On Tue, 18 Jul 2006 23:00:25 -0400, dirtbag
wrote:

I'm a 55 year old mechanical engineer interested in a retirement career to
earn a couple of extra bucks.
I have always been interested in locksmithing and in fact over the years
have learned how lockas work, how to to pick, code and decode cylinders
and even pick GM sidebar locks, albeit with variable results. I'm no Hank
Spicer!!

However, I look at locksmithing in the current times as a dead trade
inhabited with lower class people who have little skills, love for the
trade but simple people who want to make a buck.

I went to a trade show last year (MLNJ) and it was filled with smelly,
slimy, moronic people who claimed to be smiths'.

Seriously the stench in the convention center was so bad I had to walk
outside every 10 minutes or so to get fresh air.

I also heard from several of the exhibitors there that many items had been
stolen by attendees.

Pretty sad.

So is this what the trade has become?

Toothless, unclean morons in search of a bar of soap?
Pretty sad.



Now I understand this is a broad generization, but I have to make the
same, you can make your claims against almost any trade industry. I
worked as a Chimney Sweep in Colorado Springs, for a very highly well
known good company. The average chimney sweep employee was a person
who was only a temp, very dissovled/dirty, or didn't care about the
work they did. Because of this, the company that worked for took the
time to train their employees, only hire good employees, and only
behave professionally. The company is has been recoginized by the BBB
many times with awards, and the local chamber of commerce.

The moral of this story, 99% of the sweeps in Colorado Springs might
be like your 'lock smiths' but because this chimney sweep set itself
apart from the rest, by becoming the best. This has rewarded them
with above average repeate customers, and customers willing to wait a
long time for their expertise. And you can too, in lock smithing if
you were interested.

BTW, as for smelly, go to a computer show. My goodness, those
overweight geeks don't know what a shower is. But still computers
workers are here to stay, for awhile now.

later,

tom @ www.NoCostAds.com