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The Guy with the Stick Trivia Quiz

I used to work for a Land Surveyor. When I told people what I did, they would say, "Oh! You're the guy with the stick!" Yep, I was the guy with the stick.

A multiple-choice quiz by sir67. Estimated time: 5 mins.

Author
sir67

Time
5 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
249,112

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Tough

Avg Score
6 / 10

Plays
829

Last 3 plays: Guest 97 (3/10), turtle52 (5/10), Guest 206 (0/10).

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. A hundred years ago, land survey crews in Canada's west could require a fair sized company of men, including the surveyor, a cook, two chainmen, two pit diggers and more! Today, the normal size of a crew consists of: Hint

six people and a quad

three people

two people

four people

NEXT>

Question 2 of 10

2. To start my career, I was the guy with the stick. What is the correct term for this position? Hint

Rodman

Poleman

Stick guy

Polecat

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Question 3 of 10

3. Decades ago, distances were made with a 'chain'. Each metal chain was 66 feet. In the eighties and nineties, most surveyors had upgraded their survey instrument to measure with light. What is this instrument called? Hint

Thermal Camera

Photovoltaic Sensors

GPS

Theodolite

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Question 4 of 10

4. Of course nowadays GPS is widely used as the surveyor's yardstick of choice. What slowed the widespread usage of GPS in the land survey profession during the early nineties? Hint

It wasn't available until 2001

GPS was only available in the USA

Most people didn't have computers to run them

High cost and military signal scrambles

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Question 5 of 10

5. Being the guy with the stick, I had to pound a lot of wood stakes in the ground to mark out rights-of-way. What is the name for these long, skinny sticks? Hint

Rebar

Sticks

Lath

Stumps

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Question 6 of 10

6. We worked primarily in oil and gas fields. Because of this, we were required to take H2S safety training. H2S is hydrogen sulfide and it's deadly. What causes the formation of H2S? Hint

Decaying carbon based organisms

Oil well blowouts

Natural gas exposed to flame

Ants

NEXT>

Question 7 of 10

7. In Saskatchewan, and I assume other locales, every surveyor's office must have: Hint

a computer network

tax receipts

maps

a licensed Land Surveyor

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Question 8 of 10

8. Draftsman is so passe. In the 80's, this term was updated to draftsperson. But now replaced again by CAD operator. But what does it all mean? What does a CAD operator do? Hint

Gets the beer

Draws pictures

Caulks the windows

Operates the Community Assistance Department

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Question 9 of 10

9. In days before GPS, starting a survey where no previous surveys existed took some real ingenuity. Surveyors had to know where they were in the world. In the early days of Canadian and American expansion, the nearest survey might be a thousand miles away. How were surveyors able to determine their location? Hint

Smoke signals

Taking a star shot

Observing times of sunrises and sunsets

Wildlife mating habits

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Question 10 of 10

10. Lands in Western Canada (with some differences in BC) and a large portion of USA are divided into units defined by their Township and: Hint

Correction Line

Regency

Range

Legend

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Most Recent Scores

Dec 11 2024 : Guest 97: 3/10
Dec 08 2024 : turtle52: 5/10
Nov 13 2024 : Guest 206: 0/10
Nov 05 2024 : emmal2000uk: 1/10

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

Answer: two people

Today's crew generally consists of a party chief (or crew chief) and a helper, named in the next question.

2. To start my career, I was the guy with the stick. What is the correct term for this position?

Answer: Rodman

The rodman carries a rod (obviously) that allows the crew chief to measure distances.

Answer: Theodolite

By aiming the theodolite at the rod, the surveyor directs a light towards the rod. The rod has a small mirror that reflects the light back. The time the light takes to travel is calculated to provide highly accurate distances between the two.

4. Of course nowadays GPS is widely used as the surveyor's yardstick of choice. What slowed the widespread usage of GPS in the land survey profession during the early nineties?

Answer: High cost and military signal scrambles

Units designed to give a precision reading could cost well over $50,000, some approaching $100,000. As well, the US military scrambled the signal so foreign enemies couldn't use American technology to attack them. This could be overcome by setting the receiver on a stationary point for 15 - 20 minutes which only made the system valuable for establishing control points.

5. Being the guy with the stick, I had to pound a lot of wood stakes in the ground to mark out rights-of-way. What is the name for these long, skinny sticks?

Answer: Lath

A lath is tall, about 3', and usually painted on top or affixed with ribbon depending on the geographic layout and ecological concerns. Hubs are short (about 12"), thick stubs used where lath were unsuitable. Hubs would be used in areas with livestock or wildlife who like to use lath as scratching posts for their bellies.

6. We worked primarily in oil and gas fields. Because of this, we were required to take H2S safety training. H2S is hydrogen sulfide and it's deadly. What causes the formation of H2S?

Answer: Decaying carbon based organisms

H2S smells like rotten eggs. Luckily if you can smell it, you have time to react. If you can't, you may already be dead (but probably not playing my quiz). It kills by shutting down your nervous system and your brain stops functioning.

7. In Saskatchewan, and I assume other locales, every surveyor's office must have:

Answer: a licensed Land Surveyor

Every office is required to have a Saskatchewan Land Surveyor.

8. Draftsman is so passe. In the 80's, this term was updated to draftsperson. But now replaced again by CAD operator. But what does it all mean? What does a CAD operator do?

Answer: Draws pictures

The draftsman(person) uses the surveyor's measurements and notes to draw a visual representation of the survey. Today it is done with assistance of a Computer Aided Drafting program.

Answer: Taking a star shot

By accurately observing the positions of stars at a given time, surveyors could determine their latitude and longitude.

10. Lands in Western Canada (with some differences in BC) and a large portion of USA are divided into units defined by their Township and:

Answer: Range

Townships are numbered or named south to north and ranges from east to west. Townships and ranges are themselves based on one or more baselines or meridians. A unit defined by both is often referred to as one Township. This is further broken down into Sections (usually 1 mile square) and then again smaller subdivisions.

Source: Author sir67

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Exit10 before going online.
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