Tales from a friend's visit to Utilities Customer Service...

Normally I don't like to post second hand information, but this comes from a trusted source and rings all too true as it relates to the local torture chamber known as Lake Worth Utilities Customer Service office.  My friend went there to pay his bill.  He prefers to hand deliver it and get a receipt due to prior problems with crediting his payment.  When he arrived, he was greeted by a line "out the door" and into the hallway.

After about 45 minutes, he finally made it up to the teller window where he could overhear some conversations.  The gentleman in front of him at the window said that when he called ahead from his house, he was told that he owed $480 and he had made a check out for that amount.  He was told by the teller that he actually owed only $205.  The gentleman then said, "Please check that, because I know how you guys work.  I am afraid that if I pay you only $205 and walk out the door, I will probably return to a dark house since you would have shut my utilities off.  Please make sure of the amount."  After a few minutes, the teller returns and tells him the amount is $480.

As this was going on, and with many onlookers as the line was still out the door, an elderly gentleman in his eighties was at the customer service window signing up for new service.  The clerk slid a form to him and told him that he needed to sign it.  The elderly gentleman then said, "Mam, you will have to help me and tell me where on the form to sign, I broke my glasses this morning and I cannot see the writing on the paper."  She said sternly, "You need to sign the form."  He responded, "I know I do, but I can't see where to sign since I don't have my glasses, can you show me where to sign?"  She then again said sternly, "Sign the form."  Gathering sympathy from those in line, someone stepped forward and showed the elderly gentleman where on the form he should sign.  The person who helped then looked at the clerk and said "You are an a**."

At this point, a woman in line says to my friend, "I hate living here and I would move out if I could."

Other things I have heard recently - there are many properties - some say about 100 in Lake Worth that are selling for around $25,000.  There is one bank, I understand, that is not lending money for homes in Lake Worth since it's such a "squirrelly city."  I have been told one of our local real estate agents is meeting with our Mayor to show him the letter and to see what can be done about it.  If anyone can verify or discredit the information in this last paragraph, please post a comment.