STEREOTYPES

FROM A GEOLOGIST’S perspective, drillers are often viewed as a necessary evil. Geologists need rocks to investigate the subsurface and the best way to achieve that is by drilling. Enter the driller, an individual who cares little for anything other than the next paycheck, “making hole”, and returning to town for a drink or ten at night. They’re more than a bit rough around the edges, perhaps missing fingers with colorful stories behind each, and eardrums destroyed from 20 years without hearing protection. Their vernacular tends to be mostly four-letter words interspersed with grunts. Many geologists view drillers as most people view their home dishwasher: useful when working, messy when broken, but don’t try to get a meaningful conversation out of them.
FROM A DRILLER’S PERSPECTIVE, geologists are often viewed as a necessary evil. Here is an overpaid, know-it-all, four-eyed oddball who gets their kicks licking rocks all day. They’re never happy, they get stuck on mundane details and make a complete fuss about something as trivial as forgetting a hardhat, mud on the ground (yes, where else would you like it sir?), or, God forbid, broken core bits – as if somehow the core magically comes out of the ground in lengths that perfect fit those little boxes you gave us. They show up, ask what depth we’re at, nod, load some samples on
the back of their truck, then drive off to their cozy little shed or office to drink coffee or sit in the air-conditioning licking more rocks.