My Side Of The Meter

It's no secret. I was one of the folks on the Mountain that fought annexation. I didn't mince any words.

I thought it was a stupid idea - mostly because I live in the valley of what is honestly a glorified rock jutting out of the earth (with a little dirt plastered on top), and if the city of Asheboro ever had ANY inkling it would someday want to take the Mountain in, developers should have made the plans and laid all the sewer lines way back then. It's called "vision".

Back then, the city of Asheboro's was most assuredly not 20/20.

Developers should have maintained the roads too - but that is another story.

Dynamiting solid rock now - to put in crappy (forgive the pun) sewer lines (and crappy, pseudo-substandard lines are exactly what the city proposed) - will tear up private property and break windows and damage foundations and screw over residents over FOR YEARS. And the return on the tax dollar, if there is any at all, will be a very, very long time coming or nil.

In the meantime, the folks in Asheboro proper will bear the cost.

"Because we can" is not a reason. And I got enough of that from Bob and Steve.

Of course, I suffer under no illusion that the city will not try again. They're hoping the current state-wide uproar over annexation will die down.

I also know that when they come for us again, one of the strategies of the powers-that-be will be to paint the "Mountain crowd" as the people who shoved alcohol down Asheboro's throat.

There is still a WHOLE LOT of resentment on the street about that from the "anti-whos".

Of course, the notion that everybody on the Mountain wanted alcohol IS A LIE.

And, we did not get a vote.

But the facts pertaining to anything or anyone they can steam-roll are not something that Asheboro's "who's" trouble themselves too much about.

Anyway, for several months, my water bill from the city of Asheboro was very, very high (to dispel another myth, we folks on the Mountain pay for our water - and we pay more than the residents of Asheboro-proper). Admittedly, I do have a friend living in/sitting the house while I am gone, but we're just not using that much water.

Back in November, I called the city and asked them to check the meter. I was told I must have a leak somewhere and that I needed to get a plumber to the house. After much searching, we actually did find a problem with the water heater and it was replaced.

But my bill remained high. It made no sense.

My housesitter called this week to say that she returned home from a weekend business trip to find colorful notices plastered all over my front and garage doors . . . announcing that I obviously still had a water leak and I needed to take immediate action.

Now, there was no evidence of a leak anywhere in or under the house, so I called the man who is finishing up on rennovations there for me, and asked him to check things out. I also called the city again. Something was clearly wrong - and I wondered if it was the meter itself.

OBTW, I just love doing this all long-distance.

A short while later my handi-man called and told me that the meter was more-or-less busted (something about roots from nearby trees - many of us chose to live on the Mountain in order to enjoy its flora and fauna). I asked him, "Isn't the meter the city's problem?". He responded (very dryly), "Not if it's on your side"?

I mused aloud, "What the hell does that mean?" He chuckled and said he'd get back to me once he dug it all up.

Meanwhile, I call the city and chewed on some poor clerk's ear. I reiterated that I had asked the city to check the meter months ago (in other words, do something besides just read it). I had asked about pressure on the line and valves. The city had been less-than-helpful.

Moreover, I had been informed then that even if there was tremendous pressure on the line (which could blow out my pipes & lines), it was not the city's problem (???). I had to put in a pressure valve.

You could liken it to being forced to live with a crappy sewer line only two inches in diameter . . . as one crusty long-time resident (who must have been channeling my Dad) once said (paraphrasing), "It's not even big enough for a small TURD".

I can hear the city now. If I turded large, that would be my problem.

I told the poor beleaguered clerk that I wanted somebody out there like YESTERDAY. Moreover, the City of Asheboro knew very well that I am out of town most of the time (no thanks to the "right people" Council members always listen to) . . . and leaving colorful messages plastered all over the house when no one was home did not cut it. I had a cell phone, and they had the number.

As it stands, my water bill has been high for months - and it appears I may have been over-billed by the city of Asheboro because of a defect with the meter. I asked the immortal question, "Is this the kind of service we Mountain folk could expect after annexation?"

Long story short, the meter is dead. And it's dead on both sides. And it's going to have to be replaced. A good part of that is the city's problem. People are digging today. When Asheboro does its part, I'll do mine.

I mused over this all day yesterday. It's actually very much like the problem I had with Randolph Hospital.

I did my part. And then some.

I'm still waiting for the hospital to do theirs.