Someone pretending to be an engineer

[humner]

Years ago, I did work for a person in another state who told me he was an engineer. I later found out that he was not a PE let alone an EIT. I told his state board, nothing happened. They said that they needed more evidence from other people. Now I see that he is listing himself on facebook again as an engineer. I sent the page as an attachment to that states licensing board. They responded that it still is not enough! They want me to find more evidence that he is portraying himself as a PE.

Can anyone explain to me how this can be happening? I am doing everything to pass the PE test and this person gets away with this crap.

Another thing that gets me, is that there really is a PE with the same name in that state, and am now beginning to wonder if some lawsuits are going to be coming his way because no one did anything about it.

 

[Capt Worley PE]

You can call yourself an engineer and that's ok. But offer engineering services for a fee, or advertise as such services, and you may be in trouble.

 

[MA_PE]

Does this person do engineering work that would require a PE, so he is practicing without a license or is he just saying he's an engineer and you take offense to that? What kind of work does this individual do? Do you have documentation, i.e. Report, drawings, etc. that show he practicing engineering without a license?

Your post comes off as more of a vendetta against this individual than someone who is reporting an incidence of practicing without a license.

If the guy posts on facebook that he's "Choo-Choo Charlie, Engineer" who cares?

 

[snickerd3]

My husbands official work title is Field Service Engineer, but he does not have an engineering degree. So it really depends, like what others have said, is it just a title or is he doing work that requires a PE.

 

[humner]

I did three building plans for him, never got paid and from what I understand, they were never built. He posts on facebook that he works for a certain engineering firm, funny, he is the owner of the company. Not sure if I should post his facebook site on this site.

 

[Capt Worley PE]

If the guy posts on facebook that he's "Choo-Choo Charlie, Engineer" who cares?

You've been reading my facebook again????

 

[EM_PS]

Years ago, I did work for a person in another state who told me he was an engineer. I later found out that he was not a PE let alone an EIT. I told his state board, nothing happened. They said that they needed more evidence from other people. Now I see that he is listing himself on facebook again as an engineer. I sent the page as an attachment to that states licensing board. They responded that it still is not enough! They want me to find more evidence that he is portraying himself as a PE.
Can anyone explain to me how this can be happening? I am doing everything to pass the PE test and this person gets away with this crap.

Another thing that gets me, is that there really is a PE with the same name in that state, and am now beginning to wonder if some lawsuits are going to be coming his way because no one did anything about it.

You can call yourself an engineer and that's ok. But offer engineering services for a fee, or advertise as such services, and you may be in trouble.

^ Agreed. I don't think simply calling yourself an Engineer is a violation; but when you call yourself a Professional Engineer, then you're clearly being fraudulent. Interesting, in MI you cannot call yourself an architect or a land surveyor (or professional surveyor) unless you're in fact licensed as such, but the term 'engineer' is fair game apparently - only cannot use professional engineer if not holding license.

 

[WoodSlinger]

When my wife and I were first married, she worked for a non-profit training high school kids who weren't college bound how to enter the work force (interview training, personal money management, those types of things). One evening after work I took my wife and a girl she was working with some dinner. While we were eating, my wife asked me something about my day which led to the high school girl asking me what I did for a job. After I told her I was an engineer she said,"Oh, I know what that is. My Dad's an engineer.". My wife chimmed in, and informed the girl that I was a structural engineer, and that I design buildings.

After the girl left, I asked my wife what kind of engineer this girls dad is. She replied, "Custodial Engineer". Don't get me wrong, I believe that janitors hold a very important position, one that I certainly would not. This just goes to show, however, that anyone can call themselves as engineer if they so choose as long as they don't try to pass themselves off as a licensed professional engineer.

 

[humner]

I cannot access his site right now, but I will post later what he has up, minus his name and his companies name. Now this does not just stop here, locally we have a young man whose parents have money, he has not even taken the FE exam, but is planning on buying a local engineer out when that PE retires. I asked him how he was going to do that without being a PE and being the primary owner of company. He told me that his lawyers had it figured out. Time will tell, I have been told some whoppers in the past.

 

[Paul S]

In PA you only need one PE in the company for all the others to be allowed to use the term "engineer"

 

[Santiagj]

That's the same in Maryland.

 

[Capt Worley PE]

SC, too.

 

[RIP - VTEnviro]

After the girl left, I asked my wife what kind of engineer this girls dad is. She replied, "Custodial Engineer". Don't get me wrong, I believe that janitors hold a very important position, one that I certainly would not. This just goes to show, however, that anyone can call themselves as engineer if they so choose as long as they don't try to pass themselves off as a licensed professional engineer.

I had something similar happen. I was hanging out with a friend and some of his buddies. We got talking. This one guy said he was a sanitation engineer. I figured he meant sanitary, like WW plants and landfills. No, he meant the guy that hangs off the side of the garbage truck.

I agree, I'm happy when they come by and haul off the trash, but that's a little different than stamping a septic plan.

 

[OSUguy98]

We've got a real winner here at the office who is a bridge inspector (not even certified yet, training & learning)... high school education, dropped out of college (General Ed.)... He's about the biggest waste of a paycheck you could imagine, bending and breaking any/every rule, disappearing for hours at a time (we call him Sasquatch because we can never find him).... His political ties keep him here..... but anyhow.......... He updates his facebook account from his phone while here at work... he regularly posts things like "Back to the grind, these bridges don't design themselves" or "Long day of designing bridges, I'm ready to head home"...

Now, I have my PE, and I don't feel like I'm designing bridges (feel more like a glorified draftsman)... most of my design decisions/suggestions get changed/ignored by my boss.... And this moron is taking elevation and cross section views drawn by other inspectors 20+ years ago and drawing them in microstation (and not very well, I might add)... I know what he's doing is harmless, but it still burns me a little...

 

[WoodSlinger]

I know what he's doing is harmless, but it still burns me a little...

I know a guy who went off and got a two year civil tech degree after high school. He then got a job at a manufactured home outfit, I assumed as a techician. I ran into him at a wedding about a year after I had graduated from college and was working as a structural engineer. I sat across from him at the dinner, and asked if he was still drafting. He said, "I'm not a drafter, I'm a structural engineer." This burned me a bit as well. Here this guy went through two years of post secondary ed, didnt' have an accredited degree, had no license, not even an EIT, and he's calling himself something that I had to go to school for five years, and still had to wait four more to take an exam.

Of course, after speaking to him about what he actually did, and the fact that he wasn't even aware of what rebar was, if you can believe that, the "burn" lessened a bit. I just think if you want to call yourself something badly enough for some reason, than go through the required process in order to rightfully do so.

It would be like me calling myself an obgyn because I've had experience with womens privates.

 

[Santiagj]

I think they should make the laws stricter with the engineer title. Only someone with a B.S. in engineering should be allowed to call themselves an engineer. It is watering down the profession in my opinion. Sanitary engineer... that one gets me pissed...

 

[Capt Worley PE]

Sanitary engineer... that one gets me pissed...

BUWAHAHA!!!

Seriously, though, it is too late to tighten up on it. Just roll with it.

 

[RIP - VTEnviro]

I think they should make the laws stricter with the engineer title. Only someone with a B.S. in engineering should be allowed to call themselves an engineer.

Soon to be an M.S. if the whole B+30 stuff gets enacted.

 

[Santiagj]

I think they should make the laws stricter with the engineer title. Only someone with a B.S. in engineering should be allowed to call themselves an engineer.

Soon to be an M.S. if the whole B+30 stuff gets enacted.

That would be for a professional engineer though. In my world the law would state that you may only call yourself an engineer if you have B.S. in engineering and you may call yourself a professional engineer if you passed the PE exam. A B.S. plus a M.Eng without a PE would still be an engineer.

My world would also contain flying turtles, talking elephants, and attack parrots used by the police and military.

 

[Capt Worley PE]

My world would also contain flying turtles

Gamera!!!!