Thelma Taormina, Houston Homeowner, Pulls Gun on a Utility Worker Installing Smart Me

....they're in a power position because they can afford to pay for a new "interpretation" of the law.

 

*sigh*
When in doubt . . .side with BIG MONEY!

The precedent will be interesting
QUESTION: When Rent-A-Center has to repo the big screen . . . can they just force their way in and pick it up and take it? Serious question.

Rocket River

 

no absolutely serious. Do you really want people knowing when you are on vacation? I bet it really isn't that hard to hack the data.

 

If someone is really worried about "hackers" hacking into the Centerpoint systems to track electricity usage in order to determine the times that someone is home then they are just being paranoid and ridiculous. That is absurdly complex for a simple crime.

It would be a hell of a lot easier for someone to set up a simple webcam, motion sensor, or just watch your house if they were casing your house for a break in. If I am paranoid about break ins then hackers tracking electricity usage are one of the last things I am worried about.

 

It isn't that hard to watch someone's house either and see what they are doing.

 

No they can't, but they will bug the **** out of the references that the person uses in order to collect their money. I dealt with this crap before after I tried to help someone out.

 

So you think it's easier to hack the wireless system than just go up and actually read the meter? It seems like it's much easier to use the current meters to figure out if someone is home or not since the information is right there without any need to hack anything.

Agreed. I don't think anyone has a Constitutional right to access to electricity. If the person doesn't want to use the meters that the utility uses, they can find another source for power.

 

Talk about being paranoid! Most thieves are too stupid or too lazy to pull something like this off. I guess it could happen, but what are the chances, probably very small.

 

Reading the meter and going on the property to exchange the meter with a piece of crap device and in the process, assaulting the property owner are two completely different things.

They have right to go on property and read the meter...and that's where the employees abilities end.

 

Based on what? This seems like a fairly arbitrary standard. It's THEIR property. Why wouldn't they have a right to change, adjust, repair, or replace it?

 

I think they agreed to that when they decided they wanted electricity supplied to their home.

 

and it's YOUR property that they have to get to THEIR equipment. Plus, who really wants these smart meters? I know I don't. My lights go out if i fart now. It's a piece of crap meter, and it does nothing but go out during storms when before we had no problems if a little bit of rain fell. So the customer has no say so on what type of equipment is on YOUR property, for the service YOU pay for?

Sure, they own the equipment, kudos. But their rights don't trump your rights, on your own property. She should of shot off a pinky toe for good measure.

 

I want those meters - it decreases the cost of electricity which directly benefits me.

Depends if you want electricity. You don't get to demand that they provide electricity, but only on your terms with the meters of your choice.

 

Cut off her power and charge her with terroristic threat.

 

It hasn't decreased my bill once since I got my smartmeter. my power goes out more than it ever has, and good luck having electricity when it drizzles.

I don't see how it's fair for them to just demand you have it on knowing that a lot of people are having problems with them. I can't even count how many times my breaker has tripped from washing clothes, or how many times my power goes out a month now.

They want to be able to demand, request, and take action. But lord have mercy if they meet resistance from customers because their property is not operating as it was before they installed their meters. Heaven forbid anyone do that.

 

How do you know? Energy prices have all sorts of factors, with the number of metermen having to run around town manually measuring meters being one of them. Fewer of those people reduces costs. Whether there were other costs that rose at the same time, who knows. But the bottom line is the new meters are cheaper to manage, which means lower energy prices.

 

Are you seriously condoning this woman pulling a weapon on someone doing his rightful job?

 

I'm not an expert on the electrical grid, but I don't see why these should be related. The meter measures and monitors electrical usage - it doesn't cause electricity to go out or trip breakers or whatnot.