The Streets With No Brain, Part 2

(Coming home from work I discover a gas company truck in front of my house. A worker with a clipboard is staring at the valve cover and looks confused.)

Me: “Can I help you?”

Worker: “I’m from [Gas Company A]. I’m terminating your service due to unpaid bills.”

Me: “We are customers of [Gas Company B].”

Worker: “Look lady, don’t give me a hard time. Pay your d*** bill next time and this won’t happen.”

(The worker returns to the truck to get tools. Fortunately, a local police car is driving past. I flag down the officer and explain the problem.)

Cop: “Look, I think we can clear this right up. If you look at the valve cover, you can see it says [Company B].”

Worker: “Not you, too. I don’t give a crap! The bill isn’t paid, they got a termination notice, they ignored it, and I’m turning off the gas.”

Cop: “How about you get your supervisor on the line for me?”

(The worker calls his supervisor, gives him a story of how a resident and a cop are giving him a hard time, and that the cop won’t let him do his job. Finally he announces the supervisor wants to talk to cop. The cop takes the phone and listens for very long time. He tries to interrupt several times, but the supervisor keeps talking. Finally, the cop manages to talk.)

Cop: “Yes, well, I’m standing here at [my address], and the valve clearly states [Company B].”

(There is a long pause, and then the cop repeats the address. He then hands the phone back to the worker. The worker listens for a few moments and then reads the address off the clipboard. While the house number is the same as mine, the street is different. Finally, the worker speaks to me.)

Worker: “Well, how was I supposed to know there were two number 219s in this neighborhood?!”