Parents fear wire poses danger to kids
Some things look more dangerous than they really are, but that doesn’t stop people from rightly worrying about it. With so many communications boxes and other equipment occupying public space, it’s inevitable that some will take a beating, with their innards spilling out for all to see.
Not everybody knows the ins and outs of technical stuff, so when a box is smashed and a jumble of wires is exposed to kids who might be tempted to fool around with them, some parents will fret.
The overall state of repair of telecom boxes in the public right-of-way leaves a lot to be desired.
But as long as they function, telecom firms don’t seem to care about how things look, or if it worries the public.
Wing Wong sent us a note and photos, in which a severed cable protruding from the ground on Barnwell Dr. was flanked by two battered pedestal boxes.
“As a registered professional engineer, I am very concerned about a cable with an exposed open end in front of my neighbour’s house, because it is a danger to kids who play in the front yard and on the sidewalk,” Wong said.
He went on to say that “I have asked the Bell and Rogers cable technicians (about it) many times when they were working at their boxes near the cable, but all of them said this is not their responsibility.”
He hit the nail on the head. Shouldn’t technical staff, including contractors for Rogers and Bell, which own the vast majority of the stuff, be encouraged or even ordered to report damage, so it can be fixed quickly? If they really want to keep their equipment in tip-top shape, as part of their responsibility for occupying public space, and to enhance public confidence, shouldn’t this be a priority?
We’ve raised the issue before and were told by the city that it can’t impose standards because telecoms are governed by federal legislation.
Where there’s a will . . . But will is missing. STATUS: We sent a note to Bell and to its credit, got a reply the next day from spokesperson Jacqueline Michelis, who said the cable had already been removed and one of the boxes repaired, adding the other isn’t theirs. She noted that the cable contained fibre optic wires that “carry only light signals and no power.” Whew.