Dubai Consumer Mirror: Ideas.. anyone?

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Ideas.. anyone?

I sat on the balcony to do some (offline) work this evening. My super special and totally pimpped-out WIFI application was set on detecting public wireless signals. I didn't expect to detect anything 'cause our building is kindda standing alone and is quite a stretch from any structures in the vicinity.

To my surprise, turned out that there are a number of signals floating in the air. Some of them with decent signal strength; I think most are coming from that villa compound down the road. Occupants over there all look like rich bastards, I don't think any of them mind borrowing some bandwidth..

God damn it! Just got disconnected. i will complete this post offline.

Anyhooooo … As you might have already guessed; No Internet, no phones, and yup .. no DEWA - which means we still do not have ACs. It almost mid March, and we are still living off tiny power generators.

I've met a number of neighbors and none of them is happy to say the least.

We were thinking of signing a piece of people saying stuff like "We request and we demand...etc", but I don't really think that’ll make any difference.

Some thought of pressuring the landlord to acquire bigger generators to power up those AC units. It is still bearable at night, but during the day its like a friggen sauna.

Yours truly -typically thinking with the most scandalous agenda on mind- thought we should go to the press. Because paying an annual six digit figure for an average 2 bedroom apartment and NOT having utility services like, ummm.. Air Conditioning; could make a decent headline.
Especially when you are living a few meters away from the region's Technology Hub.

One guy thought of going to see the Rent Committee people in Dubai Municipality ... everyone laughed at that one!

I don't know guys.. What do you think we should do?

Labels: landlords, Rant

9 Comments:

Maybe I can recommend to you using a Hawking antenna which will improve the signal by folds and dramatically extend the range that you can "hijack" signals from. Give it a try.
The don't come cheap though :)

By Anonymous, at March 13, 2007 at 11:04 AM
7Days, they love such stuff, they will gladly publish it with extra spices... and some racist comments about the Landlord or the poor workers in DEWA..

RnD

By Unknown, at March 13, 2007 at 12:54 PM
Definitely get some press coverage.

I don't know whether the element of surprise would be the way to go here, (talk to the press before the landlord knows), or whether you should first inform your landlord that if things aren't resolved within 2 weeks then you'll be going to the press.

The former will get the most impact but "surprising" your landlord like that may lead to him being nasty in the future.

The latter will prepare him for the press visit and give him time to get all his excuses prepared.

Then, you could always turn up (with a press photographer)to the gates of Sh. Mo's palace with a tent and tell them that you're camping on their lawn until your problems are resolved! :-)

By nzm, at March 13, 2007 at 1:04 PM
Ask for a refund and move out. Or call your lawyer and ask them to send a letter to the landlord giving him xxx number of days to resolve the problem and threaten legal action.
At the end of it all it is the landlords problem and you need to make sure that he knows you are going to hold him accountable.
Using the press will likely piss him off.

By CG, at March 13, 2007 at 1:07 PM
Ummm....surrender and buy a fan???

:D

By Rambling Hal, at March 13, 2007 at 1:38 PM
By crikey, what a mess! But DEWA can't build power stations fast enough (they couldn't even get a contractor to build the last at the capacity they wanted, and had to scale it down a bit). And they're having a hard time getting gas to run the things. And now you expect them to lay a cable to your building!

By Keef, at March 13, 2007 at 10:05 PM
move out .. i know its going to be a pain the rear end but this situation isn't going to be solved just like that ..

there is more then just construction blocking the line from being laid ..

and if you take it to the press .. nothing is going to happen ..

make a complaint with the appropriate authority and then start looking for something new ..

By inmotion, at March 14, 2007 at 10:01 AM
fecking annoying and bloody embarrasing!
what really burns my goat is that when a building is being built you see it burning with a million flourescents but only to be plunged with darkness once it's complete and the cheques have been cashed.

bastards.

By BuJ, at March 15, 2007 at 3:23 AM
You need to go to the press about it. Talk to 7DAYS, like restless in dubai said, they LOVE that kind of press.

The situation you live in is inexcusable, especially that you live in "that" area *points next to DIC*. And by the by, we have a heatwave this weekend - as you probably see right now, it isn't even 10 AM and it is 30 degrees, with expected highs of 38, and same tomorrow.

By KJ, at March 15, 2007 at 9:37 AM