Knock, knock.

Who's there?

Armageddon.

Armageddon who?

Armageddon real tired of those giddy, grinning fools over at Toronto Hydro. They've just spent a whopping $6-million trying to convince themselves, and us, that their computers are primed and ready for Y2K. And then, as you know by now, some dim bulb over at the World's Most Arrogant Local Utility sent past-due reminders to a thousand customers, urging payment by Jan. 12, 1900.

What's that sound?

It's Hydro, sucking wind.

Forget for a moment that there are a thousand of your friends and neighbours in this town who haven't paid their bills on time; what's even more delicious to ponder is a bill that is due one hundred years ago.

It is a punchline begging for a joke. Oh, yeah? Well, how come I'm not laughing?

... cont'd at ...

Link

-- John (jh@NotReal.ca), December 24, 1999

Answers

The herd is sniffing the air and stirring...

-- Ron Schwarz (rs@clubvb.com.delete.this), December 24, 1999.

the Predators have already encircled the herd, some are dead but don't know it yet.

-- Dan G (thepcguru@hotmail.com), December 24, 1999.

So their computer has a little Y2K bug in it. Does anyone really think they will have to go back in time to pay their bills?

What does this have to do with their ability to generate power? Nothing. Get over it, this is good news, if it were going to efect power generation then the power would have gone out with the bills with the wrong year printed on them. Obviously it didn't. Who cares?

-- Cherri (sams@brigadoon.com), December 24, 1999.

There is less reason to believe that the billing error is connected to production, than there is to believe that the billing error is related to Y2K.

The software for the billing was remediated, as has been the power generation systems. The billing software is now being tested and is failing. The power generating systems are going to be tested in just a few days.

Meanwhile, Marines are buying gas cans. Mayors are in Y2K "coordination centers," because everyone knows only the "fringe" prepare.

Merry Christmas.

-- rw (ridleywalker@aol.com), December 24, 1999.

John, Excellent post!

Sherri:

There is less reason to believe that the billing error is connected to production, than there is to believe that the billing error is related to Y2K.

The software for the billing was remediated, as has been the power generation systems. The billing software is now being tested and is failing. The power generating systems are going to be tested in just a few days.

Meanwhile, Marines are buying gas cans. Mayors are in Y2K "coordination centers," because everyone knows only the "fringe" prepare.

Merry Christmas Everyone. God bless us, every one.

-- rw (ridleywalker@aol.com), December 24, 1999.

Apologies to Cherri.

-- rw (ridleywalker@aol.com), December 24, 1999.

John -

It would appear that you and I are both Toronto Hydro customers.

I'm with Cherri on this story. Billing has nothing to do with distribution (that's all TH does; they don't generate).

If you think this little screw-up portends power delivery problems, then why don't we make the Daily Bread Food Bank the "winner" of a wager? If there is any non-weather related outage in the City of Toronto in the first 7 days of January I will send Daily Bread $25. If the 7 days passes with no outages then you will send them $25.

Agreed?

-- Johnny Canuck (j_canuck@hotmail.com), December 24, 1999.

Cherri your comment is proof that the Gene Pool needs more chlorine.

-- The Pool Guy (cleaning.the.pool@every.friday), December 24, 1999.

Johnny Canuck, sorry, but I will pass on the wager. IMHO, the article was not really about Toronto Hydro's mistake, it was about how little it will take for DGI's to react emotionally and switch their positions if the SHTF.

FWIW, I am an Ontario Hydro customer in Eastern Ontario. Based on their inability to provide anything approaching honest or consistent answers during the 1998 ice-storm, I can no longer trust anything they tell me. This is one puppy that learned what it was like to 'freeze in the dark' and will not let that happen to my family again.

-- John (jh@NotReal.ca), December 24, 1999.

John

Best attitude, the cold is a bummer, and have I been there and done that :o)

Merry Xmass everyone!

-- Brian (imager@home.com), December 24, 1999.

John -

Apologies if I assumed you were in Toronto. I can sympathise with your experience during the Ice Storm; my cousin lives 50 KM south of Ottawa, in the country, and he was without power for 13.5 days.

However, I think one can't draw an analogy between Ontario Hydro's reaction to the Ice Storm and their past, current and future reactions to Y2K. They've been at the Y2K thing since 96 - it's a known event happening in a known timeframe. Everything that the Ice Storm wasn't.

Were I in your shoes, I might be sceptical of OH as well. Do you mind if I ask you a question: if OH gets through the rollover and beyond with no (non-weather related) interruptions, will your faith in them be restored.

(And a Merry Xmas to you in E. Ontario)

-- Johnny Canuck (j_canuck@hotmail.com), December 25, 1999.

Hi Johnny,

The problems with Ontario Hydro during the ice-storm were:

1. They didn't rent a helicopter for several days to survey the damage, so had poor understanding of the scope of the damage.

2. They initially attempted to micro-manage the situation out of Toronto and for some days refused to send a high level representative to the area.

3. The telephone numbers provided for restoration information were in Toronto and the operators had little or no knowledge of the geography of our area. As a result information provided was often wrong or unavailable.

4. When Ontario Hydro didn't know the answer, they often told people what they thought they wanted to hear.

5. They initially refused to allow electrical workers from other municipalities to assist in the restoratoration of power once their own municipalities were back up. They cited safety and union reasons. Eventually these were over-ruled by the politicians, but it caused a lot of bad feelings amongst their customers.

When it comes to Y2K, are they again telling us what we want to hear? Will I trust them if the power stays up for a few days after Y2K? I might mellow a bit, but I will still keep the generator and my upgraded woodstove, both of which were installed in the ice- storm's aftermath. Fool me once, shame on them ... Fool me twice, shame on me. < vbg >

And a very Merry Christmas to you in TO.

-- John (jh@NotReal.ca), December 25, 1999.

I really should clarify something ... My lack of faith in Ontario Hydro is with their management, not the repair crews and the first line supervisors (including many that came in from outside the region, from other provinces and from the US) ... They worked long hours under terrible conditions and they have our debt of gratitude.

-- John (jh@NotReal.ca), December 26, 1999.