Today would have been my father’s 90th birthday. His life was cut short when my mother took it upon herself to be his one-person death panel by waiting way too long before calling 911 when he went into distress, believing it was not serious enough to risk the cost (a cost my parents could have well afforded.) Although his symptoms may have appeared minor, when someone’s in their 80s minor things can be serious, dammit. And my mother doesn't have a medical background to entitle her to make those determinations. He may not have survived even if the EMTs had made it to him in time, but we’ll never know.
I was going to write about how my parents’ relationship and communications with each other had deteriorated over the years leading to that fateful day, but I decided it is too personal for this forum. Instead I’ll tell about my recent problems with communications, of the phone type, as it seems I’ve been hit by the internet connection gremlins lately.
WYFP is our community's Saturday evening gathering to talk about our problems, empathize with one another, and share advice, pootie pictures, favorite adult beverages, and anything else that we think might help. Everyone and all sorts of troubles are welcome. May we find peace and healing here. Won't you please share the joy of WYFP by recommending?
Last night was the second time in three weeks I’ve been denied access to the internet when I wanted it. Friday morning I’d gotten online without problem. But when I tried to log on later in the day I kept getting an error message that the computer being dialed (Earthlink) wasn’t answering. I tried several times over the next few hours. Nada. Started to think maybe I’d accidentally deleted the wrong file when I cleared out some cookies. Then I thought "oh gawd, what if I can’t get online tomorrow in time to post WYFP?!"
After I calmed down a bit, I started to make a backup plan – I’d go to the library Saturday morning (thank goodness the main library is still open on Saturdays, as they’ve cut hours at the branch nearest me), hope to find an open computer, and send an urgent email to Noor B that she’d need to find a substitute diarist. But what if I lived out in the boonies where libraries aren’t easily accessible (especially in winter) or open on weekends?
You never realize how attached you become to the internet until you’re suddenly cut off. At times you want to be disconnected from it, like when you go camping. However, you are in control at those times, and can plan ahead for not having immediate access. When that control is taken away from you, a mild panic starts to set in and you have to search your mind for what has to be done online, when, and available alternatives. Does someone think you’re ignoring them because you haven’t responded to their email? Will you regain access by the time you need to pay bills or do other online banking?
Though "only" being cut off from the internet isn’t nearly as annoying and panic inducing ("what if I have an asthma attack and need to call 911?") as being totally without any telephone function, which I was three weeks ago when my landline suddenly and inexplicably went dead mid-day Sunday. Then too, the line was working in the morning, but when I tried it early evening, dead. No dial tone from any jack. By the time I noticed it was out I was too bushed to go out to find somewhere to report the problem.
Monday morning I schleped out to find a functioning pay phone (I dare you to try.) After walking several blocks, I find one, call 611 (per AT&T phone book instructions) to report the line is dead, but get the operator of apparently some independent phone company who says all she can do is make a collect call to my home number. What part about "phone line is dead" did she not understand, and what good would making a collect call do if no one else can be at my place to answer even if the line did work? (Is this some sort of phone co. scam where one company charges you to contact the other company?)
As I walked home I decided to head to the library to use their computers to report the problem at AT&T’s website. But it’s not yet 8:30, and the nearest library branch doesn’t open until 10 a.m., or so I thought. After piddling around home to kill an hour, I walk to the library, getting there just at 10, only to find a sign saying that as of two weeks ago that branch won’t open until 1 p.m.
On the way back I veer over to the nearby community center to see if they’ll let me use their phone to call AT&T. Try two different buildings, but no staff in sight at either one (they’re probably in Mon. morning meetings.) Go over to a third building, where a gym is. Finally find a staffed front desk, explain the situation to receptionist, whereupon she says their phones are down as well. ARGGHHH!!!
At this point I’m getting frustrated, so decide to waste carbon to drive to the downtown main library. Then I remember there’s some AT&T building in that vicinity. Park at the AT&T building only to find it’s locked up like a fortress. Obviously it’s not for customer access.
I walked a couple more blocks to the library, locate the computer room, sit down to log in, but the computer claims my password is incorrect. Go back to the front desk, woman tells me my library card has expired. (WTF? I didn’t know they could expire.) She resets it, I finally log on to the AT&T site, and it asks a bunch of stupid questions. I’m still not sure if they got the message that the line is dead.
By now I’ve wasted half a day and the only things I’ve gotten done were 1) some (badly needed) exercise, and 2) a bit of grocery shopping at stores located near the respective libraries. To add insult to injury, my AT&T bill arrives in the day’s mail. They obviously haven’t forgotten me on that end.
Tuesday morning, still no dial tone. My landlord's handyman shows up somewhat unexpectedly to follow up on repairing some leaky pipes. Although my landlord had told me several days earlier that the guy might be by "Monday or Tuesday", I never received notice of the final time because my f'g phone line was dead. Great, just one more bleeping thing to deal with on the one day of the month I already had something planned. Murphy's Law in action.
Since I was going to attend the book signing by Pres. Carter at a local bookstore in the evening, I decided to leave early, drive several miles out of my way to take my complaint in person to the nearest AT&T retail store (some ten miles from where I live.) I explain the situation to a salesperson, who offers to call the repair reporting number to check on the status. He comments how much trouble he’s having to get past the computer recordings through to a live operator, "they don't make this easy, do they?" After a few minutes he finally gets a real life person that tells him the repair is scheduled to be done by 8 p.m. He hands the phone to me to confirm the information with the operator. A less than pleasant male tells me that same information, in return I ask him for a work order number for future reference.
I get home from the Carter book signing shortly before 8 p.m (that’s a story for another diary, maybe.) That designated repair time comes and goes, still no functioning phone line.
To add more misery to the day, I think someone rifled through the back part of my car (station wagon) while it was parked near the bookstore. With everything else on my mind, I apparently didn't notice the car hadn't fully locked when I hit the Lock button on the key fob. Fortunately, I didn't have anything in it that was worth stealing, unless someone was desperate for a small first aid kit. Note to self - use actual key to lock car from now on, don't rely on "wi-fi" key fob.
Wednesday morning 8 a.m., 12 hours past when AT&T claimed the line would be fixed, still no dial tone. By now I’m beyond pissed, and decide to do something I’ve never done – go to my congressperson’s office to find out what can be done. I waste more gas driving out of the way, but fortunately the office is only about 6-7 miles from me.
As I walk into the office fuming, I’m greeted by a nice young woman who asks how she can help. Not wanting to unload my anger at AT&T onto her, I restrain myself and give as brief an explanation as possible, asking if I might be able to file a complaint with the FCC or some other (socialist) agency. She immediately goes into action, looking up information on teh tubes, and talking with another person in the office for more input. Just as she’s writing out the info for me, another staff person walks in the door. He turns out to be the point person for handling this sort of issue, so he takes it from there.
The receptionist tells him why I’m there, and he tells me he’ll contact the FCC liaison to AT&T (who knew one existed?) to inquire why it’s taking them so long to get my phone line back up. (He seemed almost excited that he had a new problem to work on.) He asks me to fill out a form with the details of the situation, timing of contacts I’ve made with AT&T, etc. I leave the office thinking just maybe congresscritters (or at least their staff) can be useful at times. It helped that the front office appeared to be empty of other constituents, and no other big meeting was in progress (maybe the key people were out on the campaign trail), so those two staffers were able to devote time to my case.
I return home about 2 p.m. after running some errands and stopping at the downtown library to once again use the computer for a short session online. (While online, I check the status of repair on the AT&T website. It says the original repair time was delayed. Duh!) No working phone line yet. To add yet more insult to injury, in the mail that afternoon was yet another promo letter from AT&T (second one this week) saying I’m a "privileged" customer who’s eligible for their cable internet service. If I’m so F’g "privileged", why the hell are they taking so long to service my phone line?
Shortly after 4:30 p.m., almost 24 hours later than what I’d been told the day before, the phone actually rings and some AT&T tech leaves a message that the line is now fixed. Absolutely no explanation of what the problem was or why it took so fucking long for them to fix it.
My CT is that AT&T is trying to blackmail- coerce me into getting cell service and/or cable internet (as if they have a chance in hades after this kind of poor response time.) I wish I could bill AT&T for the gas I had to waste chasing down real live people to intervene.
By then I had more than three days of internet time to catch up on, not to mention the time I wasted going all over town just to file complaints against AT&T. On the bright side, I wasn’t bothered with election related phone calls for three+ days.
Those are a few of my latest FPs, how about you?