Post by mommabear17 on Jul 3, 2012 10:57:20 GMT -5
This has nothing to do with the power company and everything to do with how you are parenting your children and the example you are setting for them.
And yes, being without power would suck, but shit happens. Be thankful for what you have. A trick that I have to calm myself down when I am really worked up about something is to think about how there are a lot of ways it could be worse. For example, when I am ticked about sitting in bad traffic, I think that whoever was in the accident that is causing the backup is having a hell of a lot worse day than I am.
What about the people who are losing their homes in the Colorado fires, for a relevant example here? You and your family are not physically or financially harmed in any way (hell, your utilities will be lower this month!). Get some freaking perspective!
I will admit, I am boggled at the number of overhead residential power lines.
Yeah, it's way more expensive to bury them. But, when they are buried, you get a _lot_ fewer outages.
So, while the OP's message is extreme, there is a solution to frequent long power outages. However, as customers, are we willing to pay the increased costs associated with a power company burying it's lines?
Post by mommabear17 on Jul 3, 2012 11:03:46 GMT -5
Also, the thousands of workers from other areas coming to do the repairs are working their asses off and probably living in craptastic conditions. Through my job, I have had numerous occasions to get to know linemen and supervisors, etc. I've talked with them at length about what happens on these big repair jobs. They may be sleeping on freaking cots and eating terrible half-spoiled food. They are working long ass shifts and are away from their families and homes. All in the name of getting your power back on ASAP.
Not to mention that power supply is a HIGHLY regulated industry and they're not just dragging their feet to get to you.
Finally, once things calm down, you need to alert the power company of the issue with the vegetation near the power line. The power company should have a department called "Vegetation Management" (or something along those lines) that will take care of this.
I will admit, I am boggled at the number of overhead residential power lines.
Yeah, it's way more expensive to bury them. But, when they are buried, you get a _lot_ fewer outages.
So, while the OP's message is extreme, there is a solution to frequent long power outages. However, as customers, are we willing to pay the increased costs associated with a power company burying it's lines?
The technology hasn't always been there to bury the lines and it's very expensive to go back after the fact and do it. And you're right that customers pay for that, and most of the time rate increases aren't improved for things like that.
The outages are resolved by priority. I prefer hospitals having power first and traffic lights working. When we lost power for five days with Irene we were one of the last to have it restored because we were an isolated outage of a few hundred customers. If I were losing power that often for so long I'd assume I was on a low priority part of the grid and get a generator or have a backup plan to stay elsewhere in outages.
My best friend is an arborist. Worked for the power company for years before moving to DC. It's a constant battle with the trees and homeowners. They trim the tree, people come out of the house screaming at them. She had someone wave a shotgun at her over trimming trees his trees overhanging the lines.
Then, when the power goes out, everyone complains they don't manage the trees.
Oh, and she has been working 12 hour shifts since midnight Friday, through next weekend. That just to clear the DC street trees.
Yes, the trees are the issue. They get overgrown and the storms take down the lines. But who is really going to pay for them to go back and bury all the lines in all the old neighborhoods? Digging up the streets where there is probably no space to do it (at least around here). And you really think homeowners won't bitch and moan about the construction? Or them cutting down their precious trees which they'd have to clear in order to bury the lines that go through them?
I live in New England and towns around here lost power for up to a week in the heart of winter due to snow. Talk about freezing! But I still don't think they'll ever pay to bury the power lines.
I will admit, I am boggled at the number of overhead residential power lines.
Yeah, it's way more expensive to bury them. But, when they are buried, you get a _lot_ fewer outages.
So, while the OP's message is extreme, there is a solution to frequent long power outages. However, as customers, are we willing to pay the increased costs associated with a power company burying it's lines?
The technology hasn't always been there to bury the lines and it's very expensive to go back after the fact and do it. And you're right that customers pay for that, and most of the time rate increases aren't improved for things like that.
Hrm. I hadn't even thought that they would need approval to increase the rates to fund burying the lines, but you're right.
Hopefully, there is a plan in place to bury lines over time (as in, decades... it is very expensive, and in some places very difficult as well). Especially to critical areas, like hospitals.
I didn't have electricity growing up. Not because of power outages... because we were poor. We all lived and came through with minimal scarring. The kids are afraid of the dark because you've made a huge stink about it. So you can blame yourself, not the power company.
The technology hasn't always been there to bury the lines and it's very expensive to go back after the fact and do it. And you're right that customers pay for that, and most of the time rate increases aren't improved for things like that.
Hrm. I hadn't even thought that they would need approval to increase the rates to fund burying the lines, but you're right.
Hopefully, there is a plan in place to bury lines over time (as in, decades... it is very expensive, and in some places very difficult as well). Especially to critical areas, like hospitals.
It's a constant battle between putting out fires and managing aging infrastructure. There is only so much money to go around and the companies have to decide how to best spend it. Chances are that burying them is in the plans at some point, but it could be 10-20 years down the road.
Coming from someone who had no power for over 3 days, I am giving you a serious eye roll. It's horrible to deal with, but come on. Blaming the power company for that stuff is BS.
Signed, A mother to a hot and sweaty 6 month old and two dogs that are overheated because it's 90 degrees in our house but 100+ outside
ETA: And I should add- our ENTIRE house is electric, so no hot water or stove function for us. But I still thanked the workers that worked AROUND THE CLOCK to restore our power.
That is a power line behind me. It's low enough to touch. It goes through thick brush. They've never cleared it. Or done any preventative maintenance to ensure that it doesn't come down the next time. It comes down every time.
I am frustrated. Clearly.
The days long outages are just the major parts of it.
What is this line attached to? Does it run between two poles or is it between a pole/transformer and your home?
It looks more like a telecommunications line in that photo, unless it is the electrical service line from the pole to your house. There are usually 3 different power lines (i.e. 3 phases) that run from pole to pole. When there is a building that needs service, those three lines feed into a transformer, and then there is a line that runs from the transformer to the building.
If it is attached to your home, in most cases, you are actually responsible for it (this could vary by state), not the power company.
Again, the line in the picture looks more like a phone or fiber optic line.
Hrm. I hadn't even thought that they would need approval to increase the rates to fund burying the lines, but you're right.
Hopefully, there is a plan in place to bury lines over time (as in, decades... it is very expensive, and in some places very difficult as well). Especially to critical areas, like hospitals.
It's a constant battle between putting out fires and managing aging infrastructure. There is only so much money to go around and the companies have to decide how to best spend it. Chances are that burying them is in the plans at some point, but it could be 10-20 years down the road.
And honestly, I'd rather deal with occasional power outages than have to deal with the nightmare of the power company tearing up my entire town to bury the power lines.
It's summer. Set up a tent, start a campfire, cook on the grill or over the fire, get takeout. "Bathe" in the sprinkler.
When power goes out up here, it's in the dead of winter and can be life-threatening. But we all do just fine. My 5 year old is not "terrified" of losing power.
This is an inconvenience, not life or death. You might want to toughen your kids up a bit of dark at night is terror to them. Jesus.
That is a power line behind me. It's low enough to touch. It goes through thick brush. They've never cleared it. Or done any preventative maintenance to ensure that it doesn't come down the next time. It comes down every time.
I am frustrated. Clearly.
The days long outages are just the major parts of it.
What is this line attached to? Does it run between two poles or is it between a pole/transformer and your home?
It looks more like a telecommunications line in that photo, unless it is the electrical service line from the pole to your house. There are usually 3 different power lines (i.e. 3 phases) that run from pole to pole. When there is a building that needs service, those three lines feed into a transformer, and then there is a line that runs from the transformer to the building.
If it is attached to your home, in most cases, you are actually responsible for it (this could vary by state), not the power company.
Again, the line in the picture looks more like a phone or fiber optic line.
DH agrees. Telecom lines are generally thicker and lower than power lines.
I need a better picture. That looks like a shielded line, so it doesn't need any clearance and since I only see one line I am actually guessing that is a fiber optics line and not a power line. Typically (unless this is the line to your house) there will be at least two phases.
I need a better picture. That looks like a shielded line, so it doesn't need any clearance and since I only see one line I am actually guessing that is a fiber optics line and not a power line. Typically (unless this is the line to your house) there will be at least two phases.
And assuming that the OP is standing on her deck or porch or something, it looks like the line is running parallel to her home, which means it wouldn't be the service line since the service line attaches to her home.
I am serioulsy side eyeing kids being afraid of "all weather." You need to calm the eff down for the kids. Can I ask.where you are located? Because if it is the easy coast, you've had ample opportunity to buy a generator since the last big storm (Irene). Do you not have a way to get to a hotel, campground, relative/friends house, or anywhere else? I feel bad for home-bound folks in those conditions, but not anyone else. Kids, pets, etc will survive without power. Stop acting psycho.
But send that letter. I would frame it if I worked.for the power.company. and laugh whenever I looked at it.
My dad works for an electric company (not DP and L). You do realize that there are likely people from all over the country helping to get your power back on working 24 hours a day, right?
Agree with this. My DH is a supervisor at a utility and they were unable to send people to DC to help, because they had 35 crewmembers sent to Cincinnati and then another 35 crewmembers got shipped to Chicago to help on two separate storms. DC is not the only area of the country experiencing major storm outages.
My dad works for an electric company (not DP and L). You do realize that there are likely people from all over the country helping to get your power back on working 24 hours a day, right?
Agree with this. My DH is a supervisor at a utility and they were unable to send people to DC to help, because they had 35 crewmembers sent to Cincinnati and then another 35 crewmembers got shipped to Chicago to help on two separate storms. DC is not the only area of the country experiencing major storm outages.
My neighbor is a line-man. Thank God- it's because of him we have power. But we got power AFTER he came off his EIGHTEEN hour shift. And he's been working 18 hour shifts ever since. So it's not like the power company is sitting around picking their noses while people go w/o power!
I am serioulsy side eyeing kids being afraid of "all weather."
What I'm also side-eyeing - this has to be someone's fault! It can't just be NATURE, and hey kids, sure, it sucks, but.... this happens sometimes. No, NO - it's the big evil power company's fault. Because, you know, they have a direct line to Mother Nature and they ordered up these storms.....
Plus, I take on some of the responsibility for my son being scared of the TOTAL pitch black he experienced the other night. It's my choice to put a night light in his room, and a floor fan that has a light on it, and a digital clock. It was MY choice to put those in there - so he's never had the chance to get used to TOTAL dark.