July 16, 2004

Complete & Uncut

After a harrowing trip home on the J-Church, I debarked at the corner of Church and Duboce and walked in to the Out of the Closet shop to look for a copy of a book: Stephen King's Complete & Uncut "The Stand". I read the cut-for-weight version about 20 years ago, but thinking about germ warfare lately has caused this novel to reënter my mind.
To my surprise and delight, I found a crisp hardcover, dust jacket in Brodart even, with the promotional bookmark tucked neatly inside it. Perfect! Just as I picked it off the shelf, the lights dimmed and a clerk announced that the store was closing; "Please bring purchases to the counter."

Posted by salim at 07:04 PM | Comments (0)

I sailed away to China

File a complaint with the CPUC

I received a leter from Kathleen Nelson stating that the utility company had not been able to read my electric meter for the past 18 months, ''as access to the meter is locked.'' I place plastic cards, which PG&E provides, in an unblocked and unambiguous location in the window immediately next to the front door, facing the street. I have called PG&E on more than one occasion to ensure that they have noted this practice and location in their records. I have spoken with a ''Kathleen'' at PG&E within the past 18 months, and with other representatives, because I have repeatedly received notices from PG&E meter readers to the effect that they are unable to find or read the PG&E-provided plastic cards. The telephone number (415 695 3598) that PG&E provides, both on the notice the meter reads and in the letter that Ms Nelson sent, does not answer during the hours listed ( 7:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.), nor is voicemail provided, either during or after hours. Letters to Ms Nelson at the return address on the envelope (2180 Harrison St. SF CA 94110) go without reply. Over the past 18 months, I have paid the monthly bills for both the gas and electric meters attached to my account. If the utility were unable to read the meter, how did they send these bills? This is not acceptable practice for a corporate utility. I strongly protest the repeated inaccuracy of their meter readers, the claim by the utility that they cannot read my meters over the past 18 months, as I have been paying regularly. I object to their lack of customer focus.

Posted by salim at 03:49 PM | Comments (0)