I once did a job for a religious organisation....and it was simply amazing how many members of the congregation just had to tell me that their uncle was an electricla engineer or an inspector- as if to warn me that my betters were watching (my laughter was suppressed!!!)
Then there are the guy whoafter you refuse to hill-billy rig something for them, try to get you to do it incrementally. Can't wire the dryer by drawing off two standard receptacles...well, can you extend each circuit to here?....put them in same double box?.....will dryer recep fit in box?....! The hard part in this case is deciding when to stop being polite, and just telling him off! This is always accompanied by assurances that no inspector will ever see the job (after you explain code violation), assurances the it'll work (they see it done 'all the time'), Oh, those engineers overdesign, there's a 'safety factor used', etc.
Now, the statements that scare me are:
1) I used to be an electrician...
2) An electrician friend of mine was here...
3) Electricity don't know the difference;
4) It works, don't it?; and,
5) It ain't rocket science.
