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Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 73
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I reported this in early December. It's not been fixed yet. Looks like it's been like this a long time. Pretty casual attitude from the utility company about what is an obvious electrocution hazard. I like the electrical tape 'repair' that had gone bad.

[Linked Image from stevelutzphoto.smugmug.com]

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Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 368
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They figure its safe enough, the circuit is only hot when the light is on grin.

I reported a live abandoned construction service crossing a road and hanging 4 feet off the ground next to a sidewalk back in September.

It took 6 more calls to the 1-800 number for a status update, and finally one visit to the local district office to see if it had been assigned to a service crew before it was cut at the transformer at the end of November.

The line was still left hanging over the road until yesterday when I came by and saw a crew finally removed it the day before but they left the part hanging 12 feet down from the insulator towards the ground.

I guess that will be January's project.

Joined: Feb 2003
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And the handhold covers, it does not matter where you go you see a lot of them missing because of them being stolen for their scrap value.

Some of these fixtures are no longer made and the utilites don't have replacement handhold blanks anymore for them so they try the piece of cardboard or metal with black tape or ty-wrap to make a cover.

It will take some kid getting hurt for the utility to get ordered to check all the openings and weld a cover on.

Joined: Jan 2005
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One thing I am not comfortable with is the way we tend to look at the PoCo, or the city, or whoever own the pole as if they were somehow responsible. I have a problem with that.

After all, they are themselves victims - victims of vandals and theives. There's only so much that can be done.

Even if the poles were so designed that making a replacement cover in the field was easy, it takes time and money. The PoCo has a few other things to do, aside from repairing deliberate malice.

Dollars to donuts, when electric cars become common, look for a lot more of this damage, as folks try to tap into the streetlights to 'top off' their charge.

Joined: Mar 2009
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This is in downtown Louisville, BTW, at 7th and Liberty, behind the Metro jail. Yes, our jail is on Liberty Street. smile

Edit to add: I agree with you Reno. It is not the city/PoCo fault that someone vandalized their equipment. What is their fault is that they haven't repaired it after being notified of it.

Last edited by Bigplanz; 01/01/10 05:50 PM.
Joined: Mar 2008
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I saw another one that was similar to this, a bunch of electrical tape used to keep a cover on a light post.

I hope some little kid doesn't get to curious here.


I have a sense of adventure, I just keep it leashed with common sense.
Joined: Jan 2005
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I see the access covers taped on the POCO light poles all the time around here.They have the correct cover but, the screws have seized over time and twist off when the repair guys try to open them.The we all know whats next - Bring out the black tape

Joined: Feb 2003
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Originally Posted by renosteinke


Dollars to donuts, when electric cars become common, look for a lot more of this damage, as folks try to tap into the streetlights to 'top off' their charge.


you mean like this?

[Linked Image from gabbyattic.com]

Joined: Feb 2003
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What I have found interesting is that the traffic signal poles in my city are not missing access covers. The traffic utility has a dished washer on the nut to keep it from being turned with a wrench, vice grips or pliers. For some reason none of the metal thief's have figured out how to remove them yet.

Joined: Aug 2007
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Pole lite with out covers- Way too common here.
in fact we got splices with out poles all over the place here- 480V.
The OPs' photo- well that is the best case we see here.
I f we see that we are happy knowing the public is safe!

Budget cuts ya know! (ya for the last 20 years?)


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