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Does Burning My Stuff Cost Extra?
Assorted mishaps from the field...

We understand that with the sheer number of broadband installs being performed in this country, you're just going to see an exploding house or VRAD claymore every so often. Still, a user in our Time Warner Cable forum would prefer it if his ISP's gear didn't burn giant holes in his fence.

quote:
"Last month we moved to a house in west Plano, TX. We ordered Time
Click for full size
Warner's VOIP/cable TV/internet package. Service was very unreliable, and the amount of cable ran straight on the ground behind our fence was disturbing. We called TW many times to get them to bury the cable and properly close their utility pedestals near our fence.

Yesterday, our neighbors spotted a Time Warner truck behind our house. Around 15 minutes later, one of TW's utility pedestals erupted into flames and burned a 7ft section of our fence to the ground. Luckily the fire dept. arrived pretty quickly."
This Verizon customer would also prefer it if fire didn't come standard with installation.
view:
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bassjunky
join:2005-05-12
Aubrey, TX

1 recommendation

bassjunky

Member

Wow, that's hot!

Talk about blazing speed!
Zoroaster
join:2005-03-17
Studio City, CA

Zoroaster

Member

Re: Wow, that's hot!

Blazing speed indeed!

This is insane - what's wrong with TWC?
SunnyFL8
Premium Member
join:2001-02-08

SunnyFL8

Premium Member

Re: Wow, that's hot!

said by Zoroaster:

Blazing speed indeed!

This is insane - what's wrong with TWC?
this is plain bull crap. its all made up someone fixed that fire. You can't prove on this earth to even a child that a lighting bolt could only do that kind of damage, that and some gasoline a match and hit the pedistal with your car bumper and then remove the pedestal for evidence. This is bull crap. I don't believe a word of it.

Not enough amps or voltage going through those lines. No batteries to exploid in that pedistal.

Give me a break. What a stupid OP its all a lie. And a hoax.

NICE TRY.

BuriedCaesar3
It's Not Polite To Stare.
join:2004-03-27
Richardson, TX

BuriedCaesar3

Member

Re: Wow, that's hot!

Now that's confidence in your position that it didn't happen. Or arrogance. Or a sadly misguided opinion. Or a really fascinating display of knee-jerk reaction. I'm not sure which is more accurate.

Just to make sure I understand fully here - are you saying that Time Warner has absolutely no involvement in this explode, um, episode and furthermore, that you were there and witnessed this trickery? This fraud? This fallacious claim? If so, where are YOUR pictures of the perpetrators? Did you get a sample of the accelerant? Why should we believe you instead? Or are you just blowing smoke?

Hmmmm... I've been needing a new alley fence... 'spose I should call Time Warner and make the switch!
SunnyFL8
Premium Member
join:2001-02-08

SunnyFL8

Premium Member

Re: Wow, that's hot!

Like I said BULL CRAP!
boober321
join:2003-07-15
Milwaukee, WI

2 edits

boober321 to SunnyFL8

Member

to SunnyFL8
First off.... it's pedEstal... second, your word usage spelling (exploid?!?) and grammatical structure suggests you have less than a 9th grade level of education, so I doubt you have any real knowledge of the inner workings of a cable transformer. Thirdly, the amount of electricity carried into to your house is not the same as the electrical load inside a transformer, but there is no mention that it was electrical- only that there was a fire. If the FD put the fire out, the box would have been destroyed in the process of putting out the fire.

jamez818
please hold during the silence
join:2000-09-18
Sunland, CA

jamez818

Member

Re: Wow, that's hot!

so your the expert because....

AnonymousPerson
@verizon.net

AnonymousPerson

Anon

Re: Wow, that's hot!

His statements make actual sense. The other person's statements are incomprehensible.
SunnyFL8
Premium Member
join:2001-02-08

SunnyFL8 to jamez818

Premium Member

to jamez818
LIKE I SAID BULL CRAP!
SunnyFL8

SunnyFL8 to boober321

Premium Member

to boober321
OPPS FOR THE SPELLING.... BUT THE FACTS REMAIN BULL CRAP.

IF YOU BELIVE IT GOOD FOR YOU.

BULL CRAP!

Heterman
Premium Member
join:2004-02-28
Fayetteville, AR

Heterman

Premium Member

More than meets the eye

There is more going on here, I believe.

FTTN, now cable?

hidingintheusa
@DNVR.QWEST.NET

hidingintheusa

Anon

Re: More than meets the eye

I agree ........... Osama-bin-pedistal (or maybe Osama-bin- cabinet in AT&T's case). Made in NW Pakistan. Maybe we should invade somebody. Maybe Liechtenstein.

inteller
Sociopaths always win.
join:2003-12-08
Tulsa, OK

inteller

Member

you shouldn't use Powerboost so much

Don't you know that heats up the Internet tubes so much that they eventually catch fire! That'll teach you to pirate movies!
moonpuppy (banned)
join:2000-08-21
Glen Burnie, MD

moonpuppy (banned)

Member

Here it comes....

Why all the cable bashing articles?

Now with that out of the way, the question is not so much that it happened but how will TWC fix it?

jester121
Premium Member
join:2003-08-09
Lake Zurich, IL

1 recommendation

jester121

Premium Member

New service - FTTF

Fire to the Fence

FicmanS
Premium Member
join:2005-01-11
Brownsburg, IN

1 edit

FicmanS

Premium Member

Re: New service - FTTF

OUCH... I think I'd be more than a little upset...lol
Modworks
join:2007-02-16
USA

Modworks to jester121

Member

to jester121
I think I would contact a good lawyer.
Imagine what you could get out of this.
lawyer: My clients home could have burned down if the fire department had not arrived.
cable: Well what are you suggesting
lawyer: a free oc-3 for life ?

soganta
Premium Member
join:2003-10-15

soganta

Premium Member

Re: New service - FTTF

at least they will look into the issue now

jester121
Premium Member
join:2003-08-09
Lake Zurich, IL

jester121 to Modworks

Premium Member

to Modworks
Yeah, well, "could have" doesn't sit too well with judges.

natedj
Elected
Premium Member
join:2001-06-06
Irmo, SC

natedj

Premium Member

Re: New service - FTTF

Uh, your Honor, If I can remember correctly, that particular 7' section of fence cost me a bundle, cause I had to import the wood from Africa, then fly in a professional installer from the Ukraine ... we used solid gold nails and blah bla bla ...

Chuckles0
Premium Member
join:2006-03-04
Saint Paul, MN

Chuckles0 to jester121

Premium Member

to jester121
It does when you could have killed someone. Like in a DUI case. I've spoken with people who got DUIs when they weren't even driving; just walking to the car. What's that intent to drink and drive? But yeah, could have burned my house down doesn't seem like it would stick.

POB
Res Firma Mitescere Nescit
Premium Member
join:2003-02-13
Stepford, CA

POB

Premium Member

Re: New service - FTTF

said by Chuckles0:

I've spoken with people who got DUIs when they weren't even driving; just walking to the car. What's that intent to drink and drive? But yeah, could have burned my house down doesn't seem like it would stick.
Walking to your car irrrespective of BAC is not "intent" to drive. Walking to your car, getting in, putting the key in the ignition and merely sitting there without turning the key is. Whoever these people you know who were cited for DUI for merely walking to their car in a drunken state should have contested the citation.

gomer1701ems
join:2001-08-23
Minneapolis, MN

gomer1701ems

Member

Re: New service - FTTF

My ex-wife got a DWI just for sitting on the front steps with her keys in her purse. Or so said the police report....

GlobalMind
Domino Dude, POWER Systems Guy
Premium Member
join:2001-10-29
Indianapolis, IN

GlobalMind to Chuckles0

Premium Member

to Chuckles0
said by Chuckles0:

But yeah, could have burned my house down doesn't seem like it would stick.
I think it would if the fire was closer to the house, like the other cases we've seen where the siding ended up melting & such.

This seems it was far enough away that the burn the house down argument might not work.
boober321
join:2003-07-15
Milwaukee, WI

1 recommendation

boober321

Member

Re: New service - FTTF

I agree. I call bulls%$t! The key HAS to be in the ignition.
fiberguy2
My views are my own.
Premium Member
join:2005-05-20

fiberguy2

Premium Member

Re: New service - FTTF

In some states, like CA, simply sitting in the driver's seat, even with the keys on the dash, not the ignition, is grounds for a DUI.

Source: Sacramento PD, CHP, ABC.

phattieg
join:2001-04-29
Winter Park, FL

phattieg

Member

Re: New service - FTTF

In Jacksonville Florida, my roommate was in a pickup truck, in the middle seat, the driver was inside a Walgreens, roommate was sleeping in the middle seat and had been drinking, cop pulls up because the truck was still running. The person in the store did not have a license. The cop charges my roommate with DUI even after the person that was inside the store signed a affidavit stating they were the one driving. It was because my roommate had a valid drivers license that he got the DUI. When the cop approached the vehicle, my roommate was asleep, and the cop woke him up, and seen he was in the middle seat and everything. So far, he has paid close to $9,000 in fee's, fines, and DUI classes, and also had 40 hours of community service. IT CAN HAPPEN!
jimbo21503
join:2004-05-10
Euclid, OH

jimbo21503 to Modworks

Member

to Modworks
Hell, go for the OC-12!

swsamurai
Premium Member
join:2002-04-17
Bakersfield, CA

swsamurai

Premium Member

Re: New service - FTTF


With his luck they would give him the OC, then restrict it back to 1mb with a 20gb per month limit.

rudnicke
Premium Member
join:2004-10-23
Rantoul, IL

rudnicke

Premium Member

Fire?

What could cause a bundle of cable to catch fire? Is there really that much voltage running through those lines?

inteller
Sociopaths always win.
join:2003-12-08
Tulsa, OK

1 recommendation

inteller

Member

Re: Fire?

there is when you have 'Warren' »The Well-Loved Cable Guy [81] comments
running both your cable and electricity through it.

GlobalMind
Domino Dude, POWER Systems Guy
Premium Member
join:2001-10-29
Indianapolis, IN

GlobalMind

Premium Member

Re: Fire?

said by inteller:

there is when you have 'Warren' »The Well-Loved Cable Guy [81] comments
running both your cable and electricity through it.
ROTFL!!!! Nice cross reference there! Sweet.

POB
Res Firma Mitescere Nescit
Premium Member
join:2003-02-13
Stepford, CA

POB

Premium Member

Happens A lot More than previously known

Stupidity has always been the rule rather the exception in pretty much anything across the board, so it isn't limited to cable installation. I think we're hearing more about it for several reasons:

(1) Digital cameras are prevalent and more are using them to document their experiences;

(2) Consumers are becoming increasingly savvy regarding "accidents" like this one (The biggest reason corruptorations like AT&T want to be Internet content controllers accountable to no one);

(3) If customers can't get satisfaction from corruptorations pathethic CS dpt, then they can apply greater pressure by uploading images and posting their experiences online and making more consumers more aware of this kind of BS.

Tania M
@dsl.bell.ca

Tania M

Anon

LOL

Good ol Time Warner... messing up every step of the way! Ohh the horror stories I've heard...

AskTheAdmin
@optonline.net

-1 recommendation

AskTheAdmin

Anon

All the damn time

Cablevision, timewarner and the rest of em are notorious for burning, breaking, destroying and sometimes sleeping on the job. We had a 2 foot hole in the side of our house from the cable company bringing the line in. It took 3 months to get them to fix it. I am glad it was warm out!

Thanks from your friends »www.askTheAdmin.com
jc10098
join:2002-04-10

jc10098

Member

Marshmellows Anyone

Someone run go the store and I'll find some sticks. We can BBQ and roast some treats as this man's fence spontaneously bursts into flames. Nice Job Time Warner.

Anonymous_
Anonymous
Premium Member
join:2004-06-21
127.0.0.1

1 edit

Anonymous_

Premium Member

Wow

it made the front page (i was the one who marked it as news)
dn0
join:2005-07-05
USA

1 recommendation

dn0

Member

I don't think so....

There is more to this than a is being told. I have been working in cable for 20 years. The max voltage on that line is 90VAC (actually 89.5, most are 60VAC) and never seen anything like this.
The best explanation is that maybe the person used a propane torch to shrink the heat shrink used to seal the fittings from the weather, and they started a small fire and did not realize it. Or maybe this poster's kids used one of those internet recipe fire bombs on it; I have dealt with exactly that 2 times before. I could not figure how every thing became so burned in those cases until I noticed the left over green plastic melted bottle residue.
nonymous (banned)
join:2003-09-08
Glendale, AZ

nonymous (banned)

Member

Re: I don't think so....

Propane torch and a gas leak underground coming up in the pedestal. Maybe a primary electric line near the cable went and crossed to cable. Seen both.

CableTool
Poorly Representing MYSELF.
Premium Member
join:2004-11-12

CableTool

Premium Member

Par for the Course

I like how the cable company "allegedly" burning a fence ( because there really isnt anything in that box that is going to cause an "eruption of flames") is the Main story but a Verizon installer setting a house on fire during an installation and causeing the power to be shut down for the area while it is dealt with is a footnote.
At least it was mentioned..
bronkx1
join:2001-04-05
Warminster, PA

1 edit

bronkx1

Member

wrong forum sorry

Wrong forum my bad

treetop1000
join:2003-11-07
Lexington, KY

treetop1000

Member

been there

Copper grounding rod driven into water pipe for house.
bad sump pump motor winding inside house shorting house 110v into ground (the pipe itself) which returns to telco cabinet via ground rod. (poof) no more telco equipment. Possible fire. seen it, fixed it.
Modworks
join:2007-02-16
USA

1 edit

Modworks

Member

smoking ?

Maybe the tech was smoking and caught some grass or something on fire.
I know around here there are alot of cable pedestals that are in dried brush/grass, wouldn't take much of a spark to send the whole thing up.
chuckkk
join:2001-11-10
Warner Robins, GA

chuckkk

Member

Re: smoking ?

I suppose that this sort of thing might happen if the house electrical service was also buried and the cable install somehow got tied to it (shorted, service cable scraped by the cable install foot, etc. How the fence got into it might be the big question.