An Adventure at The Power Company

I got my power bill yesterday. It was handed to me by our building’s caretaker Shnuda. A note within read:
“Power will be cut without notice if not paid by: (Today’s date)”
It was Saturday, and the banks were closed, so it’s only possible to pay at the power company itself. Since its Ramadan the power company closes at 3:30PM. Shnuda told me I’ll never make it, and offered to pay it for me tomorrow. It was already 3:01PM. So I had 25 minutes to get there or risk spending Sunday without electricity. Another challenge. I thanked Shnuda, got dressed very quickly, checked my wallet, and found only 80JDs, since the bill was 150JDs, this meant I’d have to stop at the ATM first. 3:05 PM.

No problem, except I don’t own a car, so first I have to find a taxi. In the summer this can take upto 20 minutes by itself. Today I lucked out, and found one within 2 minutes. 3:10PM. I tell the driver to head to the ATM near 5th circle, give me a minute to withdraw the cash, and then go to the power company in Sweifieh. (I’m registered in Jabal Amman, but it would take too long to get there).

I ask the driver if he knows where the Sweifieh power company is. He says Inshallah. Brilliant I think, Inshallah is the magical 8-ball of the Arabic language, it could mean yes, no maybe, cannot foretell now, ask me later. I think the cab driver meant I don’t know but I don’t want you to go find another taxi.

In any case, I get the money, and now we’re driving towards the 6th circle, its 3:20, the driver is about to head straight (for 7th circle), when I say, aren’t you gonna take a left ? He says: Oh Sweifieh is that way, thanks for telling me (while violently swerving the cab nearly crashing into incoming traffic). So we get honked at, then take the first right, and drive straight until we pass a sign that says something like (Department of Energy).

Fortunately there was a guard in front, so I got out of the cab and asked him for directions. He said (Al-Wakalat Street), in front of (x store which I hadn’t heard of). Seeing I looked like a foreigner, he then offered to give directions directly to the driver. I wanted to give him money for being so helpful but thought it would insult him. Then he mentioned to the cab driver its in front of Makh-baz Bara-dice (Paradise Bakery) which is where we always buy our bread.

Finally the driver took a left, then another left, and pointed ahead, and said, it’s somewhere here, his eyes and tone suggested (get out of my cab). 3:28PM. So I paid him (only 1JD with a 0.15 tip) , and ran towards the bakery. I looked left, right, up, down, and other dimensions. Nothing, no power company. It was 3:30PM, but I wasn’t ready to give up yet.

A bystander pointed out that the power company is next to the coffee shop. More running (its good for me since I’m on a diet), and I find the entrance. A janitor tells me the power company is on the second floor, so I run up. I think I only went up 4 flights of stairs, but it seemed like 8.

Finally I get to the front desk 3:35PM. The clerk says: Sorry we’re closed. I told him ‘but I just got my bill today, and it says you will cut power if it’s not paid by the end of the day‘. He takes a look at the bill, and says: ‘Nah this is for Jabal Amman, you have to pay it there‘. Now I plead with him, and he says ‘sorry, but all the cashiers left for the day‘. I’m about to cry, when the guy behind him says: ‘Wait wait Abu-something is still here‘.

So I go around the reception desk, and found Abu-Something sitting in a dark room (later he jokes about the power company having to save power). I greet him (Ya3teek Il-3afieh), and say ‘I know its late, but can I please pay this one bill‘. I didn’t realize he was asleep. He looks up grumpily, takes the bill and he calls a 2nd guy in the other room, and tells him to “check the computer“. A minute later , he says, ‘this one isn’t due yet, it is last months that hasn’t been paid. I said: ‘but there’s a field on the bill specifically for balance outstanding from the previous month, and its empty‘. He says something about the computer and paperwork delay. In any case, I Finally pay the bill, he prints out the amount paid on the bill and gives it back to me as a receipt. I apologise for waking him up, thank him and hurry home.

So ends another adventure with bureaucracy, come back for next week’s episode at the phone company.