I was reading this interesting thread for the first time to-day, and I think that, apart from the discussion on the duration of the yellow at the traffic light, the origin of the problem is linguistic: the English term "engineer has different meanings, from the person who designs a computer to the one who drives a train.
The discussion would not have been had it been a Lawyer, because nobody calls himself a Leawyer if he isn't...
In Italy (and in many European countries) who signs or defines himself as an Engineer (Ingegnere) must be enrolled in the Register of Engineers of his Province, and this requires:
- obtainig a five-year Univerity degree (those with the new three-year degree is a "Junior Engineer") and therefore be a Doctor in Engineering (I got a Graduation in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Bologna in 1976)
- passing the State exam for professional qualification (I did in 1979, when I was designing circuits for a living, but i could not call me an "Ingegnere")
- being accepted into the "Albo" (Register) of the Province where he resides and must, mainain this enrollment, following training courses for about 50 hours a year.
If he is not enrolled in the Register, he can not be called (or call himself) an Ingegnere, but only a Doctor in Engineering.
Doing so he will commit a crime.
Only a Registered Engineer can sign projects of thing having to do with people safety, such as buildings, bridges, roads, etc.
You can design other things, maybe better than a graduate engineer, but you are a "Progettista", not an "Ingegnere"
Best regards