and point B and I just want to get where I'm going.
I carry the gun because I don't have a cop riding with me to protect me and my family and if I did I wouldn't carry it.
I know that both are against the law, at least in most states. If I get caught speeding I simply simle and say thank you sir, no excuses just tooling along. The gun one I will go to court and fight as hard as I can, because the guys that say I can't carry a gun, get to carry a gun, though most cops I talk to are pretty good about this one, but will still give you the ticket for speeding.
Yet, I come to a full stop at every stop sign, mostly avoiding the guy that doesn't, I stop for the people in the cross walk and I don't light off fireworks on the 4th of July, I don't light illegal campfires and I don't hunt out of season.
I think that most of the laws that people obey are because there is a consequence more than just a fine, someone could get hurt, you could burn down a house or forest, they could stop hunting altogether to let the species replenish.
It's like a morality question that I use to ask. If you found a pound of cocaine, knew how to sell it, knew that you would make $100,000, and knew you wouldn't get caught, would you do it?
electricmanscott
Senior Member
- Location
- Boston, MA
emahler said:
You go first.....
petersonra
Senior Member
- Location
- Northern illinois
- Occupation
- engineer
Actually, carrying a gun in your car without a license is quite legal in many states (more than 20), although very few people are aware of this. That kind of goes back to my point about not knowing what the rules are. Its near impossible to know what the rules are everywhere.cowboyjwc said:
- Location
- Massachusetts
emahler
Seriously, you go first, you want people to answer the question then put your own views out for display.
electricmanscott said:You go first.....
Seriously, you go first, you want people to answer the question then put your own views out for display.
Rewire
Senior Member
- Location
- Lake of the Ozarks
got a call from a HO who needed a certified electrician at the request of the building inspector to repair fire damage.Met the HO and they said I needed to get my city license so I could get the permit.Went to city hall and told the clerk I needed a city license and an electric permit.I started to hand her my masters liscense and she said "we don't need that we just need you to fill out this form with $15.00".Some rules make sense others do not but regardless I still follow them,the ones I dislike I work to change.
iwire said:
i will seriously answer this later, when i have some time...but i will ask these 2 questions of you:
1) what difference does it make? i asked where everyones threshold was, not whether it was higher or lower than mine...
2)my views are pretty well out for display all over this site, what new information do you think i will give you?
cschmid
Senior Member
- Location
- Northern cold country
transient merchant license required in every city you do business in..except the city it resides in..laws are not like the ten commandments they are like guidelines and most have no enforcement dollars so its like a crap shot..For me I do not do side jobs and try and walk the walk of the talk I talk..which is very hard at times..most laws I break are the ones I do not know..ignorance is not a defense but it is the truth..
So when are you going to tell us you are perfect and don't break any laws..You don't speed, take pens from the store, take advantage of your employees or your customers..Lets hear your answer on the question..
So when are you going to tell us you are perfect and don't break any laws..You don't speed, take pens from the store, take advantage of your employees or your customers..Lets hear your answer on the question..
cschmid said:
not at all....my threshold is pretty low...i'm a libertarian capitalist...but again, i didn't ask where your threshold was in relation to mine....just where yours was...
quite frankly, i don't expect any really honest answers here, but it may make people think a little...
there is a lot of talk about sidework..."i'm qualified, i don't need that piece of paper"....fair enough...
then we talk about labor laws...."that guy slacked off on friday, i'm not going to pay him, no matter what the law says"....a few groans are heard....
then we talk about safety...."i don't care what OSHA says, i'm gonna work 480V live whenever and wherever I want"...
yet everyday, we all make conscious decisions to violate codes, rules and laws that we don't feel apply to us at that moment in time...
i'm just curious how we as a group decide which of these codes, rules and laws are breakable...
billsnuff
Senior Member
- Location
- East of 480sparky
emaler
emaler
to answer your question, i saw tom selleck on a children's forum answering questions similar to what you are asking and his reply, which endevoor to live up to, was, "you don't lie, cheat and steal". I think that is not only a good business philosopy, but a good one for life as well. Unfortunately......sometimes I come up short.
emaler
to answer your question, i saw tom selleck on a children's forum answering questions similar to what you are asking and his reply, which endevoor to live up to, was, "you don't lie, cheat and steal". I think that is not only a good business philosopy, but a good one for life as well. Unfortunately......sometimes I come up short.
billsnuff said:
that's fine, and i might agree, but:
am I not cheating a legal contractor out of work when I do illegal sidework? am i not stealing food off his table?
did the employee who slacked on friday not cheat me of productivity, and steal time from me? and possibly lie about what he actually did?
am i not lying to myself to think that I can safely work on 480V regardless of the conditions?
so, i guess the definition of "lie" "cheat" and "steal" are really sliding definitions that change with each person....so where do your definitions lie?
An inspector told me once...
An inspector told me once...
40 percent of people will always follow the law,
another 50 percent will break the rules sometimes if they think they won't get caught,
and the last 10 percent will disobey the law every time and deal with it when they get caught.
Which one are you?
An inspector told me once...
40 percent of people will always follow the law,
another 50 percent will break the rules sometimes if they think they won't get caught,
and the last 10 percent will disobey the law every time and deal with it when they get caught.
Which one are you?
cschmid
Senior Member
- Location
- Northern cold country
fair enough..I do have some problems with the rules of the game we call life..Since I became a grandfather I have really done some soul searching..I would like to say I am fair and honest..Yet my children will tell you something different..
I hope I pick my battles better..But you can not be the pot calling the kettle black..So do I choose what rules I break and yes..
I just do something out of habit..I still swap out breakers in a 120/240 V 1 phase panel while energized out of 25 years bad habit..I am getting better but still find myself guilty..most of the time it is out of laziness..higher voltages I do de-energize..I have issue with seat belt years of bad habit my friends insist I buckle up..when someone crawls in truck with me and buckle up so do I..another laziness item I guess..
So in retrospect you are correct I will think about this more conscientiously..
I hope I pick my battles better..But you can not be the pot calling the kettle black..So do I choose what rules I break and yes..
I just do something out of habit..I still swap out breakers in a 120/240 V 1 phase panel while energized out of 25 years bad habit..I am getting better but still find myself guilty..most of the time it is out of laziness..higher voltages I do de-energize..I have issue with seat belt years of bad habit my friends insist I buckle up..when someone crawls in truck with me and buckle up so do I..another laziness item I guess..
So in retrospect you are correct I will think about this more conscientiously..
peter d
Senior Member
- Location
- New England
emahler said:
I think the answer to this is a moving target, and as such defies an absolute answer. But generally speaking, and human nature being what it is, people will be inclined to follow or break what ever rule is beneficial to them at a particular moment in time.
brian john
Senior Member
- Location
- Leesburg, VA
I try to be 100% legal at all times, but must admit I may have broken a few licensing rules over the years. I HATE, having to be caught doing anything wrong, I hate trying to explain myself out of a mess that I started by breaking a law/regulation/rule.
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