For Life Threatening Emergency, Press 3

It was the first snow of the season in DC tonight. And with the snow came some wicked winds. I could feel the winds pushing my little car around as I drove down King Street tonight. With very few cars on the road, and so much wind, I was noticing everything. Like the flashing blue light ahead of me. I was looking for the police car, when I noticed the light was coming from above—from the telephone poll—well, the wire that was at one time attached to the poll securely but was not blowing in the wind and sparking up a storm.

I thought, I hope someone calls that in. And then I realized in the world of cell phones, I should call it in. I called Dominion Power and got the automated system, which is the norm these days.

“Welcome to Dominion Virgina Power. If you are calling from a touch tone phone, press 1.”

Okay.

“To report a power outage, to get outage information, or to report a street light problem, light, press 1. For all residential account inquires, press 2.”

I guess this is an outage and it has to do with a street light, so 1 it is.

“To report that your lights are completely out or to get outage information, press 1. To report blinking or flickering lights, press 2. To report damaged power lines or equipment or a life-threatening emergency, press 3.”

I am going to with 3, Alex.

“Please Hold.”

Soft music playing. Some crap about their website.

“The estimated wait time is 11 minutes.”

So much for my good Samaritan deed of the day. I don’t know what’s wackier—putting “life threatening emergency” number 3 is the scheme of things, or having someone hold 11 minutes to report such an emergency.