"I looked up at the sign and the neon was arching out on the wall, and smoldering up on the roof."
Last year, while driving home just after sundown, I happened to notice a pole-mounted capacitor bank with one of the cut-outs arcing and spitting sparks. Since it was less than 100 feet from a fire station, I went in and suggested calling the POCO.
It felt good, but didn't get any drinks!
"I should have called an electrician." - "Wow, funny you should say that..."
I'm often in the local orange or blue store and sometimes I observe a customer with that "what-the-hell-am-I-looking-for?" look on their face, and ask if they can use some electrician's advice.
Inevitably, they ask, "Oh, are you an electrician?", at which point I just have to respond, "No, but I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night!"
I often end up getting a job out of it.
Sometime back, I saved a guy from burning down his friend's house. He was installing a range circuit, and buying the proper 50-amp breaker and receptacle. However, he was about to buy a roll of 12/2 NM, because "the bigger wire is too expensive." Yikes!
