Posted on 07/19/2012 3:41:33 PM PDT by Rennes Templar
A woman in Texas says she tried to be polite when she told the man from the power company that she didn't want to have her old electric meter replaced with a new "smart" meter. But when he refused to listen to her, she grabbed her gun.
The woman tells Houston's KHOU that she placed herself between the installer and her old meter but, "He just kept pushing me away."
That's when she showed him her handgun.
"He saw it, and went back the other way," she tells KHOU.
The homeowner says she is not comfortable with the amount of information smart meters transmit back to the power company.
"Our constitution allows us not to have that kind of intrusion on our personal privacy," she explains. "They’ll be able to tell if you are running your computer, air conditioner, whatever it is."
The woman still has her old meter and she and her husband have posted warning signs declaring "No Smart Meters Are to Be Installed On This Property," but CenterPoint, the power company that attempted to install the meter says it will persist in its efforts.
"We are deeply troubled by anyone who would pull a gun on another person performing their job," reads a statement from the company. "CenterPoint will be taking additional steps – including court actions – because what happened is dangerous, illegal and unwarranted."
KHOU reports that CenterPoint Energy already installed around 2 million smart meters in the area, but the local Public Utilities Commission is now weighing the possibility of allowing homeowners to have the new meters removed.
A year or so ago, there was a case in our area (state of PA) after the power co got fresh with a homeowner over their right to enter his property and cut his trees to “maintain” their lines. The homeowner told them to gtfo and when they didn’t — and kept on landscaping his property for their purposes — he pulled out a gun and aimed it at the company spokesperson-trespasser.
He won in court. But then, this is clinger country. :)
Trespassers will be shot on sight.
In other words, smart meters are a way of forcing you to conform to their "renewable energy" insanity.
He’s a METER READER, Confucious, he’s not installing anything. Try reading before spouting off.
This is the correct position to take as regards "smart" meters.
Yeah, but "Back In Black" is still a great album.
I cannot understand why there is this fear of the smart meter. How can the meter know what device in the home is creating the electrical load? Yes, I know that through the power factor, it can deduce that an induction motor was running. But can it tell the difference between my air conditioner compressor or my 10 hp electric pressure washer or my 7 hp air compressor? As to a computer running. How would it tell the difference between one switch mode power supply and another?
I can see it reporting your usage, but now what is running in your home.
He READS the meter. He doesn’t install it. If you don’t want a meter reader on your property, then generate your own electricity.
The electric company would have to go on her property to change the meter. In Texas, when you go on someone else’s property you are in/on their “castle”. In essence, the trespassers belong to the homeowner.
Read his post again. You're overreacting. His nephew's carrying a gun has nothing at all to do with installing smart meters. It's because he's working in "rough" parts of the city and he felt unsafe.
Have you ever had to work in rough neighborhoods in the inner-city? Trust me, those people don't give a damn about smart meters or stupid meters. They don't even pay the bill usually.
They’ll show up again, this time with a boss, a Union-Fascist steward, and the Police. A gunfight will then ensue.
Actually, thats a ridiculous position to take with regards to smart meters. Guess what... you have internet service? They IP knows EXACTLY what it is you’re doing on that computer. The constitution protects you from intrusion from the government, not a private company.
“you can always buy your own generator”
Against the law here unless it is an emergency and power is out for hurricane or other natural disasters.
In my state, if one has electric service to a residence, the provider has an easement and they can access and alter their equipment at their will. Hard to believe it’s different anywhere else.
“If he was on her property and she told him to leave, he was trespassing.”
The power company has legal authority to read/maintain/swap the meter. They may even have an easement on her property. It’s just a fact of life.
Smart meters WILL be used to extract more money from people, you can count on that, but pulling a gun on the power company is not the solution to that, and she may end up in jail.
Trespassers will be shot on sight.
survivors will be shot again.
Please carry ID for notification of next of Kin.
(after all.. someone has to claim the body)
Not necessarily.
The constitution protects you from intrusion from the government, not a private company.
Businesses operating a monopoly under the aegis of a PUBLIC utility commission are not "private." In some respects, they resemble more a private contractor for government than they do a private company.
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