But, during the first week, it is nightmare time. Living in an independent house , suburban area and having a big dog has is own advantages and many disadvantages. The privacy is fine, the unnecessary visitors are cordoned off, and dog barks at the drop of a bell/coconut/horn. The Garbage collector will come anytime during first week, since he needs to collect his monthly charges form 200 odd houses. The cable guy will also ring the bell/ scream for attention, during anytime of the day. The paper man, the laundryman, and others, keep one busy in the first week.
The stressing visit is from the Meter reading person form our dear APCPCDCL. The system of visiting each house and rolling the bill out of his machine is an event for the first week.
Here are the must do's:
1.We need to keep the compound gate opened, and access to the meter possible. Having a dog is nightmare at that time.
2.In case , the gate is not opened, he will simply ditch your house.
3. If he ditches yours , next month your bill will be double, Consequently , your reading may enhance to the next slab and bill will be exorbitant.
4.It is not that every month the same person comes. Hahaha.. Our department is too smart for that.
They send dept. personnel once, and the next month , another private company person comes for reading your meter.(alternate)
5.The consumers do not know when he will be pleased to visit the colony. There has never been a fixed day for this highly important activity.
6.Any day between first and tenth, and anytime during the day.
7.In case the owners are all working people, they had it. Every time, the neighbors have to be bothered.
8.If you are not able to be around, and get to know that the reading activity is finished for your areas, you need to go to the office and inform.
9.It takes a while for the office guy to even notice you- then they assure that by tenth someone will come for the billing.
10.Once again, you wait, for the arrival of the billing personnel.
This gives a lot of tension to the house owner. But who cares?
Why can't the Department announce the date son which this exercise is undertaken so that the consumers are aware of the date and time?
Or I can shift to an Apartment and forget about independent house/dog/ trees/garden! Or I need to make lots of money to post a Durwan outside my small house.( he may go for smoke /Chai/paan with the neighborly domestic workers ).
Thinking....
Hope to solve this pet peeve soon.
it is ridiculous the way they come..anytime..there must be a way to make it possible if both are working, even otherwise, its next to impossible to be in all the time.
ReplyDeleteThese irritants add to the daily stress in life! One has to have thick skin to survive.
ReplyDeleteAnd welcome to my blog.:-) Thanks.
I can understand the barking series of pet dogs respond to visitors who come to collect bills. We have the one pet that does the same... glad we are living in apartment and thus avoid meter reading alert and here the reading takes place one in two months. Hope there is a solution for your struggle! :)
ReplyDeleteJeevan , Welcome to my blog. It is good to receive comments from you!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Having a dog and a own small independent house are not easily given up. So we will continue , and sleep well after the meter reading is finished :-)
hey. I cannot believe this .it happened here. and went thru harrowing experience of getting our Meter read and consequently paid eztra handouts:(
ReplyDeleteNow waiting or the next reading:(
Ayyo! This is a real stress maker for people.
DeleteWe have to open gates of my relative's house (who is away on holiday for months), from first to till the day the reader comes! another friend also requested for the help. So husband has stress of keeping gates opened in locked houses ,during the first week. yes, we can avoid taking such tasks, but socially, one has to help!