Fiber Cut

[Anriana]

We had a fiber line cut in a certain state tonight. Here are some of the responses (heavily edited for grammar/your sanity):


"But we have wireless internet, how could a line cut effect us?"

"When is it going to be back up?"
"We don't have an estimated time of repair."
"What does that mean?"
"Uh.. it means.. we don't have an exact time when service will be restored."
"So my internet's gonna be down until y'all get it fixed?"
"Yes," when things are broken they tend to stay broken until they get fixed, moron.

"No, that is not affecting us because we've been having problems since Friday. It's been telling me I have the wrong email password all weekend, and now I can't get online, and you want me to believe those two things aren't related?"

"When is it going to be back up?"
"We don't have an estimated time of repair."
"What caused it?"
"As I said, a fiber line was cut in your area."
"What cut the fiber line?"
"We're not sure at this time."
"Are you going to call me back when the service comes back up?"
"Uh... no I'm not."
"YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING, DO YOU? I WAS TOLD THAT I WOULD GET A CALL BACK WHEN I WAS WAITING IN LINE TO SPEAK TO YOU!!!"
"So when you asked if I was going to call you back you were asking if the automated system would call you back like you had requested?"
"GET ME YOUR SUPERVISOR SO I CAN TELL HIM HOW STUPID YOU ARE"
"She is not here."
"ALKEJRPOEIJPWGIJWOIGJOEJIG" *breaks phone*

[SailorMan]

...It's been telling me I have the wrong email password all weekend, and now I can't get online, and you want me to believe those two things aren't related?"

That's right. Your e-mail provider is so upset at you for not knowing your password, that it has decided to punish everyone in your community. It's amazing how you sleuthed that one out. My God... you've discovered the conspiricy, so now they're really going to be coming after you!

[Akasa]

I'm having flashbacks of supporting Verizon DSL to the north eastern US when 9/11 happened. Their severs, etc. were in the basement of one of the towers. EVERYBODY'S internet went down.

We had many, many, many of those kinds of calls. I was even told "I don't care what happened to the Twin Towers! That was 2 weeks ago! I WANT MY INTERNET NOW!!!!eventy!!!"

[friendofjimmyk]

OOOOHHHHH!!! Fiber optics...

That's not what I thought this thread was about.

[PepperElf]

i'm just wondering who cut the fiber.


and yeah, it's amazing how many people don't realize, the wireless portion is only wireless from your router to your computer. Usually those are also the same people who don't understand the concept of using a password on your wireless signal either. ()

back when i was on cable... if it went out, i'd call up... and usually by then there was an automated message saying that there was an outage bla bla bla and it would list the estimated up time (if available). I'd listen to that and then hang up and go do something else. I don't need a live tech to repeat that stuff for me, they're busy doing other things - like talking to the idiots who refuse to pay attention to the automated message.

[technical.angel]

i'm just wondering who cut the fiber.

If the OP's situation was similar to the one I lived through, it could have been a cut anywhere in the state. Anyone with a bulldozer could have done it.

[Geek King]

If the OP's situation was similar to the one I lived through, it could have been a cut anywhere in the state. Anyone with a bulldozer could have done it.

When I was in school in Indiana, it wasn't unusual for a road crew out on I-70 to plant a signpost right through the trunk line. Happened at least twice a year, as the trunk line ran underground along I-70, from what I was told. Hopefully they've fixed that, or at least have a secondary backup now.

[Darkwish]

If the OP's situation was similar to the one I lived through, it could have been a cut anywhere in the state. Anyone with a bulldozer could have done it.

Heavy construction equipment do make GREAT fiber cutters!

A few years ago one in Wyoming dug a trench a little too big and took out the internet and interstate phone system to half the western US with one swipe!

[mattm04]

At my school a crew took out the fiber line, fresh water and steam line for one building all in one swipe. Yes it was CLEARLY marked with flags and spray paint.

Due to the lack of water for bathrooms and sprinklers and phones/alarm monitoring they had to close the building. They had signs on every door yet to was fun to watch faculty bitch and moan. Yeah, sorry they have you safety and comfort in mink. Jerks.

[crazylegs]

It's not just cable that construction cuts straight through.

Recently in <My Town> a crew skimmed the top off a main gas line. I could hear the gas roaring out the pipe from 300 meters away!

I was told that if the gas had ignited we would have been looking at fire around 100ft into the air!

[Pagan]

back when i was on cable... if it went out, i'd call up... and usually by then there was an automated message saying that there was an outage bla bla bla and it would list the estimated up time (if available). I'd listen to that and then hang up and go do something else. I don't need a live tech to repeat that stuff for me, they're busy doing other things - like talking to the idiots who refuse to pay attention to the automated message.

That's exactly what I did when the power went out for no apparent reason a while back! No reason to talk to anyone, they know that the powers out.

Now, when my internet went out the other night, I did call and wait to talk to someone (of course, they had no message other than the usual on, either) due to another company that's playing games with my ISP.

[DGoddessChardonnay]

Now, when my internet went out the other night, I did call and wait to talk to someone (of course, they had no message other than the usual on, either) due to another company that's playing games with my ISP.

I had to call my ISP summer before last (back when Blue Ball was still HellSouth) because my DSL had went out suddenly. There was no automated message indicating any type of outage, so my call went through to a CSR.

I simply explained what had happened and inquired if there were any tech issues in my area. CSR put me on hold and came back a couple of minutes later to tell me that they had just gotten word that there was, in fact, an outage in my immediate area and gave me an ETA.

Course it was back on a little sooner than they'd predicted, but there are times when you can call about an outage and the word of one in your area may not have filtered down the chain to the customer level.

That's one thing I miss about the cable internet: at least if you call, they're usually aware of any outages and have the automated message informing the customer of the problem.

[Geek King]

It's not just cable that construction cuts straight through.

Recently in <My Town> a crew skimmed the top off a main gas line. I could hear the gas roaring out the pipe from 300 meters away!

I was told that if the gas had ignited we would have been looking at St. Peter wondering what the hell happened.

Changed for accuracy. Gas lines usually go boom when sparked. The mainlines will take out large chunks of a neighborhood.

[crazylegs]

Changed for accuracy. Gas lines usually go boom when sparked. The mainlines will take out large chunks of a neighborhood.

Indeed, although quite how it didn't ignite when they first cut through the pipe I don't know.

The pipe was buried far too shallow, and when they were skimming the tarmac off the road (to resurface it [the road]) they skimmed the top of the pipe off with a hot + metallic piece of kit.

[AriRashkae]

Indeed, although quite how it didn't ignite when they first cut through the pipe I don't know.

The pipe was buried far too shallow, and when they were skimming the tarmac off the road (to resurface it [the road]) they skimmed the top of the pipe off with a hot + metallic piece of kit.

And after it was repaired, everyone's guardian angels went and had a nice, stiff drink.