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That one line from a pilot at LAX still sticks with me
I was doing a quick pit stop on a regional jet at LAX last summer when this older captain walked over while I was checking the transponder. He watched for a minute, then said 'if you treat every wire like it's your last one, they'll treat you back right.' Sounds silly but it hit me. I think about that every time I'm tempted to hurry a splice. He just nodded and walked off, never even got his name. Has anyone else had a random comment from a crew member that stayed with you?
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robin59122d agoTop Commenter
That's a good line, isn't it... I had a similar thing happen with an old mechanic at a FBO once. He just said 'slow is smooth, smooth is fast' while I was fumbling with a cowling latch. I was so annoyed at the time but now I hear it every time I start rushing something. Funny how a total stranger can say something that just sticks with you like that.
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uma_williams21d ago
Is it ALWAYS the people who aren't trying to teach you something that end up teaching you the most? Like, the guy who rushes over to "correct" you just gets ignored, but the old guy who just mutters something while walking PAST you lives in your head rent free for a decade. I swear, the universe has a weird sense of humor about it. My dad had a friend who never gave advice, he'd just say "well, that's one way to do it" while shaking his head and then walk away. That's WAY harder to brush off than someone yelling at you. It's like they know the quiet version sticks deeper.
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wilson.joseph22d ago
Three gallons of coffee and two busted knuckles later I finally realized that old mechanic wasn't just being poetic... he was trying to save me from myself. Now I've got his voice in my head every time I try to torque something while my blood pressure is spiking. Funny how those guys never yell at you, they just drop these little zen bombs and then walk off to drink their coffee. I think half of them do it just to watch you stand there trying to figure out if you just got wisdom or mild sarcasm.
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