Gallery of Lights
The Site => General discussion => Topic started by: gailgrove on May 13, 2012, 01:20:53 PM
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Well a little background on the story, basically there are two cobras laying on the ground at a local intersection, they have been there for a few weeks. Since one of them is a Cooper OV-25, a light I want, I decided I would try to get it, I emailed the Region of Peel, who is in charge of the project and it went something like this:
My emails are in red, the (unnamed) Region of Peel worker is in blue.
(My first email to their online contact form)
Hello, today I notice two old streetlight fixtures laying on the ground near the intersection of Steeles and Rutherford, they seem to of been left there as part of the traffic signal replacement. As my hobby is collecting old streetlight fixtures I was wondering if it would be possible to get permission to take these fixtures, or to find out whom I could get permission from. Thank you for any assistance you can give, Niall McCluskey.
(Now this is the response I got from from the Region of Peel worker.)
Hi Mr. McCluskey;
Due to liability issues, salvaged electrical equipment is not given out to the general public. Being old equipment, the reliability and operational safety cannot be guaranteed. Also, the contractors rely on the scrap value of these items when determining their costs related to the overall project.
Regards,
***** ****, C.E.T./L.E.L.
Technical Analyst
Traffic Signals and Systems, Transportation Division
Public Works
10 Peel Centre Drive, 4th Floor
Brampton, ON. L6T 4B9
This response got me very annoyed (not the words I would use but anyways...) to say the least. Here is what I said in return.
(My email reply)
Not trying to sound cocky or anything, however if they are such a liability issue why have they been left laying at the side of the road for weeks? I could easily go and take them without any permission, I will not however as I am a honest person. If these lights are in fact a "liability issue" I would suggest telling your contractors to not leave them lying around for weeks on end. As for scrap value, I have scrapped a few of those lights before, for which I made about $7 a light, hardly a big deal. Anyways I have many contacts I can get other lights from, personally I feel this is the lazy way of getting out of things by citing 'liability issues'.
Sincerely,
Niall McCluskey
Clearly by this point I have given up on actually getting any lights from this site, or legally anyways, and had a typed "fit" at this person. If you were wondering about the scrapping a light part, I haven't scrapped a full cobra, only the casting of that 113 that was broken (got about $3 for it) and a 250 watt ballast (made about $7), yes I know that math doesn't add up, but I was mad. I am actually tempted to either phone this person or even better, show up at their office and talk to them, I won't, but I sure feel like it. I sent that email on Friday, so I'm interested to see if they respond tomorrow, if not I might file a complaint against them since they are required to respond to emails within two business days. Overall I was probably a bit harsh but this was a sort of "payback" for the probably dozen or so people that have said the same things.
If they do respond on Monday I'll post whatever they respond with.
[/rant]
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Hmm. I've never asked NGrid for lights, they probably would say the same thing to me too... They seem to be pretty good at not leaving stuff laying around. I guess in a way that's good sicne otherwise my collection would be huge lol. They sometiems leave down poles at the site, but they move them a few yards from the road. Seems you got pretty upset, though I can see why after hearing the same crap from multiple people. Those customer serivice people are pretty much payed to give excuses. :8) Normally, I'd think your best shot is to see a lineman at the site because the linemen don't directly get the scrap $$$ from the light. But maybe you'll come accross a contractor who's not selfish aand will let you have one.
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Well after getting off a rather stressful week of school and coming home to that email, I wasn't in a good mood. I have found a few select contractors that will give out lights but many won't, right now I'm trying to limit my collection to only lights I don't have. That means no R47s or M250R2s for now, until I can find a better place to store them, my grandfather has a barn north of the city so I could see about storing some there. Basically my mistake here was asking the local government instead of the contractor. Ironically I believe (I'm not positive who it is doing this project) I got Joe's lights from the same company that is doing the work, if I phone my contact from them I could likely get the lights, I didn't tell this moron or they might tell contractors NOT to give out lights. I also got my signal, 115, newer 125 and R7 from a project the Region of Peel was running. I'm sure if I found an electrician (which can be hard since they only work randomly) I could get the lights. Anyways school is starting, I should go to class.
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No power company in my area would give me lights either, I tried to get a few from a Duquesne Light lineman six years ago but he was no help, in fact he said that "they were all mercury anyway". :8)
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That sucks, here the utility companies don't maintain any streetlights (they did prior to 2002) because of some bill that said it was "taking business away from local contractors". Now cities have to contract out lighting repairs, ironically the utility company south of me just decided to become a contractor and now they do lighting maintenance here. Other group replacements (upgrades) get bid off to other electrical contractors (so does the maintenance) and finally new developments are the responsibility of the developer. I belive the reason behind the utilities not doing it is because they are all government owned (not for profit) so it was the government utility companies getting money instead of local contractors.
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Alex, in 2010 when I spoke with the lineman who gave me the open cap and FP photocell, I told him I collect older mercury vapor lights and he said he removed one just the day before. :( He said it was an older GE powr/door light which bummed me out since it was either a M-250A2 FCO or a M-250A, both of which I'd really like to get my hands on. He didn't have any old lights in the truck that night since he was strictly turning back on the streetlights that were shut off earlier in 2010 (including the one in front of my house). He was the only lineman I have ever met before. If i remember correctly, he introduced himself as Tom.
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No power company in my area would give me lights either, I tried to get a few from a Duquesne Light lineman six years ago but he was no help, in fact he said that "they were all mercury anyway". :8)
What does that guy have against MV lighting (or was he a greenie: in favour of the MV ban) ??? :8)
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He probably sees it as "an outdated technoledgy". :8)
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He's probably in favour of LED, Induction, HPS,etc.
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No power company in my area would give me lights either, I tried to get a few from a Duquesne Light lineman six years ago but he was no help, in fact he said that "they were all mercury anyway". :8)
you should have said "Mercury is what makes it special! Mercury is what makes things last longer, why do you think they banned it?"
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Well after getting off a rather stressful week of school and coming home to that email, I wasn't in a good mood. I have found a few select contractors that will give out lights but many won't, right now I'm trying to limit my collection to only lights I don't have. That means no R47s or M250R2s for now, until I can find a better place to store them, my grandfather has a barn north of the city so I could see about storing some there. Basically my mistake here was asking the local government instead of the contractor. Ironically I believe (I'm not positive who it is doing this project) I got Joe's lights from the same company that is doing the work, if I phone my contact from them I could likely get the lights, I didn't tell this moron or they might tell contractors NOT to give out lights. I also got my signal, 115, newer 125 and R7 from a project the Region of Peel was running. I'm sure if I found an electrician (which can be hard since they only work randomly) I could get the lights. Anyways school is starting, I should go to class.
what do you do with all those lights, are you ever going to hook them up or...?