Woman chases off Smart-meter installer with a gun. The cops support her.

Just when you thought all the odds were stacked against the little guy, someone stands up for their rights and even the cops stand behind her right to defend her property.

When a woman in Texas tried to stop a contractor from installing a Smart-meter on her home, the installer repeatedly put his hands on her pushing her out of his way to get to the meter. She threatened to get her gun and he laughed at her. When she went inside and came back out with her gun, he promptly left her property.

The installer had previously called the police about the encounter before she had pulled the gun. When police arrived, they agreed the woman had the right to defend her property and no charges were filed. The woman has not yet decided whether to press charges against the meter installer.

Power struggle: Local woman uses gun to stop worker from installing smart meter

Thelma Taormina didn’t want a new electric meter, and she went to great lengths to keep her old one.

When a worker showed up at her northwest Harris County home to install a smart meter, she grabbed her gun.

"He just kept pushing me away," the 55-year-old Taormina, who is licensed to carry a weapon, said. "He saw it, and went back the other way."

KHOU

After the incident, the police showed up at her door. Taormina put her hands up as the police searched her, and she invited them inside to take her statement. Apparently the installation worker had called the police seeking to file assault charges.

Prosecutors later decided not to pursue the matter because the man "was trespassing" and "failed to leave when told to," according to a police report obtained by The New American. “But going through all of that was very concerning,” Taormina said, pointing out that felony charges could have resulted in the loss of her gun rights.

Now, supporters of Taormina are urging her to press charges against the man, which she is considering. Mostly, she said, it is out of concern that the worker may treat other residents in a similar manner. “He shouldn’t be out there working with the general public.... I was physically afraid of this man.”

The New American

Taormina was concerned about privacy issues because she didn't want the government monitoring her energy usage and feared the WI-fi signal could be intercepted. She also objected over the possible health effects of an unwanted WI-fi system broadcasting from her home.

It seems her protests have caused the utility company to consider removing Smart-meters from homes that don't want them.

This is a small victory for the little guy and another example of why our gun rights are so important.

I thought smart meters used an IR interface? Where are wi-fi meters added?

Will probably be buried by the mainstream media.

It isn't often guns have a good story.

Interesting to see what comes of this.

I suppose the electric company can just deny her service, right? As long as there isnt anyone on a ventilator or anything like that in the house.

I find it odd that after CA and now ME are killing the mandatory nonsense that other places are just going ahead and installing them anyway.

It'll cost more to have to remove them all later than to just wait now.

Originally posted by Metatronin
I thought smart meters used an IR interface? Where are wi-fi meters added?

OK, so I'm not a tech guy. You're probably right. Here's how the article put it:

“Then I found out that these meters are actually going to relay information through the open air where hackers are able to get all of your information,” Taormina added, pointing to the vast array of data transmitted by the devices. While it may be illegal to intercept the signal, the government is not even capable of preventing identity fraud, let alone smart-meter hacking, she observed.

TNA

I am willing to bet that the utility can say take the meter or lose your power service. This company though seem to be more receptive to the customer.

This was my first thought, same as this YouTube comment:

You have no rights to anything that doesn't belong to you. The electric meter belongs to the ELECTRIC COMPANY. Your property has a legal EASEMENT which states (among other things) that they can come onto your property anytime they feel like it and change any of THEIR equipment. BTW, I've looked and looked and I've yet to find the world "electric" or "meter" anywhere in the United States Constitution.

So who's right?

I have a smart meter, and it does not save me any money. Power has gone up and up since it was installed. I also keep getting letters from our electric company offering me a free thermastat if I agree to let them control the temperature of my house when they see fit.

Really?? Who thinks this is a good idea?? If I am cooking a turkey dinner, I don't want the electric company deciding that I don't need my air conditioner on today!

Good for that woman!! Big Brother has to wait a little longer to get a bite of her.

Originally posted by igor_ats
Will probably be buried by the mainstream media.

It isn't often guns have a good story.

Really?
gunowners.org...

Hmmm,

I wonder of that guy would have left her property if all she was weilding was a knife?

Would she have been able to defend her CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS with a knife???

I love how she used one of her constitutional rights to defend another one.

Chalk another one up for the gun owners.
The grabbers have their work cut out for them on this one.

Originally posted by minettejo
I have a smart meter, and it does not save me any money. Power has gone up and up since it was installed. I also keep getting letters from our electric company offering me a free thermastat if I agree to let them control the temperature of my house when they see fit..

Same here. Though I get offers for a free coffee and doughnut from Dunkin'.

Originally posted by thisguyrighthere
Interesting to see what comes of this.

I suppose the electric company can just deny her service, right? As long as there isnt anyone on a ventilator or anything like that in the house.

I find it odd that after CA and now ME are killing the mandatory nonsense that other places are just going ahead and installing them anyway.

It'll cost more to have to remove them all later than to just wait now.

CA here they came and installed one, never even told us.We are the only ones that have one in all the area it seem, looked at all the neighborhood. Wonder what made us so special!

Our bill defiantly has gone up since the installation. i would assume the power company has the right to meter how they want...I sure wish I didn't need their power!

Originally posted by DeReK DaRkLy


This was my first thought, same as this YouTube comment:

You have no rights to anything that doesn't belong to you. The electric meter belongs to the ELECTRIC COMPANY. Your property has a legal EASEMENT which states (among other things) that they can come onto your property anytime they feel like it and change any of THEIR equipment. BTW, I've looked and looked and I've yet to find the world "electric" or "meter" anywhere in the United States Constitution.

So who's right?

The police and the local DA decided that she had the right to chase an intruder off of her property. She had signs posted on her property saying that she did not want the Smart-meter installed on her property.

She is an anti-Smart-meter advocate so she knows her stuff about the laws regarding the meters.

But regardless of what happens, Taormina’s dedication to fight smart meters and raise awareness about the dangers has only grown stronger. Plus, state law, she said, does not mandate the meters — public utility authorities just decided to foist them on everyone without any lawful powers to do so.

“There was supposed to be consumer option,” Taormina explained, citing the law. “The [public utility authorities] virtually have broken the law because they’ve gone over and above our legislature and created a rule that mandates these meters, and they were never supposed to do that. Nobody is above the law. No one.”

TNA

Only a matter of time until the power companies make it so cost beneficial that everybody will have to have 1.

They didn't invent/buy the technology to put it on a shelf, they WILL find a way, as they always do.

Great story. Good for her.

There is one truth that is universal. Big Buisness is not trying to help her/you/me save money. Whatever they were doing was for their gain and whoever else has their pockets lined with power money.

A win is a win folks. We should celebrate them when we see/read about them. My first thought was good for her and protecting her rights.

Oh come on, what a wimpy lady. She should have given him a whopping, she don't need no guns!

Glad the system sided with sanity for once. Smart meters are for saving money? Yeah I highly doubt it, why would they spend their precious money, so they can take less money from you? I don't trust their motives at all.

Originally posted by igor_ats
Will probably be buried by the mainstream media.

It isn't often guns have a good story.

The mainstream media picked it up.

With their usual anti-gun spin, of course.

Woman pulls gun on electric company worker over new ‘smart meter’

Don’t mess with this woman’s electric meter.

Fifty-five year-old Thelma Taormina pulled out a gun on a CenterPoint Energy employee who arrived at her Houston-area home to install a smart meter, a local CBS affiliate reports.

 

CenterPoint, however, did not take the situation lightly.

"We are deeply troubled by anyone who would pull a gun on another person performing their job," a company spokesperson told the affiliate. "CenterPoint will be taking additional steps – including court actions – because what happened is dangerous, illegal and unwarranted."

NY Daily News

Gotta love how they let the perpetrators get in the last word.

reply to post by FortAnthem


Take that you gun control fanatics!!! Great story!!! This woman has advanced several of our unalienable rights by herself in a matter of minutes.

Balance of Power

Easements don't grant a company the right to trespass and commit battery against a property owner. At least, not legal easements.

If the facts of the case are as presented, Ms. Taormina has solid grounds for both criminal and civil prosecution, and the behavior of CenterPoint Energy in this matter literally mandates filing charges against them as a necessary defense.

They can claim their worker was "doing his job", but if an area is posted in the manner it clearly was, forced entry and assault are not the way to handle the situation.

Regardless of the details, the objective facts apparently agreed to by all involved is that a CenterPoint Energy employee entered property against the posted, clearly-expressed refusal of the owner. That is forced entry, and CenterPoint Energy becomes fully liable for everything that results when they do that.

The right place to settle these matters is in court, not in backyard scuffles, and thanks to irresponsible behavior on the part of a CenterPoint Energy employee, that's precisely where this is headed.

My tuppence, YMMV.

reply to post by FortAnthem


Isn't that frikken typical......
NY times blows......