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Shoutout to the guy at the diner who thought we were fishing for treasure
I was grabbing breakfast at the Harbor Light in Port Angeles last week, still in my muddy gear, and the guy on the stool next to me leans over and asks, 'Find any gold bars down there yet?' I had to laugh. He was dead serious, thought our cutterhead dredge was basically a giant metal detector. I explained we were just doing channel maintenance, moving mud and sand, and his face fell. He said, 'All that big gear just for dirt?' It made me think about how most folks have no clue what we actually do. They see the boat and think adventure, but they don't see the hours of watching pump pressure, checking spoil lines, and dealing with old car tires. It's a good reminder that our work is pretty invisible until a port silts up. Anyone else get these wild guesses about your job from people on shore?
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avery6295mo ago
You ever try just leaning into their fantasy a little? I had a guy at a bar ask if I was a pirate once, and instead of killing the vibe right away I said something like "depends on what you call treasure, we pulled up a 1970s lawn chair last week that some people might value." Ended up having a decent chat about the weird stuff we find in the water. Sometimes it's easier to let them have the fun story for a minute before you get into the mud and the pressure gauges.
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rivera.christopher6mo ago
Actually, that guy's guess sounds more fun than the reality. Most people around here know the work, they just hate the noise and the traffic delays. They see the gear and think about their commute getting messed up, not buried treasure.
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