Engineering without a license?
In a recent Richmond Times Dispatch
article, writer and commentator George Will sited a legal case in Oregon where
a graduate engineer was fined for voicing opinions about how long traffic
lights stayed yellow as they transitioned from green to red. This was in
response to what he believed was an unjust red-light camera traffic ticket his
wife received. In his rants, he sighted his engineering education as his
credibility. The Oregon authorities refuted his arguments claiming he was not
an authority because he lacked a “Professional Engineers" license and therefore
investigated him and ultimately fined him $500 for expressing opinions.
This may shock those who labored to
receive an engineering degree. So what difference does it make having a P.E.
license? It simply represents that the individual is “competent “in the subject
and as a PE is sufficiently
knowledgeable, capable and fit to render a design that could affect the health,
safety, and welfare of the public, satisfactory. Licensing requirements in most
states extend to landscape architects, architecture, engineers, land surveyors
and landscape architects. In my book I include typical requirements for
obtaining a P.E. license.
Do you have an experience to share?
