Simple fractions

[gregintenn]

It shouldn't take but about a minute to teach someone halfway intelligent to read a tape measure.
I've been shown how to read a framing square, but that memory has long since evaporated due to time, age, and lack of use.

I once showed a very intelligent young lady how to count change. She understood it immediately, but looked at me like I was a magician. Both of her parents are teachers.

In earthwork, we used tapes and grade rods marked in tenths of a foot. Seemed simple to me, but blew some folks' minds.

 

[gregintenn]

Once, we were in the process of swapping over to the metric system, someone stole a metric grade rod out of my truck. The funny part is about a week later, I noticed it reappeared. LOL!

The metric thing never really took off like they'd planned.

 

[vt_shooter]

Not much time in public schools to teach things like math & English.

 

[yaktamer]

Hopefully they'll teach them that 48/100 is not a majority.

 

[Rudi]

One time on a job site I told a kid to get an 8ft. 4x2. He had to think a while.

 

[Protocall_Design]

As a tool & die maker, our motto (usually kidding) was - Measure twice, cut once, weld, repeat.

 

[GypsmJim]

I think you would have to teach the math teachers how to read a tape measure first.

Tape measures, clocks, math, how to walk on a street, make change, etc, etc. Pfffffttt.

The your teachers that just got out of college probably don't know any of that stuff either. You can't teach what you don't know.

 

[Golddollar]

In doing land title work I had to understand ancient measurements like links, chains, perches, and roods (not rods) and convert them into modern measurements. It was insinuated that I was George Washington's rod man. I made it a point to teach these things to anybody new in the real estate department at my old firm.

 

[StrawHat]

I did a side by side comparison of three name brand tapes, and found enough differences to explain why my cuts weren't consistent. I've slowly changed over to metric for my wood projects, and it is so much easier - and accurate.

You have to use the same tape measure for the whole project.

When I worked commercial construction, I would buy 30' tape measures like popcorn. I would compare them and the ones that measured the same were kept together and I would hand them to my crew who needed to measure and have things cut by others. That way they had the same numbers, missed cuts were not blamed on the tapes!

My rough carpenters were allowed the flat pencils. My finish carpenters all were given mechanical pencil with the narrow leads. Using the thin lead, it was amazing how much more accurate their cuts became using the thin lead.

When it came to framing squares, the real ones not the speed squares, I did that myself. Rafters, stair stringers, etc., I would cut a template and use it for the rest.

Kevin

 

[smoothshooter]

I have no problems with tape measures, but I have always wished we used scales and similar measuring instruments in tenths more.

19/32nds? Really?

For another experiment, ask the under age 30 guy working behind the deli counter to slice you some baloney that is about 1/4" thick.

 

[yaktamer]

In doing land title work I had to understand ancient measurements like links, chains, perches, and roods (not rods) and convert them into modern measurements. It was insinuated that I was George Washington's rod man. I made it a point to teach these things to anybody new in the real estate department at my old firm.

Hard to fathom.

 

[SMSgt]

Not much time in public schools to teach things like math & English.

Not so much a time problem as a willingness problem--on both ends of that learning curve.

 

[Geronimo Jim]

In the 1990's I hired a recent high school graduate. Turns out she was
almost illiterate. Could not spell or write a complete sentence. Had a
heart to heart talk and got her to enroll in a night school for English.
This was in Montgomery County, Maryland which had school system
rated at the top in the county at the time. Smart young lady. Turned out to be a legal secretary.

 

[SMSgt]

Tape measures, clocks, math, how to walk on a street, make change, etc, etc. Pfffffttt.

The your teachers that just got out of college probably don't know any of that stuff either. You can't teach what you don't know.

Not necessarily true. My "EX" D-in-L teaches and says the biggest issue with kids learning is the total apathy of the parents. Cannot use red corrections on tests/quizzes as it damages the poor little tykes' self-esteem. Few if any will show for parent/teacher conferences. Give a kid an F and get hounded all day by an irate parent. All of the policies come down from the longtime, seasoned educators at the top, not the fresh from college staff.

 

[Patrick L]

Amazing how many people in this thread can complain about how people don't know how to measure, yet THEY clearly can't type (or proof read for that matter!) Just saying...

 

[lihpster]

My brother ran a framing crew. He famously told his bosses about new employees, "If they can't read a tape and nail a wall, when they get here, they're a hindrance, not a help."

 

[gregintenn]

In doing land title work I had to understand ancient measurements like links, chains, perches, and roods (not rods) and convert them into modern measurements. It was insinuated that I was George Washington's rod man. I made it a point to teach these things to anybody new in the real estate department at my old firm.

I once saw a copy of a deed that had the distances measured between two points as how long it took to walk and smoke a certain number of cigarettes. I often wish I'd have kept a copy of that.

 

[crstrode]

This is probably a whole 'nother topic, but I agree. For me, digital clocks tell you what time it is, whereas analog clocks tell you what time it isn't.

With the example in the picture below I tall at a glance that it's about 10 minutes after 10:00 and I've got about 20 minutes to get to my 10:30 appointment.

With a digital clock, I have to quickly do the math in my head.

When I was working, the actual seconds counted and made a big difference. If I didn't pay attention I'd be late for a meeting.

However, on the weekends that clock told me it was about ten o'clock.

Since I retired, that clock tells me it is almost lunch time, but I already had a sandwich.

 

[Bekeart]

Real Estate Sales persons vs Math

I have filed two complaints with the Kentucky Real Estate Commission about licensed Sales Agent who made erroneous claims of acreage.

Complaint #1 - Listed 8 acres as 7 acres
I examined the deed and discovered the error.

1) Tract 1 "contains 7.02 acres by survey of J. E. Stevenson and Associates June 20, 1986".

LESS AND EXCEPT a "tract contains 3.00 acres by survey of J. E. Stevenson, KLS 2236, dated July 19, 1988."

Tract 1 7.02 acres - 3.00 acres = 4.02 acres Tract 1

Tract 2 " containing 4.06 acres according to a survey

4.02 acres + 4.06 acres = 8.08 acres

Listing Agent listed this 8.08 acre property as containing 7 acres .

Complaint 2 - Listed .815 acre as 1 acre.
Owner had said 1 acre / Property Valuation Administration claimed apx .95 acre but admitted not survey accurate. Their calculations are from satellite images.

Using the dimensions in the deed description for calculations resulted in an acreage of .816.

I knew of these errors prior to my Purchase Offers.
My complaints were not for monetary damages.
Just HOPE that the "agents' get an Unfriendly Reminder about the need to use basic math skills.

Trust, But Verify.

I apologize for the length of this post.
I wanted to show where errors were made.

 

[Tom S.]

Amazing how many people in this thread can complain about how people don't know how to measure, yet THEY clearly can't type (or proof read for that matter!) Just saying...

Which they - the people complaining or the people who don't know how to measure?

Just saying myself...