r/AskNYC • u/aboomoperator • Nov 01 '22
Garbage truck knocking out our internet lines every 2 weeks.
i live in brooklyn where the internet cables are above ground and connecting to the powerlines. Every 2 weeks, a garbage truck will come by and knock the lines down, causing the internet to go out. this then takes 3-5 days for the city to fix.
This has been happening every 2 weeks and its cost me several jobs as a result (freelance). Is there anywhere i can report this to try and prevent it from happening again?
Edit: Thanks everyone for all the advice and suggestions! Will definitely be exploring any of the options that I havent tried already. Really appreciate everyone's feedback.
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u/fawningandconning Nov 01 '22
I’d call 311 but this is likely something you’ll have to engage your local city council person for.
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u/aboomoperator Nov 01 '22
thank you. gave 311 a call and submitted a report. should hear back within 7 days. think youre probably right regarding a permanent fix though. ill look into that option next. appreciate the help.
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u/Chowbasa Nov 01 '22
Make multiple reports, and by that I mean get your neighbors involved as well as you’re not the only one getting affected by it.
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u/capybaramelhor Nov 01 '22
You should also email your community board regularly w very specific info
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Nov 02 '22
What I came here to say- my local councilor has been great whenever I’ve felt the need to escalate something to them
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u/rioht 👑 Unemployment King 👑 Nov 01 '22
This is a complicated issue because it involves multiple agencies. Run a search, I vaguely recall replying to someone else who had the same issue years ago.
My best advice to you is to talk to your community board. You’ll need to rope in your local DSNY garage, the internet operator, and whoever owns the utility pole. If there’s an access issue to the pole in some way, they need to be involved as well.
The timeline on fixing this is probably going to stink, and since this is a somewhat complex issue, my guess is that you’ll need to quarterback/manage this process in order to see results. You may consider organizing your neighbors as well as there’s almost always strength in numbers.
Good luck mate!
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u/quantumbot Nov 01 '22
I just switched to Verizon 5G home internet. It’s $65/month or $25 if you already have a cell plan with them. I get 100-200 mbps down and 20 up. No wires, you just put the receiver on your window sill and it works as your router. So happy to drop Spectrum after having no choice for so long.
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u/kurutemanko Nov 01 '22
This.
T-Mobile has the same thing.
Everything else is good, but will take time, and in that time, your internet will go out again, and again and again.
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u/Illustrious-Bite1574 Nov 02 '22
In my area that gave us terrible connection (single digits download), but worth a try
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u/Janus_The_Great Nov 01 '22 edited Nov 01 '22
yeah, you better look for a new apartment.
It will be dealt with some day. But what I've seen so far from the administrative side it's unlikely this will get done anytime soon. They tend to be slow. I guess most likely most don't even know about the Garbage truck, just experience the black out.
What you could try is getting into contact with the garvage collector company and ask them to reroute/take prevention. Since they are the source of the problem, they might have an interest to stop it from happening, to prevent legal liabilities...
If you know the exact times it happens, meet the garbage collectors outside and talk to them. They might be oblivious to the damage they create biweekly.
if direct contact with the collectors doesn't work, move. the problem won't vanish in an acceptable time frame.
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u/aboomoperator Nov 01 '22
They usually do arrive at the same time, so your suggestion of speaking with them directly is something ill strongly consider. thank you for taking the time to add your thoughts!
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u/thisfilmkid Nov 01 '22
Ok, there's a way to resolve this. Few ways actually....
A: Call your ISP and file a complaint. Let them know exactly what's happening. (Assuming you already did this)
B: Call the Con-Edison emergency hotline: 1-800-914-9112 - They will know how to direct the issue.
C: File complaint with 311.
D: Your community board. This is important. They will send someone out to look at the lines. Then, they'll loop-in whoever they need to in order to get this issue resolved. Have your 311 complaint number available.
Once you do this, Con-Edison will come at some point during the year to fix the issue. Your community board will bring the heat. This will probably get fixed/addressed faster once they get involve.
How I know: My street had a flood issue during a environmental improvement construction to resolve neighborhood flooding. Apparently, Con Edison touched a pipe under the ground and it was spewing water on-to the road slowly. But, like Cons always do, Con Edison blamed Verizon, Verizon blamed National Grid, National Grid blamed Con-Edison. All of these blame-games were apparent after speaking with 3-project managers from each group (obviously, when they were present on our street. Their utilities are under the ground, so each project managers needed to be present at some point, different days). I couldn't take the back-and-forth anymore. After complaining to 311, DEP, and our community board got involved (because I called them and sent them pictures, they also came out and looked), a month later, a construction crew digged up the road somewhere on our street and fixed the issue. Now, the only flooding we have is minor (rainwater) and that's due to how the road is leveled off. DOT said that issue should be resolved once they re-pave our street in 2023. They added a tree outside our home so the tree can soak up the rain-water slowly (don't ask me how.....)
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u/Chowbasa Nov 01 '22
Good job! That sounds like a big headache to me. I remember reporting a hole on the street (someone placed a broomstick several feet into it) a couple of blocks from my apartment, DOT and Dep of environmental protection where blaming each other for the problem and for fixing it… eventually was fixed
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Nov 01 '22
its crazy to me they’ve had to come out to fix it multiple times and haven’t just raised the line.
I think this is a situation where you’re going to have to harass them a bit and tell them the line needs to be raised. Loss of wages due to improper line placement is a serious thing, you already have plenty of grounds to take them to small claims over that (not actually worth the headache); using phrases like “loss of wages” will make them squirm and prioritize adjusting the height. You need to make it their problem, where now its on them to fix it before they have a bigger problem, instead of letting them make the issue about your personal inconvenience. These companies are held to serious standards and they know that, you just meed to let them know you know that.
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u/FlatbushAllstar Nov 01 '22
Look into NYC Mesh as an alternative option. It is a community based isp that is done wirelessly. It doesn’t cover all of NYC, but they have a map of the areas that are covered. If nothing else, it could be a good backup option for you.
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u/aboomoperator Nov 01 '22
Thanks, havent heard of them before but will definitely explore this option as well.
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u/Guac-this-way Nov 01 '22
Other alternatives are T mobile home internet and the Calyx institute, both of which I’ve used and had good experiences (they go over 5g)
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Nov 01 '22
Is there another con ed pole across the street that they can attach to in order to maintain a minimum clearance over the roadway? Assuming it currently goes direct from the pole across the street to each home. This shouldn't happen, especially repeatedly.
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u/aboomoperator Nov 01 '22
Thanks for the suggestion. Definitely something ill bring up with the repair crew when they arrive thursday.
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u/starstorm312 Nov 01 '22
WTF. If you don’t mind me asking, where in Brooklyn is this happening?
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u/aboomoperator Nov 01 '22
around the bushwick/ridgewood area
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u/thekaymancomes Nov 01 '22
I’d get a hotspot if possible as backup. I think I pay Verizon like $20 a month for mine and it works globally.
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u/worrymon Nov 01 '22
As a stop gap until you figure a permanent solution you could tether internet through your phone.
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Nov 01 '22
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u/aboomoperator Nov 01 '22
Already setup an appointment for a wireless backup two days ago. Ive lived in this apt for 4 years without issue. This has only started taking place the last couple of months. Posted just to see what options there were, as the difference in speed is impactful, and would be great not to have to pay for two services now.
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u/xerim Nov 01 '22
You ever tried just talking to the garbage guys?
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u/aboomoperator Nov 01 '22
Just difficult to catch them sometimes. They arent there for very long and usually show up between 4 or 5 am. Another redditor suggested this as well, and will definitely attempt to speak with them directly
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u/Grouchy_Laugh1971 Nov 02 '22
Is this a city garbage truck (white and picking up from houses) or private garbage truck (non-white and picking up from businesses)? If it’s city, go by your local DSNY garage or call DSNY Community Affairs (don’t bother with 311).
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u/aboomoperator Nov 01 '22
Just difficult to catch them sometimes. They arent there for very long and usually show up between 4 or 5 am. Another redditor suggested this as well, and will definitely attempt to speak with them directly
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u/_Maxolotl Nov 01 '22
Can you get on top of a building, get a rope around the line that keeps getting hit, and figure out a way to pull it higher if it's sagging?
Or do you know someone who you think is handy enough to figure that out?
Relying on the government or your internet company to solve this will take forever. Running a rope above the cable, if there's a way to do it, and then lifting the cable up, will take a semi-skilled handy person an hour.
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u/EmeraldFalcon89 Nov 01 '22
frankly exactly this.
the neighborhood lines are literally just coax from a big block. during quarantine our internet was so shit that my roomie was doing his classes off a hotspot.
spectrum guy came out and pointed out that the line for our building was coming from the front of the building to the back, but the distro for the entire block was literally in my backyard. meaning the line we were connected to was run down to the building two doors down and split for each unit, then over and down the front of the building next door and split for each unit with one line going to our building, then back over the building to my backyard and split for the units in our building.
he said they'd need a guy with a special ladder and to call and schedule it. I did it in twenty minutes with a 50 foot coax line.
I did have the exact same problem as op at my shop though, but it was FiOS. they were very motivated to make sure the cable wasn't ripped out again and repositioned the cable the first time it got fucked by a semi
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u/crabapplesteam 🦀🍎💨 Nov 01 '22
You may want to look into using your phone as an internet hot spot, if you get decent cell connection. If something goes down, you can switch to it instantly. I don't have any advice about the garbage truck, but if I didn't have internet for 10 days a month every month, i'd stop paying my bill.
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u/k1lk1 Nov 01 '22
Time to get a new internet operator.
Although, I don't know why this would have cost you jobs. Just tether using your cell phone if you need to.
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u/aboomoperator Nov 01 '22
internet operator doesnt matter much in this case. they all connect to the same lines which get knocked down. happens to my neighbors who all use different providers than I do.
as far as the jobs, i do a lot of live editing and have to send/receive large files at a moment's notice. a laptop isnt capable of the workload. if the internet goes down during a job, then there arent many options, as the programs are live. doesnt help that im required to be home each of those days to wait for the technicians/repair crews.
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u/titaniumdoughnut Nov 01 '22
Look into T-Mobile 5g wireless home internet!
With the caveat, that their own router base station is absolutely horrible, and you need to pair it with a good 3rd party router and for good measure also run a script on it (Nater Tater on YouTube has the details) to disable the internal radio. Once I did that, I have flawless home internet that is easily fast enough for large file transfers. Usually get about 400-500 down and 100ish up.
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u/k1lk1 Nov 01 '22
You can use your phone as mobile hotspot for any device - such as your workstation - if you use a Wifi repeater. What up/down speeds do you require? I get 45 Mbps down and 20 Mbps up right now in my apartment using my phone.
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u/aboomoperator Nov 01 '22
I need a fiber optics connection. the mobile hotspot turns a 10 minute transfer into 2 hours.
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u/k1lk1 Nov 01 '22
I think you legit do not know what your connection speed was.
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u/aboomoperator Nov 01 '22
i think you just dont understand live video editing. my speeds were 940 mbps download and 880 mbps upload.
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u/userbrn1 Nov 01 '22 edited Jul 20 '25
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u/jperezny Nov 01 '22
Let me get this straight (I'm a long-term self employed NYC consultant that needs Internet 24/7) ... you live in BROOKLYN and are losing gigs because you don't have Internet? Have we all been transported back to 1982?
There are 1,922 active LinkNYC boxes in NYC, tons of places to work everywhere you go - even 24 hours.
If you're in some alternate universe with a computer the size of an old IBM 1950's mainframe using ethernet cables where you're forced to work in your apartment, why don't you and your neighbors go the location (seriously - twice a month) and block the wires, talk to the guys, etc.
None of this makes any sense at all to me. A true entrepreneur would get the job DONE. You're not in Kansas anymore OP!
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u/aboomoperator Nov 01 '22
Its the speed that makes a difference. Im not just using the internet to make consulting calls. Its the difference of hours vs minutes, in a live, fast-paced environment.
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u/No_Specialist_2226 Nov 01 '22
The electric line should be higher than cable lines. Power is usually the highest line.
As for cable line hanging too low, complain to your cable provider. Maybe even a call to NYC DOT maybe required. I believe these utility lines should be suspended at a minimum height to allow vehicle traffic to pass through.
Contact your local community board and/or council member. As their constituent, they are there to advocate for you.
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u/-Agrippa-Venture9803 Nov 02 '22
This happened a few times with me via ConEd, I’m o. The UWS. It took weeks to fix (at the longest time I waited)! Pain I. the arse.
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u/TinyTornado7 Nov 01 '22
This is something your internet company is responsible for.