He has two utility poles but wants only one
Photo by Robert Mecea
About two years ago, I came home and a crew was putting up a new utility pole in front of our house. I asked them when they would take the old pole out. They said the way it works, whoever moves their wires last takes out the old pole. After four-five months, we got cable to come and move their wires. That left the phone wires. We called AT&T once a month to have the pole removed but nothing happened. The two poles are right next to each other with a pile of dirt. It doesn't look right.
-- Joseph Cozine, Patchogue
Going, going, gone. Not one, but three old utility poles on Anne and Joseph Cozine’s block were removed the day after we called Verizon. Yes, Verizon. Cozine’s phone service is with AT&T, which leases the network from Verizon. Apparently, Cozine's many complaints to AT&T weren’t passed along to Verizon. A Verizon spokeswoman, Heather Wilner, said the company was never notified about the pole in front of Cozine's home, but removed it and two other poles on the block after we called.
Rodger Neumann, Verizon’s outside plant engineer for the Patchogue and Selden Central offices, said that while the “double wood” poles weren’t pretty, they didn’t pose a hazard.
Generally, if a complaint is made to Verizon’s hotline (800 483 7988) about old poles, “we’re out there within a couple of days” to evaluate the situation, he said. Removal comes a month or two later, or immediately if the pole presents a hazard.
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