Powerless in Palo Alto

[Bonnie]

Is anyone else without power?

[Marcelyn]

No electricity for five (5) minutes this morning starting at 9:35am.

No electricity for nine (9) hours yesterday, Tuesday, January 30.

[Uncle Doug]

The title of this post would make a great book title. 

Instead it's an endless rerun of a show we've seen way too many times.

[Marcelyn]

News Flash.    I’m preparing a book (log) on the electricity outages in El Santuario.

What did my neighbor say:  “the electricity here goes out more often than I do”. This is sad and not a good evaluation for our utilities service.

Very difficult on our appliances. Replacement costs will be part of my log.

 

[Bonnie]

I learned via Rodny, after I called him this morning and he called Fenosa, that it was a "scheduled maintenance" for this side of town. If it was scheduled, why couldn't residents be given some notice via Facebook, News Boquete, etc. so we could plan accordingly? I had scheduled an electronics guy from David to come today to try to fix my remote-controlled gate, for example, but luckily he postponed his visit just before the power went off. It would have been most inconvenient for him had he driven that distance only to discover that he couldn't work because of the outage. It would be very easy for Fenosa to do routine Internet messages of planned outages and projected restoration times. It's the not knowing that's the killer.

[Keith Woolford]

I’m just glad I’m not in Puerto Rico.  

[Bonnie]

51 minutes ago, Keith Woolford said:

I’m just glad I’m not in Puerto Rico.  

 

I am, too. What a travesty. In fact, don't get me started.

However bad your situation, there's always at least one that is worse. However, I don't believe that mitigates against the hope that your own bad situation could improve.

Also, I have to admit that what was an exciting challenge at age 62 is a major source of aggravation now that I have reached 73. We oldsters just aren't as adaptable to adverse circumstances as we were in our younger years.

[Penny]

The irony is that the guy who hit the pole and caused the six hour outage last Saturday is the head electrician for Boquete Online Services

[Marcelyn]

What is Boquete Online Services?

[Bonnie]

 

boqueteonlineservices.com/

 

Also, http://boquete.ning.com/forum/topics/boquete-online-services

Edited January 31, 2018 by Bonnie

[TwoSailors]

That is sad for BOL. Did he survive? 

[Bonnie]

Three more outages at home today and one in a restaurant at lunch. 

[Keith Woolford]

The beginning of the dry season always seems to exploit the shortcomings of the electrical distribution system with trees and limbs giving it up to the stiff winds we’re experiencing now. I'm guessing the ‘routine maintenance‘ shutdown was for some rushed pruning.

You folks at the north end of town are more susceptible to those problems, unfortunately. The transmission lines along the Via Boquete right up to the intersec5ion of Volcancito Rd. were all improved at the end of the highway widening project, so it’s mostly only incidents like Saturday’s pole crash that put our power out for any length of time.

I have to admit I still feel grateful for the quality of the infrastructure here after experiencing over ten years of torturous service (?) from publicly owned ICE in Costa Rica.

Edited February 2, 2018 by Keith Woolford

[Bonnie]

6 hours ago, Keith Woolford said:

The beginning of the dry season always seems to exploit the shortcomings of the electrical distribution system with trees and limbs giving it up to the stiff winds we’re experiencing now. I'm guessing the ‘routine maintenance‘ shutdown was for some rushed pruning.

You folks at the north end of town are more susceptible to those problems, unfortunately. The transmission lines along the Via Boquete right up to the intersec5ion of Volcancito Rd. were all improved at the end of the highway widening project, so it’s mostly only incidents like Saturday’s pole crash that put our power out for any length of time.

I have to admit I still feel grateful for the quality of the infrastructure here after experiencing over ten years of torturous service (?) from publicly owned ICE in Costa Rica.

I didn't see any signs of pruning, Keith, on two trips into town during the "maintenance" outage. I did observe a number of workers atop and beneath a utility pole, clear of trees and shrubbery, near the Hotel Ladera.

I particularly appreciate your remarks about the improvement of the power lines along the new Via Boquete because that illustrates that it can be done. I think UF should be proactive in improving electricity deliverance to other areas. I spent a year of my life in the interior of Sierra Leone, West Africa, where we had generator electricity only a few hours in the early evening. But, I regret to say, that does not make me appreciative of UF's poor performance here in Chiriqui. The silver lining is that north of town, or at least here in Palo Alto, we have virtually no water problems. Our water system was constructed by Peace Corps volunteers back in the sixties, I'm told. It's amazing that this kind of lasting infrastructure can't be developed here some 50 to 55 years later.

 

[Bud]

We had FIVE power outages yesterday (Thursday, February 1^st), with the longest being about three hours.

These outages are really hard on appliances, and Thursdays are our laundry day. Not much laundry got done yesterday.

Ask me if I am a happy camper.

[Bonnie]

My housekeeper, who has spent her entire life here in Palo Alto and whom I have never heard gripe about anything in the 11 years I've known her, just arrived for her weekly visit complaining bitterly about the electrical outages. Her last sentence was, "Pero la factura es igual."

So it's not just us gringos.

Edited February 2, 2018 by Bonnie

[Palo Alto Jo]

On 1/31/2018 at 6:12 PM, TwoSailors said:

That is sad for BOL. Did he survive? 

I'm no doubt late to this conversation, but just paid Omar of Boquete  Online services for my dishwasher repair.  He's alive, grateful to be alive, and has crutches for a slightly injured ankle.  His airbag did not deploy, even though he hit the pole head on.  He said the high winds blew his little Chevy Aveo off the road and into the pole.  Sparks flew,  and I'm sure that was terrifying.

Edited February 2, 2018 by Palo Alto Jo
typo

[Bonnie]

It was light enough to be blown off the road, but heavy enough to topple a utility pole?

[Keith Woolford]

A few hours ago near Tocumen. Maybe it’s a competition.

 

Edited February 3, 2018 by Keith Woolford

[Penny]

12 hours ago, Bonnie said:

It was light enough to be blown off the road, but heavy enough to topple a utility pole?

After having dealt with Boquete Online Services for the past couple of months, I have learned to take what they tell you with a major grain of salt . . . like maybe a pound of it.

[TwoSailors]

We got a quote from BOS for $75, EACH to rescreen two sliding patio screen doors. Got them done for $40 total, including installation from another source. Buyer beware!

[Keith Woolford]

20 hours ago, Palo Alto Jo said:

His airbag did not deploy, even though he hit the pole head on.  He said the high winds blew his little Chevy Aveo off the road and into the pole. 

The airbag didn't deploy because the sensors are behind the bumper which seems barely impacted.

Looks to me like the car was airborne when it crashed into the pole on a steep angle, mainly slamming it with the hood and engine. The terrain between the highway and the pole line is very uneven.

Blown off the highway on a clear, dry day? Not likely.

 

[TwoSailors]

1 hour ago, Keith Woolford said:

Blown off the highway on a clear, dry day? Not likely.

And elephants fly!

 

[JohnF13]

Where are those darned Tornado chasers when you need them?  Gust of wind?  Nope.