Beware of the Leopard

So I was typing up an article for a local paper the other night at 3 in the morning, when suddenly my internet goes out.

Having had this happen a couple times before, and called Rogers tech support only to find out that I hadn't turned enough devices off and back on again, I did this repeatedly, and checked my computer's settings, all to no avail.

So I called Rogers tech support. After getting through the security questions (Which was a challenge, as I use neither the phone nor the mailing address at my place, and the bill is in another roommate's name), the tech guy told me nonchalantly, "oh, the connection is down in your area from 2am to 6am for scheduled maintenance."

So I asked him why I wasn't warned of this beforehand, as I was working on some vital documents (okay, they weren't vital, but I didn't know when I'd wake up and be able to send them. Best to exaggerate the extent of problems big companies cause you). He said that "notice of the outage is available on the [something rogers-tech-supportish] website."

First, I tried explaining to him the irony of posting this announcement on a website, where people won't be able to access it when their internet is down due to the very maintenance it is meant to announce. He didn't seem to understand or care.

Then, I tried explaining to him that the average internet user's morning routine isn't "wake up, eat breakfast, check e-mail, brush teeth, check Rogers tech support website for upcoming internet outages" (particularly since this routine doesn't involve porn).

I think it might have been clearer for him if I had put it that way; what I actually said was "well by that logic, I should go to the airport right now in case there's somebody waiting for me!" Still, he didn't quite understand why it should matter to him.

So I explained to him that he should pass it up the ladder as a suggestion. I told him that when the City recently had to do some maintenance on our water pipes, they didn't just do it and expect people to go to City Hall to find the explanation on display there. (Again, it was only afterwards that I figured I should have been more clear by adding, "in the bottom of a locked filing cabinet stuck in a disused lavatory with a sign on the door saying Beware of the Leopard.") What the City did do was pass flyers to the doors of residents that would be affected; I suggested that Rogers should send e-mails to those of its customers who will be affected by scheduled outages (I did not mention that I wouldn't have gotten such a message anyway, as I don't have an e-mail addresss tied to that particular account).

Many times as I tried to explain to him the stupidity of what Rogers had done, he kept saying "I don't want to get into an argument with you," and I kept thinking, "good, just understand what I'm saying and you won't have to."

I also forgot to tell him that I was moving soon, and if it is at all possible, I will try to get an internet connection from someone that is not Rogers. [Edit: mission accomplished.]

In other news, I'm not having any problems with my Bell cellphone (other than the 5 voicemail limit, but hey, they're free).

- RG>