Working Stiff - Countdown to Retirement

You'd have to be insane to beat someone to death like that.

For sure, but you'd also have to be insane to try to bypass electricity past the meter. People have died because of that.

Not too long ago, some incredibly wise twit took an aluminum ladder up a pole and try to bypass the wiring. Needless to say, there wasn't much left of him.

The dummy ought to have used a rubber ladder. Mmm mmm mmm.

Better yet. Just pay the damn electricity bill. They're making so much money from the pot....just pay the bloody bill!

Man, the number of fires started by idiots trying to bypass the meters!

Do you really think people ought to pay those outrageous prices for electricity? Pre decontrol prices were high enough. So they told us, Government can't do it as well as private enterprise. The new electric companies charge probably double what we payed before. How is that doing it better than government?

Well, up here in BC, the provincial electrical utility is BC Hydro, which is a crown (publically owned) corporation. Our rates have been quite steady for many years.

There is a fair amount of interference from the government though, at least in a roundabout way.

Back in April 2003, about a third of the company, along with the associated employees of the customer service section (of which I was one), were privatized. As far as I'm concerned, this did not improve things. They're looking at the bottom line, but they're saving money by cutting corners.

There's this mantra that governments like the one we have that says that everything can be run better by the private sector.

It just isn't so.

When they decontrolled the telephones it was the same thing. Private enterprise to make it better and cheaper. So now we get, instead of a reasonable bill, several high bills and phones that don't work as well.

Yes, deregulation is the darling of governments these days. I'm not exactly sure why.

This deliberate dismantling of things that previously seemed to work quite well, and they go out and mess it all up!

Lower wages?

No, thanks. I already have some.

With a bit of re-scheduling, my last day at work will now be Fri, 23 Dec.

I like that better, as I don't have to go back to work after Christmas. I just have a trip to make to the office to hand in all my various gear and logoed clothing.

Ya gotta give back all the meters ya stole first.

Nope. Not my style. I wouldn't like to associate with the type of people that would buy something like that.

As a matter of fact, I have a loathing for anyone who steals electricity. I pay my fair share. I figure everybody else should do the same.

Whenever I've seen a diversion, I turn them in with a smile.

On the last one that I caught, it was pretty obvious, as the meter was upside down, with the seal made to look like it was doing the job. Unbeknownst to me, it was also a pot grow.

They got their service taken right out. It cost them thousands to rewire and get a new service in, with it having to be put on a pole, and not on the house.

Serves the buggers right, I say!

I don't know your business, reyn. Just kidding.

I knew ya were! :wink:

BUT, some of the stories I could tell you, Edgar.....you could fill a book with it!

I just thought about a certain meter reader - He came into my exbro-in-law's yard, the Houston detective. His five trained dobermans had stood by quietly until he got all the way in, then they crowded near and refused to let him move. Five hours later, my bro-in-law came home.

This doesn't sound right.

First of all, I'm sure accounts are coded for the presence of dogs. We do. Always have. The exceptions could be in new situations where the dogs haven't been discovered yet. This is especially important where there are potentially dangerous dogs.

Secondly, he had a responsibility to report the ownership of said dogs to the customer service dept of the company. It's totally ridiculous to expect that someone could safely enter and exit such a property. Potentially, he could be charged if the meter reader was injuried.

Thirdly, the meter reader had the responsibility to excercise some good judgement. If he /she was unfamilar with the yard, they should have rattled the gate, etc, to check for the presence of dogs.

Would I have entered a yard where there were 5 dogs like that? Not on your life! The customer deserves to have the account estimated, and then sort out contact details with the company to eliminate further hassles.

I don't think the dogs were normally out there. You entered through or over the fence at the front corner of the house, then walked the narrow strip to the back yard. There was no way to see the dogs in advance.

Recipe for disaster then. Somebody's going to get hurt.

Hopefully now the account has been properly coded by meter reading, so no future newbie walks in and gets a horrible surprise.

This is an old story now, reyn. The dogs are gone, the man is gone. It also happened before cell phones, which is why he couldn't call for help.

Ah, I see. The company supplies us all with cell phones here now.