I Resort to Eavesdropping

(2)

Even more interesting was the plumbing work done last Monday (6-19) on the 'abandoned' apartment below us. TMMC posted a notice on the main entrances Sunday morning to the effect that the water in the building would be shut off (yet again!) the following day from 1400-1600. Kootch gave me the news Sunday morning when she returned with the newspaper (kootch usually goes for the newspaper on Sunday mornings while I am glued to the tv sets). I said, 'I've been expecting that.'

Kootch, whose state of denial prevents any kind of intelligent discussion of the current stalking/harrassment situation, looked at me quizically. I said, 'Don't worry about it. You don't want to know.' Kootch accepted that answer.

But when the appointed time approached I was curious. I had 'grounded' the screen (tap) between the mattress and the box spring to the hot/cold water pipes leading to the bathtub. I had also grounded the same screen to the electrical ground on one of the wall sockets. Curiously, I found that there was exactly a 3.1 ohm (tap) difference between the two grounds. So, when the plumbers arrived at the building to do their thing I clamped the leads of my digital meter onto both 'grounds.' The readout was a rock-solid 3.1 ohms.

Also curiously, the TMMC maintenance truck parked at the west end of the building during the 'procedure' which, as I suspected, would be performed at our (east) end. Sure enough. I verified that they were working in the apartment downstairs by listening to them in the hallway downstairs (through the wall). I checked the laundry room just to be certain. It was empty. I also listened to them in our bathroom. They shut up when I opened the cover to the plumbing area behind the bathtub, but I could hear the hacksaw cutting something down there. I could also see down into their bathroom because the ceiling in that bathroom has been removed. I listened and watched the ohm meter.