Are we there yet? Even standards are uneven

This long holiday break has given me a chance to do some much needed research.  What kind of research, you might ask?  The kind of research that allows you to gain insight into the reason behind the quality of workmanship being done by government-contractors and the government office behind it.  What has this have to do with motoring?  A lot!

Now, the reason I did this research is because I could not but fathom how a simple road repair project could go terribly wrong.  Take for instance the massive road concreting project that was done at the north reclamation area.  The stretch of concrete from in front of the controversial, and sadly, derelict convention center to the sports coliseum of the wannabe Kapitolyo City has got to qualify as one of the worst road projects to date.

First, you have the concrete surface.  I am no mason or engineer, but I know a smooth surface when I see one.  Now, I am not talking about the top surface being smooth for I know that you have to draw-in creases to roughen the surface.  I’m talking about how one’s vehicle’s suspension having to work overtime to make the passengers feel like they’re going through an actual road and not some jungle dirt road.  I’ve seen motor vehicles with the best of suspensions bouncing up and down as they go through either direction of this thoroughfare.

Second, you have that darn bridge and the road after the sports coliseum that just happened to be a little off the level.  When the workers connected the concrete road to the small bridge before the sports coliseum, did they stop to ask themselves why it was off a couple of inches on one side and almost a foot on the other?  One can guess they didn’t because, if they did, there wouldn’t be that great disparity in surface height.  And to make things worse, they made the exact same blunder on the small patch of concrete in front of the sports coliseum.  That one is just as horribly off as the other.

So, what does my research have to do with this?  Simple, from the grunt who has to bear with the heat, the poor working conditions, and allegedly below standard pay, to the alleged engineer who has been chosen to oversee the project, and finally to the government agency who signs off on these projects, one can really see how piss poor our civil service and professional regulatory standards are.

I am aware that these heavy equipment operators and masons aren’t required by their respective companies to be degree holders.  I am also aware that, to be called an engineer, one has to have, at least, a degree in engineering and must have passed the regulatory commission’s exam.  And to qualify as a significant individual in government, one must pass the civil service exams.

Now, by what standard are these exams based on if all three key components of a government-contracted project are as horrid and as slapshod as that project mentioned above?  I wonder if the workers, engineers and government workers involved in this project have the decency to hang their head in shame for the piss poor job they have done.  Well, if they don’t, they should.  Why?  Because they are an embarrassment to the human race.

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