zed260
join:2007-09-30
Cleveland, TN | charter cuts cable to 400
»www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/ind···vic.html
what to make of this |
|
TMTBoomer
join:2004-06-15 | What do you make of this?
All I see in this article is you trolling. Dude, chill on the meaningless posts. |
|
motorcycle_r
join:2009-03-07
Alpena, MI | reply to zed260
I would have to say if I was losing money do to repairs and theft I would probably stop servicing the area myself. Cable is not a right, it is a purchased product. |
|
KoRnGtL15
Premium
join:2007-01-04
Grants Pass, OR | I agree. Just a shame a few bad apples ruin it for every body. |
|
Phatty
join:2000-05-10
Valley Park, MO | reply to zed260
I Side with Charter on this one, Charter is a business that needs to make money, and if something is loosing money for them and its easy to cut off such as this then doing so makes since. |
|
Lazlow
join:2006-08-07
Saint Louis, MO
| reply to zed260
This is one of the reasons the statewide franchise agreements are a bad idea. Local franchise agreements normally make them provide the service.
If you look at that box, they were not really trying to keep anybody out. If they had really wanted to keep people out they would have used a much more substantial box and relocated it 10-12ft up the wall. If Charter just kept replacing the boxes with more mickey mouse boxes in the same location, then the majority of the losses were due to their own stupidity. This is a little like jailing all black males in specific area becuase the majority of violent crime in that area is done by black males. |
|
AMDUSER
Premium
join:2003-05-28
Earth
clubs: | reply to Phatty
I agree..
Although I would have installed cable sleeves on the subscribers lines (on the splitter and the tap) and installed locking terminaters on the rest of the lines [and tap ports] to make it harder to rip the service off. |
|
JoesphM
@rr.com
| reply to zed260
Charter is low on funds and this complex is a money pit.
It's the "culture" within the apartment complex that lets that theft occur and that "culture" has to change, Charter can't do it alone. Obviously, repeatedly disconnecting the offenders, repairing broken LOCK boxes and equipment doesn't stop them.
Cutting off the cable to all, or threatening to, will hopefully entice the "innocent", who just stand by and watch, to help stop their cable stealing neighbors.
If the culture of theft within the complex doesn't change no amount of upgrades and more difficult to access boxes will stop the theft. |
|
NormanS
Premium,MVM
join:2001-02-14
San Jose, CA
 ·Pacific Bell - SBC
| reply to Lazlow
said by Lazlow  :If you look at that box, they were not really trying to keep anybody out. If they had really wanted to keep people out they would have used a much more substantial box and relocated it 10-12ft up the wall. Locks are meant to keep honest people honest. It only takes a couple of seconds to boost a locked car, or break into a house (or apartment), despite substantial anti-theft devices.
Just having a locked box should have been sufficient. Spending more money to make it harder, in an environment were theft is the norm, only means making the thieves work harder to steal the product; but they will steal it.
--
Norman
~Oh Lord, why have you come
~To Konnyu, with the Lion and the Drum |
|
BF69
join:2004-07-28
Camden, TN
| reply to Lazlow
said by Lazlow :This is one of the reasons the statewide franchise agreements are a bad idea. Local franchise agreements normally make them provide the service. If you look at that box, they were not really trying to keep anybody out. If they had really wanted to keep people out they would have used a much more substantial box and relocated it 10-12ft up the wall. If Charter just kept replacing the boxes with more mickey mouse boxes in the same location, then the majority of the losses were due to their own stupidity. This is a little like jailing all black males in specific area becuase the majority of violent crime in that area is done by black males. So Charter should be forced to provide service to an area where 2/3 of the people steal cable and their equipment is continuously vandalized? It's not like it's 1 or 2 or a few people are doing it, over 2/3 steal cable. Let these fuckers deal with rabbit ears for awhile. hen maybe the non-theives beat the shit out the theives because they no longer have cable THEN it'll stop. |
|
markopoleo
join:2003-04-02
Bonne Terre, MO
 ·Charter Pipeline
| Charter does not maintain boxes at apartment complexes mind you, they sub that work out. If you ever had to deal with the subs they use, you would understand why they are in bad shape..
Want to know how bad shape?
We have had covers off our cable boxes at apartment for FIVE years, we also have a "temporary" line on ground for just as long. We have tried for the longest time to get it buried and boxes replaced but stopped after last winter because every time we called to inquire as to why its not done, its like Charter comes out of a coma each time and has no idea what is going on. lol
This article actually paints Charter in a good light, regardless of what Zed260 thinks. No question Charter is in the right. They even went above and beyond helping them. |
|
Lazlow
join:2006-08-07
Saint Louis, MO | reply to BF69
BF69
Where does it say that 2/3 of the residents are stealing cable? |
|
BF69
join:2004-07-28
Camden, TN | Lisa Willcutt, property manager at Interfaith Homes, said about 60 apartments of the complex’s 200 pay for cable.
140/200=70% |
|
Lazlow
join:2006-08-07
Saint Louis, MO
| "Ransberger said it is difficult to determine how many tenants at each apartment complex are getting cable service they’re not paying for and for how long it’s been going on."
While 60 apartments are paying for cable, that says nothing about how many are pirating cable. It could be that all 140 other apartments are pirating cable or it could be just a few are. For instance, I do not have cable TV(just HSI) nor do I pirate it. |
|
BF69
join:2004-07-28
Camden, TN
| said by Lazlow :"Ransberger said it is difficult to determine how many tenants at each apartment complex are getting cable service they’re not paying for and for how long it’s been going on." While 60 apartments are paying for cable, that says nothing about how many are pirating cable. It could be that all 140 other apartments are pirating cable or it could be just a few are. For instance, I do not have cable TV(just HSI) nor do I pirate it. Well let's se if it was just a few this wouldn't even be much of an issue to bother with. Also it be very easy to see who is paying and who is not. So that right there tells you is a lot. Also if you expect for me to believe that 140 out of 200 apartments don't have Tv or are using rabbit ears then you're crazy. |
|
Lazlow
join:2006-08-07
Saint Louis, MO
| If you actually read what I wrote, I did not even suggest that no one was pirating. However I do know a lot of people now who do not watch cable(many more now than 10-15 years ago). Some believe that there is very little worth watching on cable (I am one of them). Some think it is a bad influence on their children. Others are in financial difficulty right now and are just plain honest (they do not pirate). As you pointed out, it is relatively easy to figure out who is/not pirating cable yet they did not bother to do so. I find that odd. Why not do what they are supposed to and file charges on those that are pirating cable? They do it all the time here, so it can not be that difficult. |
|
oodi6
join:2006-05-25
Turlock, CA
| I have to agree. My daughter and son-in-law have had their cable stolen by another tenant in their 4-plex multiple times, leaving them without their service until it is fixed. The police have been notified each time, as well as Charter... but nothing ever happens to the thief who continues to do it... even when he has been caught in the act. |
|
AMDUSER
Premium
join:2003-05-28
Earth
clubs:
·RoadRunner Cable
1 edit | Have the Charter tech that comes to fix it, cut the end [f-connector] off or use a locking terminator on that line.
It would not be far fetched to ask the tech if they could install the metal sleeves they have on the relatives cable line. [It would help to deter the neighbor, as you would need a cable tool to remove it.] |
|
hootabius
join:2009-02-12
2 edits | reply to zed260
Cutting the F-connectors off, using security sleeves and locking terminators won't work, as judging by the picture in the article it's already been tried. Notice the unterminated tap ports? They are broken. I won't go into how to do it to legal reasons but it's not hard to do if you're motivated enough and own a hammer and a sharp knife. It won't work all that well and it will leak RF like a SOAB so it will get detected pretty quick. Putting it out of reach wouldn't make much difference either, just means the thief needs to find a ladder.
I saw it done plenty during my time as a field tech. I had a particular individual who did it and it was repaired three times within 2 weeks....he only stopped when we caught him the third time and called the police.
What blows me away is this quote from the article:
“I find it amazing that the poorest people in our community are no longer able to have cable. ... It just makes me sick.”
Frankly, I find it amazing that the poorest people in our community who cannot even afford to pay rent without government assistance can afford to spend "$65 to more than $140 a month on cable". THAT makes me sick.
I think electrifying the metal box would probably deter most people  |
|
KoRnGtL15
Premium
join:2007-01-04
Grants Pass, OR
| Yep I am with you on that. They make it sound like it is their right to have it.
“I find it amazing that the poorest people in our community are no longer able to have cable. ... It just makes me sick.”
Frankly, I find it amazing that the poorest people in our community who cannot even afford to pay rent without government assistance can afford to spend "$65 to more than $140 a month on cable". THAT makes me sick. |
|
