Apprentice handed me a grinder backwards, then said the smartest thing I ever heard

Last job at the refinery in Baton Rouge, this green kid barely 19 was handing me tools. He gave me the grinder with the disc facing me like I was gonna shave with it. I ripped into him a bit, told him to pay attention. He just looked at me and said 'Sorry, I was watching your feet, not your hands. You always shift your weight before you change direction, thought you were about to spin around.' Damn if he wasn't right. I do that without thinking. That was 8 years ago and I still watch how the new guys move before I trust them with anything sharp. Anyone else ever get a lesson like that from someone who barely had a day in the trade?

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1 Comment

the_claire27d ago

People notice way more than they say, it's usually the quiet ones watching your patterns who catch what you can't see yourself. That kid probably reads rooms better than half the old-timers I've worked with.