Last night's focus group wasn't for a magazine aiming for Consumer Reports' demographics. It was for Consumer Reports. They're redesigning the magazine and they wanted feedback on their plans as they stand now. So, six or seven males in their 50s were asked to give the editors and others feedback.
I was impressed with the new look. I think it will be very attractive and will be a significant improvement. And we got the opportunity to meet the Editor-in-Chief at the end of the focus group. But that wasn't last night's big excitement.
Just as I was pulling out of my driveway to go to the focus group, my next door neighbor came dashing up to my car and said, "did you know your gas meter is broken and it's spewing gas?!" No, I didn't know it. But I got out of my car and immediately heard the loud hiss of gas escaping. The meter had been turned upside down and a pipe underground had been broken, causing massive amounts of gas to escape.
The neighbor had Atmos Energy on the line and they said they would send someone right away. About half an hour later, a very grim, utterly unfriendly guy showed up and began checking it out. He utterly ignored our welcome, our comments our questions...he acted like we weren't there. He just looked pissed and he was a completely obnoxious jerk. I was happy to get out of there, lest I express my sentiments to his face and be repaid by having his massive hands snap my neck.
I returned home to find that they had shut off the gas, removed the meter and left a note saying I needed to get a plumber out because they did a pressure test on my gas pipes and they failed the test. Calls to plumbers today alerted me to the fact that, if that's true, I'm looking at several thousand dollars in expenses, plus being without gas for at least a week. Then, the City has to come inspect it thoroughly for another several hundred dollars.
After speaking, later, to Atmos, they said they'd send someone back out...it could be that the fact the water heater and house heating system lines had not been shut off could have caused a false reading. That was three hours ago. I'm now waiting, again, on Atmos. I hope they find that it's not a leaky line. I don't have an extra several thousand dollars I'm prepared to part with at the moment. I'd just rather not do it!
I hate older houses. I used to like them. Now, I hate them. And I hate unprotected gas meters. And I hate whoever did it to my meter. May they spontaneously combust and vaporize in a painful sizzle.
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