Trades

I have always advocated "hero" professions such as cop or firefighter. There are most certainly jobs that require a physical presence.

However, when it comes to the trades, I've sometimes hesitated. I've expressed this sentiment on a NYTimes article a few months back. There are two main reasons for this:

- not everyone is built for being a tradesman. We're not only talking about brute strength, but also fine motor skills. Some people lack manual dexterity and digital (finger) dexterity. Some people lack acute senses, or perception, or hand-eye coordination. People often cite physical limitations on why not everyone can be a cop, firefighter, or even astronaut. But physical limitations are rarely cited for being in other manual labor occupations.

- things are now being built to last longer. Take plumbers. Pipes are now being made of plastic composites instead of copper or whatever metals they used to be made of. This means less corrosion. Newer car engines need less servicing, making the mechanic a little less busy. In fact, I sometimes wonder whether more fire-resistant building materials and better fire-fighting systems (sprinklers n' such) will decrease the need for firefighters. Robots and computers aren't the only technology that are making working men and women obsolete. Though, short of robocops, I have yet to figure out a technology that will make cops obsolete.