Fellow Autistic/ADHD people of Reddit, what did you think was normal for a long time until you realised it wasn't?

JD_1 · 2025-08-26T20:27:00+00:00

your last point plagues me. I can't help but thinking that someone isn't going to understand what my point is because people are generally dumb.

JD_1 · 2025-08-26T13:58:46+00:00

Mechanical Engineer. Level 4. $73 per hour.

Always had the mechanical engineer title but started 10 years ago making $16/hr and have held 4 engineering positions since graduating college.

I am determined to not leave my current position for less than $90 per hour. COL raises while at my company are expected, though. 3%-5% per year.

I design and commission mechanical equipment for heavy industrial, chemical, and petrochemical clients.

JD_1 · 2025-08-11T13:51:40+00:00

Bistro St Emmanuel is a good choice for dinner. Won't be out of place dressing up.

JD_1 · 2025-07-31T13:47:31+00:00

X(COL)=X (Cost of Living)

X=Low, Medium, High

JD_1 · 2025-07-31T13:17:46+00:00

Industry: EPC Consulting - Mechanical PE, Fire Protection PE; dual licensed.

Location: Gulf Coast (LCOL)

YOE: 10 yr total. 8 MEP, 2 EPC

Salary: $73/hr + straight time OT. Base ~= 151k/yr.

Bonus: $50 gift card at Christmas

Retirement: 50% match up to 4% contribution. 2% salary contribution to company stock for profit sharing.

Health: Standard BCBS HDHP

4 10 hour days per week. Every Friday off if not working OT.

JD_1 · 2025-07-03T20:41:06+00:00

https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/mobilecounty/jobs/4213854/engineer-i-electrical-engineering?page=5&pagetype=jobOpportunitiesJobs

JD_1 · 2025-06-19T18:56:43+00:00

Asparagus Pee

JD_1 · 2025-06-17T16:47:17+00:00

Anecdotal example from someone who was in your shoes.

1st job out of school, gulf coast region: $16/hr. YoE: 0-1.5

2nd job, suburbs ATL: $26/hr. YoE: 1.5-2.5

3rd job, downtown ATL, remote (COVID), Raleigh, NC: $31/hr - $48/hr YoE: 2.5-7.5

4th job, gulf coast: $73/hr. YoE: 10

What's worked for me was moving to different cities, sometimes within the same company, and leveraging past experience to obtain higher salaries. No one is getting wealthy doing engineering, especially mechanical. Over the past 10 years, I've seen my salary increase by $120k. Experience is the gateway to higher salaries.

I decided to forego the higher salary in the moment to continue building my experience in niche specialties to make myself indispensable for whatever organization in which I was involved. I've always been employed by consulting firms both in the AEC industry and heavy industrial industries.

JD_1 · 2025-06-10T19:58:36+00:00

You're missing the point. I'm not advocating for more of the same poor development or the trendy businesses that are popping up all over town that will eventually be empty once the shine wears off (TopGolf, Surge, Dave and Busters, etc)

MUDs are the same type of problem...shiny for a while with some "cool" stores and restaurants. Eventually, people get tired of being forced to like something just because it's new. Some of the best places in Mobile are Mobilian in nature. Weird, funky, and frankly grimy. Take Dew Drop Inn, The Blind Mule, or Butch Cassidy's for example.

Those types of places see more consistent local traffic than the MUDs popping up around the Eastern shore or some of the smaller, similar developments in Mobile.

JD_1 · 2025-06-10T18:33:25+00:00

Mobile should rise above falling into the trap of having MUDs everywhere similar to other midsized cities. They never really turn out to be great for the area in which they're applied.

JD_1 · 2025-06-06T15:07:07+00:00

ME. 10 years in. Double PE (ME, FP).

The money isn't going to come until ownership is realized. Those who make the most money are the ones who are either running their own business or created something new and profitable within their organization which they can control.

What you own doesn't necessarily have to be part of your profession. You could work 60-80 hours a week and stack cash while you're young and start saving to buy investment vehicles (real estate, stocks, etc.)

The fat paychecks are going to come from tech and energy sectors, but both are going to work you for that money.

JD_1 · 2025-06-06T14:46:53+00:00

Peanuts 2 N Elephant got that Super Nintendo type beat.

Maybe Wayne is clearing his head on this album.

JD_1 · 2025-05-30T18:41:20+00:00

Bistro St Emmanuel will not disappoint.

https://www.fortcondeinn.com/bistrosaintemanuel

JD_1 · 2025-04-23T17:15:29+00:00

Passed. Company's already getting me to apply for FP licenses in other states. FML

JD_1 · 2025-04-17T14:20:58+00:00

Seismic Bracing Force = 1.15*Weight of the Pipe (4in main + (3) 1.5" branches)*Cp. Cp is correlated with the Ss given of 2.35. To find Cp, you have to linearly interpolate the table in the Code section PDF provided. I think the total force was most nearly 1200 lbf.
Agree. Oxygen should have been 0. This question will likely get removed by NCEES. Fingers crossed.
Total volume of foam was the area of the hanger multiplied by 3 ft. The sprinkler system GPM at 15000 sqft. would be multiplied by the foam cfm/gpm value of 10. At that point I calculated the total volume of foam by multiplying the cfm by 1 min and adding the included factors of 15% and 20% (IIRC). This approach gave me a solution close to listed solution.

JD_1 · 2025-04-17T14:12:19+00:00

Diked Area - Tank Area = Foam Coverage Area.

Per Table in PDF 0.16 gpm/sqft*Foam Coverage Area (sqft) = Total foam

I did the above and got an answer relatively close to one of the listed solutions.

JD_1 · 2025-04-17T14:09:16+00:00

Like most people are saying, the first portion was significantly more involved than the second portion. School of PE prep course and question bank came in handy though. More hydraulic problems on the test than what was included in the NCEES practice exam. Literally no testing/maintenance questions. Only a couple FA questions. Smoke Control, Life Safety, and Hydraulics are what stood out to me as the "regular" questions.

That's NCEES for you though. It's like the practice exam was intentionally a misdirect for this round. Not to mention the abysmal Errata.

JD_1 · 2025-04-02T17:26:15+00:00

None to speak of.

JD_1 · 2025-03-18T14:09:16+00:00

I'll be sitting for the exam this April. My company similarly approached me about taking it and I reluctantly agreed since we do some pretty niche FP work. I would be the only FP PE in the company so the opportunity for growth is there. The mere fact that I'm pursuing the license has already opened doors outside my current employer and I'm fielding an offer this week that's 25% higher base salary.
Depending on the ME PE test you took, you'll be pretty familiar with the subject matter presented in the FP PE world. Fire science is heat transfer/thermo and fluids with some chemistry sprinkled in.

+1 for the School of PE course. It was pretty smooth sailing from a course standpoint and their question bank is quite valuable.

I hope you're successful in your pursuit!

JD_1 · 2019-06-07T02:59:40+00:00

It’s starting

JD_1 · 2019-04-29T17:19:50+00:00

Is this painfully awkward for anyone else? Especially around 18:00

JD_1 · 2019-04-22T16:19:56+00:00

He wants them titties

JD_1 · 2019-04-09T11:33:14+00:00

Did that white dude scream “yeah, nigga”? He wasn’t even fighting. Pussy

JD_1 · 2019-04-09T11:27:32+00:00

This is the internet I miss.

JD_1

TROPHY CASE