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Monday, November 5. 2012

Thanks to these good guys who took a long drive to help out. That crane is lowering transformers and other apparatus dangling from broken utility poles dow the road from me.

Posted by Bird Dog at 19:24 | Comments (7) | Trackbacks (0)

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They are pulling down time and a half and double time virtually every minute of the day.
After one of our near miss hurricanes here one of the out of town power company workers told me that they have to take turns going to emergency jobs because they make so much money. On long jobs they rotate in and out so everyone gets a shot at the money.
If we had to depend on altruism we'd be in the dark a long time.

#1 FRP on 2012-11-05 20:57 (Reply)

a hearty desire to make money, harnessed properly, is a great thing. Think about it: the alternative to being out of power for two or three times as long is paying a little more now. I know which I would choose, given that dilema.

#1.1 Dangerous Dean on 2012-11-05 21:03 (Reply)

Yeah, but do they get hazardous pay for going into New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut?

#1.2 mudbug on 2012-11-05 22:56 (Reply)

Just got internet service back yesterday. Electricity restored to my neighborhood Saturday afternoon, just beyond 5 days from when it went out. The crews that put the wires back up in my little piece of NJ were from WI. The ones that I saw anyway. A neighbor claimed to see crews from AL in town.

From a brief chat with a WI guy they are basically handed an area (South of thus and such Rd, East of Hwy Blah blah, etc) and told to get the "3-wire" runs up first, then the the smaller runs. They just get the wires up and do no pole-pole testing. That, along with repairing service lines from poles to houses, still belongs to the local utility (which is what I need done).

I had to relocate to PA due to some medical necessities for the Better-Two-Thirds. I then spend several days running back and forth along I-78 and I-287. I saw no end of crew caravans. Couldn't see where most were from but I saw OH, MI, MS, and GA at least. Certainly more than 200 trucks total.

If they are making 1.5 times normal pay, 24 hrs/day, and all expenses, I have no issue with it. They are working to help people in need. I hope some are on Staten Island now.

Now I just wish the local utility to fix the broken line to my house. 9 days now. Check the house and feed the cat every couple days. I'd probably still be there without the medical emergency. Fortunately I had somewhere else I could stay for a while.

#1.3 Knucklehead (Link) on 2012-11-06 16:03 (Reply)

Dear Mr. Bird Dog - I remember after Hurricane Wilma (?2205) in Florida - after 2 weeks without electricity - the crew from North Carolina on our street got it going again. We went outside and gave them a cheer - it was a memorable moment. I appreciate so much that they came to Florida and helped us out.

#2 NancyLee on 2012-11-05 22:35 (Reply)

I don't much like unions, but I got nothin' against the line workers. They're good men (and women?) doing a damned tough job under damned tough circumstances. Kudos to 'em.

#3 wolfwalker on 2012-11-05 22:55 (Reply)

Please, please, please send them and others to my neck of the woods when they are done; we could certainly use their help down the road from me:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BiWZ7w_vhM&feature=related

So many of the places in this youtube video have such personal memories for me. Countless summer days did I ride my bicycle down that main drag, NJ Route 36 - now covered with a couple of feet of sand, or eat breakfast at Steve's - it looks like they do have to replace that ancient counter now, or join family and friends at Donovan's Reef for dinner and drinks - gone except for the cement slab.

The one marina shows boats tossed like driftwood - it is sad seeing boats whose owners I know. Yea, yea, yea, just "toys" and second homes in this video - but such a loss for them as they put their heart and souls into their boats.

I just hope that the author of this video has it right - "Sandy was a bitch; but the 'Bright will be back." (better than ever!)

Bird Dog, I hope that you and others get power back on soon - our boats and beach can wait.

#4 Charles on 2012-11-05 23:16 (Reply)

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Monday, November 5. 2012

Help from Missouri