Gothamist: Queens Simmers as Power is Spotty

texas holdem

Thu, 11 Jan 2007 07:02:19 -0500

texas holdem

Thu, 11 Jan 2007 05:45:22 -0500

texas holdem

Damari

Sat, 09 Dec 2006 07:32:27 -0500

Thank you for all the comments, good, bad and indifferent.For those of you whom I upset I am very sorry. It has now been about a year and things are moving along, yes I have had some, alot of therapy, this hit me hard but we are moving on. I have 2 attorneys dealing with this. I admitt that I had alot to learn and I have learned that we really don't matter to corporate America it really is just about profits. My fight is not just for me but for all those wrongfully treated by corporate America. I didn't realize that all caps was so offensive, sorry to that one. Life is all about learning and this was a very hard lesson for us. Again, sorry if I offended anyone I am getting better now. As far as the manager goes, he will just have to live with what he has done and I wish him and his family the best hoping that no one ever treats them as he did us. God Bless Us All

Not Amused

Mon, 24 Jul 2006 09:59:49 -0500

First off. Damari that was a hell of a lot of typing. Secondly, This "Power problem" effects the city every year. With that said their needs to be a change in the oversight of this utility company. Con Ed has proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that they can't handle the responsibility! The Blackout of 2003 should have been a wake-up call . In this day of technology and lazy-asses, We the people need, No are totally dependant on our electricity! Yes Con Ed is directly responsible for the current state of Western Queens. People think about this, When they wanted to build those new powerplants in the city everybody screamed "Hell no not in my neighborhood" ! We now see what can happen when the power is put to a test and fails. I'm not saying that we should now get onboard with the whole "Power plant in every hood" thing . There is a problem here that needs to be resolved . Sadly Con Edison is incapable of solving it. What is it now [7,000]still without power? That's not to discredit the thousands with "Limited" power, what a joke! Then we get the wimsicle yet peckled "Concern" from Bloomberg . This is turning into a political circus as all the politicans line up to take a crack at Con Ed. Hopefully we won't get anymore heatwaves this summer and things will tone down.

Rick

Sun, 23 Jul 2006 12:22:10 -0500

I reside in Sunnyside, Queens where I eventually lost all power late Tuesday evening after spending the entire day living through a brown out condition. I spent several hours Wednesday afternoon placing telephone calls in an attempt to get some information on this power outage. Con Edison's telephone circuits were busy; the telephone operators at the City Hall's Office of Emergency Management and it's 311 information office had "no" information regarding the power crisis. By "no information" I mean those agencies had no knowledge on the status nor the problem itself. Basically City Hall got caught with it's pants down. Instead of doing it's own independent review, the Mayor's office relied on information from Con Edison, a private company, whom themselves do not have a handle on the situation. It wasn't until Thursday evening, after pleas from Queens politicians, did the Mayor and his staff visit the area only to learn that the situation was far worst than that reported by Con Edison. Now City Hall is attempting to project a positive PR image by throwing in all of it's resources into Queens. City Hall is just as responsible and negligent to some extent as Con Edison for letting this problem reached this point. Just as the Mayor's office has requested a full report from Con Edison concerning the power outage, so should we demand the same from the Mayor's office for City Hall's failure to act responsively. All I can say to Mayor Bloomberg for his initial lack of response to the Queens' residents in their time of need and his defending of Con Edison is "when you sleep with dogs, you'll get up with flees". ps. If I hear the Mayor sign the praises of Con Edison just one more thing I'm gonna scream!!! Rick, Sunnyside Queens

just saying

Sat, 22 Jul 2006 18:02:54 -0500

Well, now it appears that someone has finally succumbed to the stress of having no power for almost a week. I predict more victims of Con Ed's malfeasance will follow.

DAMARI

Sat, 22 Jul 2006 10:20:17 -0500

Carmel doesn’t want to have a McDonalds or other such franchises but they allow a corporation in which treats ethical employees with wrongfully termination while out of work with a doctors note and they lie to their clients in Carmel about why I am not their anymore. WHY??? Why don’t they just tell them that they fired me while I was at home ill? I don’t have a problem with telling them the truth why do they? WHY DOES CITIBANK IN CARMEL LIE TO THEIR CLIENTS ABOUT WHY I AM NO LONGER AT THE BANK? ARE THEY ASHAMED OF WHAT THEY DID TO ME? THEY KNOW VERY WELL THAT I DID NOT LEAVE TO WORK WITH MY HUSBAND THEY FIRED ME VIA UPS AND I AM ON DISABILITY DUE TO THEIR TREATMENT, THREATS AND HARASSMENT Why hasn’t Citibank responded to the Dept. of Thrift Supervision and what else will they lie about to the Dept. of Fair Employment & Housing ? Citibank Ethics?! Please post & forward my story I need your help, please help us get this story out, please forward to everyone you know. Why do the employees at branch 915 in Carmel, Ca., tell their clients that I left the bank to go work for my husband, instead of telling them the truth which is that I was fired on 12/13/05 via UPS & their HR- Connect One system has me as an active employee out on disability and now I am an active employee on leave of absence with pay. So, am I fired or on leave of absence??? If I am on leave of absence then why don’t they say that instead of lying to the clients and telling them that I left to work for my husband. I don’t work for my husband, I am not allow to work , I am ill thanks to Jeff Ursino and Citibank treatment. Why won’t they tell the truth to the clients and what else are they lying about? Are they ashamed of what they have done? Perhaps I should take out an AD in the local paper and tell the community the truth myself? Why do these employees tell clients that they aren’t allow to talk about why I am not at the bank, but yet when they do talk about it they lie!! On 5/31/06 Sharon Law Tucker sent me her new business card and asked me to call her because she had miss placed my phone number during the phone call she mentioned that it was Laura Richardson which told her a few months ago that I left to work for my husband, is there anyone at the Carmel branch that can tell the truth??? The letter I’ve include with this email is from a concern client of Citibank My question is will the teller be fired and if not why not? This teller left out about $10,000.00 in the unlocked front drawer 2 different times with in a two week period and had two shortages in one year, one for $100.00 and the other for $450.00. Where the cash drawer is concern two employees signed the vault book stating they witness her put the cash away, obviously not true. One of these two employees had the bank pay for her daughters overdrafts and the manage was aware, against company policy. This teller entered false referrals into the systems to make the banks numbers look better and this was done under the supervision and direction of the supervisor, when I brought this up to the manager none of the three tellers which input false referrals were written up, falsifying bank documents and no write up but I get written up for missing a Saturday, why? Unfair and unequal treatment by the manager. Where are the ethics? As I’ve stated, the unethical employees still have jobs and I get fired after the manager receives my email on 12/13/05 at about 1:45 p.m., and he acknowledges receiving it, it clearing answers his question/comment that he was calling to see if I was coming. The email states that my doctor had called in and spoke to Kathleen: as well as faxing in my doctors note which the manager returned to me with my termination letter received two days after I had been fried with no check, with no break down explanation, no vacation pay, misleading information and so on, note clearly stating my disability time off. Did he read the doctors note? Did he let upper management know that my doctor had call and faxed information? The manager called I returned his call but he was with a client. I requested to communicate via email and I emailed him, Kathleen and Human Resource, so why was I fired sometime after he received my email and the end of the day if he was just calling to see if I was coming in and if not to contact HR? Unfair and unequal treatment. It makes no sense. Why weren’t the labor codes followed? Did he get HR permission to fire me? Why then wasn’t my check included with my letter of termination? Aren’t I to be fired at the location which I work? Were my rights violated when he had Kevin send me my termination letter, did he know I was getting fired prior to me receiving my letter? March 25, 2006 Dear Ms. Deloney, I would like to take a moment and thank you for responding to my comments regarding Damari and the manager. I am sure that you are a very busy and important person and I appreciate your time. Damari is truly missed at the bank, since her unfair termination by the manger, the atmosphere at the bank is boring to say the least. Damari added life and laughter and she enjoyed serving the customers. I feel deeply, that the manager made a huge mistake in dismissing her while she was ill. What kind of a manager would dismiss an employee while they are ill? As I say this, I now have further concerns about another teller name Andrea. I was in the bank and was told that she has injured her knee and will be out of work for about six weeks. I’m sure that Andrea has a doctors note as Damari did, I hope that the manager doesn’t make the same mistake and decides to terminate her and mail her a letter before she returns as he did Damari when he terminated her instead of waiting for her to get well and return to work. Although I would understand if he were let her go as she spends most of her time at work doing her homework , reading and she isn’t available everyday. Andrea will move on, on her own to become a teacher, this is what she goes to school for two days a week. By her going to school, I feel this puts a strain on the staff. I understand that the rest of the tellers along with Kathleen are now having to work six days a week and Kathleen is running a window: she doesn’t have the charm or customer service skills which Damari offered the bank. We go into the bank often and we rarely see that manager. I feel that it would be in the best interest of the bank to find a permanent manager as soon as possible, one whom appreciates competent employees as Damari. Frankly, I don’t understand how a temporary manager was given the authority to dismiss an employee such as Damari with her wonderful skills , talents and dedication to her job. Therefore my concerns are now for Andrea whom doesn‘t compare with the kind of service Damari offered your customers. As I stated before, the other tellers spend too much time speaking to customers about personal things and shopping on the computer instead of banking conversations. I frequently witness them reading and eating while at their windows: this is very unprofessional. I feel it would be in the best interest to Citibank to launch a complete investigation on the manager, as you stated would be done and seriously consider removing him from Carmel. In my opinion since he arrived the atmosphere is tense and if I can sense it I am sure that other customers do. This manager has taken all the personal touch and charm out of the bank and I feel the employees fear for their jobs: no one should have to work under those conditions. Keeping this manager at this or any branch is sure to destroy you business. Again, thank you for your letter and taking the time to look into this situation. Sincerely, Clifford Bagwell In a letter dated 01/06/06,Citibank states, Pursuant to Section 1089 of the Ca. Unemployment insurance Code, regarding notification of changes in employment status, please be advised that your employment was terminated on 12/13/5 for failure to follow call in procedures RE Section1089 and other codes which Citibank may have violated Other codes they may have violated labor code section 208, 226, 226.3,201.25,2441, 2800,2802,2926,2927,6400,3602(6),3852,2922,civil code 47(c) I was fired on 12/13/05,it states that each employer shall notify the employee immediately, yet I didn't find out until 12/15 as I received my notice of termination via UPS on12/15 When I was fired I was not supplied with "copies of printed statements or materials relating to claims for benefits by Citibank. Citibank claims that I didn't follow the call-in procedure yet my doctor called on 12/12 & faxed in a notice which stated that I would be out from the 12th-16th. Jeff claims that he called me to see if I was coming in on 12/13 at 10:25am,almost 2hrs after my shift started, he states that if I wasn't coming in that he wanted me to contact HR to inform them of my extended absence. How does one go from calling to see if I'm coming in & ask me to call HR to Jeff stating & deciding that I should be fired yet in my email to him at 1:45pm on 12/13 it states that the doctor had spoken to Kathleen & faxed in my doctors note which he returns to me w/letter of termination. How does he justify terminating me? I was out on work related stress and my blood pressure, my doctor called for me to keep my stress & blood pressure down, as far as not calling in I had my doctor call: the call was made for me to protect my health. Why wasn't it stated in my termination letter that I failed to follow the call in procedure. Why does Citibank state to the DFEH that I called in on 11/15 & said that I would be out the rest of the week yet I worked on the that day & the supervisor approved my timecard on 11/22. What else are they not being honest about? Why are the employees which falsify bank documents & break policy still have jobs? Reply to Damari Stratford 1291 Ord Grove Ave, Seaside 93955 831-583-9077 CITIBANK IS NOT BEING HONEST WITH DFEH THIS IS A LETTER I SENT MY GOVERNOR Dear Governor, First Lady and Staff, I have been awake since 1:05 a.m. I was having a difficult time sleeping again due to my conversation with Ann Lueckeman from the DFEH. Ann and I spoke on 3/08/06, Citibank apparently faxed in their reply on 3/07/06. Ann read to me some of the statements that Citibank made on their reply Citibank states: that I called in on 11/15/05 and that I stated that I would be out the rest of the week, this is a lie!!! I happen to have my time card for the week ending 11/19/05 and it clearly shows that I worked the 15th, I was off the 16th and I worked the 17th and that I was out sick on the 18th and 19th and that the manager approved my time. Citibank states that I refused to work on Saturdays but they don't mention that I, unlike them, was willing to meet them half way. Citibank is not telling the truth. To further support that I was at work on the 15th and 17th I have my journal notes with specific times of things that occurred on those two days. How does an honest and ethical person fight against unethical people who lie? How can I protect myself if I can't afford an attorney and I can't find one to work on a contingency basis? The other night, on TV, my husband and I heard that the government spends 4 million to train wasp and I can't get help from The White House or our Senators or Congress, to defend myself against a corporation which is taking advantage and lying about this situation? The only one that has offered to help is the Governors office and although I appreciate the letter and the call from the Governors office this does not get me an attorney. I have diligently search for assistance to no avail. I am now begging for help, I can't continue to loose sleep and live on anxiety medication; this situation is wearing on me. Again, please, is there anything more that you or our government can do to help my family and I, for this wrongful termination? Why is Citibank lying? I feel like I am going to have another panic attack and I had to resign to taking medication to calm down. This is totally and completely unfair, unjust, wrong and no one should have to go through what Citibank has put my family and I through. I only wonder how many other wrongful termination's Citibank has gotten away with because people are afraid to go up against them or just don't have the money to fight and protect them selves? My husband and daughter are worried about me and so am I. PLEASE HELP US. I don’t know what else to do and I don’t want to give up. Sincerely. Damari AS OF 4/21/06 SENT TO THE GOVERNOR I SPOKE WITH THE EMPLOYEE RELATIONS DIRECTOR OF CITIGROUP TODAY, IT WAS ADMITTED THAT THERE WAS SOME WRONG INFORMATION GIVEN TO THE DFEH REGARDING THE 17th OF NOVEMBER, 2005. CITIBANK WILL BE SENDING IN A "NEW' RESPONSE DUE TO NOT DOING THE INVESTIGATION THOROUGHLY THE FIRST TIME. SO WHAT ELSE ARE THEY NOT DOING THOROUGHLY OR ETHICALLY? DAMARI I HAVEN'T HEARD FROM YOUR OFFICE AS I WAS TOLD I WOULD BE CONTACTED PLEASE FOLLOW UP WITH ME, THANK YOU A BETTER EXPLANATION Mother fired by Citibank for no good reason I am searching for an Employment Attorney willing to work on a contingency basis. I was fired while I was out sick, the managers states in a note added to my personnel file that he had called me to see if I would be coming into work on Dec. 13th but yet with my letter of termination he returned to me the faxed in doctors note, faxed in at 3:44p.m. on 12/12/05 by my doctor, which clearly stated that I would be out from 12/12-12/16/05. He sent me my letter of termination thru UPS, which arrive on 12/15/05. The manager knew that I was out on work related stress and I had a workers comp case pending. The manager states that I was fired for not complying with my warning and I asked how I could comply if I wasn't there to comply so then I get a letter from HR stating that I was fired for failure to follow the call in process but my doctor had called in for me on the 12th due to my stress level and blood pressure. The doctor had spoken to the supervisor on the 12th so they were aware that I wouldn't be in on the 13th and my doctor has the notes on my file that she had made a call in for me. Citibank did not follow their own procedures when they fired me. The EEOC has given me the right to sue and the letter arrived on 2/17/06 so my 90 days have started. The DFEH has also launched their own investigation which Citibank received notice on 1/23/06 and should be responding to the notice any day now, (as of 3/8/06they haven’t responded). I had an outstanding performance history with the bank; I had worked there for 4 years 2 months 6 days. I was the head teller one of the notary and the only Spanish-speaking teller. I have at least 40 letters of support from Citibank clients and I can prove that the manager was not equal with all the employees and although he was aware of the teller cooking the books under the direction of the supervisor none of them were put on corrective action yet I was written up for missing my first Saturday and then again when I missed my 2nd Saturday although I had a doctors note to be out of work due to my blood pressure and stress brought on by the manage and the unfairness in treatment. I had been threaten with job abandonment but at that time I hadn't missed any work long enough to be accused for this. Citibank violated code 132A of the worker comp law and I do have an attorney for that but they are unable to deal with all the other issues. I have a strong feeling that the manager never told HR that my doctor had called in for me nor did he share my doctors note with them, he is to get approval from HR before firing me yet fired me by 4:30 pm or so, I had also emailed him that day at 1:45 pm and explained that my doctor had spoken to the supervisor and faxed in a note, again he was aware that I wouldn’t be in. The manager had called my cell phone and left a message at about 10:25 am, he states that he called because I hadn’t called in a half an hour prior to my shift, which started at 8:30 a.m., why did it take him 2 hrs before calling me? And I would bet that the supervisor had made arrangements to have a teller there to cover my shift since my doctor called her. Please help my family and I. Sincerely, Damari Home 831-583-9077 all calls to this number are screen please leave a message, Cell phone 831-236-0112 Again please help us Sheri, (4/22/06) The reason the conversation came to an abrupt ending is due to my frustration with this issue, yes I was upset and angry and my stomach was turning and my chest tightening, I had it get off the phone and calm down and I took some Xanax to calm the anxiety attack which I felt coming on. As I explained on the phone, I have lost 25 pounds since Jeff Ursino first threaten me with job abandonment, I don't sleep well, I grind my teeth , I have gone to the emergency room for chest pains and a heart doctor and so much more. I have nightmares. From my house I see Highway 1, a constant reminded of the unjust done to me. I have seen about 10 different doctors and I have been given about ten different medications, I have been seeing a therapist every Friday since Nov. 2005 and I have only missed 2 appointments with him. My job was very important to my family and I, I have cashed in my IRA and 401k, my pension is on the way, I have sold some stocks at a lost to insure I have funds and all this because I was fired and I don't know how long I will be ill and I have bills. I have spent hours doing paper work for things such as unemployment, disability, activating credit protection dealing with connect one, Met Life. health insurance and more. I don't know how my benefits are being paid, I am not being directly billed and no one sends me the information I requested. I have lost my employee rate on my credit card and I still have to make payments to one of them. Can you imagine arriving home and seeing a UPS envelope addressed to me from Kevin Squires only to open it and find a letter from Jeff terminating me. Every time I see a UPS truck I feel I will be getting more bad news from Citibank. I did call him, he was with a client, I called his cell phone, he didn't answer, I emailed him, he received it and didn't respond but instead fired me, he lies, he returns my doctors note which stated the time I would be off, they lie to the DFEH, why wasn't the research done thoroughly in the first place, why were both of my write ups sloppy with incorrect dates and information? I wasn't fired for my performance, Jeff just wanted to hurt me more and this was his way. I was told that the center didn't have enough employees for some one to have Saturdays off but even though the center is short staff he fires me and allows Andrea to be out every Tuesday and Thursday but yet we were short staffed. I can't believe that all of this has happened to me for being ill and yet other employees did things that were more of a risk to the center than being out ill. I am sorry for raising my voice at you, I hope you understand it isn't directed at you, it is about the situation which Jeff created. I can't deal with more paper work and I don't trust anything Jeff or Kathleen say, they are unethical and will say anything to make themselves look good. At this point I will not be reading the attached Arbitration policy which you attached to this email, I can't deal with more paper work, I will research other avenues and continue to tell my story since I can't sleep. Met Life denied my long term disability but yet didn't talk to any of my doctors and I need to deal with that and other issues. Thank you for you time, Sin

Jessica H.

Fri, 21 Jul 2006 14:38:23 -0500

I didn't mean to imply that the energy can be directed back to Queens, this I understand is impossible. The point that I am trying to make is that this is an issue that goes beyond New York City, it is a world-wide environmental issue. We are not conscious consumers, we are over consumers of food, gas, oil, electricity, etc. and this does not bode well for the future of our earth. I believe in social justice, and for people to work for the greater good of the entire community. I know that New Yorkers are not these kinds of creatures, and that this is idealistic, but if we want to maintain some sort of decent quality of life, all of us need to make some serious adjustments in our habits.

Sunnyside Tom

Fri, 21 Jul 2006 14:17:44 -0500

Honestly, I don't get these people who say other boroughs should conserve their energy and other boroughs have higher priority over queens. First off, another borough conserving energy would not help our problem one bit. They cannot move that energy from their infrastructure (grid) to ours. It's physically impossible. So forget it. Secondly, if this happened in Midtown or the Upper East Side the problem would not be resolved by now. Sure they would have had immediate media attention and city aid but I don't think the majority of the people understand just how messed up the electric infrastructure is in our area. First thing is, they need to clean up all the melted cable, burnt out switches, interconnects, panels...etc, etc. TIME CONSUMING. Then comes implementing these new cables (which are huge and heavy). This included dressing, connecting, grounding, and securing these cables. Then your talking about all the new switches that need to be replaced. To make a long story short.....TIME CONSUMING! I truly believe Con Ed wants this problem resolved and as quickly as possible, it's a PR nightmare.....but this problem can't be resolved quickly. As for the Con Ed people standing around doing nothing, well, their idiots for hanlding themselves in an unprofessional manner. I guarantee they are there because Con Ed reacted by throwing a ton of people at the problem. People that aren't as skilled as the guys who are doing the major fixes. Guys that are waiting for the foreman to come up and say "Do this", "Do That". I'm sure there are people below ground that are out of site that are working pretty darn hard in poor conditions to get this problem resolved. In no way am I defending Con Ed. Believe me, I'm as pissed off as the next resident.....Con Ed lied to the public about how many people were out of service, they were hush hush about how long the problem would last, they are slow to react to helping the community, but what they are most guilty off is not preparing for this. There is no way periodic inspections of this equipment didn't raise a ton of red flags. No way. They dropped the ball by not preventing this mess.

ABC Girl

Fri, 21 Jul 2006 12:02:46 -0500

I lived in Astoria for over a decade and never experienced anything of this magnitude. The biggest nuisance I experienced was when Robert DeNiro camped out on 30th Ave for almost 6 months filming "A Bronx Tale" and the streets would be closed off for hours and I couldn't get into my apartment when I wanted. I feel so bad for all of you Astorians: hang in there and when the power comes back on give Con Ed hell!!! They won't stop to think twice should something like this happen again...

Jessica H.

Fri, 21 Jul 2006 11:53:05 -0500

I think one of the most upsetting things about this crisis is that there have been no city wide notifications for people in other boroughs (which apparently are of a higher priority) to CONSERVE ENERGY!! I work on wall street, and my office building is freezing, as i am sure it is in other offices all over manhattan. Even the trains are freezing cold. People leave their AC's on all day for their dog, or so they can be immediately comfortable when the arrive home from work. As Americans, we think that we are entitled to luxuries that we actually view as necessities. There should be city-wide and government planning for preventative measures, not plans for once the crisis hits. Example, Hurrican Katrina. It makes me so mad that if this was occuring on the upper east side or in park slope that this would all over the news, all over newspapers, Bloomberg would have been there in a heartbeat. Since it's affecting Queens, its deemed a lesser issue. I mean, this is some sort of '-ism', like BOROUGH-ISM. I really could go on and on about this. I am also concerned about the elderly and the small business owners who are suffering. I wonder if they will be redeemed for their losses, and somehow I truly doubt it.

JJAstor

Fri, 21 Jul 2006 11:43:39 -0500

Well Con Ed just stated that they underestimated the number of people affected by the black out. http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=weather&id=4386473 The number is now 25,000 as suppose to the 2,500 since Con Ed conducted a block by block assessment. Nonetheless, I still don't have any power.

Maria

Fri, 21 Jul 2006 11:41:42 -0500

Update on the situation in Astoria: Northern Queens is still out of power. Yesterday night Bloomberg finally showed up in Astoria Park. Shamelessly, he repeated that Con Ed is doing a good job, congratulated himself in that no one has died yet, and asked people to wait tow weeks more for an explanation about the causes of this situation. Also yesterday night for the first time since Monday night, police were in Ditmars Boulevard, directing traffic, using little red burning lights in the intersections. Curiously, they were only around the places in which TV vans were parked. Also close by, in Steinway and Ditmars, there were two Red Cross vans giving out small bottles of cold water and refreshements. No sight of any Con Ed van or mobile center, even though it was reported they were to be just there "providing information". This morning in the radio, the big news were taht Con Ed finally had admitted that there are not 2,000 customers out of power but 25,000, TWENTY FIVE THOUSAND. Their explanation is that they only counted initially those who called them to report problems. The truth about how many people are affected starts to emerge. The initial reports about 2,000 customers was nothing but a smoke screen. I doubt there are even 25,000, it must be many more but they are hiding the real numbers as much as they can. Today morning also the storm crossed by Northern Queens. Water galore. The geniuses at Con Ed crews had been opening manholes and other underground places all over the neighborhoods and did not cover them. Now, after the downpour, those places are full of water. Even more damage, most likely. At Steinway and 23rd this morning they had a crew siphoning water out. What kind of brainless pleople are running this circus?

ahem

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 23:56:17 -0500

Please please please if you see any Con Ed workers standing around, drinking, harassing women, etc. take pics of the offenders and their license plate numbers, then post on Flickr! Seriously, if I was harassed by these assholes during this time, I'd probably be arrested for assault.

Control

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 23:28:12 -0500

Here's something that hasn't been covered yet: THE SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT AT THE NORTH END OF STEINWAY STINKS LIKE GRIM DEATH. Yes, it always smells, but this is about 20 times worse than normal, I would bet money that it is OFFLINE and that there is a huge amount of untreated waste going straight into LI Sound and the East River. This happened during the 2003 blackout as well. just about every treatment plant failed because back up power systems were never maintained, thus the rivers got direct sewage dumped into them and I believe all city beaches were closed to swimming for a few days afterwards. So if you're thinking about going to the beach this weekend, might I suggest traveling a very long distance fom the city?

Andrew

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 20:20:43 -0500

Watch ConEd claim it was due to some "force outside of their control" and reject all of the claim forms.

camp kicheekoonie

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 18:45:34 -0500

Looks like you'll still have no power tomorrow. they are hoping for Friday, at best. Boy, is the mayor smug. He says you can just go out and shake the hand of the police officer, just to say hello.

cdjames

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 18:14:59 -0500

Looks like it's going to be another 30 minute line at the Taco Truck in Sunnyside tonight... BTW the Taco Truck kicks ass!!! http://villagevoice.com/nyclife/0619,lalli,73107,15.html

kris

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 18:04:31 -0500

We just got off the phone with ConEd and they repeated the usual nonsense they've been telling other posters, ie, "you need to cut down on your usage." Uh, what usage? We have no electricity! Anyhow, power is still out in Sunnyside, where we live, and won't be back on until Sunday, the rep. said.

furious in sunnyside

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 17:55:31 -0500

The outages never would have lasted this long in Manhattan. Never. I feel lucky -- I have minimal power, but enough that my fridge hasn't completely died. Plus, I work in an air-conditioned office in Manhattan. My neighbors in Sunnyside aren't so lucky. Many don't have working fridges, and all of the stores and restaurants nearby are closed. I'm not sure how these folks are eating. Plus it's downright dangerous at night -- no streetlights, no cops at burned out intersections, plenty of chances for accidents. I'm ashamed that the city is letting this happen and that Con Ed has the audacity to blame Queens residents. Just wait until Rikers explodes...

JJAstor

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 17:31:01 -0500

Jeremy, I hear you about the block party. Funny thing is I had three cases of beer and a nice bottle of pinot grigio in my refrigerator on Tuesday night. Now it is all wasted! Can Con Ed reimburse me for the loss of alcohol??

cs

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 17:28:14 -0500

Any word on the situation in Sunnyside? We had minimal power this morning (as in, some of the lights would turn on very dimmly but no fridge or much else) but I've been at work all day and am wondering what to expect tonight. What's really frustrating is the lack of any timeline or real recognition of the problem.

jx

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 17:11:29 -0500

Mayor Mike: "You're doing a heckuva job, Connie!" erm... didn't work so well for the last guy.

Maria

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 17:10:29 -0500

PS: Just imagine if eight blocks of overhead cables were to melt down in Park Avenue or Wall Street. It would be all over the news, the Mayor would be giving press conferences, Con Ed would be doing something about it. Being in Astoria, this is just business as usual for Con Ed and the politicians.

Jeremy

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 17:09:24 -0500

Isn't it about time all of us just threw one heck of a block party. I mean, I know the beer's going to be warm, but come on!

Maria

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 17:03:09 -0500

Another call to Con Ed had for answer something similar to what has been written before: They believe power will not be restored for at least two more days. It makes sense. ABC7 has this surreal description of what happened today morning at 45th: "Forty-fifth street at 25th Avenue was the site of the latest meltdown. Around 5:00 a.m. Con Ed crews were called in when nearly eight blocks of overhead cables simply burned up and fell to the ground." Something is truly rotten in the NW LIC power grid. Con Ed has not been straighforward in dealing with it. About the subways, problems like those of yesterday have been more and more pervasive the last three and a half months. If it rains, the W, N, R and E get all messed up. Heat seems to have a similar impact. The MTA and Con Ed have the same pathetic standards. It is the public who pays, literally and figuratively.

JJAstor

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 17:00:41 -0500

Here is the latest Press Release from Con Ed http://www.coned.com/newsroom/news/pr20060720_3.asp They say they are doing everything possible, that's a load of crap and they say they'll keep the customers updated, another lie. I saw Con Ed work on the situation Tuesday night at 30th Ave and 44th St. All they were doing was standing around. I even think that I saw one of them at the local pub. The city's infrastructure is not keeping up with the enormous growth that has occured these past 10 years. There are more people with less services. We pay $2 for a subway that has not expanded. Power that is unrealiable during a heat wave. At least the city is safer than it was when I was in high school. Eventually, this is going to implode in many people's faces, the city government, Con Ed, TimeWarner, the MTA, etc.

Sunnyside Tom

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 16:58:45 -0500

Congrats for being one of the few that keep grocery receipts big guy.

LK in Sunnyside

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 16:57:25 -0500

If anyone wants to write a formal complaint to ConEd, you can send it to: Personal Services (or lack thereof!) 4 Irving Place, New york NY 10003. The way ConEd has mishandled this situation is truly enraging. I am going to spend some time making sure my voice is heard, and I urge everyone to do the same.

MissPinkKate

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 16:56:26 -0500

They want proof after $150. Well, what do you know, I think I have $149.99 in my fridge, ConEd!

Robert

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 16:51:35 -0500

I have proof of what is in my fridge, its called a grocery receipt.

Sunnyside Tom

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 16:33:26 -0500

Does anyone have proof for $350 worth of goods in their fridge? I can't believe they want proof. After this they should just send every resident that check....no questions asked. Proof! What a joke.

rebecca

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 16:28:29 -0500

i just got off the phone with someone at con ed, and they told me they are working toward having power restored by 6pm tonight to all of astoria. why don't i believe them? and why would they tell me this, and tell other people defintely not this weekend? i'm still planning on spending the weekend in brooklyn so i can at least get some sleep and hot food.

S.D.

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 16:27:51 -0500

"Umm...I live right up the block, which might put my nose in the way of completely appreciating that gesture." (sigh) P, Another example of NIMBY... Kidding!

TG

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 16:20:30 -0500

Tough to see how a PR disaster is gonna force much change with no competition. Ahh, incompetence, gotta love it. I mean what else can we do, let the government run it? And give the job to ol' Hally Burton? They probably have some extra folks on hand since they just lost a bunch of Iraq work...

The Truffle

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 16:04:51 -0500

I spoke with someone at the Public Service Commission. According to him, four of the feeder cables still need to be restored but they hope to have power up by the weekend. The Mayor is going to pay a visit to Astoria tonight. Expect a PR disaster for Con Ed. They have a lot to answer for.

Jeremy

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 15:55:45 -0500

Exactly as M@T says, patmikenyc. Those people don't live in Astoria. They're only ever seen at the Beer Garden or on the way to and from the Ditmars stop. Otherwise they just ain't walkin' the streets.

M@T

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 15:45:59 -0500

The beer garden isn't packed with a line out the door on Fridays and Saturdays after 6pm because of Astorians. It's packed because of all the people traveling out of their own hoods just to get some beer + outside + kielbasa goodness. If there were more beer gardens spread throughout the city, we wouldn't have soooo many hipsters & frat boys lost in Queens (they're ok in small #s though). But this has nothing to do with Con Ed's lack of sufficient infrastructure planning.

p

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 15:33:36 -0500

"Can we all dump our garbage bags full of rotting food in Con Ed's driveway on 31st St.? That might be a fitting protest." Umm...I live right up the block, which might put my nose in the way of completely appreciating that gesture. On the other hand, its proximity to my front door makes it sound very tempting....

MissPinkKate

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 15:32:54 -0500

The Beer Garden is a nightmare now- I was there Saturday night, and it was just ridiculous.

patmikenyc

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 15:32:31 -0500

"Can we all dump our garbage bags full of rotting food in Con Ed's driveway on 31st St.? That might be a fitting protest." Umm...I live right up the block, which might put my nose in the way of completely appreciating that gesture. On the other hand, it's proximity to my front door makes it sound like a very tempting thing to do myself....

patmikenyc

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 15:24:10 -0500

"a noticeable lack of trendniks and yuppies in Astoria" You're kidding, right? Check out the Beer Garden sometime...what was once a good local place is now a "good" "local" place for "fun" and "awesome beer," populated by people who plan their lives around TimeOut/NY listings and Abercrombie & Fitch t-shirts. The Trendster Trash alert was raised some time ago.

Fried

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 15:23:14 -0500

Any truth to the rumor that those south of Grand Central Parkway have had power restored, while those north might go without for a bit longer? (It's hearsay, so don't kill the messenger -- just curious.)

Loser

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 15:20:53 -0500

Astoria residents, where exactly do you live? From what I hear (and it's only hearsay, so don't kill the messenger), folks north of Grand Central Parkway might be out for a bit. I also hear those south of the Parkway have power restored -- true?

e

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 15:20:48 -0500

What demonstration at 6? Where is that happening?

Rob

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 15:20:39 -0500

Can we all dump our garbage bags full of rotting food in Con Ed's driveway on 31st St.? That might be a fitting protest.

Rob

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 15:18:09 -0500

Can we all dump our garbage bags full of rotting food in Con Ed's driveway on 31st St.? That might be a fitting protest.

Jeremy

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 15:15:31 -0500

I've seen the families, but there's a noticeable lack of trendniks and yuppies in Astoria. Either way, I can't see what that would have to do with a brownout.

Maria

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 15:10:49 -0500

We live in Astoria, close to Ditmars Blvd. We lost power on Monday afternoon, around 7 pm. Since then, it has been a long and sweltering wait for Con Edison to repair the damage. The first day, Con Edison did not even acknowledge that there were people in the dark. They kept issuing press releases asking for people in Astoria to conserve electricity. No one was reporting about the situation, except for NY1. All convenience stores and supermarkets are closed, except for Trade Fair at Ditmars, operating with generators. There are so many senior citizens suffering because of the outage, it is hard to believe. They depend on facilities located close to their apartments. Many cannot go out of Astoria to get food supplies. We have called Con Edison and got the same reply every time. They say there are no details about when the power will be restored. On the meantime, all the food in fridges has gone bad, take out is impossible and cooking at home nearly as difficult, for lack of grocerie sources. It is incredible that Con Edison can go ahead with this kind of failure. Where is the Mayor? Where are the officials that should ask for explanations? Where are the elected representatives of our community? Peter Vallone waited almost two days to, shyly, ask some questions. There should be some kind of assessment of responsibilities at Con Edison. Someone should be held accountable about this unbelievable situation. Many of the people in the Con Edison crews have been simply killing time on their trucks and vans. On Monday afternoon, at around 8pm, in the corner of Stenway and 23rd Avenue, two Con Edison employees were using their time cat calling women crossing by. This kind of "service" is probably what has caused this debacle.

GJR

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 15:08:59 -0500

It was kind of fun in a "camping out in your living room" kind of way for the first night, but now it's getting old. The businesses are losing money, the residents have already lost all their refrigerated food, and it doesn't seem like many people outside of NW Queens know about the outage at all. Thank goodness it cooled down!

JJAstor

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 15:07:25 -0500

No power until Sunday? This is insane, my last bill from Con Ed was $200!! Is the protest at 6PM still going on? I am sure that if this were to happen in certain neighborhoods in Manhattan and Brooklyn power would be restored immediately since the the Mayor and the NYPD would be afraid of a riot. Is this the price I have to pay for living in a neighborhood filled with families, hipsters and yuppies???

Loser

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 15:05:25 -0500

Just havink fune at you're expensive Kojak.

Kojak

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 14:58:46 -0500

Whoops. We're only human Loser. It sure is nice to have another fan in my fan club. Did you meet ethos yet? He’s my pal.

Loser

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 14:48:07 -0500

Kojak -- in preparation for your SAT's, it's "expense," not "expensive." We were all young once.

Astoria Bill

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 14:45:32 -0500

So when do we get our power back? Is it really a wait until Sunday? Man! I /JUST/ got cable TV and internet - I haven't had any chances to even watch a show yet!

Kojak

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 14:40:28 -0500

I’m tired of being nice all the time. Why can’t I be obnoxious for a change huh? So I’m having a few laughs at other people’s expensive, so sue me.

Loser

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 14:35:56 -0500

I love how commenters like "Kojak" -- and with a self-given id like Kojak, who's calling who the hipster? -- are rude and obnoxious on an anonymous forum, but would never entertain doing the same face-to-face. Too bad the folks didn't go with the abortion, pal.

Aaron

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 14:35:05 -0500

"You and YOU ARE kids" Nice. At least we hipsters know how to use proper grammer. (And yes, we had a lovely time with the flashlights last night, although the baby was a bit overexcited by them...;)

Kojak

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 14:28:59 -0500

Well Aaron, I hope you and you're kids enjoy yet another evening, in the dark. Flashlight Scrabble anyone?

Lily

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 14:19:46 -0500

It's not just Queens. Since 9:00 last night, most of 4th Ave from Bergen Street to 10th Street in Brooklyn has been without power, with no estimate as to when the power would be restored. I was informed by a Con Edison representative that I should make 'alternative plans for sleeping' through the weekend.

Aaron

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 14:17:38 -0500

Kojak- I'm flattered that you consider me a hipster, as an Astoria father of two. Never thought parenthood would be so cool! Jackass.

Jeremy

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 14:15:01 -0500

I live about a block from commenter Joe. While I would like to take a hot shower, and while I have been forced to take the train because the bike shop isn't open for me to get a patch for the tire I blew on Sunday... I'm having a good time. I live right next to the eight blocks of cable that went down. We're all just hanging on the stoop, chatting each other up and drinking beer. It's good getting to know the neighbours some more.

Jeremy

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 14:10:53 -0500

While I would like to take a hot shower, and while the bike shop hasn't been open for me to get more tire patches to fix the flat I got Sunday making me commute by slow train... I'm actually having fun. I live about a block from commenter Joe and right by the eight blocks of cable which came down. We're all just hanging on the stoop, drinking beer and chatting each other up. I'm quite pleased last night was cooler. We just slept out on the roof with a portable alarm clock.

Kojak

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 14:04:14 -0500

Astoria is still without power? Looks like a Full Blown Hipster Alert on Gothamist. 40 something comments already, geez. At least you guys can't comment about this when you go home. Now where did I put my emergency Starbucks prepaid card?

rc

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 13:46:54 -0500

I just called the Astoria New York Sports Club -- only business in the neighborhood I have programmed into my phone -- from my office and they're back up and running after being closed yesterday. They have full power back. That bodes well, but at the same time, wouldn't treadmills and ellipticals be classified as "non-essential"? I have flickering light bulbs and a fridge full of rotten food, but hey, I can go get my cardio in.

magixcarpet

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 13:44:50 -0500

Con Ed said that power will only be back in Astoria on Sunday, this totally blows!

Rob

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 13:43:21 -0500

If you upgrade your electric service to 100 amp....Con Ed should be responsible to provide up to 100 amps 24/7....as long as you pay the bill. Infrastructure improvement fees are included in your bill and are set by the Public Service Commission. Conservation of energy is optional...just like buying a Hummer that gets 9 miles per gallon...if you can afford the gas.

thfs

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 13:34:43 -0500

To be clear, this is a transmission and distribution problem, not a generation problem. There is enough power in the whole grid, just not enough capacity in the grid to get it to the people who want to use it. Bob Dole is right. There needs to be more reinvestment in the electric distribution system.

Zach

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 13:32:01 -0500

Astoria's a crazy mixed bag... we finally got the trains back (after my 40 minute commute became 110 yesterday), and my building has spotty power (full power that shuts off for a few seconds every now and then, very annoying), but my grocery store hasn't been open for three days now. I can't eat any more bagels. About 40% of the traffic lights in the neighborhood seem to be busted, too. Cripes. You'd think being next to a power station would get you something, but I guess that's no good.

EricInAstoria

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 13:31:33 -0500

ConEd has been delivering only about 90V every evening between 5PM and 11PM, since about *******APRIL******* when the weather first started warming up. This problem should have been fixed THEN, but they put it off until total failure, because brownouts allow them to OVERCHARGE. Your electric meter measures CURRENT, not POWER. By keeping the area in a constant state of brownout, they cause appliances to consume 33% more current to get the same power for higher electric bills, not to mention making air conditioners and other items run less efficiently. There needs to be a class action suit against Con Edison.

Robert

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 13:13:02 -0500

Between the loss of food in the fridge, the fact that there was no way for me to eat dinner Tuesday night(I came home from work after midnight), and the fact that I ate out last night, and will have to again tonight, we're talking about well over $200 dollars in expenses incured because of the lack of preparation on Con-Ed's part. Thats my electric bill for 3-4 months. And I'm not one of those people that leaves the AC on all day. If I'm out, the AC is off.

JoeInAstoria

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 12:57:55 -0500

on 44th St @ 30th ave we lost power sometime Monday, when an exploding manhole cover converted a normal car into a firey car, which in turn converted normal power lines to burning power lines. ConEd was working all night (which, when combined with the 95 degree heat and the noise meant I slept all of 45 minutes). The power came on, sorta at 6:30 the next morning. 11:30 Tuesday we had more exploding powerlines. Last night I checked out the neighborhood and the outage is odd and spotty. I can't wait until August when I get power again. And, I want to know if ConEd will not only pay for the food in my fridge, but are they going to cover my bar and restaurant tabs? Also, rumor has it that folks in Astoria are meeting at St Joseph's Church (30th ave btwn 43rd and 44th) at 6 tonight as a demonstration.

jayKayEss

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 12:57:51 -0500

You guys, we are in the middle of a *nationwide* heat wave. Hello?

Dan Dickinson

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 12:55:58 -0500

If cable lines are melting in *this* weather - and by my weather widget, its 75° - god help ConEd, for they are truly worthless.

James

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 12:49:48 -0500

From Channel 7: Apparently, six to eight blocks of overhead cables in Astoria started to melt this morning as crews were trying to fix the current power outages.Con Ed crews say literally blocks and blocks of wires just started melting.

just saying

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 12:30:38 -0500

Samantha, a lot of people who leave their air conditioning on during the day do so because they have pets. The people may be at work, but their pets are home.

patmikenyc

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 12:27:46 -0500

How do we go about getting people to do as JR says he's doing--not paying the utility bill this month? I'm willing to, but it's not going to do much if only a couple of us participate.

S.D.

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 12:16:32 -0500

Samantha T, IMO, people leave it on when they think they don't pay for it. I know people that live in Old apartments where the Electricity is part of the rent. They leave the AC on 24/7 and wonder out loud what the problem is...

Sunnyside Tom

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 12:10:55 -0500

Total rumour but I've now heard it from 3 different people. Power will be out till Sunday or Monday. Don't know how true it is, but it wouldn't surprise me one bit.

Samantha T

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 12:02:59 -0500

People definitely go a little crazy with the AC. I leave mine off all day and turn it on only when I'm home. What the hell justifies leaving it on all day in an empty apartment? I know ACs aren't the only offenders, but it does seem like an easy thing to do.

Pissed off commuter in NW QNS

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 12:01:52 -0500

"I keep trying to look into how I switch to another power company, but it all looks so complicated. I'm told the power companies made it that way to reduce competition." -Interlard It doesn't matter if you switch, ConEd is still responsible for the area's delivery system. Some of your money may go to the competitor, but they still pay ConEd to "maintain" the system. As for the problem, ConEd has the same issues every year, and we get the same bullshit excuses. I really did not enjoy walking 3 miles to get home since the N/W was dead on Tuesday night. Did I mention that it was 96°??!!!

S.D.

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 11:56:17 -0500

Wow, if Citigroup got affected Con Ed is royally screwed. If Citigroup is like other financial firms, They have an SLA with Con Ed that includes monetary penalties when they can't provide enough power.

cdjames

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 11:54:09 -0500

Shutting down the unnecessary exterior spotlights on the Empire State, Chysler, and other Manhattan buildings for one night could power Sunnyside for a week. WTFuck???

JR

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 11:48:37 -0500

A joke is what it is. the same transformer that blew up THREE years ago, you may remember it destroyed the Double G Pharmacy and basically the entire corner of Ditmars & 23rd Ave...well that's the transformer and light pole that burst into flames on Tuesday. CON ed obviously didnt' fix it the first time, and now they've screwed us royally. Every conEd truck I see in my neighborhood is filled with guys standing around; smoking cigarettes. Its ridiculous. Notice no blackouts in Manhattan. God forbid. I for one won't be paying ANY utility bill for this month.

Sunnyside Tom

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 11:42:46 -0500

Re: *Everyone* has an AC now. This didnt' use to be the case. Now everyone has to have thiers on FULL BLAST as well, not just on Low, they don't know how to control their energy usage. No wonder ConEd is over burdened. Jamie in Astoria, it's called capacity planning and forecasting. All major utility / service based companies practice and employee these methodolgies. Not saying your wrong, they should have been well prepared for this type of event and then some. It is either poor planning, poor inspection of the infrastrucutre or poor maintenance. Either way you slice it, the onus is on Con Ed.

bill brasky

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 11:35:29 -0500

I posted that link for the claim form on Craig's List. Too bad no one who is at home in Astoria, Woodside and Sunnyside has internet! Oh well, F*** ConEd. I'm wishing i would have saved all of my rotten salmon and yogurt to send in with my claim form.

mmmnnnn

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 11:24:50 -0500

Man, I was going to move to Woodside, but I think I'll delay that until September. 3 days without power? That is unlivable in present times - it sounds like West Queens is living in Iraqi conditions. So why is it just Queens and not Manhattan or Brooklyn? I wonder how much the Bronx goes through without people ever hearing about it? There definitely seems to be a NYC tier system of service when it comes to boroughs/areas, yet everyone pays the same taxes. Whuhh?

jamie in astoria

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 11:24:23 -0500

*Everyone* has an AC now. This didnt' use to be the case. Now everyone has to have thiers on FULL BLAST as well, not just on Low, they don't know how to control their energy usage. No wonder ConEd is over burdened.

manhattanite

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 11:21:26 -0500

Is it true some of you guys (by guys, meaning NE Queens blackout affected areas) had been without Power since Sunday, when the Heatwave started? Did you get any ETA of when the power come return? On the news, I recall someone mentioned Friday.

Sunnyside Tom

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 11:05:28 -0500

Here's an email I wrote to Con Ed this morning: We are now on hour 37 of the blackout of 2006. Good work Con Ed! What annoys us the most is the lack of communication on your part. It really is pretty pathetic that a company such as Con Ed cannot update the public in truth with the situation. We get it…..it’s “Feed” cables that are having the problem….you are working around the clock….blah blah blah! What the hell does that mean to us? 2 days? 3 days? We love your press releases….”Con Edison URGES that you reduce the use of non essential appliances”. Who the hell are you talking to? WE HAVE NO POWER! A neighbor of mine called and asked for an update and the rep said to them “We have no new information, you can watch the television for updates!”. WE HAVE NO POWER TO WATCH TELEVISION! It’s amazing how you belittle the public. Thanks Con Ed! Thanks! I hope whoever is reading this is laughing….show your co-workers…..laugh with us….cause that’s all we residents can do is laugh. Enjoy you’re air conditioned homes and your cold beers tonight. We’ll be keeping our fingers crossed that someone there has a real clue on how to fix the problem and quickly. Yours truly, Every resident in Sunnyside, Queens.

MissPinkKate

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 11:03:46 -0500

I'm passing on that link from ConEd as best as I can!

patmikenyc

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 10:59:19 -0500

ConEd doesn't like to advertise it, but they WILL reimburse you for spoiled food. See the link for the req's and form you need to fill out--and pass it on. I think we should FLOOD them with these requests, and make them reimburse us ALL. https://m020-w5.coned.com/lawclaims/images/Residential.pdf

John

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 10:58:38 -0500

My wife works at the Citibank building in Court Square, LIC. Everyone got sent home early yesterday after shutting everything down, and they the building is still closed as of this morning. It's "good" to have a couple days off--but bad when they get back--they will have 2 days worth of work.

bill brasky

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 10:56:06 -0500

So, I'm pissed. I'm pissed that there is no TV, I'm pissed that for the past two days I've had a hot fridge and a cold shower but what I'm most pissed about is that this whole thing is ConEd's fault. I firmly believe that they set out Monday to cut our power and reduce some of their strain so that they wouldn’t have to punish Manhattan and when Queens residents kept (rightfully) using their fans and refrigerators something blew up. If they wouldn’t have tried to give us a "brownout" on Monday we wouldn’t be dealing with this blackout at all.

Julie

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 10:55:45 -0500

"If you have incurred spoilage losses during a power outage, you may file a claim with Con Edison. To file a claim, either fill out a claim form or write a letter within 30 days of the power outage." https://m020-w5.coned.com/lawclaims/default.asp I wonder what would happen if everyone in the affected areas wrote in.

Em

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 10:42:58 -0500

I live on 5th Ave in Park Slope and our power was on sort of a brown out for a day and then at 10pm last night it went out. It is back on now but I agree with Toby get your candles and flashlights ready I think another blackout is on the way.

cdjames

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 10:41:43 -0500

Do you think Con Ed will accept a pro-rated account payment for July??? They've cost me $50 in spoiled groceries, 3 nights decent sleep when I have to work full-time, hours in additional commuting time this week.

edEx

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 10:41:23 -0500

As customer service on a collective global level decreases, so does basic services (such as electricity) and direct human responsibilty. Not enough electricy, not enough gas, not enough cell towers, not enough food, not enough peace, not enough love, not enough patience, not enough common sense. Enough is enough! When will we, as consumers wake the fuck up, stop bitching about what they should do, but rather DEMAND it. Every consumer who is forced to use ConEd should be on the phone with a supervisor demanding arrears in spolied food, lost work time and most of all, at least one month free utilities.

Adam

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 10:32:50 -0500

What makes this a little more disconcerting is that this summer, overall, has been relatively cool. What would happen if we had a crazyass scorcher of a summer? And why do they tell only the Queensers to reduce usage? Couldn't they ask the whole city to curtail consumption and then shift some juice to QNS?

cdjames

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 10:29:44 -0500

The ongoing "brown-out" conditions in QNS are not being handled well on any level. Con Ed is correct in saying that residents with some power are not being smart in running all of their appliances as usual. MTA is right in saying that Con Ed isn't allotting them enough power to get 2MM residents to work. Not to mention the NYPD is not doing a good job of managing traffic conditions [at least where I am in Sunnyside]. Someone needs to step up and take action! [no, dry ice is not going to cut it]

spoiled

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 10:22:45 -0500

And Con Ed blamed Queens residents... Of course, because Queens residents just HAPPEN to use more electricity than the rest of us. Douchebags. If I had an entire refrigerator of spoiled food, I'd bag it up and drop it off at the nearest ConEd office.

Interlard

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 10:20:01 -0500

I keep trying to look into how I switch to another power company, but it all looks so complicated. I'm told the power companies made it that way to reduce competition. In other places on earth, you go to the competitor's website, fill in your usage for last month and they tell you what they would have charged you. Then you fill in a form on the website and it all just happens. Why do we tollerate things being this hard in the US? This is one of the areas where competition (= capitalism) can help.

TiredofitAll

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 10:03:34 -0500

The most maddening part is the fact that there has been absolutely no effort whatsoever made to communicate any kind of ETA on when things will be fixed.

MissPinkKate

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 09:53:08 -0500

I love that ConEd is referring to some places with power loss as having "limited" power. My house has "limited" power- just enough to power some of the light bulbs halfway. If it's not enough to power the fridge, or the hot water heater, that's not limited power- that's no power.

Papercutninja

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 09:53:06 -0500

Hey ConED, it gets hot in the summer EVERY YEAR SINCE THE BEGINNING OF HUMAN CIVILISATION!! Give us more electricity, it's your damn job. You can't F-ING BLAME the citizens for using electricity when it's 100 degrees out! You call them "Peak Load Days"; well I call them "The Jerkoffs at ConED Need to F-ING Work Harder Days". Shut your yaps and do your goddamn job.

Toby

Thu, 20 Jul 2006 09:50:38 -0500

You would expect a big utillty like ConEd to try to prevent things like this. Howevever, they can't even seem to conquer the stray voltage manhole cover problem. Con Ed should realize that hot summer days = increased power load and plan accordingly. Now why do I have the feeling that there may be another big blackout this year, again caused by problems with the wacky interconnected system. I only say this because the midwest seems to be über hot this summer and that is where the problems started last time.