Pro tip: A building manager in Chicago told me my rope splice looked 'scary' and it changed my whole approach

I was finishing a cable splice on a traction machine in an old office building, and the manager came by to check on the noise. He looked at my work and just said, 'Honestly, that looks kind of scary, like it could come apart.' I was ready to brush it off, but he wasn't being rude, just honest from a non-mechanic's view. It hit me that if my work looks unsafe to someone who sees it every day, I'm not doing it right, even if the splice is technically sound. Now, I spend an extra five minutes on every splice, trimming the tails closer and waxing the whole thing smooth so it looks clean and tight. It's not just about passing code, it's about the people who trust the machine. Anyone else had a comment from a non-mechanic that made you change a small habit?

3 comments

3 Comments

karen_perry381mo ago

That's a really good point about the manager seeing it every day. Did you ever find out what exactly looked scary to him? Like was it the frayed ends, or the way the rope was bunched up? I mean sometimes a clean whip finish looks weird to people who don't know what it is.

lily_singh21mo ago

Ever have a non-cook tell you your kitchen knives look dangerous? Made me rethink how I leave them out on the counter.

grantadams1mo ago

A client once said my wiring looked like a bird's nest, which stung. I started using more cable ties and running lines in straight paths. Now my panels look tidy even to people who don't know a circuit from a cereal box.