13 replies to this topic

[cablewithaview]

I had a trouble ticket a few years back. The
man had bad reception and I checked it behind the tv and it was bad.
went outside to the ground block and it was good. I asked if had a
splitter in the basement. "Yes, but that ain't it." At this point I
knew something was up. Ch.5 HBO using postive trap. After going on
with him about checking his splitter, he finally agreed to let me go
inside and check it. As I thought, a postive ch.5 on the input. It was
bad and I took it off and slipped it into my pocket. At this point the
man grabs me and rams his hand down my pants pocket. I kept my cool by
not knocking him the hell out, I just grabbed his arm and advised it
was theft, anything attached to the service for illegal reception was
illegal and I had every right to take action to resolve the issue. He
says, "I bought it myself." I told him that this WAS NOT a consumer
device and I would not only take legal action, I was going to knock
his head off his block if he didn't let go of me. Finally he backed
off as I clitched my fist and I grabbed my stuff and left. On my way
out he said, "cut it off", and I cut it off. I just hate thieves
period. The good thing for operators going digital is to cut down on
theft and the percentage of theft has dropped a lot in recent years. I
still find people stealing analog cable from time to time and have
filled warrants and still got two out at the moment. I catch 'em once
and I'll chew them out, do it again and police is coming. By then they
are wanting to pay, guess what? $250 up front plus installation and we
want file charges at this point.

[CableTool]

Theft makes me feel the same way. Ive been threatened with guns and all sorts of crap. Stupid of me.. but its pride. Your stealing from me. And the attitude of the thieves KILLS ME. Like they are OWED IT!

"I cant steal HBO? CUT MY ***** OFF THEN!!"

"No problem..be out of your hari in 5 mins.."


Ill spend 30 mins in their own yard cutting down cable, cutting the cable at the entry point and shoving it into their home with my scratch awl.

*****.

[cablewithaview]

I was working on CLI's and found a leak. I pulled into the drive way and opened the door with the logo facing the house, so they could see clearly who I was with. They actually seen me get out of the truck. Anyhow the leak is coming from behind the house so I walk out back and found the problem. No connector on the input side, stuck into the ground block. I really didn't think to much about it, went back to the truck, got my tools and started to make the repair. While I was repairing the problem, the back window comes up and a shot gun comes through the screen. He says, "You have thirty seconds to get off my property or I'll shoot!!!!" I looked at him and calmly said, "I will be more than glad to leave as soon as I finish my job." I finished, no rush you know. I get back to the truck put up my gear and leave. I call the cops and they came and talked with him. I could have press charges but I didn't. I told him in the front of the officer, "If I hear of anything out of him threatening someone, even so much a traffic ticket and I will go press charges." I had two years to do so if I wanted too. Nothing more said about it. Next morning the office asked me about the address of the resident, come to find out he was illegal. First thing I done after leaving the office was to cut his ass off and nothing else was said. I was being to nice actually, I could have press charges for the gun episode and theft. I wished I did now, few years later he was being evicted and killed his landlord. Thinking back, that could have been me. Question I ask myself is, could I had prevented that if I had pressed charges? At least he would be in jail at that time the killing happened.

[639trbl]

YEARS AGO, I HAD A NON-PAY TICKET FOR A CUSTOMER..WAY OUT IN THE BOONIES............KNOCKED ON THE DOOR...THE GUY COMES OUT...DRUNKEN THAN COOTER BROWN, AND HE SAYS CUT IT OFF...I AIN'T GOT NO MONEY...................I'M THINKING, YEP, YA DRUNK IT ALL

I GET MY TOOLS, WALK AROUND THE BACK COENER OF THE HOUSE TO THE METER, AND HE MEETS ME WITH A TWICE BARRELL SHOOTGUN...................I ASK HIM IF I CAN GET BACK IN THE TRUCK AND LEAVE..AND HE LETS ME

DRIVE DOWN THE ROAD, ABOUT 3 MILES TO THE NEAREST CUSTOMER AND BORROW THEIR PHONE TO CALL IT IN TO THE OFFICE.........DEAD SPOT FOR THE RADIOS(OLD 27MGHZ).....ANYWAY THE OFFICE IS CALLING THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, AND ADVISE ME TO CUT THE SERVICE DOWN AND ROLL IT UP ON THE XFMR POLE......................THEW DEPUTIES CUFF THE GUY AND I DO MY THING..........I LEAVE, AND THEY TURN HIM LOOSE...........2 WEEKS LATER I HAVE TO GO BACK AND HOOK HIM BACK UP.............OF COURSE I TAKE AN ARMED ESCORT..THE GUY IS CUSSING AND RAISING HELL, SO THE DEPUTY CUFFS HIM AND STUFFS HIM......................I LEAVE AND THEY TURN HIM LOOSE AGAIN...AND I'M THINKING.....I'LL BE BACK IN ANOTHER MONTH TO CUT HIM OFF AGAIN, THAT WILL BE FUN

THE NEXT MONTH...WE HAVE A BAD ICE STORM...MOST OF MY TRBL IS IN THIS GUYS AREA OF THE WOODS..........I ROUND A CURVE AND AM ALMOST RUN OFF THE ROAD..........NOW IT'S 10 AT NIGHT..FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET, AND COLD AS HELL..........THE OTHER TRUCK GOES IN THE DITCH...THE DRIVER IS PASSED OUT SLUMPED OVER THE STEERING WHEEL............AND GUESS WHO IT IS

WE PULL HIM OUT...I DRIVE HIM..IN HIS TRUCK..TO HIS HOUSE AND GET HIM INSIDE.........HE'S STILL OUT

AFTER THAT NIGHT..HE NEVER WAS TRBL AGAIN :D

[nutsleft]

..........THE OTHER TRUCK GOES IN THE DITCH...THE DRIVER IS PASSED OUT SLUMPED OVER THE STEERING WHEEL............AND GUESS WHO IT IS

WE PULL HIM OUT...I DRIVE HIM..IN HIS TRUCK..TO HIS HOUSE AND GET HIM INSIDE.........HE'S STILL OUT

AFTER THAT NIGHT..HE NEVER WAS TRBL AGAIN :D

You are to nice Billy, nothing pisses me off more than drunk drivers.

[639trbl]

..........THE OTHER TRUCK GOES IN THE DITCH...THE DRIVER IS PASSED OUT SLUMPED OVER THE STEERING WHEEL............AND GUESS WHO IT IS

WE PULL HIM OUT...I DRIVE HIM..IN HIS TRUCK..TO HIS HOUSE AND GET HIM INSIDE.........HE'S STILL OUT



AFTER THAT NIGHT..HE NEVER WAS TRBL AGAIN :D

You are to nice Billy, nothing pisses me off more than drunk drivers.

THANKS BRO BUT DON'T LET MY CUSTOMERS KNOW :D MOST THINK I AM AN ...BUT MOSTLY WHEN I'M WORKING NON-PAYS :D

A LOT OF MY GOOD CUSTOMERS ARE PISSED RIGHT NOW, CAUSE I AM GOING TO BE OFF WITH THE BACK SURGERY............CAUSE THEY KNOW THE QUALITY OF SERVICE THEY GET WILL NOT BE THE SAME WHILE I AM GONE I GUESS BECAUSE I LOOK AT IT THIS WAY..........NOT ONLY DO I WORK IN THIS COMMUNITY, I HAVE TO LIVE HERE TOO....SO IF I GOO D A GOOD JOB.....ONE DAY I MAY NEED HELP...AND THERE WILL PLENTY OF PEOPLE OFFERING IT

[CabledudeUK]

YEARS AGO, I HAD A NON-PAY TICKET FOR A CUSTOMER..WAY OUT IN THE BOONIES............KNOCKED ON THE DOOR...THE GUY COMES OUT...DRUNKEN THAN COOTER BROWN, AND HE SAYS CUT IT OFF...I AIN'T GOT NO MONEY...................I'M THINKING, YEP, YA DRUNK IT ALL

I GET MY TOOLS, WALK AROUND THE BACK COENER OF THE HOUSE TO THE METER, AND HE MEETS ME WITH A TWICE BARRELL SHOOTGUN...................I ASK HIM IF I CAN GET BACK IN THE TRUCK AND LEAVE..AND HE LETS ME

DRIVE DOWN THE ROAD, ABOUT 3 MILES TO THE NEAREST CUSTOMER AND BORROW THEIR PHONE TO CALL IT IN TO THE OFFICE.........DEAD SPOT FOR THE RADIOS(OLD 27MGHZ).....ANYWAY THE OFFICE IS CALLING THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, AND ADVISE ME TO CUT THE SERVICE DOWN AND ROLL IT UP ON THE XFMR POLE......................THEW DEPUTIES CUFF THE GUY AND I DO MY THING..........I LEAVE, AND THEY TURN HIM LOOSE...........2 WEEKS LATER I HAVE TO GO BACK AND HOOK HIM BACK UP.............OF COURSE I TAKE AN ARMED ESCORT..THE GUY IS CUSSING AND RAISING HELL, SO THE DEPUTY CUFFS HIM AND STUFFS HIM......................I LEAVE AND THEY TURN HIM LOOSE AGAIN...AND I'M THINKING.....I'LL BE BACK IN ANOTHER MONTH TO CUT HIM OFF AGAIN, THAT WILL BE FUN

THE NEXT MONTH...WE HAVE A BAD ICE STORM...MOST OF MY TRBL IS IN THIS GUYS AREA OF THE WOODS..........I ROUND A CURVE AND AM ALMOST RUN OFF THE ROAD..........NOW IT'S 10 AT NIGHT..FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET, AND COLD AS HELL..........THE OTHER TRUCK GOES IN THE DITCH...THE DRIVER IS PASSED OUT SLUMPED OVER THE STEERING WHEEL............AND GUESS WHO IT IS

WE PULL HIM OUT...I DRIVE HIM..IN HIS TRUCK..TO HIS HOUSE AND GET HIM INSIDE.........HE'S STILL OUT

AFTER THAT NIGHT..HE NEVER WAS TRBL AGAIN :D

Wow, what an amazing story. It’s like reading a movie script. I can’t believe all these gun stories, it sounds so crazy. I guess working in the UK is not so bad after all.

[cablewithaview]

Tool, I'm sure you have had this to happen. Go to a house to find it's illegal and cut it off. People come out screaming "FINE!!! I'm getting satellite!!!"

...and how will that solve anything? So you will pay for dish if you have to, but if you can steal cable and pay nothing you will?

[Apprentice 1]

I was working on CLI's and found a leak. I pulled into the drive way and opened the door with the logo facing the house, so they could see clearly who I was with. They actually seen me get out of the truck. Anyhow the leak is coming from behind the house so I walk out back and found the problem. No connector on the input side, stuck into the ground block. I really didn't think to much about it, went back to the truck, got my tools and started to make the repair. While I was repairing the problem, the back window comes up and a shot gun comes through the screen. He says, "You have thirty seconds to get off my property or I'll shoot!!!!" I looked at him and calmly said, "I will be more than glad to leave as soon as I finish my job." I finished, no rush you know. I get back to the truck put up my gear and leave. I call the cops and they came and talked with him. I could have press charges but I didn't. I told him in the front of the officer, "If I hear of anything out of him threatening someone, even so much a traffic ticket and I will go press charges." I had two years to do so if I wanted too. Nothing more said about it. Next morning the office asked me about the address of the resident, come to find out he was illegal. First thing I done after leaving the office was to cut his ass off and nothing else was said. I was being to nice actually, I could have press charges for the gun episode and theft. I wished I did now, few years later he was being evicted and killed his landlord. Thinking back, that could have been me. Question I ask myself is, could I had prevented that if I had pressed charges? At least he would be in jail at that time the killing happened.

That is scary man I give it you guys you have to deal with some real jerks out there and Ill give you props for keeping your cool. Hindsight will always hit you but you shouldnt feel at fault man!

[System Tech Senior]

LOL.. Same stories in every state and with every cable company.. We've had several of the same situations here. You just got to remain cool. It's just cable and isn't worth dying over. You pull a shot gun on me, and i'm kissing your ass, then gettin' the hell outta dodge. Believe me though, I'll be back at 2am when you're asleep and turn your cable off regardless lol. That's why I love being a System Tech. We tell the sup what's going on and they say handle it. So 2am it is then...

[BAS]

If you were to go to Northern Maryland,
people pretty much shoot anything along the roads. The only company that I know of still activly using porcelain insulators is Allegheny Power. The rest of the power companies (including co-ops) are using the epoxilators.

~OgdenMan

I was working doing a company assist in Texas after Katrina and an Asplundh tree crew was walking backlot construction to clear trees when they were stopped by 2 men with double barrel shotguns who took their wallets, watches, wedding bands and power saws. My biggest trouble there was all the pitbulls/rotweillers left behind.
At home (West Virginia), we get a lot of insulators, transformers, streetlights and conductors shot.

[CrackerJack_4268]

round midnight at the CE compound at kandahar, we were punchin down some cat5 we just ran on a couple 66 blocks. well we start hearin poppin over the click of the punch down, so i stop and nothin, start back and start hearin the poppin again. stop again but wait about 5 minutes this time, and sure enough my team and i hear long barrel small arms fire goin back and forth, so we wait for the alarm to sound for about 10 minutes and it never does so we just laugh it off and go back to work. next day i ask around with some canadian friends (it sounded like it was comin from their area) and sure enough it was some insurgents rushin one of the ECP's (entry control point). they told me it just wasn't enough guys to disturb everyone by sounding the alarm and making eveyone head to a bunker

Edited by CrackerJack_4268, 18 December 2011 - 03:06 AM.

[Lightningrod]

Well I guess Crackerjack you know that's what us Canadian's are like----if it's just a few pesty insurgents then why and go and bother everyone else if you don't have to. In seriousness though keep up the good work and keep your head down over there.

Part of my service area includes CFB (Canadian forces base) Gagetown and the training area, I see alot of the guys around who are back from Afghanistan that wish they were still there because they could see how much a differance that has been made over the years.

[CrackerJack_4268]

Well I guess Crackerjack you know that's what us Canadian's are like----if it's just a few pesty insurgents then why and go and bother everyone else if you don't have to. In seriousness though keep up the good work and keep your head down over there.

Part of my service area includes CFB (Canadian forces base) Gagetown and the training area, I see alot of the guys around who are back from Afghanistan that wish they were still there because they could see how much a differance that has been made over the years.

thanks,

yeah when you're here you cant wait to go home and when you get home you just wanna go back