Anyone who proceed a glasshouse in a cold clime cognise the risks of might unsuccessful person or malfunctioning heaters . On this weekend before Christmas , I almost lost an total assembling of rare plants , precious imported bulbs and other jems that would be hard , if not impossible to supersede due to their age or scarcity . This loss would not be because of the Blizzard we experienced this weekend , with 18 inches of snow , nor would it be because of the vitriolic stale temperature that we also are start , with wind chill near 9 below zero and it would n’t be because of our furnace not working , for as you be intimate from early postings , we just installed a unexampled one . Nope , alternatively , the personnel casualty of an entire solicitation cultured and grown and nurtured over a twelve year now , would be the solvent of the policy of my gas fellowship . Arrow Gas in Rochdale , Ma , and I ’m not very happy about it , in fact , I wee-wee .
It started on Thursday evening , when I arrived home from work belatedly at night , I went out to determine the gas tankful and think that the new meter instal on it has a masking , which is semi sheer , but unmanageable to read and see how much gas is left in the tank . The same matter happen last year , when we decided to move the tankful so that it would be close to the route , so the flatulency valet would not have to trudge through deep snow and unsafe terrier to get to the tank every 10 days . Arrow instal a newfangled tank , with an automatonlike reading gimmick that does n’t make , but which they included anyway . On Friday dayspring , I saw that it state that 15 % gas was go out in the tank . I know from 12 years of run this glasshouse , that on insensate , sunnless days in the wintertime , that I use 5 % per mean solar day , and with a weekend add up that was feature not only bone moth-eaten temporary in the teens , that also we we ’re slated to get nailed with a nor - easter . SO I phone the Arrow Gas company , and asked when I might get my next delivery since I had 15 % gas left , and a tempest was coming , and that for the preceding 3 years , on this very same weekend in December which seems to signal the first major refill of the year , they always seems to countenance the tank go empty before they would amount . Last yr , I call on Sunday aurora , when the cooler run out ( see post from last Dec ) , and I was tell that I would be fined $ 150 . for making then come on an ‘ unscheduled ’ delivery . I end up paying it a workweek before Christmas .
Now , I was giving them a three and a half mean solar day notice that say basically , that I mean I ’m live to run out of gas in a day or two , is there anything you’re able to do about it ? And the response was ” well , I guess we could make a deliver on Monday ” . I told them that that was risky since I know how tight my greenhouse feed gas , and that there was a storm , and , and , and . The answer was ” meritless , you ’re due for a delivery on Weds , so the serious we can do is to move you up to MOnday . OF form , now , we are SUnday nighttime , and out of accelerator . The greenhouse is freezing upstanding , and Arrow ’s legal transfer man fundamentally told us “ sorry , it ’s too late , and we do n’t like to make deliveries after 11:00 autopsy ( we called at 11:15 ) . So he is sleeping now , and we ’ve been up all Nox trying to save what we can .
Now , on Friday , the cranky cleaning woman in the Arrow place tell me that I was not scheduled for a delivery until next Weds . the 23rd . I asked if I could be put on the Friday schedule , and that I would even pay for the fresh fee of Off - Delivery Charge for $ 275.00 , but she said that the best she could do would be to push me up to a Monday delivery , and that I had enough gas .
KNowing full well that I would run out over the stormy weekend , Joe and I ran to 2 Home Depots and a Lowes , and buy in up on a major propane heater , and some portable electric room heaters , to get by and to quieten my nerves . Of course , now , here on a Sunday nighttime , we run out of petrol , and it is the coldest night of the year , at 9 degree , and with single pane glass , I decided at 11:10 autopsy that I woudl give in and call the gas caller and pay out of my can , all of the newfangled fines and fee outlined on their new letter of policy , and get the tank take , since the new furnace ran out of gasoline , and the pots we ’re frosting up quicker than that noblewoman who works in the Arrow Gas office .
We called , and sire the answering service who told us that we should get a call back in 20 bit from the off hours delivery person . Five second later we get the call , and the man tell us that he ’s not coming out , since it ’s after 11 at night , and that ’s that . We ’ll have to wait until MOnday ! Joe tell apart him that “ so , what are we supposed to do ? : permit all of our plants die ? ANd he read , yes . ” . I could n’t believe his rudeness and attitude , I mean , I just could not consider that a business could be managed this mode !
You know , I ’m a sensible guy , and I would understand limited service if this was a major disaster , an ice storm , or if priorities had to be deal because of senior not getting heat , or families . But to have someone tell you to your facial expression “ Nope ” “ I m in bed , too late ” then I get a little ticked . sure enough they must guess I ’m a disturbed plant geek , but hey , I am . Regardless , we bear for this service , if you call it that , if anything , it ’s opprobrious and unsulting .
SOrry to crab about this , but right now , it ’s 5:00 AM and we ’ve been up all night seek to rescue flora , and run around to every Walgreens and Super Market that is open 24 hour buying every portable heat twist we can get ( there are now 7 heaters in the glasshouse , and the gas in the portables is starting to go , plus a grill , and a few brag fuse , but the temp seems to be around 38 degrees in there . SO our fingers are crossed ! ! !
The honorable news program is Joe called some competitive Gas suppliers , and they are already willing to number and supercede our tank and get us be new client , and one , Suburban PRopane , already informed us in a very human and favorable spokesperson , that they serve 24/7 365 days a yr . And that this would never happen .
STill , I am aghast that this ship’s company is still in business , since this is the third time they have done this to me ( let the tank run out , and then act as if it ’s my fault , and my job . I ’m sure later this break of day , I ’ll get zonked with more ‘ punishment fee ! ” varsity letter wil be written , birdsong will be made , but at the last of the day , the big message is that some business just should n’t be in business , particularly when the customer is always awry , and punished .
Sorry for the rant , but I ’ve been up for 36 hour now , and of course , it ’s the longest dark of the yr , as we await for the sun which is due to come out today , since it rises at jsut after 7:00 AM . Still , 60 minutes to go before we are dependable .
