Comments for Comcast Installs Cable In Your Gutter, Across Your Driveway

Comcast Installs Cable In Your Gutter, Across Your Driveway

2009-01-14T02:30:47Z

For more than a year, says the Baltimore Sun, there were Comcast cables laying in the gutters, and across the driveways of a neighborhood in Hanover, MD. Why were they laying there? Because that's where Comcast installed them.

Instead of being routed underground between two pedestals that house cables, the wires were strung along the gutters next to the sidewalk, crossing two driveways on the 2600 block of Fairbourne Court. Cables from the pedestals spilled out onto the grass as well.

"I just came home from work one day, and that's how it was," [homeowner, Nicky] Frantz said.

"It's not a huge defect, but we like to keep our area looking nice," she said. "We figured they've got to come back and fix it eventually, and they never did."

Ms. Franz tried showing the cables to some techs who came to repair her family's service over the summer. They didn't fix it. She also tried contacting Comcast's Twitter team — they at least called her back — but didn't fix the problem. Finally, it took a call from the Baltimore Sun before any Comcast trucks showed up.

Comcast's spokesperson told the paper that cable is sometimes installed that way temporarily, and apologized for the delay.

Comcast cables installed in gutter [Baltimore Sun]
(Baltimore Sun photo by Chiaki Kawajiri)

Comment from Bs Baldwin on 2009-01-18

2009-01-18T08:45:46Z

So they had wires that were exposed. Isn't that bad for business if someone taps the line?

Comment from ManiacDan on 2009-01-16

2009-01-17T03:54:38Z

@Allan Navecky: Like I said in the post, they can call the police and have you arrested. Depending on local laws, a "utility" has certain rights to portions of your property, normally qualified as a utility easement. In this case, my in-laws had planted bushes in the easement, and the cable carelessly strewn across the bushes was considered a proper and legal cable installation. So cutting that cable was illegally destroying the private property of a utility, similar to reaching up and cutting power lines.

Comment from adamondi on 2009-01-16

2009-01-17T03:53:21Z

@vastrightwing: I just recently did exactly that. I bought an antenna that was capable of pulling in all of my local digital channels (I live kind of far from Seattle, where they all originate), installed it, and then canceled my Comcast TV service, while retaining cable internet service. Using TVarmy's methods of obtaining cable content via bittorrent to supplement the network programming that we watch most anyway has made the transition very easy. It wouldn't surprise me at all if all of the cable companies see a large defection of their TV service customers very soon for these sorts of options.

Comment from amigabill on 2009-01-16

2009-01-17T01:31:28Z

@smokinfoo: Do you see anything other than an infinite loop of "temp" (cough, cough, ahem) lines rerun and rerun and rerun?

Comment from amigabill on 2009-01-16

2009-01-17T01:29:38Z

@addicuss: Things slipping through the cracks as much as it does in my neighborhood shows there is a problem. it's not a once in a while thing. I've been nagging, on a neighborhood scale, not just a my house scale, for over a year, about 40 (that's fourty) problem wires for 191 townhouses. In that over a year, it's half to maybe 2/3 fixed, and still crap. I'm trying to keep up my responsibility to my neighborhood for its safety and appearance as an HOA board member. Comcast is doing a pretty poor job on its end. It should not be this hard to fix after I've already walked around with one of their techs to point everything out... That was in September, which was 4 months ago now. No, I do not feel I need ot be forgiving in my complaint at this point. Improve your methods or expect to be trampled by any competition who does a better job.

Comment from Allan Navecky on 2009-01-16

2009-01-16T23:31:04Z

Luckly I have only had issues with Comcast with getting replacement or new equipment. But if a cable was running through my yard, call, call, cut. Then keep cutting until they figure something better out.

What are they going to do sue? I doubt it. Fixing the problem would be way cheaper than taking you to court.

Comment from Anonymous on 2009-01-16

2009-01-16T20:18:07Z

@Obijuan: Comcast did the same thing to me and ran their cable from a box in my yard across my driveway and lawn and in the cutter for five houses. It stayed this way despite repeated calls and pleading for nine months. I live in Georgia and the ground was not even close to frozen. When they finally buried the cable they destroyed my lawn with a half hearted attempt to spread seed that did not match my grass. Comcast is the worst company I have ever dealt with.

Comment from 2719 on 2009-01-16

2009-01-16T05:55:53Z

@JGBrock:

Not a good idea. Cable co in my area has the right of way provided by city franchise agreements and they use easements to route cables and it does not matter if it runs through neighbor's property. You get no say about it.

If you cut it once - no big deal, cut it twice - they will politely tell you to be more careful, three times - they charge you, keep doing it and they file a criminal complaint for damaging their property. They will take you to court if needed.

Comment from trujunglist on 2009-01-15

2009-01-16T01:03:03Z

@TVarmy:

I would pay several cable channels for exclusive access over my XBox 360 (right now I don't have another easy option for computer -> tv), say $5/mo directly to them rather than to the cable provider. They'd make more money and I wouldn't have to pay $60/mo for 2 good channels and 97 crap ones. Or if they were willing to make it PPC compatible, then that'd be acceptable too. Right now I can't justify paying for even basic cable since it costs so much and the majority of the channels are filler. Bring on the digital a la carte or it's hulu and bt for me!

Comment from TaterTom on 2009-01-15

2009-01-15T20:09:36Z

@ZivenDolphin: Not to sound like a jerk, but I wouldn't recommend tampering with the line from street to house from any service. Before the advent of voice-over-ip, and possibly today, coax cable lines can carry 90 or more volts.

By all means, though, call until they fix it. If it gets damaged by *ahem* accident, each customer can usually be granted a one-time pass, and politeness is key to getting such favors. If you're calling repeatedly and it's not getting fixed, there are routes through city or county officials to make them get on it pronto. Take heed that this sometimes 'marks' your account, so they know you're a complainant, and may treat you a little differently in the future, for better or worse is a coin toss.

Comment from TaterTom on 2009-01-15

2009-01-15T19:59:08Z

@RStui: That certainly doesn't sound right to me. You should call and get clarified to you what that charge is for. It may just be an activation fee or similar, which would include burying any lines, but is normal and acceptable. As far as the depth, in the same call, ask for a local-zone supervisor to come do a QA [quality analysis] in the same call.

AT&T local to me is a phone service, and they replace/rebury the line from street to house for free even if I cut it, and it was buried at a proper depth. Depth itself will change due to local regulations, here I believe it's 6 inches for coax, 8 for twisted pair.

Also, it should be noted that depending on the soil, cable can literally float to the surface over time. It sounds odd, and it's not common, but I've seen it with cable I buried myself here in sandy, rain-flooded ground in Florida.

Comment from TaterTom on 2009-01-15

2009-01-15T19:48:02Z

@shepd: Different variations of that precise solution have been in place for years with Comcast, and I believe it's safe to say, other companies. The problem lies in coordinating extensive numbers of employees to all enter the proper information in the proper form in the proper 'system', as the hardware and software changes. You've got the younger'ns such as yourself which tend to take quickly to it, the midlevels that take a little time to adjust, and there's always some of the 'old cable dawgs' that despise and dispute the new system every time it rolls out.

It's just like trying to coordinate huge call centers for banks, retail outlets, electronics manufacturers and tech support. There will always be people that didn't get the memo, people that didn't understand the memo, and people that flat out ignored the memo.

Not to mention that hiring kids fresh from high school to write large-scale software is a huge risk for any company. Only recently are programs for certifications even available to them in most areas. In addition, any kid that volunteers clearly has an alternative agenda, and any that you approach to do that type of work will just post the backdoor or other infiltration means to others, invalidating the whole process.

Comment from shepd on 2009-01-15

2009-01-15T18:25:34Z

@addicuss:

Your company needs to learn about these magical things called databases. :-)

Seriously, it is NOT hard (for a programmer, and a company the size of yours has plenty) to add a column to your installer's database that contains the date it was buried. You run an exception report once a week that sends an email to the guy in charge of this crap listing anything that has an install date more than, say, 1 month ago (during summer) or 6 months ago (during winter) that has no burial date.

Voila! Now your cable really does phone home telling you it's not buried. And if your installers are lying about whether the cable is buried or not, may they enjoy all that welfare has to offer.

This is so easy you could get a kid fresh into highschool that even half-likes computers to do it for you. If Comcast doesn't do it (I bet they don't), that's just plain sad.

Comment from Carias on 2009-01-15

2009-01-15T08:50:41Z

@IphtashuFitz: I also worked in cable repair for a major company in Canada. If it's anything like them Comcast doesn't do the burial themselves.

They run a temporary line and put in a work order for a burial which is routed to an outside company. That company gets in touch with the city because the bruials take place on city property. That's where most of the delays happen. Even if they are given a permit to dig after several months they then have to contact all the utilities (gas, electric, plumbing etc)and have them go draw out the lines where they can't dig.

Even once this is done there can be further delays because they have to do the work orders in the order of which tehy recieved them. If there was a storm that damaged a lot of main lines then that puts you further down the list. It's considered cosmetic and not a priority. You'll be waiting sometimes up to 2 years depending on how many other burials have to be completed as they only have so many months out of the year to do them.

Hopefully that gives you some insight as to the process.

Comment from tachyon1112 on 2009-01-15

2009-01-15T06:51:06Z

@TIMCHUCK: Many phone, cable, and electrical providers now offer a pedestal blind. These "blinds" hide the unsitely wires under a pedestal in the shape of a rock or various other shapes. There is a charge for this "service", however, usually staggered at $3 a month or if your neighbors are agreeable you can get them to go in with you and pay a lump sum, usually $150.

If, however, these aesthetic peds aren't available, you can always go pick something similar up at a chain hardware store and cover it up yourself.

Comment from tachyon1112 on 2009-01-15

2009-01-15T06:40:30Z

@trotskysghost:
Underground cable drops ARE installed in a neat and workmanlike manner when they are buried. NEC doesn't really come into play on temporary situations, which this obviously was intended to be. Most cable providers refer to NEC in terms of bonding and grounding, but for little else. This is not a mistake on the part of the install tech.

Comcast employs contractors to bury their cable and sometimes they drop the ball and this happens. Comcast made a mistake by letting it go for over a year when anything over 2 weeks is unacceptable.

Any installer worth a damn would get the customer hooked up, let them sign off on the TEMPORARY line on the ground then let the contractor earn their keep. It's either lay the line on the ground or tell the customer "Sorry, you're not serviceable."

Either way, Comcast is going to take flack.

Comment from smokinfoo on 2009-01-15

2009-01-15T06:03:53Z

Simple solution: Get a pair of wire cutters. Snip the cables at both ends. Wait. Problem solved.

Comment from aesthetaljunk on 2009-01-14

2009-01-15T04:03:13Z

This doesn't surprise me in the least. Comcast (in my opinion) is known for their not-so-great service.

Comment from Anonymous on 2009-01-14

2009-01-15T03:20:28Z

Before you dig, most states have a number to call for someone to come out and locate all utilities. the cable in your yard isn't going to be buried that deep. in most states there isn't anything saying it has to be buried a certain depth. since this cable doesn't carry any harmful voltage, or won't cause injury to pets, or children it will only be buried enough to get it in the ground. if they were required to bury it deeper, like 12" or 18" you would notice the place where it was buried. in some cases, if it is a new home. the power company will let the cable be ran next to the power line that will be buried. that way, it will be 18" or more in the ground. so the 3/8" cable in your yard is in the way of mowing the grass, don't cut it. loosen the end at your house and roll it up. when you are finished mowing, lay the drop back down and tightened it back to the splitter or ground block. not rocket science, common sense. just be sure to tightened it so it doesn't call interference to get into the line. cause when you run over it with a mower the technician knows you have done this out of anger, or possibly by accident. normally you can tell by there demeanor when you arrive. to make it short, if the cable in your yard has been there for two weeks straight keep calling the cable company until it gets buried. don't try to fix it yourself it you have cut it, and there are reasons for that. i will comment on later.

Comment from Suulia on 2009-01-14

2009-01-15T02:37:16Z

"We figured they've got to come back and fix it eventually, and they never did."

If there is something wrong, it's generally a good idea to tell those responsible (in this case, Comcast), so the issue can be resolved in a timely manner.

Really, waiting a year and not telling Comcast but going to the News instead? Please.

Comment from RStui on 2009-01-14

2009-01-15T02:31:02Z

AT&T ran a line from a PED in our front yard, and buried it...all of 2" under the dirt in our driveway, all told, roughly 50 yards of line.

Then they tried to charge me for it. Is that normal??

Comment from craigpeters on 2009-01-14

2009-01-15T02:08:21Z

@Nighthawke: yep, so my cable goes up more

Comment from The Brain on 2009-01-14

2009-01-15T02:07:27Z

They did the exact same thing at my house. I called a manager and explained the gap between what my house cost and what they pay their installers. They sent out two people to fix it the next day, then they brought out the original guy who did it and showed him how they did it right.

Comment from addicuss on 2009-01-14

2009-01-15T01:34:30Z

Look (and yes i do work for comcast) a lot of these stories really show things in a really shitty light.

When a new person is installed they get connected and when theres work for construction to be done the cables are sometimes left there as long as its safe. A form is put in to bury the drop as soon as possible. like any other company in the world sometimes someone drops the ball, tech may forget to put in the form, a job may not be closed with the appropriate notations, whatever. Human error.

Understand that if something slips through the cracks and a drop isnt buried, with no customer complaint there is no way to know whether the cable was buried or not. the cables dont phone us to tell us they need a home. So yes if no one called they will stay out for a century. The story goes on to say once she contacted comcast it was buried.

So while this may make good filler news to anyone skimming a paper and reading about how horrible comcast is.. honestly its a mistake any company for any service anywhere can make.

So the lesson is. If something is wrong.. Complain. if you dont, dont bitch when it doesnt magically fix itself

Comment from DownfieldComa on 2009-01-14

2009-01-14T23:56:26Z

@lars2112: I may be wrong here, but depending on the jurisdiction, you *could* sue either or, or even both.

The homeowner has a duty to protect you from defects that could injure you on the land that they have ownership on.

Comcast has a duty to protect you from defects that could injure you from equipment, cabling, or other items that they have ownership/control over.

Comment from Veeber on 2009-01-14

2009-01-14T23:41:51Z

@TaterTom: @FrankenPC: They did the same thing in my backyard and they told me that the crew that fixes the cable isn't the same that buries the cable and another crew would be by in a few days. By the time they came and buried the cable I had already switched to DirectTV (~6 months)

Comment from Anonymous on 2009-01-14

2009-01-14T22:38:23Z

this is funny, I live in Hanover MD, and while this is not my house, it is in fact a duplicate picture of what I have delt with over the last 9 years. we have broadstrip and comcast in the neighborhood, so they are always jocking for taking the business from each other. well when this happens, and they come to run a line to your home, instead of being careful where they dig, they just bring out the trencher and go. my cable line has been cut more times that I can count and its always a temp line just like this that finds its way across my yard, behind my house, or wherever they can run it. my yard has perminant spots that grass just wont grow back with the way they patch it, and my paver walkway is damaged because of it. one time I had to call and tell them that a child tripped over the line just to get them to come out after over a month of looking at an orange line across my yard.

Brian in Hanover MD....EX Comcast customer....they are not comcastic, they are craptastic

Comment from jdhuck on 2009-01-14

2009-01-14T22:29:20Z

@Ash78: Half. I would argue for quartered.

Comment from Anonymous on 2009-01-14

2009-01-14T21:56:58Z

Had a similar problem when we lived in Colorado w/ AT&T broadband. Instead of burying cable they ran across the yard (for neighbor's cable, not ours). After my dogs ate the line twice they tacked it all over the privacy fence after i told them not to. After I cut the wire and they showed up to troubleshoot, I told them to either get it buried or i would just cut it again when they left. they sent a trencher to bury the next day. it took them all of an hour to bury the cable.

Comment from jonbruc on 2009-01-14

2009-01-14T21:19:24Z

Last fall, I discovered that both the comcast cable and the Verizon Fios line coming to my townhouse were buried less than two inches below the ground level.

Comment from FrankenPC on 2009-01-14

2009-01-14T21:18:27Z

@Obijuan: Uh, the REAL problem here is the lack of communication. Comcast goes out and does stupid s**t and says nothing to the customer.

Even a single sentence penned on a post it note would have sufficed: "Uh, no time to bury cable. Sry, back in a few months. Kthxbye"

Comment from Nighthawke on 2009-01-14

2009-01-14T20:28:53Z

@trotskysghost: Heh, that just made my day. Find out where they pulled that stunt, leave a copy of those regs where they can see them and make them sweat.

DO it by the book, get a city (or county) inspector out there, show him the regs and make the company sweat out the fines.

Comment from headhot on 2009-01-14

2009-01-14T20:11:09Z

actually temp lines are common, but they should always be orange in color, and should be address in less the 2 weeks not 2 years.

Plus, the ped in the picture should have been locked. Its pretty easy to steal cable if the top is off.

They have a huge liability on top of that in that if some one trips on that cable they can get their ass sued. And since they are probably breaking may rules of the local cable franchise, they wouldn't have a leg to stand on.

Comment from nman on 2009-01-14

2009-01-14T20:09:22Z

Yesterday the comcast guy came and did a nice job with the cables. He actually fixed the shitty ones that were laid by the previous company a decade ago.

Comment from TVarmy on 2009-01-14

2009-01-14T19:58:43Z

@Grant McAllister: I don't think they let you use more than one modem on one account. I know you're probably joking. Still, stealing TV is plausible.

Comment from amigabill on 2009-01-14

2009-01-14T19:58:12Z

P.S. for cable complaints in Howard County MD, check out the Office of Cable Administration:

[www.co.ho.md.us]

Comment from TVarmy on 2009-01-14

2009-01-14T19:56:31Z

@GearheadGeek: I hear there's this "Bit Torrent" thinger the kids talk about.

I wish the basic cable channels would realize that the cable companies are pretty much their biggest enemies. Since bandwidth is now pretty cheap, and video can be streamed at SD pretty easily, and downloaded at HD without too much of a wait, the cable channels would be smart to set up a paid P2P protocol to download their shows. I suggest charging for a season of a show in a similar way to how a magazine subscription works. Perhaps they could offer a cheaper plan that has time-limited downloads so that DVD sales aren't impacted. I'm thinking $15 a year per channel (maybe $20 with no ads) is a good idea for letting you watch any show within 48 hours of it playing on the air. Buying an episode for keeps (a no DRM commercial free copy is preferable) should be $.99 per 30 minute length, or $.50 per 30 minutes if you don't subscribe and just want to "rent."

Really, at this point, it's getting silly to have anything other than internet service. Phone and TV are both embarrassingly antiquated and expensive compared to their IP alternatives. The only problem is that the old media haven't set up a scheme to legitimize it and make revenue. Hulu's a start, but let's get something a multimedia PC or set top box could stream well.

Comment from amigabill on 2009-01-14

2009-01-14T19:55:34Z

I live in nearby Columbia, MD, and they arent' any better here. I'm a boardmember of my neighborhood Homeowners Association, and we're trying to get Comcast to fix these things. Nto sure about Anne Arundel county, but Howard County has an Office of the Cable Administrator to help deal with nonhelpful cable companies. Check if you have one too. It took over a year to get some of our problems fixed once we started nagging Comcast, there were about 40 or 45 instances of cable installation neglect, broken green junction tubes, tubes with wires sticking out the sides so the lid doesn't fit, wires laying on top of the grass for months or years at a time, etc. They gave us a contractor to talk to (does Comcast have ANY employees of its own??) but we couldn't get ahold of the guy we needed to talk to there, and the lady answering the phone seemed very not confident he'd find a message slid under his office door and didn't want to bother with that. So we nagged and got another contractor to talk to, who came out and did a neighborhood inspection with me. Said they'd be out in a few days to start work, and after two weeks of nothing I called to ask what was up, they said they were still waiting for Miss Utility to mark the dig sites, which is a big requirement around here before you break the ground. I never did hear anything again from this contractor, though it seems they have done some portion of the work. No, they are not finished. I even trimmed branches on a big bush covering a non-covered junction tube, the tube casing is on the ground and hte guts have been exposed to the weather forever far as I can tell. Nothing was done there but I never got a cal asking for more trimming or anything. I need to get back into naggin gmode again, they really do not seem to give a rat's ass about keeping our communities safe and attractive. (tripping hazards all over the freakin place from their above-ground wiring, also an equipment hazard to the landscaping company here)

Comment from OneEyedParrot on 2009-01-14

2009-01-14T19:22:19Z

This has happened to me as a Comcast customer, as well. Here in my area, if you want cable service, Comcast is your only choice. So, by default, we still use Comcast.

These techs who came to my house once strung cable across my whole cul-de-sac and left it there the whole summer. At that, each afternoon it would get pretty hot and the signal would be too crappy for Internet services.

Comment from nightsweat on 2009-01-14

2009-01-14T19:16:04Z

I'm in Howard County not far from Hanover, and we had the same damn problem - cable routed across the street, along the gutter and around from one box to another. I and my neighbors complained to Comcast repeatedly, but it stayed that way for 60 days until I finally got fed up and called the county and got ahold of the group that grants and oversees the cable franchise. They buried the cable two days later.

Bottom line - Comcast will go as ghetto as they feel like they can get away with.

Comment from MissCellania on 2009-01-14

2009-01-14T19:14:38Z

I had cable installed in my new house in August (not Comcast). I waited 13 hours and finally lost my temper (an understatement) and they installed it in the dark at 9PM. Six months and a dozen requests later, they buried the cable January 5th.

[www.yesbutnobutyes.com]

Comment from MPHinPgh on 2009-01-14

2009-01-14T19:07:07Z

@Ash78: (chuckling) You've been dying to use that line, haven't you.

Comment from lannister80 on 2009-01-14

2009-01-14T18:48:13Z

@vastrightwing: I don't think you need to sensor yourself. You should see the shit they say on Jezebel.

Comment from Matt Hines on 2009-01-14

2009-01-14T18:28:20Z

In my in-laws neighborhood (in Georgia where there is no frozen ground) many houses look like this. One house even has cable running across a neighbors yard and driveway to their house. It looks ridiculous.

Comment from scoutermac on 2009-01-14

2009-01-14T18:07:02Z

Once again.. this is why I have Directv. I run my own cables. I also use over the air digital. It is a much better picture for my locals then cable or Directv.

Comment from Anonymous on 2009-01-14

2009-01-14T17:39:49Z

That is exactly how it looks a block away in our subdivision. It was put down that way in the spring, so frozen ground was not an issue. I believe it was laziness... I had to laugh because twice now I've seen the cable shredded this winter when plows have gone down the street and ripped it out of the connection from the box and left it lying in the person's front yard or street. I feel for the people who keep losing service because of Comcast's laziness... Evidently when the customer calls to complain, Comcast comes back out and reconnects the cable, but leaves it all lying along the curbside in the gutter...

Comment from Grant McAllister on 2009-01-14

2009-01-14T17:21:34Z

So naive.... Someone in your block is stealing comcast internet :P

Comment from TaterTom on 2009-01-14

2009-01-14T13:43:12Z

@Obijuan: "RG6 cable is not that robust if it was stepped on a few times it would look like crap "

Your small, 4-state cable company must not have the same quality cable as Comcast. That line was likely quad-shield, flooded RG-6, and even non-flooded can be run over by 18-wheelers without significant loss to signal. Of the various Comcast systems I've worked in, none of them put RG-6 cable in conduit as a standard, and none of them put it 18" down. Feeder, on the other hand...

The description is a little spotty, but my experience also dictates it could actually be a temporary line substituting for a short run of feeder, in which case it could actually be servicing quite a few people, and dozens of televisions.

Comment from TaterTom on 2009-01-14

2009-01-14T13:35:06Z

@JiminyChristmas: Key word in that section is 'installed'. It's not installed, it's a temporary line. One year is a obviously a ridiculous amount of time for it, they dropped the ball and they know it. There is no way that is intended to be the finished installation.

Comment from Garbanzo on 2009-01-14

2009-01-14T10:43:54Z

@Starfury: Weird. I had an extraneous PacBell drop on my house. I called them about it and it was gone within a day or two. I wasn't even a Pacbell customer.

Comment from Anonymous on 2009-01-14

2009-01-14T10:05:18Z

WOW this same thing just happened 2days ago here in Minnesota! It has been cut twice from snowplow in two days. This one actually crossed a residential road. Then I look out today and they (Comcast) is putting it right back where it was across the road and guess what?----It's snowing in Minnesota!! Glad I have Direct tv

Comment from Mike Swain on 2009-01-14

2009-01-14T07:49:15Z

Comcast did the same thing to me right around this time in 2004 when the Eagles were in the playoffs. They came out and laid the cable in the gutter, and it snowed the morning after. When the snowplow came, it cut the connection just as people were coming over to watch the game. Needless to say, they didn't come out and do anything right away. Two days later, they replaced the connection....the exact same way as before!

Comment from JiminyChristmas on 2009-01-14

2009-01-14T05:08:36Z

@trotskysghost: The NEC may apply, but is it ever actually enforced with cable installers? It's certainly not in the jurisdiction where I live. Maybe in pre-wired new home construction...but I've never heard of a Comcast cable guy pulling a permit to run cable in or to an existing building.

No permit, no inspection. No inspection and, well, you have the state of affairs we have now.

Comment from JiminyChristmas on 2009-01-13

2009-01-14T04:58:44Z

The last time I moved to a new place and had cable installed was in a late September. The tech leaves the cable draped across the lawn and says a different crew will be back to bury it. They didn't make it back before Winter set in. This being Minnesota, at least the top foot of earth is frozen solid by the end of November. I think it was late April when they eventually returned and buried the cable.

To their credit, they did not disturb the lawn at all with the burial; you couldn't tell where the cable went. However, the following spring I found the cable while doing some gardening. I hit it with a trowel while planting flowers. The cable was buried all of 4" beneath the sod.

Comment from rockasocky on 2009-01-13

2009-01-14T04:48:32Z

@lars2112: Comcast has the deep pockets, so you're gonna sue them regardless of whose "fault" it actually is.

Comment from 2719 on 2009-01-13

2009-01-14T04:44:50Z

This is not news. This happens everywhere and sometimes temp cables get missed and they stay on the ground until someone calls in.

I've seen one going across 5 driveways with minimum 30 wait to bury.

Comment from dreamsneverend on 2009-01-13

2009-01-14T04:14:03Z

@superhalo: On that note it happens here at Bright House as well. The number customers originally set up their account with is often not working or some cellphone that they left behind. The techs running only see that number and not always the # attached to your phone modem (MTA). So when you do call in always ask the CSR if your info is up to date.

Comment from Papa Midnight on 2009-01-13

2009-01-14T04:11:22Z

@Papa Midnight: Excuse me, allow me to correct myself, it's still there.

Comment from Papa Midnight on 2009-01-13

2009-01-14T04:11:03Z

I'll testify to this. I've seen it in Baltimore County personally.

Comment from NickIQ on 2009-01-13

2009-01-14T04:05:35Z

@trotskysghost:
Awesome. I love it when someone who really knows their shit, right down to the details, gets to comment on something like this. It's always entertaining to find out exactly what rules they're breaking, and how unprofessional it is. (Thanks!)

Comment from TIMCHUCK on 2009-01-13

2009-01-14T03:59:26Z

Every house in my neighborhood in Aspen, Co. has at least one ugly curbside pedestal. Some have two (Telephone and cable). Some three (electrical). The utilities don't want them at the house anymore because it's more work for the tech, etc. We have endless zoning regulations, but nothing seems to stop the spread of these little green monsters. I was free of them until QWEST decided to run a new line part-way to my house, from the pedestal across the street to a new location in my yard. They put in a beat-up, used one. I replaced it with a lawn sprinkler valve box and left Qwest's on their front door.

Where's the outrage?

Comment from superhalo on 2009-01-13

2009-01-14T03:59:17Z

For about 2-3 months Comcast left the cable strung from the road across my yard and up to the roof. I ended up having to string it along the fence to protect the cable from the dogs. Then one morning a man shows up and says he was there to bury the line and he had called several times, but the number was disconnected. Strange, seeing as my phone is through Comcast and was working.

Comment from Starfury on 2009-01-13

2009-01-14T03:40:22Z

Sounds like a beef I had with Pac Bell over my phone lines (Now ATT). The house I bought many years back had three drops running to it. The one on the far side of the house was not being used and I requested that they remove the cable and the junction box from the house. The CSR said that they wouldn't.

I politely informed the CSR that I had a pair of wire cutters and would have no problem cutting the cable and letting it hang from the pole until they decided to fix it.

A truck was out 2 days later and the wire removed.

Comment from theirishscion on 2009-01-13

2009-01-14T03:34:58Z

@Inglix_the_Mad: Oh my, now I feel even warmer and fuzzier!

Comment from ideagirl on 2009-01-13

2009-01-14T03:34:45Z

@trotskysghost: ahh, but you see, the operative phrase there is "Any installer worth a damn..."

Comment from TakingItSeriously is Simon on 2009-01-13

2009-01-14T03:33:43Z

@gomerkyle9: CLASS ACTION!

Comment from lars2112 on 2009-01-13

2009-01-14T03:33:28Z

So if I was to walk on the sidewalk and trip on the cable, who could I sue???? Comcast or the homeowner? Since the homeowner is required to take care of the sidewalk in front of their house, are they also on the hook for anyone getting hurt by the cable. (I am sure someone can find a way to trip of that)

Comment from wickedpixel on 2009-01-13

2009-01-14T03:29:11Z

@JGBrock: That's exactly what I was thinking - cut the cable repeatedly until they bury the damn thing. Glad to hear that noble approach worked out for you!

Comment from trotskysghost on 2009-01-13

2009-01-14T03:27:06Z

Speaking as a former electrician and a current electrical engineer (working towards my P.E. license)I can say that the above installation, whether permanent or temporary, is a gross violation of the National Electric Code (which does by the way cover telecommunications wiring such as telephone, data networking and cable TV wiring).

Under section 820.24:
"Community television and radio distribution systems shall be installed in a neat and workmanlike manner. Coaxial cables installed exposed on the surface of ceiling and sidewalls shall be supported by the building structure in such a manner that the cables will not be damaged by normal building use. Such cables shall be secured by hardware including straps, staples, cable ties, hangers, or similar fittings designed and installed so as not to damage the cable. The installation shall also conform to 300.4(D) and 300.11."

Section 300.4(D) has to do with protecting wiring from damage in wood framed structures.

Section 300.11 describes what may and may not be used as a means of support. Gutters are not approved.

Any installer worth a damn, would never even consider such an installation.

Comment from RecordStoreToughGuy_KnowsThreeChords on 2009-01-13

2009-01-14T03:26:18Z

@ScottRose: Oh, please, no one would make that kind of mistake. 67alecto is obviously referring to monster.com. Which still raises the question of why anyone would use a job finding website to hook people up to cable service...

Comment from ManiacDan on 2009-01-13

2009-01-14T03:25:15Z

My in-laws had a comcast wire running over their bushes for years. They ended up simply cutting it "by mistake" every time they trimmed the bushes, until comcast got the police to threaten them with arrest if they didn't stop. That's right, instead of fixing the wire that was strung across someone's private property, they simply called the police on anyone who touched it.

Comment from Inglix_the_Mad on 2009-01-13

2009-01-14T03:24:09Z

@JGBrock:

My friend had a big box installed in his yard, and they broke the fence to get in back (the gate was locked) because he wasn't in the worlds best neighborhood. He took the rest of the fencing down on that side and posted all sorts of prominent warnings about theft, blah blah blah. Basically saying: this box is important and expensive.

They were pissed he took the fence down exposing the box (part of the secret reason they placed it in his yard) because the contents were stolen multiple times. One guy drove a skid steer or something (from the way the lawn was tore up) on the lawn and stole the whole f*cking box.

My friend just snickered as they replaced the box time and again. They finally gave up, after he refused to rebuild the fence, since they wouldn't pay to repair the damaged section.

Comment from Obijuan on 2009-01-13

2009-01-14T03:23:05Z

@IphtashuFitz: @IphtashuFitz:

i honestly think that it has not been their a year, RG6 cable is not that robust if it was stepped on a few times it would look like crap on the tv it is going to and since most people have more than 1 tv it is most likely feeding the entire house for cable. If it was damaged those people would lose service and call in for a trouble call and most techs would get it replaced and scheduled for a new drop to be put in (new drops have to be buried in a orange conduit about 18 inches to protect them).

Then again i don't work for comcast i work for a small 4 state cable company and we put customers first so seeing stuff like this doesnt make sense to me either.

Comment from Shadowman615 on 2009-01-13

2009-01-14T03:21:40Z

@JGBrock: Nice. I was going to suggest something similar, actually.

Comment from theirishscion on 2009-01-13

2009-01-14T03:19:32Z

@JGBrock: Your story has touched me deeply. I feel all warm and fuzzy now. Thank you.

Comment from Inglix_the_Mad on 2009-01-13

2009-01-14T03:16:52Z

@IphtashuFitz:

Heck my snowblower or lawnmower would've eaten it by the time a year was up, and it'd just be a moment of inattentiveness. Winter? I have an ice chip blade I use on a regular basis around here. I keep it SHARP, one bad tap and it'd slice right through coax, while I de-icing the skirt. Heck, shoveling could kill the cable!

This reminds me of why a former employee had multiple "accidents" on his property (while he wasn't around) after the cable company pulled some stupid sh*t similar to this...

I'd think that it'd be labeled a hazard too. One person trips, lawsuit over your exposed cable.

Comment from gomerkyle9 on 2009-01-13

2009-01-14T03:11:38Z

@ScottRose: That's it! I'm suing.

Comment from JGKojak on 2009-01-13

2009-01-14T03:08:55Z

Our neighbors have had their cable running from jct. box, across chain link fence, through yard w/3 big dogs, for about 6 months now and no burial in site.

Surewest just came to my neighborhood and you can bet I'm gonna be switching.

Comment from thor79 on 2009-01-13

2009-01-14T03:05:16Z

Doesn't surprise me. When we first had our cable installed here they left our cable laying across our side yard for a good 3 months before I decided to bury it myself. Was a pain in the butt to mow the lawn that summer.

Comment from ScottRose on 2009-01-13

2009-01-14T02:59:30Z

@67alecto: Now, how in the heck would they use a mini golf course to connect cable??

Comment from GearheadGeek on 2009-01-13

2009-01-14T02:55:19Z

@vastrightwing: And no Discovery, TLC, History, Bravo, SciFi, ComedyCentral, BBC America, Food Network... the few things I actually like to watch on TV aren't available free OTA, and the satellite companies are just a different brand of cable companies with their own crappy problems and no good broadband internet.

Comment from ShinGetterPoPo on 2009-01-13

2009-01-14T02:48:01Z

Sounds like my friends place near hanover. They told him it was temporary a few years ago. Still waiting for that permanent switch.

Comment from vastrightwing on 2009-01-13

2009-01-14T02:45:15Z

Bring back those big antennas! They look better than this *h__! Plus, then you won't have to worry about Comcast over billing you. Oh, and the picture aulity is much better too. Oh, and no monthly bill!

Comment from IphtashuFitz on 2009-01-13

2009-01-14T02:44:15Z

@Obijuan: That still doesn't explain why it took Comcast close to a full year to remedy this. The ground isn't frozen in Baltimore year-round. I'm also shocked that they'd leave the cable like this across multiple driveways. A single snow storm and subsequent plow could rip that cable right out of there.

Comment from JGBrock on 2009-01-13

2009-01-14T02:42:52Z

Time Warner ran cable across my yard to a new house and left it that way. This was in the fall and they assured me that it would be buried as soon as possible. The following spring it was, of course, still there. And it was lawn mowing season. So I got my lawn mower, gas can, ipod, and big freaking pair of bolt cutters and headed out of the garage. The time warner repair guy that showed up two hours later was really ticked off. The following week, after I did it again, they threatened to call the police. The week after that, they did. I explained to the police what was going on, that TM was welcome to bury the damned thing at any time, and that I was not going to stop mowing my yard because they were too lazy to do so. He told the tech to STFU and left. They buried it a couple of days later. After almost 5 months.

Comment from Ash78 ain't got time to bleed on 2009-01-13

2009-01-14T02:38:16Z

That's Comcalf-assed!

Comment from 67alecto on 2009-01-13

2009-01-14T02:37:45Z

@ScottRose: They must use Monster Cables.

Comment from ScottRose on 2009-01-13

2009-01-14T02:36:19Z

I'm surprised they survived that long, getting run over, stepped on, and so forth.

At least Comcast Cable's cable cables are high-quality cables.

Comment from DePaulBlueDemon on 2009-01-13

2009-01-14T02:36:14Z

That's how ALL the cable switch boxes look in Chicago. :(

Comment from Obijuan on 2009-01-13

2009-01-14T02:35:53Z

i work for a cable company and the likely reason they did not burry the drop is because the ground is frozen and the gutter is the safest place for the cable so it doesnt get damaged. n I have done this a few times and have came back to replace the drop in a few weeks.