Utility guy says transformer needs replacing due to high use

[peacefulsmoker]

A good friend of mine, fellow 'head, told me a story about a guy, that knew a guy, that dealt in pounds of weed. The dealer lived on a dirt road out in the middle of nowhere, with no neighbors close by. One day, a man in a plain white pickup (sound familiar?) come by and informed the dealer that his transformer needed to be replaced. The dealer didn't think much of it... Crew comes out, "replaced" it, all was "well". About a week later, the dealer was busted.. What Happened?

The "power company employee" was an undercover officer. The new "transformer" was actually a shell with a hidden surveillance camera inside, aimed right at the guy's house. This was then used to collect enough evidence for probable cause to swoop in.

In the city where I live, in a ghetto part of town, back behind an old abandoned building out of street view, there is a huge parking lot with dozens of "plain white trucks", and a few police cars. The police use these plain unmarked vehicles to patrol the city covertly ON A DAILY BASIS. Most everyone thinks they are just "meter readers"...

A couple of years ago, I was pulled over after leaving a dealers house, which unbeknownst to me, was being watched by LEO. I had only gotten a couple of blocks away, when to my dismay, I looked in the rearview to see a blue "soccer mom" Dodge Caravan with red and blue flashing lights on the dashboard. Pulled over and was greeted by two plainclothes officers with badges on a chain around their neck. Around here, we call em the "Jump Out Boys". I was questioned and searched, against my will (when they asked for consent, i denied-ALWAYS DENY CONSENT!! ALWAYS!!.) I had hid my lil dimebag of schwag flatbud down in my crotch area before pulling over, so they didn't find it when searching me... Imagine my surprise when one of the officers come out from my car like he just found a 100 dollar bill.. with A GRAM OF BRIGHT GREEN DANK that definitely wasn't in my car before then (had just vacuumed and cleaned under seats real good a few days before). The unscrupulous bastard PLANTED THAT SHIT!! YES, they DO THIS!!! Luckily, my attorney was able to get the charge dismissed because I had denied consent.



Moral of these stories:

The cops are driving EVERYTHING...Tahoes, mini-vans, Cavaliers, Corvettes, Honda Civics.. you name it. They are using every resource at their disposal to bust people. You have to be up on what really goes on "on the streets".

I would be highly suspicious of anyone in a plain unmarked vehicle.. ASK TO SEE IDENTIFICATION BADGE!

NEVER CONSENT TO ANYTHING, NO MATTER WHAT-- No matter what kind of lies they tell you. If the shit hits the fan and you get busted, your attorney will have a MUCH better chance of getting you off the hook.

I am of the school of thought that it's better to be TOO paranoid, if it keeps me out of jail, rather than not paranoid enough.

 

[angelgoob]

Thanks for sharing peaceful. Good advice.

 

[Dirty Harry]

I was just thinking the same thing.

If what SP is observing is true (and I do believe him) something interesting might just be going on in his little corner of the world.

..... something that doesn't have anything to do with him but something he's unknowingly stumbled upon or into.

Like maybe he's observing activity involving something that has to be kept an eye on, military/infrastructure/communications?

If he is in the south, there is this countries largest on US soil exercise getting ready to kick off...called Jade Helm

 

[stoned-trout]

I would hate to see you on crack..!!!!!!!!!!!!! yeehaw

 

[Space Toker]

I saw the Fed cops even closer and in a smaller town yesterday. No doubt they coordinate exercises/operations with the staties, which have a couple complexes nearby. So joke away all you want, but they aren't after me and if they are they will be extremely disappointed!

 

[Jhhnn]

I would hate to see you on crack..!!!!!!!!!!!!! yeehaw

No doubt. That shit will make you crazy. I remember psychotic episodes of insane paranoia, shiver inside when I do. That was a long time ago, but I won't touch cocaine with a pole, not in any form. It's a demon.

 

[Space Toker]

HAHAHA not
for the record, I have only ever tried booze and pot to any great extent, I smoked cigars a couple times and maybe a cigarette once and gagged on it. I had a bizarre experience in college that could have been pot laced with some other drug or I actually got that acid I was offered and thought I rejected and asked about later. Never tried anything else and would not want to, don't judge anyone who has as we all have our own set of circumstances at the time and reasons and such. But yeah wouldn't try crack, meth, heroin, etc ever!

 

[Lazyman]

Fun thread, I'll chime in my two cents:

PGE, NorCal somewhere, 45kva transformer, serves my neighbor and me. After hitting around 30kw in draw on a 300a service, we got a letter from PGE asking us to contact them about high usage. Cue me, shitting bricks.

I finally get up the nerve to call the guy at PGe structured power, the guys who map and plan out who gets how much power, and how that happens. Right off, he asks me if I have a bunch of lights. I lie, of course, and give him a plausible excuse. he doesn't really buy it, I can hear it in his voice. but he tells me, "look, if you burn up a transformer, the fire department comes, who then calls the cops to find where the big draw came from. I'm sure you don't want that. cut your usage now and we will make a plan to get you more power. How much do you need?"

Ok, 200 amps I say. he says" ok, fill out this form on our site and mail it in, and we will work it out. " Months pass. I start bugging him at month 4. They have a plan, I don't have to pay for it, they just need the permits and the time. Kind of a big project. It takes them another YEAR. Finally done, can safely pull 200 amps, which required moving the transformer right next to my building and running dual drops to my panel. Got lucky I share it with the neighbor, otherwise if it was all me I would had to pay 15k for the work. ouch.

In short, get a big enough service put in (legally, which requires a permit and approval from homeowner) to give you plenty of overhead. THEN call power Co and ask for more power than you think you need. We end up using around 165a on that residential property. My buddy works for them too, says half the guys who work for them are growers, the other half see them as a minor nuisance ( stealing power and blowing transformers.) Pay your bills on time and make sure you are sized properly, and you should be fine. A 15kva transformer is common and is about the size of a 5 gallon bucket. A 45kva is about the size of a 25 gallon garbage can. those are the two most common sizes here, and can support around 15kw or 45kw respectively. Remember, if it's shared you have to leave juice for your neighbor too!

 

[Ushade]

I saw the Fed cops even closer and in a smaller town yesterday. No doubt they coordinate exercises/operations with the staties, which have a couple complexes nearby. So joke away all you want, but they aren't after me and if they are they will be extremely disappointed!

Yeah bro... Sometimes when you're doing your thing, the old noodle goes into creative, paranoid overdrive. I'd say figure out what you need, let 'em know and play dumb if questions are asked...my 2 coins.