No power, no eternal bell<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): I've had my ups and downs with employees from
\nthe state-owned electricity company PLN. My meter reader is an
\nabrasive man which used to made me react to him in kind. It took
\nus ages to get used to each other, but now that we have we get
\nalong just fine. It only took one year of him leaving his finger
\neternally on my doorbell and me yelling from inside the house
\nuntil I reached the gate, that one quick push was enough. Now
\nI've come to realize his abrupt manner is not rudeness, but
\nrather just part of his personality.<\/p>\n
It's the other door-to-door PLN employees that I can't take.
\nThe ones who take advantage of the accounts payable date falling
\non a public holiday. Last year there was a public holiday on a
\nFriday and Saturday, with the due date falling on the Saturday.
\nOn this occasion, I unfortunately forgot about the bill until the
\nThursday night. On the Monday morning I was rudely awakened by
\nthe eternal doorbell and, of course, it was PLN insisting they
\nhad to disconnect my electricity.<\/p>\n
I actually thought my husband had paid the bill, but since he
\nwas out of town I couldn't ask him. And the receipt wasn't
\nanywhere to be found. And so, not being sure, I apologized
\nprofusely and promised to go to the PLN office promptly and
\nsettle my account.<\/p>\n
Well that wasn't good enough. He insisted that he had been
\nsent to cut off my electricity and he couldn't leave without
\ndoing so. So I asked him what would happen if there was nobody
\nhome. The electricity meter is inside our locked garage and
\naccess can't be gained unless there is someone home. I don't
\nremember what his reply was, but it was no go.<\/p>\n
The discussion went on for over half an hour with me finally
\nshedding all pretense of politeness and instead becoming
\nflustered. So I called my in-laws, who live nearby. They also
\ncould make no headway with this guy. His final argument was that
\nhe had come all this way and his transportation costs couldn't go
\nto waste. He wouldn't leave without a crisp pink banknote in his
\nhot little hand. Strange how he could leave the white notice
\nwhich, before smelling money, couldn't be parted with unless the
\nelectricity had been disconnected.<\/p>\n
It's more than likely that over a period of five years or so
\neach and every household, sooner or later, will forget to pay at
\nleast one bill on time. I know late payments have to be
\naddressed, but to arrive on one's doorstep with a severance
\nnotice dated two days after a bill is due is a bit hard to take.
\nIn eight years of living at my present address, I have only
\nfailed to pay my electricity bill, on time, twice.<\/p>\n
On the 23rd of last month another PLN man rang my bell. Lucky
\nfor him it wasn't an eternal ring and it didn't wake me up
\nbecause, as it was, I was in a bad enough mood already. I ripped
\ninto him anyway. My husband, yet again, was away and he hadn't
\nbrought the receipt home. But I was pretty sure the bill had been
\npaid and I told this man that he could just go away empty handed
\nbecause I'd be damned if I was going to play that game again.<\/p>\n
He said something to the effect that since I was sure it was
\npaid everything was fine, but that he still had to leave me the
\nwhite slip. And I was flabbergasted that he left it without being
\ngiven any money and without getting anywhere near my meter.<\/p>\n
So, what's the moral of this story? That in Jakarta it pays to
\nbe on the defensive and downright rude? It certainly seems that
\nway to me. I've learnt over the years that the only way to keep
\npeople off your back when they have no business being there is to
\nhave a permanent scowl on your face and act like you were brought
\nup in the gutter.<\/p>\n
And I have PLN to thank for that invaluable lesson.<\/p>\n
-- Linda Hollands<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/no-power-no-eternal-bell-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }