My Time In The Circus

I was never one of those kids who drempt of running off to join the circus. Or carnival. Or any other organization. Well, maybe the rodeo. Just so I could be around horses. So it is with no great delight that I find myself living in a circus like environment most of the time. Or at least it feels like it.

Readers of this blog will recall that when our LP gas tanks run out, we have to put the tank in front of our house and wait for the Z Gas company truck to drive by and notice it. They take it with them and bring it back to you full. Most of the time. There have been plenty of reports of tanks being returned less than full though. I even have a friend who keeps track of how much her full tank should weigh. The whole experience I find very exasperating.

Recently I put out our empty tank....three days in a row. On several occasions, I actually sat on the porch and watched as they drove by the house and never stopped. I finally got on my Scooter and drove around until I found the truck and personally requested that they come to my house and get my tank. They were there an hour later. My "full" tank of gas was delivered later that afternoon.

The tank they took away time before last was almost new. They brought back a different tank to me and no amount of arguing would persaude them that it wasn't the tank I gave them. Fine. Bite me.

This time around, this is the tank they delivered. Isn't it nice.







I installed the regulator on the tank and checked it for leaks. I have done this hundreds of times over the past 22 years, since we had LP tanks on the farm also. I think I know what I am doing. Even after it was properly installed and I could find no leaks, I still continued to get a faint odor of gas from it. I couldn't find where it was coming from so we kept it turned off except when we needed to use it.

Three days later it was empty. There is very evidently a leak somewhere in it. A full tank will normally last me six months. Not three days.

I put the tank out yesterday and when they stopped (miracle! the same day!) I told them the tank had a leak and I wanted a replacement tank and I did not feel I had to pay for it. Or at least I should get a discount for not getting a full tank last time. They sniifed at it. They turned it upside down and banged on the bottom. The verdict was that the tank was fine because they could see no holes and could not smell gas. I think it would be very difficult to smell gas from an empty tank. But, then, I am not the professional.

I refused to let them take it unless they admitted that it was faulty and agreed to furnish a different tank. They told me if I thought there was something wrong with it, I should report it to the Department of Public Safety then. I would then get a "ticket" to give to them and they would replace the tank.

Yesterday morning I headed downtown to the Department of Public Safety, which is hidden away down a dark alley on a side street and took many enquieries to find. In a nutshell, they told me that they could not file a report and give me a ticket because the tank was now empty and did not impose a danger to the community! A full circle moment. It was a problem between myself and the gas company now and I would just have to find a solution. Thanks Isla Mujeres government.

So I came back home and put out the faulty tank again. As of this writing, I am still waiting for the truck to come by. I intend to tell them what the most helpful lady at the Department of Sometimes Public Safety told me. I hope I don't get any kind of argument from them because I will probably go balistic.

Stay tuned to see what the next act in the circus ring is.