For a week I had terrible static on my telephone. It was nearly impossible to call out and when people called me I couldn’t understand anything they said except every third word for the static interference. Each time I called the static on the phone sounded like I had dialed into the grandfather of all snow storms. It got worse. The storm of static got so bad, when I called my bank to find out if I had any money left, I could not even get the satisfaction of knowing how broke I was. Each time I dialed my account number, so the robot on the other end would oblige me with a report on my financial condition, all that I got, when I could understand the creature, was either, so much static I couldn’t understand the it, or the robot kept asking me for my identification.
After I had repeated my loan number, my Social Security number and my driver’s license number three times without success, I gave up trying to call. I found out later, that people, who called me, were cut off before I could answer my phone.
I called AT&T. “Help,” I said. After three tries on the phone I got through. AT&T’s robot was more helpful. I was promised a repairman the very next day. When Jessie, the repair technician appeared in my driveway, I was relieved.
“The trouble is not in the house,” I told him.
I did not want to pay anyone for the repairs that are charged when the problem is in the house lines. Also, it was true. I already knew the problem had to be external. My neighbor down the road, Marilyn and Randy’s phone, had the same problem. So did Linda, my next door neighbor. In fact, my line was crossed with the neighbors. When I tried calling my daughter I got my neighbor instead.
AT&T’s experts, Jessie and Ezra, went to work. One day later the problem was found and corrected.
I like squirrels, bats and most birds. Squirrels climb around for acorns in my oak tree for that is behind my home. Birds live in the branches and I like to hear them gossip before they go to sleep. I once had a personal visit from a bat and we got to be sort of friends before he flew off. They are all OK animals. However, the problem Jessie and Ezra who worked on the phone lines found and fixed was a surprise. I learned that those little critters I felt friendly toward have a dark side in their natures. Birds make nests on the phone lines. Bats hang by their little claws on the lines at night and squirrels like to chew on the telephone cables. They all played a part in making my telephone stop working … although, not to place all the blame on the critters, during the recent heavy rains, water in the cables also helped cause problems.
I forgive the birds and animals. AT&T, (other than wanting my money), is aces in my book. Especially, I say they have good repairmen. Hats off to Ezra and Jessie.
