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Our team's silly surface signal clicked for the apprentice today

We use a specific wave to mean someone came up too quick, kind of a dumb tradition. On a shallow inspection dive, the new kid did it and I flashed it back without even thinking. He laughed after and said he finally understood the joke after weeks of confusion. Small win, but it's nice when the crew feels like a real team.
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hugo_scott
My crew has about four different hand signals for paint spills (it's gotten out of hand, honestly). I'm never sure if that stuff actually builds trust or if we're just killing time between coats.
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karenh61
karenh614d ago
My buddy at a welding shop had a similar thing with a finger-tap code for different metal grades. It confused their new hire for months until he saw it used during a big rush order. @hugo_scott, your paint spill signals remind me of that, how these silly things just stick. When the kid finally got it, he said it felt like he was really part of the team.
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jackson.oscar
Honestly, that little stuff is what makes a crew stick together. Tbh we had a dumb hand signal for busted gear at my old shop, just a flat hand slapped on the top of your head. It took a new guy like two years to finally ask what it meant after seeing us do it. Ngl watching him finally get it and start using it himself was a legit great feeling. Those tiny shared jokes build up into real trust, you know? It just makes the whole day better when everyone's on the same silly page.
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