April 24, 2007

Seeing Red.

As I pull into my driveway after work tonight, I notice a bright red note on my front door. At first I thought it was just another advertisement some local small business. Then I wondered if it was another flier from the church up the street inviting me to some Saturday neighborhood bar-b-que and sermon session. They like to do that a lot. Either way I thought it was nothing important. I own my own property (In theory) so I know it’s not an eviction notice. I’m not behind on any bills, so I know it’s not a foreclosure notice. I haven’t had any complaints from neighbors, my property is in order, and there was absolutely nothing that I could think of to make me consider it being anything more then a waste of paper.

Until I pulled it off of the door and read it:


    City of Rockford
    Water Division

Your water will be shut off in 5 days unless proper action is taken by you and then notify this office at ###-### accordingly due to:

No Access to Change Meter.

Previous attempts have been made to change your meter unsuccessfully

WHAT?!?!?!?!?! This is the first time I’ve heard anything about this. There has been no previous notes, no calls, no letters, no anything! How the hell am I supposed to know they are coming if they don’t tell me? Wait, maybe they figure that I’m just another leech off of the government and sit around all day collecting funds and watching my stories.

I call the number on the warning. They advise me that they want to install a new water meter on my house. They asked if I would be home tomorrow between 12:30 and 4:00PM. Sure! I just didn’t happen to be home today, or the other times they came, because I was out playing golf. Hell no, I have a job. You know, that thing that people do in order to pay their water bills. They wanted to know when in the next 5 days I would be home. Well that would be tomorrow night AFTER 4:30PM. Oh no, that won’t work; it’s after their business hours.

They need to get in and get this done; it’s long over due they tell me. I explain to the City of Rockford Water Division girl, who although very nice and polite doesn’t seem to have a full grasp that people beside her work between the hours of 8:00 AM and 4:00PM, that I work during the times they want, and I just can’t magically take the day off tomorrow with out notice and I’m going to be busy over the weekend. “Oh no! We don’t work on the weekend either, it has to be during the week.”

Fortunately I had Monday off already as a recovery day, so I was able to get an appointment that day. I just wish they would tell me this stuff in advance instead of leaving a bright red scary notice on the door.

Posted by Contagion in Stories about me. at April 24, 2007 05:13 PM | TrackBack
Comments

Why should they bother when they can just strong arm your ass?

Posted by: Graumagus at April 25, 2007 04:48 AM

I asked Old Sarge what the procedure was down here. He says the city (him) leaves three notices ON THE DOOR that a meter needs to be changed. If there is no response after that, they will either leave the notice you received, or, if it's an asshole, just shut the water off. Did the city have any explanation why this was the first you heard about it?

Posted by: Raging Mom at April 25, 2007 08:57 AM

I was in no way implying you are an asshole, BTW.

Posted by: Raging Mom at April 25, 2007 09:00 AM

Why am I seeing Ernestine sitting at the telephone switchboard saying... We don't care. We don't have to. We're the Phone Company.

Posted by: Teresa at April 26, 2007 10:02 AM

You see to be suffering from some strange delusions that these people work for you. They're the government and they answer to NO MAN. And you "own your property." Yeah, right. You just go ahead and keep thinking that.

It's the government. Shut up and obey or suffer the consequences.

Posted by: Ogre at April 30, 2007 02:41 PM