METRO ENGINEERS LACKED LICENSES. Partly in response to [Washington DC] Metro’s Red Line crash in 2009, the Washington Times reported that 3 of Metro’s engineering managers “lack[ed] a professional engineering registration from one of the WMATA compact jurisdictions.”

As with employee unions, there once was a time when the Professional Engineer (P.E.) license was probably worthwhile. That time is no more. Today’s Professional Engineer is the modern-day equivalent of medieval guild member, where the guild is dedicated to preserving the economic interests of its membership and using the authority of the State to restrict entry to the guild.

[Full disclosure] I am not a P.E., although I have taught Engineer-in-training (E.I.T) classes - a necessary prerequisite for licensure - and was at one time eligible for P.E. certification under the State of Texas’ licensing regulations.