Response to my last post

[kkamann]

I understand why you locked out the post. After finding out what it was called, I found other posts about it here, and the sensitivity of this particular lock is pretty clear.

I am doing a research paper on locks. Just kidding. I will tell you exactly why I asked. I am in a newly built home and the gas is already connected and was running under the builder's name. When I closed on the house, they closed their gas account and the lock was put on (which is fine). Since the gas only runs our furnace and fireplace, we were in no hurry to get it turned on. Well I called yesterday to get it activated because of a severe cold snap is supposed to come today/tonite. We they said it will be 2 days before they can come out to do it. That is tomorrow. I don't want my family to freeze tonite. The account was already activated yesterday, but the guy can't come out with his fancy key until tomorrow.

So I just want to take it off for tonite and put it back on tomorrow morning so the utility guy can take it back off tomorrow. This is still probably illegal since I don't own the meter or the lock, even though I have an active account. But in my mind, my intentions are not to get free gas nor is malicious in nature.

I hope I am not barred from this site, but I just wanted to have full disclosure. This post is not intended to start a discussion on legal vs. illegal or who owns the lock. Lord knows this site has enough of those discussions.

[Bud Wiser]

I'm going to give you some real friendly advice. No one is going to help you pick the lock. If you searched long enough you find the ways to do it, BUT....

If I was you and I didn't know how to pick locks I would just go to the hardware store buy some bolt cutters and cut that dang lock off myslef and be done with it. If they didn't like it, oh well too bad.

Just my 2 cents

[pH]

I am going to agree with Bug Wiser on that one. Working for a company that works directly with utility companies (as electric, gas, and water metering is our primary business) I can tell you that if the situation is as dire as you say it is, cut off the lock. When the utility person comes out, explain what happened. I highly doubt they will charge you for tampering since it will still be metered, they may have a small fee for replacing the lock etc. This all assumes you know how to turn 'on' your gas in the first place. And if you screw it up and break your meter, gas lines, etc, they will charge you more than you can imagine to fix it all.

[pH]

I am going to agree with Bug Wiser on that one.

My apologies for spelling your name wrong Bud Wiser. If Slashdot has taught me one thing over the years, it's that I should use the preview button!

[burchlockkey]

In my area what you are talking about doing is considered a federal offense. You might want to wait before losing a bunch of freedoms that non felons have.

[pH]

In my area what you are talking about doing is considered a federal offense. You might want to wait before losing a bunch of freedoms that non felons have.

Maybe your best bet is to stay in a hotel for the night

[Bud Wiser]

In my area what you are talking about doing is considered a federal offense. You might want to wait before losing a bunch of freedoms that non felons have.

a federal offense for cutting a lock in your home left by a utility compnay that can not come out to take it off during a cold front?

[Keyring]

I think I'd switch an electric fan heater on. They are cheap enough to have a few for emergencies. We also have a bottled gas heater, for when the electricity goes off.

They are handy because piped gas often stops working when the electricity supply fails.

[UWSDWF]

are ya that weak that you and yours can't handle a cool night? just get a few extra blankets out and if it's really cold wear a joggin suit.... listening to that whining makes me ill, the amount of nights of spent in a tenet in -30c temperatures do you live in Alert or something

[Omikron]

In the eyes of the law...

Relevant:

a federal offense for cutting a lock in your home left by a utility compnay...

Irrelevant:

...that can not come out to take it off during a cold front?

The law is what it is. I would venture to say that in EXTREME circumstances, the offender may not be prosecuted, but they are still breaking the law.

There is a reason the lock is there. The lock is protecting third-party property and/or service. By removing the lock, you are destroying/stealing property and would be considered theft of service.

[Bud Wiser]

It may be the law, guess I just doubt it's a federal offense, and certainly one under those conditions would not be prosecuted to the fullest length of the law.

I'm merely saying what "I would have done" is all if it was going to get that cold, especially if I had a baby.

Let's see, my families well being

or...

construction company lock (law or no law)

I might give it a moments thought

[Bud Wiser]

Federal Offense-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_offense

I could be wrong, but I don't see how breaking a construction companies lock falls under federal offense especially if the lock is on your property.

would stealing a candy bar also be a federal offense? There is no theft here, only damage to a lock on *your* property.

[zeke79]

Theft of service can become a federal offense even if it is not a federal offense in it's own right. That happens when the damage to property and the theft of service passes a particular dollar amount. This will vary from classes of felonies. Best advice..... Leave it alone and either A. stay with a friend or B. get a hotel room for a couple nights. Either option is much cheaper than any fine you may incur for your actions.

[Bud Wiser]

Not trying to beat a dead horse, really I'm not, nor trying to be argumentative,

But There Is No Theft Here!

It's metered! Only damage to another person's property which he could be held accountable for. If he tampered with the meter, then YES! I agree that would be some thing to very much worry about. But breaking the dam like by itself is no where near a federal offense. Worse case he would be fined *by the construction company*, or they could call the police (highly unlikely) for damaging their lock.

Yes the best advice would be to go to a hotel, or buy some electric heaters, but my argument was this is far from a federal offense.

So there you have it. I agree it breaks *a law*, but not a federal law. And it's seriousness is right up there with damaging a shopping cart in a parking lot, may not even as serious, but still wrong in the eyes of the law. But there can be extenuating circumstances.

PEACE!

[Shrub]

We wont ban you for making a ill thought out post, if we did most of us wouldnt be here lol
Regardless of YOUR intentions or needs IF we did help then it not only puts us and this site on the wrong side of the law but also it would tell the punks out there how to go stealing which we wopuld never knowingly do,



Onto this thread,
The thing here is that its a lock not owned by the picker, its an offence of somesort to pick them due to the possable dangers, these locks are also used to stop a gas supply going into a house that has the pipes disconnected for example, breaking the lock or removing it unofficially could result in the loss of life, that is why its possably a heavier offence than just a simply violation,
Having worked for the english goverment safety labortories i can say that over here if you have a lock on the gas supply and remove it you can be jailed,

The law doesnt differentiate whether it was done in good spirit or wrong doing, the removal of that lock is illegal unless its by the appropriate person otherwise its considered against the law and punnishment served,

I dont see how one can argue the faults of making it a heavy violation when i consider the offence a mail box tampering holds over there