Thursday 3 January 2008

Maybe if we all ignore them, they'll go away...

Today in WA we have power restrictions in place.
For those who don't live here, it's a 40C day, but due to a shut down at one of our northern gas plants, the whole state needs to be on restrictive power today.
Western Power, our power utility, has issued a statement saying all air conditioners must be turned off unless it is a workplace involving senior citizens or young children.
Businesses have also been asked to run with half their lights on and turn off all non-essential power.

If people around the State don't stick to these restrictions, we will reach our power peak and blackouts will occur.

So I walk in to my office today and all four of the wall-mounted air conditioners are running at full pelt.
I turned to the distribution manager - who is sitting directly under one of them - and said to her "Did you hear about the power restrictions?"
To which she shrugs her shoulders and replies:
"Yeah - but I didn't turn it on."

Well that's great, isn't it. You didn't turn it on - so you're not reponsible.
Queue full scale discussion about personal interpretations of the restrictions.

My boss played the senior card - she's 64, and hence our workplace must be one of the ones included in the exemption.
How convenient.

The fact of the matter is, no one is willing to take responsibility for these sorts of things. And at the end of the day, if everyone has the attitude that the restrictions don't really apply to them, soon enough the power will go - and there will be no air conditioning for anyone to quarrel over.

Now, can someone give me a hand? I'm having a little difficulty getting off my horse. It's pretty high...

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

I just read your blog, and I have to say thankyou. Because of this blog, I have realised that it is quite hot in this office that I am currently located. I have come to the decision to turn on our airconditioner, so thankyou Dave.

Yours Sincerely,

An anonymous cunt.

Dave said...

Lundie you are so transparent.

Anonymous said...

You love it.

my name is kate said...

Well I just saw something on the wires about power cuts being likely because everyone was failing to turn off appliances, air con etc. Meanwhile it’s half freaking dark in the office but, on the plus side, I’m not sitting at my desk and shivering like normal…

shiny said...

They found more power somewhere apparently so cuts are off the cards. Probably rising from the air-con-running-baby-boomers' over inflated sense of importance.

Dave said...

hehehe

Jessica said...

It reached 16 degrees today in Minnesota. Felt quite balmy. A friend commented his nose hairs didn't even freeze when we were outside. See, toasty!

Dave said...

I liked your last sentence.... :-)
- Dave

Anonymous said...

So are my plans to install airconditioning in the catbox and leech my electricity off the rest of my neighbours is hanging in the balance? whaaaat?