TIME WARNER CABLE OUTAGES

Over the last several weeks, Time Warner Cable customers in this neighborhood have experienced repeated interruptions to their internet, television, and/or phone service, usually lasting for six to eight hours. If a lot of customers call Time Warner to report a loss of service, a service outage will be declared and work will be done to resolve the problem.

But if only a few customers call, Time Warner will tell each caller that something must be wrong with that individual's equipment. If the service loss you're reporting is for the internet, a twenty-minute conversation like this one will take place:

• "Is your modem plugged in?"
• "Yes."
• "Unplug your modem."
• "Okay."
• "Plug your modem back in."
• "Okay."
• "Can you connect to a website?"
• "No."
• "Let me try something here at the office. Okay, did that help?"
• "No."
• "Let me try something else here at the office. Okay, did that help?"
• "No."
• "Let me try something else here at the office. Okay, did that help?"
• "No."
• And so on and so on and so on.

From the New York City Department of Information Technology & Telecommunications:

If service interruption lasts for four or more continuous hours, credit will be calculated as 1/30th of the monthly charge for regular service for each day during which service is out. If the company suffers a service outage, automatic credits for all affected subscribers will be given if the outage lasts for four or more continuous hours and occurred between 6:00 pm and 12:00 am.

All other times, outage credit will be given upon request of subscriber if the request is made orally or in writing within 90 days of the outage.

If you only have internet service with Time Warner, the credit for interrupted service is $1.50 per day. In spite of how small this amount of money is, call them at (718) 358-0900 to report that your service is down and encourage your neighbors to do the same so that an outage will be declared and repairs will be made.