Homeowner Pulls Gun To Stop New Electric Meter From Being Installed

The Consumerist ^ | July 19, 2012 | Chris Morran

[Secret Agent Man]

Well, it may be different in different parts of the country but in many places the meter is the power company’s.

[fortheDeclaration]

Exactly! They are going to ration it out.

[spel_grammer_an_punct_polise]

“Do I understand you correctly, that it is “against the law [t]here” to disconnect from the power supply grid? If so, government is forcing you to purchase a product.”

Yes and it’s the same with water and natural gas. The city-controlled-monopoly is in place and has beeen for 50 years of which I am aware.

One can drill a water well, for example, but it can be used only for irrigation and that is for farmers, ranchers, etc, not for home users.

You can always disconnect but then you’ll do without electricity, water and natural gas. Those are the options.

[BreezyDog]

This is cool...

[Melas]

I too am approaching 50, and I too see dueling as not the smartest concept I ever heard of. What I don't get, however, is what delusion led the government to think it was any of their affair to ban or even regulate.

Oh, I think it had something to do with impromptu duels being used as alibis for murder, when only on party consented to the duel. Not every duel was fought between the wealthy with seconds and witnesses. You have to keep in mind that for every Hamilton and Bur there were 100 bubbas.

[Humidston]

I know her. She’s dedicated, as well as her husband. They head the 912 Group in northwest Houston. She and I had a wonderful meeting one night and spent several hours discussing the “fall of America.” Actually, the discussion didn’t break up till around 3:30AM. We compared notes.

GOD LOVE YOU, THELMA!! Wish “J” still lived down the street! ;)

[S.O.S121.500]

They’ll show up again, this time with a boss, a Union-Fascist steward, and the Police. A gunfight will then ensue.

As it should.....EVERY TIME “They” threaten us.

[S.O.S121.500]

They’ll show up again, this time with a boss, a Union-Fascist steward, and the Police. A gunfight will then ensue.

As it should.....EVERY TIME “They” threaten us.

[Joe Brower]

Exactly so. If the installer guy pushed her first, then he initiated the conflict and she was fully within her rights to defend herself. Especially in Texas.

[jboot]

Did we also agree in writing to allow ourselves to be manhandled by power company employees? The point that you and several others are (deliberately) missing is that the woman did not revela her weapon until she had been "pushed out of the way," in other words ASSAULTED. The installer was within his rights until he touched the woman. At that point, he lost all legal authority and became an assailant. The proper course of action would have been to leave and report the incident ot his superiors.

I was a surveyor for a while. I had plenty of people get in my face over some silly fenceline dispute or old propety corner. I even had one guy knock over the Theodolite. In all cases, the proper action was to remain polite, leave, and report the incident. I have no doubt that some of those angry old geezers would have blown me away if I had shoved them, but it never entered my mind to do so. Assaulting homeowners on their own property should get you jail time...or dead at the hands of the homeowner. End of rant.

[GingisK]

??????????????????

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[GingisK]

...reread the article you'll see it's not health concerns that motivated her but the (very real) fear of improper leakage of personal electricity usage information...

Oh, you mean the highly critical infomation that, gasp, her refrigerator cycles all night long? Or that her power factor must be adjusted to make up for using motors?

Those meters can report only instantaneous load and phase angles, nothing more. That is done in order to provide for peak demand and for power factor adjustments.

Let me see... Don't want a meter to report my power usage for billing purposes. Check. I do want a cell phone that can exposes the entire content of my conversations AND my global position. Check. I do want an Internet connection that is fully monitored. Check.

You really don't have much a grasp on this stuff, do you? Those meters don't report anything of significance, but all of the other appliances are monitored word-for-word. Get a grip on reality!

[tgusa]

Glad you guys ‘get it’. Thanks for the support vs. an apparent ‘flame and run away’ poster.

[The_Sword_of_Groo]

Im not much of an electrician so pardon my ignorance if this is a stupid question. From what i gather the smart meters can pattern usage, control your ac, etc by load signatures of various appliances. is there any way to mask the signatures?


FWIW, my meter is inside a fenced yard. I posted a "bad dog" notice on each of the locked gates. Power co calls to schedule a reading q3 months.

[longtermmemmory]

why should YOU have to pay more to give them LESS work?

smart meteres have to be understood interprited.

interesting is it smart enough to cut your power remotely?

[svcw]

interesting is it smart enough to cut your power remotely?

Bingo!