The Virgin Media cabinets in the street

[joglynne]

Originally Posted by sollp

So not only have we to contend with Dog P***,Dog Cr8P, human p***, vomit, takeaways,spit, anti vandal grease ect whilst working on the cabinet, everyone is now condoning chicken fertilizer and chip fat poored over the cabinets.

Yeah thanks, i'll come round to your house and c**p on your doorstep, see how you like it

The fertilizer method has worked for me and I am afraid I offer no apologies for having used it. At least the area around the cabinet is now free of the broken bottles, discarded fast food containers and the general debris discarded by the youngsters.

I certainly would not recommend the use of anything smeared on the cabinet itself as that could cause problems for unsuspecting innocent pedestrians as well as the VM engineers.

[WHISTLED]

I have heard it all now - VM responsible for anti social behavoir of youths! You will be saying the cabinets are full of knives next.

Jo - What an excellent idea!! I had though of picking up all the local dog poo and tipping it around but your chicken 'fertilizer' is is a perfect idea! I will certainly give it a go

Sounds like you are more anti social than the kids Mr Meldrew

[lulukimmi]

I do agree with Jo - smearing is not the answer. I do think VM should seriously consider the sinking into the ground method with whatever it is that can bring it up for maintenance. This would be the best solution. I cannot be the only person that has the boxes within 10 metres of my house. Not only are these boxes unsightly but they do attract the errant kids in the neighbourhood. I have actually seen a 6 year old drag a ladder to enable her to perch on one of these boxes. - To me, this is totally unacceptable. I cannot be held responsible for this type of action and neither is VM but if the boxes weren't there then the problem wouldn't be there either!! I am sorry for the engineers etc that have to maintain these boxes with what is deposited on/around these things - think how much better it would be for them if the equipment was sunk into the ground and they had the facility to raise them to work on them - I am sure this would not be a cost prohibitive exercise. It can't be that difficult to faciliate. I will be depositing the chicken pellets over the weekend because it will help ME to have a NORMAL life and a quiet weekend. If anyone had a better, less offiensive idea, let me know.

[WHISTLED]

am sure this would not be a cost prohibitive exercise

Oh it would be cheap as chips that. 5,000,000 homes all served by a cab which means one or more on every serviceable steet.

Lets forget about flooding and the impact of noise upon the network.

[lulukimmi]

You are being ridiculous! If there were 5,000,000 homes affected by the placement of these boxes the problem would have been solved years ago. I am talking about the FEW of us that have these boxes RIGHT OUTSIDE our house that are disturbing our way of life. I am not talking about those on the street away from houses etc. I just want those that are RIGHT OUTSIDE my house moved or made inaccessible for the idiots that want to 'play' on them.

[WHISTLED]

You are being ridiculous! If there were 5,000,000 homes affected by the placement of these boxes the problem would have been solved years ago

There are 5000,000 customers , all supplied by a cab, most on their street and most outside someones house, be that the front or the side of the terrace row. So whats ridiculous?

I just want those that are RIGHT OUTSIDE my house moved or made inaccessible for the idiots that want to 'play' on them.

So its just yours then.. So we now know they cant be sub street level.. So moving them is an option, now knowing that they are located to supply a certain number of props within a certain radius of those props would I be right in thinking a small relocation would put them outside someone elses house?

[BenMcr]

Originally Posted by lulukimmi

I am sorry for the engineers etc that have to maintain these boxes with what is deposited on/around these things - think how much better it would be for them if the equipment was sunk into the ground and they had the facility to raise them to work on them - I am sure this would not be a cost prohibitive exercise

Are you kidding me? What is next, sinking litter bins? Would you like an increase in your council tax to pay for that?

Street cabinets that sink have never been thought of because it is a bonkers idea.
1) they would probably cost stupid money
2) it would cost an absolute fortune to replace if they broke, compared with the metal box the current cabinets are
3) It breaks a cardinal rule of all design. Never make it more complicated than it needs to be

It is like the whole urban legend about the Space Pens

Originally Posted by lulukimmi

I just want those that are RIGHT OUTSIDE my house moved or made inaccessible for the idiots that want to 'play' on them.

Really sums it up that.

[lulukimmi]

No, they can be located in a grassed area just across the road that would be inoffensive to everyone. There are no houses and it is just a green area. Why these boxes couldn't have been put there is a complete mystery. I have asked VM to move them over there and am waiting for a response.

[BenMcr]

Unless there is a really good technical or business reason for them to be moved, you are not going to have any luck. NIMBY is not one

As for why they aren't over there in the first place, I would suggest asking your council about that. Last time i checked, they have final say over where any street furniture is placed.

[WHISTLED]

I have asked VM to move them over there and am waiting for a response.

I have seen a few of these requests before.

This how it goes...

First VM say no, the home owner doesn't accept that..
Next VM say ok, the home owner is happy..
Finally VM say..... but you will have to pay for the construction work and new street furniture, if its right across the road I would say around £20,000?

Ben?

[BenMcr]

First, there is the distruption to all the people serviced by that cabinet as they will all have to probably be disconnected for a period of time whilst everything gets moved, and the compensation.

Then there is the cost involved in submitting planning permission to the council, contractors wages, distruption to the area with noise and dust whilst they dig up the road

Then, as luluimmi suggest, where it is to be moved is open space, it is in a more prone position and a bigger target for people who think damaging the cabinets are a laugh.

Finally, if Virgin start down that road, where does it end? Is anyone here willing to pay higher subscription charges to pay for cabinets to be moved?

The utility companies charge to their customers to move meters if there is no real need, why should Virgin not do the same for their cabinets

If the problems are as bad as been said, then involve the police. That is what they are there for.

I can sympathise with anyone having problems with noise from crowds gathering in the evenings.

Noise can be the least of it - although slightly off topic, the focal point I remember sometimes being a problem was the outside phone box - I can remember people complaining about feeling intimidated when having to pass through a crowd to get to the phone. That isn't so much a problem now most of the outside call boxes have been removed, of course ....

I do think the common denominator is the groups either thinking they have no-where to go, or actually having no-where else to go - why don't they voluntarily move across to the grassy bit, for example - what could encourage them there that might be cheaper than relocating a street box?

[WHISTLED]

I had kids outside my neghbours house every weekend, I had a word when I got home from a night out once more because she was a lady living alone rather than them bothering me.

That was 2 years ago and they have never been back.

[BenMcr]

Originally Posted by homealone

I do think the common denominator is the groups either thinking they have no-where to go, or actually having no-where else to go - why don't they voluntarily move across to the grassy bit, for example - what could encourage them there that might be cheaper than relocating a street box?

Maybe if the council put a seat on the open space, which would be of benefit to everyone in the area (rather than just one household), the kids would sit on that?

[lulukimmi]

I understand all that has been said- but who gave the permission in the first place for these boxes (2 of them) to be placed right outside my house rather than the green space just across the road - literally? Surely householders close to the anticipated placement should have been informed of their pending arrival. It cannot be normal practice for any kind of street furtnire just to be plonked in a place and accepted by residents no matter what it is.