Thoughtlessness Crosses All Boundaries

[rowyn]

pyat linked to this article about a 93 year-old man who froze to death after the utility company put a limiter on his service due to non-payment. Two things in particular, apart from the obvious "wow that sucks", struck me about it:

* This is a public utility run by the city.
* Private utilities are regulated by Michigan state law and cannot shut off service to senior citizens between November and April.

And it's just ... ngh! The trouble with organizations is that whether they're public or private, they're still run by people.

*sigh*

Comments

[wildcard-47.livejournal.com]

The worst part of this article was that the company expected him to pay his bill over the phone or online -- I read that the man had the cash/forms ready to pay -- and they were lying on a table in his house -- but couldn't get out of his house to run that errand.

The whole thing is just so awful. This man deserved so much better.