I work 60+ hours a week on night shift and last year Columbia Gas sent me a notice saying they had to inspect my interior gas lines and the only time they were available was during my scarce sleep time. So after a few phone calls, they finally caved and scheduled an inspector to come in at 7am Saturday morning, when I can afford to lose some sleep.
It was a major ****ing pain. They checked my water heater, furnace, meter, and every shutoff knob and determined I needed a new meter, that took 4 hours to install. By the time they were finished, it was noon and Mom was on her way over with her truck so I could cash in my years worth of beer cans. Went to the recycling center, out to lunch, came home and intended on passing out.
But I came home and the kitchen was flooded! The ****, while doing the inspection on the shut off valves, had opened the water line going to the ice maker on the fridge, that WASN'T HOOKED UP ANYMORE. Kitchen floor was soaked but didn't make it into the living room, except the drop ceiling in the basement was ruined but whatever, I wanted to tear it out anyway. Closed the valve, tore out a bunch of ceiling tiles, and kicked myself for not keeping a closer eye on her but whatever, one inspection in almost 10 years, I'll deal with it.
Went to take a shower after tearing up the ceiling and the water was EXTREMELY, PAINFULLY hot. I've lived here a long time, I know where to turn my knobs. Go back into the basement and the water heater thermostat is cranked all the way to the hottest setting. Are you ****ing kidding me? That was part of your checks too?
Fast forward one year, get a letter saying they need to inspect my lines again. Really? No. **** you, no. Nope, **** you, **** off.
They finally send me a letter saying if they can't inspect my lines, they will have to shut off my gas. Yup. DO IT. I have an electric hot water heater waiting to be installed, it's summer so I have 3-4 months to convert my furnace. Go ahead, do it.
Come home from a 13 hour shift where NOTHING went right today and there is a notice saying they shut my gas off. HaHaHa so ****ing what? Cold shower wasn't so bad, it's 80 degrees out.
But the notice says they are going to dig up and remove their gas lines going from the street to my house because of it. SO WHAT?
The gas line literally runs underneath the magnolia tree my late grandfather and father planted when my grandmother died, when my dad was 12.
Columbia Gas is going to kill a 48 year old magnolia tree that means a great deal to my family, because they couldn't re-inspect a one year old gas meter that they installed.
****.
