The water is now sorted

[tonicha]

I knew, just knew we'd have at least one problem.

But I had to get Carla to help me.

These blasted Portuguese and their red tape

I'd spoken to Paula and explained that we are not able to get into AmbiOlhao apart from today and we're not moving until 28. Come in anyway and pay your bill.

So we take our ticket and wait for almost an hour. So glad it wasn't raining as most of us had to wait outside The woman I spoke to (Paula disappeared ) would not understand my best Portuguese, the girl in the next counter understood every word I was saying but this woman would not. Nor would she let me speak to her, because it was pagamentos and I was contratos

So I paid my bill, having given her the meter reading and she then said that they will be around tomorrow to take away the meter. Leaving us with no water

Oh no you won't I said,. You cannot expect us to go 5 days with out water.

She still would not understand my Portuguese - we get this shoulder shrug an a blank look, when you're dealing with people like this -

So I rang Carla.

All sorted I could almost hear her laying into them and the change in this womans attitude was lovely to see.

It's that Portuguese thing again - some-one higher up in the chain - and although Carla is only an estate agent, she's higher up than a clerk in the water office

[saundra]

Glad it's sorted ton
My glass of water just we t over my phone so phone has now had a bath and died
So must look my old landline phone out of the cupboard and set it up

[tonicha]

And in my best Portuguese, earlier, I had booked a hotel room. No problem, we had a laugh and chatted.

Sadly, the attitude of the woman in the office is still around, thought most of them have had to be "re-educated". Maybe she had a nasty furriner earlier and it was now my turn.

[tonicha]

My glass of water just we t over my phone so phone has now had a bath and died
So must look my old landline phone out of the cupboard and set it up

[TheOstrich]

Our neighbour opposite is due to move out sometime after Christmas. Up to him to read the water meter and tell South Staffs, but good luck with that! The water meters are in hatches in the roadway at the entrance to our close, very deep, and for most of the year, under 2 feet of standing water .... I have been known to hold traffic up while kneeling in the road with a torch in one hand and a bailing cup in t'other ....

[Kaz]

Glad you got sorted in the end Ton!

Saundra

Ossie

[tonicha]

Ours are always outside and within easy reach, as they get changed every time some-one moves.

The difference with the lecky company was

"the new owner must ring us with the meter reading and we'll start a new contract". We do nowt.

[meriad]

I've was really lucky when I moved back in 2007.... the flat I was moving into was a rental beforehand and therefore on prepay for gas and electric and somehow I managed to arrange for an engineer for both to come out same day as the move to replace the meters to regular ones.

I don't have a water meter as I'm on a joined incoming water pipe, interestingly enough though, upstairs does have a meter but in her flat; not exactly sure how that works or who installed it.

But red tape when it comes to utilities can be a right royal pain in the you know what.... Glad Carla was able to sort out the water for you Ton; did the lady at the counter really expect you to be without water for 5 days?

[tonicha]

Not her problem Ria, she just works for the water company

[meriad]

Not her problem Ria, she just works for the water company

LOL, that reminds me of years back when Karl and Nadine first moved here and I had to call the SA Nursing Council on behalf of Nadine to find out something that really was quite simple and generic .... got through to a person who, after me spending about 5 minutes explaining what I needed, went very quiet and then said: "Oh I don't know that madam, I just work here!"

sigh - things the same all over the world then