Just curious...

So I just realized that my neighbors have a sketchy cord coming from the inside of a green unit labeled "tv" in the common area of our townhouse community. Does this mean they are stealing cable? If so should I do anything? The cord is clearly going into their backyard and in their house and I doubt cox would do something like this. These people are not good neighbors and I just would like to know! Any help would be wonderful :)

unplug the cord and see if they call cox or fix it themself.

Call the cable company.

Curious ngbr Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Just curious...
>
> So I just realized that my neighbors have a
> sketchy cord coming from the inside of a green
> unit labeled "tv" in the common area of our
> townhouse community. Does this mean they are
> stealing cable? If so should I do anything? The
> cord is clearly going into their backyard and in
> their house and I doubt cox would do something
> like this. These people are not good neighbors
> and I just would like to know! Any help would be
> wonderful :)

Sounds like the box/cable next to the community center in Sully Station - that cable has been there for, probably, years so Cox/whomeever should be well-aware of it by now.

Cox (at least from experience) is notorious for jerry-rig fixes like this. It was probably the cable company that put the cable there, not someone stealing service. Call the county 703-324-5902 who will get on the company's ass to fix it since wires shouldn't be exposed like that regardless.

http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/cable/regulation/

I thought with the modern set top boxes and digital signal decoders that cable couldn't be stolen anymore without serious hacking.

I've had a half-assed cable fix in my backyard for over three years since they built my development. They were supposed to come in and trench it and put it in the ground, and they just had it looped over the fence, and along my backyard to my house.
The maintenance company cuts them up about once a month while mowing the common areas, and they just send more idiots out to patch the lines and not bury them.

itchy Wrote:
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> I thought with the modern set top boxes and
> digital signal decoders that cable couldn't be
> stolen anymore without serious hacking.

Yeah, that's what I thought, too - really hard since the signal is directed to the house now.

Why don't you mind your own business and stay out of my yard.

When I moved into a townhouse Cox came out and put a new cable in above ground. Another company showed up about a month later to bury the cable.

Get a splitter and make peace with your stupid neighbor.

Free basic cable is sweet.

idontlikebeingrightaboutshitlikethisbutiam



Edited 21 time(s). Last edit at 5/31/1967 05:57AM by WingNut.

Last edit at 11/30/2015 01:37PM Last edit at 5/14/2015 03:52PM Last edit at 1/28/2014 05:57AM Last edit at 11/29/2015 01:10PM Last edit at 3/14/2011 11:52PM Last edit at 7/20/2012 04:07AM
Last edit at 6/29/2013 11:18PM Last edit at 3/19/2011 01:02PM Last edit at 3/26/2012 09:07PM

When my neighbors got cable was the same thing as COx mentioned. Cable from box was above ground for about a month until the crew showed up and put it underground.

Had a previous problem with a cable signal quality. Cox was responsive and ran a temporary second line above ground to see if the current underground line that was the problem. It stayed above ground for 1.5 weeks before the new line was buried.

Could be many reasons -- just call the local cable company to check it out.

Why don't you just knock on their door and ask them? Or... stop being a meddling neighbor and find something better to do with your free time.

itchy Wrote:
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> I thought with the modern set top boxes and
> digital signal decoders that cable couldn't be
> stolen anymore without serious hacking.

Yes, but the cable companies were given 3 years after the digital conversion took place, to continue to run analog service to their subscribers. It's pretty much just expanded basic, but you can plug it in directly to an old tube TV with a standard tuner and get 106 channels (not all slots filled tho). So in summary: no set-top box. I have a spare room with that setup, and it works fine.

https://www.cox.com/support/acadiana/cable/cable_theft.asp

Curious ngbr Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Just curious...
>
> So I just realized that my neighbors have a
> sketchy cord coming from the inside of a green
> unit labeled "tv" in the common area of our
> townhouse community. Does this mean they are
> stealing cable? If so should I do anything? The
> cord is clearly going into their backyard and in
> their house and I doubt cox would do something
> like this. These people are not good neighbors
> and I just would like to know! Any help would be
> wonderful :)


I have a hunch it is legal. Cox is famous for initially hooking up houses this way then have their sub-contractor come around to bury the cable 3 months later. . Best solution, cut the cable, it is probably laying on common ground so for safety reasons it should go. Or call cox telling them you are going to cut it and their contractors will be out the next day.

Why don't you get a life and mind your own business?

Rent a movie maybe. Try Hitchcock.

Is Chuck Hoffmann your neighbor?

Curious ngbr Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Just curious...
>
> So I just realized that my neighbors have a
> sketchy cord coming from the inside of a green
> unit labeled "tv" in the common area of our
> townhouse community. Does this mean they are
> stealing cable? If so should I do anything? The
> cord is clearly going into their backyard and in
> their house and I doubt cox would do something
> like this. These people are not good neighbors
> and I just would like to know! Any help would be
> wonderful :)


I say mind your own business - When I first got cox internet they left the cable above ground - someone like you decided to unplug it everyday for some reason - the wanna be cable police I guess. I had to call cox to get it buried finally.

Hebrew Hammer Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I've had a half-assed cable fix in my backyard for
> over three years since they built my development.
> They were supposed to come in and trench it and
> put it in the ground, and they just had it looped
> over the fence, and along my backyard to my house.
>
> The maintenance company cuts them up about once a
> month while mowing the common areas, and they just
> send more idiots out to patch the lines and not
> bury them.

Why don't you get off your lazy ass and stick it under the ground. Probably take you 15 minutes. You're the idiot leaving a hazard like that around. How do they say "It's not my yob man" in Hebrew

­



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/17/2013 10:07AM by chuckhoffmann.

It could be costly, Chuck, slows their connection and if they are actually working and not just playing on the internet, well, time is money.

skinner Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
>
> I say mind your own business - When I first got
> cox internet they left the cable above ground -
> someone like you decided to unplug it everyday for
> some reason - the wanna be cable police I guess. I
> had to call cox to get it buried finally.


I'm sooo impressed by Cox's professionalism! By law, they are supposed to bury the cable a minimum depth, I believe it's 18 inches, not that that ever happens. Leaving it lying on the ground is lazy, sloppy, and stupid.

Instead of being a douchebag narc, could you elaborate on how they are stealing cable? I'm very intersted in know the details of how to steal cable so I can avoid this activity.

I think I'll just unplug it and see what happens... And just to clarify it is partly running through my backyard and it's orange and ugly and I do care what my lawn looks like!