Stateside with Rosalea: Cableat Emptor

"Cable's new reality!" That's the breathy ad series a Very Big Cable Company is currently running here in the Bay Area in its fierce battle for market share. Suckered into it, I decide to sign up for a month's free cable internet, with no contract, and $35 a month after that if I decide to keep it. You gets what you pays for, I suppose.

Originally, VBCC said they'd be here between 8am and noon on Saturday. Good-oh! I can always find housework to do for four hours to amuse myself. Noon goes by; not a murmur. Twelve-thirty I get a call saying they'll be here in about an hour. Fair 'nuff. At least I can go out and get some groceries.

At 2:15 the phone goes again, and the cable guy is here! "Oh, didn't they tell you that you have to have the building manager here so I can get access to the drop point?" No. "Well, we'll have to reschedule. I'll call you in five minutes when I get back down to the van and call in to the office."

Three hours later I get a call setting up a time for Wednesday between 8 and 10am. Fine, I can work from home that day. Dang, I've got an 11 am dental appointment; better reschedule that for another day, given last Saturday's performance. At least the building manager will be around.

So. Now it's 5:30pm on Wednesday and I'm still waiting. Despite getting an automated phone call yesterday reminding me that someone over the age of 18 has to be at home when the installer arrives, so it's not like I got the day wrong. About an hour ago, I saw a driverless VBCC van parked down on the street but no one came by or phoned me, and the van's gone now.

Cable's new reality? Phshaww! Same as the old reality, if you ask me. I'm calling the phone company and getting DSL instead.

© Scoop Media