Dear editor,
The telephone's down in our town; been down damn near a month, with little regard by Telus for those of us living on the edge. Been much that way since swallowing old B.C. Tel by us oldsters, who doggedly maintain our landlines as our "lifeline" to the Outside, not trusting (with obvious good reason) the costly, newfangled "cell".
With increasing failing service (still stuck with dial-up email), some eventually adopted both AirCard and the Cell with some hope to maintain a bare link to emergency services should the need arise. Despite the tower being on the hill above our heads (apparently in a shadow), reception is, at best, conditional in fall and winter despite the leaves being off the trees. Although that may be a blessing when you click online and watch those megabytes speed on by!
When first the line went down, climbing to a high point above the road to gain cell reception, then patiently explaining that you cannot possibly, simultaneously, call and answer your own "landline" while standing, freezing the family jewels while getting dizzy spinning, ineffectively, to sustain a signal on your cell.
Finally, gained a commitment three weeks on, for a fix which then was cancelled late on the day arranged. Told their technician couldn't get a boat.
Bullhoockey! Not that they couldn't, but that they wouldn't, wanting a trip out here on the cheap, for us landline's again thrown on the heap with a reschedule for next week. Guess we'll see.
Upon relating the story with the 'Merican neighbour down the way, one burns green with envy when shown Verizon with five clear bars while I can rarely raise one, my weak (tongue-in-cheek) response is the North Island rendition of Pilates — reach up for the ceiling! Scrunch on down in the window well! Might try trotting up and down the road in wind, rain, hail — guaranteed to keep you fit and well! While attempting ineffectually to get a signal on your cell!
But I shouldn't be telling Telus this or they'll add that to my bill as well!
If, as we are so often reminded, that "Telus is our future," then you just gotta shake your head.
Paul "Kip" Beck
Quatsino