[sidneyh]

Thanks electric guy. I appreciate your comment. Believe me when I say that i've been on the safety authority website more than any FSR electrician I know and I'm constantly on line trying to learn better, proper and more safe ways of carrying out electrical work. In my 3 years of schooling i've maintained a 95% average, not because I'm a wiz but because I care about what I do and I care about the people that I do work for. I'll get on the link you've mentioned and I'll give it a read, but believe me, I've had this conversation with many a journeyen before and I do realize that a lot of half assed apprentices take on side jobs, do crappy work and maybe even burn houses down, like you've mentioned. However, when I take on side jobs, making things safe is my # one concern. I promise to myself to at least make the home a safer place even if the nature of work is out of my scope of capability. Since when is extra and ensured bonding a bad thing? Yeah, I smoked my meter, but like you or any electrician out there hasn't had a screw up similar to that. Anyway, here's the deal. The "little old lady" has called many licenced contractors and has been playing the waiting game with all of them, most of them money hungry person that won't take on a job unless they'll make at least a thousand bucks. I know this because i've been apprenticing under such turkeyheads for 6 years. Right now there's so much work in the okanogan and BC in general, there's big money to be made. There's no money in changing out a plug or a light And you know it. So the little old lady waits. Now, in the time that she hopelessly waits for an electrician to show up and rip her off by suggesting a completely unneccisary panel change or upgrade, she's risking her life and those around hers by living in an unsafe place. Also, I'm a new father of a baby boy, a recent new homeowner and I could use extra cash. You've never taken on a side job? Come on!. Anyway, I found the problem and the lady had a whole bunch of lights and plugs with a bad ground. Great news for her, she's not going to burn up next time there's an incident. I learned a whole lot and now I'm that much more "qualified" next time that situation occurs. As for "risking my apprenticeship" doing side jobs, I'll continue doing them so long as people continue coming to me saying, "I think I have an unsafe situation at my home, can you help? noone else can." Why not? I hope that you would too!!! by the way, I didn't except any cash but I got myself a months worth of home made pickles. thanks for the comment and I'll go to that link right now. Sid