I assume linemen know their job and understand what it takes to make themselves safe while working. I also assume electricians unserstand current will flow in any path it can.
A very unsafe assumption. An awful lot of people learn from the guy, that learned from the guy, that learned from the guy before him. This applies to linemen and electricians. It's important that those who teach, teach correctly.
Now, having said that, I agree it'a a fine point to argue this phrase. However, when someone's new to a technology, it's not always predictable how they will interpret a phrase. Better to be safe than sorry.
