Had a homeowner scream at me for 10 minutes because I wouldn't flip a breaker he'd taped down

Guy in Oak Park insisted his grow lights couldn't handle a 5 minute power flicker so he'd taped a 30 amp breaker in the ON position. Told him that's a fire waiting to happen and he called me a drama queen - has anyone else dealt with someone this stubborn about safety?

3 comments

3 Comments

olivia_allen2mo ago

You ever see someone try that and just walk away mid sentence? I had a guy in Burbank who zip tied a bathroom GFCI so it wouldn't trip, then blamed me when his wife got a shock. People like that don't listen until something burns down.

sagew502mo ago

Yeah, the zip tie thing is wild, but I gotta say the GFCI thing is a little different from a breaker. GFCIs trip for a reason, and bypassing one is basically begging for a lawsuit or worse. I mean, the breaker tape thing is bad too, but at least that's more about overloading the circuit and fire. A GFCI is there to stop you from getting fried. So the Burbank guy is on another level of dangerous, honestly. Idk, maybe it's just me, but I feel like people who mess with safety devices like that should have to sign a waiver or something. It's always the people who know just enough to be dangerous.

ruby4501mo ago

Used to roll my eyes at electricians who made a big deal about GFCIs, but hearing about that Burbank guy actually changed my mind. People really don't get that those things aren't just annoying, they're literally there to keep you alive. Idk, maybe it's one of those things you have to see go wrong to really get it.