I’d like to learn what people in their field think of when they see something good or bad when they’re not working.

I’m a health inspector, so when I am sitting at a table as a customer, I’ll watch people while I’m eating (not purposely staring, but having a look around the place). I recently saw someone swipe their finger under their nose then go to the self serve station to touch about 8 different handles before walking away. Thankfully, I was already done eating.

When I have to walk through the kitchen to the toilets, I take mental notes without meaning to.

As a ex-first responder, unconsciously doing an assessment of someone I’m speaking to (or not) and internally noting how nice and juicy their veins are.

What are some things you come across in your daily life and what do they have you thinking about?

  • neidu3@sh.itjust.worksMEnglish
    2·
    1 day ago

    Excluding the IT aspect of my job, I am unable to walk past a ship without thoroughly examining its mast to see which antennae it has and determine the capabilities.

    Some tidbits I’ve noticed:

    • A HF radio is popular, despite the ship otherwise not being rated for areas where HF radios are required.
    • Older EPIRBs are indestructible provided that the battery and the hydrostatic release units are changed on schedule. I still see models around that are decades old.
    • Starlink is seeing more and more offshore use, but nobody is getting rid of their VSAT.
    • Iridium is starting to make a dent in the amount of Inmarsat-C installations after Iridium became approved for GMDDS.
    • Fleet77 is gone. Haven’t seen it in ages.
    • StickyDango@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
      1·
      9 hours ago

      I understood about 10% of that! But that’s what also makes it so interesting because I’ve not yet come across this before. I love it. Thank you for sharing!

      I don’t know if this is anything of any interest to you, but for some reason, I thought of the Falkirk Wheel in Scotland when I was reading what you wrote. Maybe I made a roundabout connection with my engineering partner and water and then bridges. We didn’t pay to go on, but he specifically wanted to stop here just to see this bridge. Even my non-tech brain thought it was pretty cool.