Stray Voltage on Sterling Place

jimbo79

My dog seems to have identified stray voltage in front of 398 Sterling Place. We used to pass that way twice a day on our walks. About a month ago, I noticed would hold back as I approached this spot, and then race ahead as fast as he could, in both cases as far as the length of the leash would allow. I shrugged it off at first but then he became reluctant to even leave the house at walk time. Then I realized he was showing the same behavior that he showed at the Underhill Avenue hot spot in 2004.

Back in 2004, this dog exhibited the same behavior, laying back then skipping ahead, each day as we passed a spot on Underhill between Sterling and St. Johns. I thought it was weird that he always did that at the same spot, but didn't think it was serious. Then one day when there was a lot of melted snow and salt on the sidewalk, my other dog (RIP), who never before had seemed to react, fell over on his side, writhing in pain. I was able to pull him off the hot spot with the leash and both dogs were fine, although shaken. Finally, I put my experiences together with the news reports of Jodie Lane's electrocution. We changed our route. We also notified Con Ed, who came out, identified and fixed the problem.

I spoke this morning to the home owner and to Con Ed. According to Con Ed, in response to my call on Tuesday, Con Ed conducted tests all up and down that side of the block (including hosing down the sidewalk and taking off their shoes!) and were unable to find any problem. They filed a lengthy report (incident no. BE06012317). The person I spoke to today was knowledgeable and courteous, and explained that the problem with stray voltage is that it is intermittent. Hence, the reports of electrocutions at sites that had only recently been tested and found safe.

According to the homeowner, a blackout hit this house and none of the neighboring houses about a month ago. Searching for the cause, Con Ed dug up the sidewalk, but found nothing wrong. Con Ed then concluded that the problem must have been an overhead wire strung from street light to street light. They took down the overhead wire, repaved the sidewalk, and closed the case.

I'm convinced that Con Ed has really tried to identify the problem, given the intermittent nature of stray voltage. I still think there's stray voltage at that spot, and I'm going to avoid it when walking my dog. I'll try to get Con Ed to come out next time it rains.

My complaint with Con Ed concerns the conduct of some dispatchers or technicians. When I called in the complaint Tuesday morning, they asked for a phone number where they could reach me. On my way home, when the train went over the bridge, I answered my cellphone and the caller says, "Who's this?" I just hung up, not knowing it was Con Ed. Later in the evening, I got another call from the same number (347-341-6545), so I asked him what he wanted. His answer was, "We want you, buddy!" So I hung up again. The next morning, I got another call from the same number, and the caller says, "The police have your address. They'll be at your front door in a few minutes." Then he hung up. It seems to me that some people take their jobs seriously, and some don't.

NYC's 311 didn't do a very good job on this either. The operator had no idea what "stray voltage" was, or which department to send me to. We tried the Buildings Department, then he sent me to the Fire Department. The Fire Department came out and put up accident tape. 311 really ought to have a script for stray voltage, even if it's just, "Call Con Ed."

metulj

Helluva story. Is the stray voltage area still marked clearly?

pitu

Jimbo
WHOA!

thanks for the heads up, and for keeping on it with ConEd/311 -- we all know how frustrating being a good citizen is.

anybody care to print this out and post it near the spot?
I'd want to know if it was on my route . . .

armchair_warrior

thank you for taking youre time to post about this.

caaahyoko

Yes, thank you for letting us know.

Just curious--does the stray voltage shock people with just water present? I thought there needed to be salt on the sidewalk too to conduct enough electricity for a dangerous shock. I ask because if that's true, someone might be able to convince coned that they need to use salt when testing. This may be why they have missed some spots that later ended up electrocuting dogs and/or people.

whyfi

caaahyoko wrote: Yes, thank you for letting us know.

Just curious--does the stray voltage shock people with just water present? I thought there needed to be salt on the sidewalk too to conduct enough electricity for a dangerous shock. I ask because if that's true, someone might be able to convince coned that they need to use salt when testing. This may be why they have missed some spots that later ended up electrocuting dogs and/or people.

Deionized water doesn't conduct, but water with impurities does, and it doesn't take much- (supposedly) if you climbed in to a tub full of deionized water, the salt on your skin would be sufficient to make the water conductive.

caaahyoko

Does more salt=more conductivity?


Science is fun!

liftandcut

Thanks for the heads-up! Fresh.

quijibo

Subject: meow no more

i just called 311

about a cat
black coat with a white understripe

it's dead and in the middle of the street
got run over in the night
st. mark's between 3 + 4th avenues

his stomach faces the sky
eyes wide open
you can see his teeth
and one paw is pointing up

the operators were very helpful

i'll let you know when they pick up the cat

quijibo

Subject: Re: meow no more

quijibo wrote: i'll let you know when they pick up the cat

1 hour later
cat is gone
not sure who picked it up