[This message has been edited by Webmaster (edited 06-12-2006).]

It looks like the other 2 meters should be pulled and use a dozer to improve the place.

Hey, at least it's convienent. If a penny falls out, you can just reach out the window to replace it! Also, is that brown zip cord or just really icky romex coming out the top?

That old Wadsworth box is sorry enough, but that SE cable coming to the meter can really looks rotten...in a very short length of time, you might not even have to use a bulldozer to correct this situation. I wonder why the POCO doesn't disconnect this entire "service" (I use that term very loosely)?

Is there any such thing as an electrical "dis-service"?

Mike (mamills)

If the conduit on the bottom is loose you can reach out the window and turn the box around to check the fuses. At least until the SE disintegrates.

Who in their right mind -

Who in their wrong mind -

Man. I am speechless, and that takes a lot. Wow.

"And the Darwin Award goes to..."

It looks like some ultra hack tried to salvage an ancient interior rated disconnect with pipe attached... and didn't know how to shorten it.

The ultra hack didn't know how to strap it nor enter the meter can.

The notion of a dangling disco is truly novel. Plainly, the cable is supporting it.

Maybe the landlord was 'selling' it to the insurance company?

is this in a bad part of the City? the whole place looks ultra-low-rent, run-down and beat-up, I doubt that whoever's running those apartments would be willing to replace anything they don't absolutely have to, much less hire an even semi-qualified electrician, it's sad
-Will

OH MY GOD!!! Someone couldn't find a better place for that fusebox??? I'll second, that "shack" is wayyy past it's expiration date, ready to be put to rest by Caterpillar.
I can't imagine looking out the window thinking.. "Gosh, thats a beautiful view of a.... fusebox!"

Where does the old romex out the top of the fusebox end up? Seeing the boarded up door and the 2 different exterior surfaces hints towards some kind of alteration of the building. Looking at the shadows on the building, I'm afraid to say, I think the rotted looking thing is (was) actually SE cable at one time... (Maybe when Herbert Hoover was in office )

My guess is an attempted remodel by the HO and maybe one of his buddies, relatives, etc. about 50 years ago and they simply lost interest.. (or ran out of beer)

Dodgy electrical....combined with a tar-paper shingled house.

Makes for nice times around the bonfire.

"They called to have the third meter reinstalled"???

You mean they hollered down the street, right? These people (tennants or owners) couldn't possibly own a telephone!

Hmmm... Would be nice to see that place "renovated by Catipillar" but if thats a representation of what could be inside the place, I think it will burn itself down before the demo permit is even pulled!

A.D

I agree with the others. Probably was a remodel job left undone. My responce that my new boss loves, IMPLODE THE THE THING AND START OVER.

I'm tempted to think a gut demo (sparing the original wood trim and such) might actually result in quite some nice house... if it doesn't burn down beforehand. I know people who took houses back to their old glory after looking _much_ worse!

What....the......heck.....!!!!

There are no words to describe this abortion.....

What....the......heck.....!!!!

There are no words to describe this abortion.....

Randy,
Ahh, so that's a door, I thought by looking at it, it was a picture window.
It seems awfully high with no steps below it.
Amazing!.

Mike,
Your comment gave me the clue to solving how this came to be.
Looking at the last picture, the tar paper siding stops at a straight line next to the boarded up door. The older wood siding was original when the house was built.
[ I was looking at a house in the same area this week and saw the same kind of wood on the back porch. That house was being remodeled. ]
I am guessing but, at some time in the past there was an enclosed porch added onto the violation house and the panel was inside the porch. They probaly had a piece of plywood nailed over the windows, since they now looked into the closed porch and weren't needed.
Over the years the porch fell down or was torn down.
Over the years the plywood over the windows followed.
[ Along with the back steps and other parts.]
I can now rest knowing that someone didn't do this on purpose. [ I hope ]
At least it wasn't as difficult as trying to figure out a fire origin.
This only took me 15 years.
Alan--