Fletch's 2019-2020 Semi Sarcastic BS Thread

I worked for an electrical parts house starting in the 8th grade and all through HS. After completing HS I worked as an apprentice for a few years. I did the four years of schooling and apprenticed for 3.5 years, but then was offered a job I couldn't resist and went a different direction with my career. I've always regretted not taking the Journeyman exam, I was so close to qualifying to take it.
Anyway, I had my uncle call me several years ago and ask if I could help with the wiring in his cabin. He had added on to it and had an old, retired electrician rough it in for him. My uncle wasn't in a hurry to finish it, just worked on it as he had free time, so a couple years passed before it was ready to be trimmed out. The guy that had roughed it in had passed away, so he asked around (small town) and some guy that "knew quite a bit about wiring" offered to do it. My uncle called me because the 2nd guy had told him he couldn't complete installing the outlets, switches, and fixtures because it "wasn't wired right".
I went up that weekend. The 2nd guy had put in most of the outlets and several switches. I opened up a few of the outlets and found that they were wired correctly. Stupid me, I ASSumed the 2nd guy did know what he was doing and so then I opened up a few switches and tried to make heads/tails out of what was going on. It took me a while before realizing the 2nd guy had zero clue how to wire anything except for an outlet. Once I finally made that realization and unhooked everything he'd done, then it went together smoothly. It was wired exactly as it should've been. 2nd guy just didn't have a clue what he was doing. All he knew to do was hook a black to one screw and a white to the other, it worked out for him in the outlets (he did manage to always put the hot and neutral on the same screw of every outlet) but then he tried to do the same with the switches. So many direct shorts ha ha.
I worked on a remodel one time that had your second example, except it was a splice made in the wall and zero access left to it. A lady had bought the house and had a contractor completely strip it to remodel. Years before someone had spliced into the romex to add an outlet and had just twisted the wires together and put a bit of electrical tape around them, not even any wire nuts. The stud next to it was charred black a foot in both directions from the splice. Have to wonder how many times the previous owners thought they could smell smoke...

 

There are those that do it because they can...

 

Or $$$$$$

 

Holiday Ride | Chevrolet - YouTube

Watch this alone so as to not have to show anyone what you look like when you're crying.
Merry Christmas!