My journeyman told me to always double-check the slack rope switch on a 90s Dover, even if the indicator says it's clear. He was right, found a bent actuator arm last week.

3 comments

3 Comments

Old guys always have those weird little rules. Turns out they learned them the hard way. Good thing you listened, or that bent arm would have been a real bad day. Those old Dover indicators lie like a rug sometimes. Classic case of trust but verify, I guess. Bet your journeyman is feeling pretty smug right about now.

the_viola1mo ago

Actually got the indicator from a swap meet, not the original equipment. Still learned the same lesson though.

gonzalez.phoenix11d ago

Yeah, "learned them the hard way" is the whole point. It's not about being stubborn, it's that their rules are written in other people's broken parts and wasted time. That smug feeling your journeyman gets isn't just about being right. It's relief. He's seen the new guy ignore the rule and spend eight hours fixing a mistake that took two seconds to avoid. Those old rules are the cheapest insurance you'll ever get.