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Posted By: Admin Damaged Outlet Box in Public Area - 02/28/04 11:48 PM
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We were at a "Spay Day USA" event for our local shelter & the volunteer organization (See http://www.ddaf.org/SpayDay/ and www.petfinder.org for shelter and volunteer opportunities, if you like). My daughter was walking a nice dog near the sidewalk when I noticed an outdoor outlet box & the conduit that were damaged right under them. Apparently the sidewalk snowplow ran over the box after our recent storm. I kicked the box over closer to the conduit & took the picture of it. Then I called the county's dispatcher for an electrician to come check on it. The electrician said he would tape it up and write up a ticket to have it permanently fixed but I can see how something like this could potentially pose a risk to folks going about their normal activities!

Brenda (BuggabooBren)
[Linked Image]

[Linked Image]
Posted By: Lostazhell Re: Damaged Outlet Box in Public Area - 02/29/04 01:04 AM
Nice pics Brenda! [Linked Image] That can might've faired a little better if it actually had proper support & hadn't been KO'ed through the side of those concentrics... Also looks like the weatherproof door was already missing from the receptacle, not to mention it doesn't look like a GFCI either... Lucky thing no one got lit up off of this with the damaged conductors in the snow & all! [Linked Image]

-Randy
Posted By: electure Re: Damaged Outlet Box in Public Area - 02/29/04 05:38 PM
BbBren,
This is not a pretty sight at all.
I'm glad your daughter and dog are OK.
I'm glad you let somebody know about this.
These are the innocents that get hurt [Linked Image]
This kind of thing just breaks my heart...S



[This message has been edited by electure (edited 02-29-2004).]
Posted By: Bjarney Re: Damaged Outlet Box in Public Area - 02/29/04 09:06 PM
In the lower pic, did someone jigsaw a receptacle [maybe with a now-damaged cover] into the side of the screw-cover can?
Posted By: BuggabooBren Re: Damaged Outlet Box in Public Area - 03/02/04 07:28 PM
I sent the 'after repair' photos to Bill this morning so you'll get to see the repair and the receptacle which, as it turns out, was a GFCI.
Posted By: Admin Re: Damaged Outlet Box in Public Area - 03/02/04 10:06 PM
"After" Picture:

[Linked Image]

[This message has been edited by Webmaster (edited 03-02-2004).]
Posted By: electure Re: Damaged Outlet Box in Public Area - 03/03/04 01:36 AM
That's a bit better than the last pic.
Still an issue with the NON GFI conductors coming into the box, and the tape that holds said box.
My personal opinion only, it should have been disconnected at the next (decent)point upstream. They can't be using this mess for anything anyway, can they?
BbBren, please update this when they decide to really fix it.
(Some of the towns around here think it's OK to leave Christmas lights up for 3 or 4 years.
I've had ones that fell hit my windshield as I drive through their "great" downtown display).
B, don't let it rest. This is not good enough... [Linked Image]S
PS. These pic should be used on everybody's "Tailgate Safety Meetings"

Everybody that has a daughter, or even a dog, would "WAKE UP".
May I use them?



[This message has been edited by electure (edited 03-02-2004).]
Posted By: BuggabooBren Re: Damaged Outlet Box in Public Area - 03/03/04 04:04 AM
Feel free to use them. I've gained a great deal of education and awareness here and am eternally grateful that I could offer these as 'close call' photos rather than seeking expertise after a horrible incident.

Rest assured, I'll keep after them and check up on this situation. About 5 feet to the left of the dog is the first of several trees... still decked out in the miniature holiday lights that you mention.

I specifically asked the electrician who arrived if he would be submitting a ticket for a permanent fix following his call-out and he said he would. It may help that I also gratuitiously dropped a name he recognized... his supervisor is married to my best friend. [Linked Image]
Posted By: Lostazhell Re: Damaged Outlet Box in Public Area - 03/03/04 04:48 AM
I'm with Electure on this... It should be safetied off until it's 100% repaired.. I had an experiance when I was a kid at a park & one of my friends tried to plug his boom box into a GFI that was in a concrete pedestal... The GFI had no coverplate on it at all & as it turns out, one of the sprinklers had water-logged it.. He got a really nasty bite when he came in contact with a wet part of the GFI... there were damaged recepts all over that park that I can still remember... I'm sure vandalism is mostly to blame, but someone on parks maintenance should have come across this one & killed the circuit until proper repairs were made! Come to think of it, I should take a walk through there with a digicam & see whats there 20 some years later... [Linked Image]

Great call on that one Brenda [Linked Image] Keep up the good work!
-Randy
Posted By: Scott35 Re: Damaged Outlet Box in Public Area - 03/03/04 11:37 AM
Bren;

Glad you were there - and took the necessary steps to get this hazard fixed!

Many pats on the back for you!!!

Scott35
Posted By: BuggabooBren Re: Damaged Outlet Box in Public Area - 03/26/04 10:32 PM
I've just driven by the location and the cone is long gone (probably a new decor item in a teenie-boppers crib) and the box is propped akimbo on the conduit.

I've called my inside connection and he's made a couple of calls within the system so we'll see if a work order gets done in the next week or two.

I hate to have to be a nag, but you'd think the county would realize there's a liability concern related to public safety issues.... yeesh!
Posted By: electure Re: Damaged Outlet Box in Public Area - 03/27/04 01:25 AM
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I hate to have to be a nag, but you'd think the county would realize there's a liability concern related to public safety issues.... yeesh!

Isn't it a shame that they would have to see it as a liability concern?

Keep it up & Kudos to you, BbBren.
Posted By: Joe Tedesco Re: Damaged Outlet Box in Public Area - 03/27/04 05:42 PM
Don't stop here look too at these street crimes around the USA!!
http://www.joetedesco.com/streetcrimes.htm
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