Why are brilliant mechanics often drunks?

interesting concept. work hard play hard.

 

I know an excellent mechanic and he’s a drunk. He’s so covered up with work it takes weeks to get in. Sometimes I wonder if he’s really that busy or if he’s drunk half the time. lol

There are definitely some very successful people who drink probably too much. I’d say they tend to be the types that their brain won’t ever shut off.

 

Mechanics and automotive painters . Most of the really good one's I've known are alcoholics. Sad , I know a painter that had his own shop , did
Custom bikes and cars . This guy did lettering on the local fire trucks free hand. Lots of show stuff. He was a heavy drinker ,finally lost everything, including his wife she couldn't take it. He's still painting for local body shop that profits very well from his talent. He's living in a camper.

 

One of the best aircraft mechanics I've ever known was a full on alcoholic that worked for my Dad. He ran our overhaul shop and bossed a crew of mechanics besides.
He'd reached the point where he had to drink just to keep from getting sick. He kept a pint of brandy in his tool box at all times and nipped at it all day or night or whatever schedule we were working. His hands used to shake constantly and his cognition was getting worse real fast.
It got to the point where we just used him for simple tear downs and diagnostics. He could detect a rough running R1340 or R985 as far away as he could hear it.
He'd lost his wife and his kids, his house, and every measure of personal pride and self respect. He slept in a toolroom in a hangar. One winter he went up into the Sierras, sat down under a tree in the snow, finished off the last of his brandy and died of exposure.

 

There are people that can't separate party time from work time .
My brother in law whom I met in the early 80s married to my sister was a tree trimmer built like hulk hogan and looked like him ...he fathered 4 daughters and was a great father to them and not bad to my sister either .
He died at age 60 2 years ago from acute alcoholism that took out his liver .
He was extremely intelligent, funny as hell and even tho we had our battles I will always miss him .
When the doc told him he had weeks to live he said I wasn't planning on living forever ...a month later he was gone .

 

"Eastern bums and creeps."
- Ralph*


*Our venerable ex-reporter, ex-mayor, ex-MLA and ex-premier Ralph Klein, who, ironically given the thread topic, frequently held court from a bar stool at the King Eddy.

 

LOL

 

With the state of the world these days I'm suprised I'm not like Mr. Lahey.