How Capitalism Works, Part 8,539,267
Involuntarily Benefiting from Other’s Calamity
This qualifies for the “really fucked up” category of human folly.

My phone was set to renew on October 29th last week, three days before I could pay it on the first. This past summer, the due-date had crept up into the last days of the month instead of after-the-first, when I can pay ($45/month really means $45 for one 30-day period of time, because Capitalism). It’s an AT&T Prepaid (formerly AT&T Go!), so when I can’t pay it, I just go without a mobile phone until I have the money to buy the top-up card. It’s not really a big deal, because I don’t actually need a portable computer that sends and receives verbal and written communication on my person at all times (most people don’t). I just really like the convenience it gives me to have the device right there whenever I need it, just like everyone else. So if I admitted it to myself, it is irritating when this happens only because 1 month=30 days, not 1 month, in American Capitalism.
To AT&T’s credit, the last time this happened they called me after six consecutive months to ask if I wanted to reset the due-date to after-the-first again. I guess they were scared that I would eventually have my phone unlocked (or maybe get a new one) and switch my service to one of their competitors. Each time, I just wait in the hope that I get that call again.
On the day my bill was due, however, I received an “AT&T Free Msg” notifying me that because of the PG&E power shutdown, I won’t be charged for “talk/text/data overages” until 11:59PM on November 2nd. I scoffed and thought, that doesn’t apply to me because we have SoCal Edison — my phone’s going to be shut off tomorrow.

Well, apparently it did apply. So while you NorCal folks were powering up your generators and sitting around in the dark (not to mention all the difficulties you endured at work and school), I was enjoying free phone service on your behalf. I didn’t ask for it, in fact was perfectly reconciled to going without my phone until I had money to pay, per American Capitalism law. But I will say thank you for taking one for the team.
And I will also lend my commiseration. Because I too think it is dumbassery on the grandest scale that upward-to 1 million Northern Californians had to deal with a days-long, compulsory, and unnecessary blackout, regardless of whether I reaped benefits from it or not. Because, let’s face the reality: the only reason PG&E is forcing their customers to pay for blackouts is that they were found liable for the razing of Paradise and are on-the-bill for $11 Billion, according to the Wall Street Journal. The insurance claims alone top $7 Billion. Plus they’ll eventually have to update their medieval infrastructure, presumably. All that will take money. So beside these blackouts that PG&E have promised (for up to a decade, according to CNN) being reactionary and punitive, they are also solidly in line with American Capitalism. And why should they care? They’re already bankrupt.

But what should really piss you off is AT&T in all this. Sure, it’s wonderful that they are providing free service to their already-paying customers during a blackout (also one fire, the “Easy Fire,” that I know of). Under what pretenses, though? The service to most of their phones is already paid under contract terms. Add to that any Prepaid customers who have signed up for Auto-pay. They didn’t suspend anyone’s payments; I received two texts to notify me that my rate-plan didn’t renew. Yet my service stayed on through Sunday morning (the 3rd, due to the Easy Fire). I had to be part of a minuscule percentage of folks who actually gained an extension of service. For the company, this was an easy way to capitalize on the appearance of helping its customers during these difficult times, a huge win-win for them in the PR arena.
And then there was me, a person who without any effort or intent on his behalf, gained the benefits from these calamities, without actually being affected by either. What happened there? Don’t get me wrong, I appreciated the free extension. But this was meant not to help me, but to make sure I would remain their customer. When I did renew my service on the 2nd, I received the usual text that stated the top-up was successful, then another surprise — my next rate charge would be on December 2nd. AT&T gave me my date reset too, because of fire and hardship that didn’t affect me at all.

So I don’t know about any of you, but my takeaway is that these companies are just too damn sensitive to both losing money, and not making the absolute maximum amount they can. And we’re caught in the maelstrom, like it or not, for better or worse. How dare the people of California take it out on PG&E when the utility burns down their communities with its collapsing infrastructure?? But don’t worry — at least your mobile entertainment device will continue to work if you can manage to keep it charged.
Marc Quagon Digby is an aspiring writer and founder of Horrorshow Publications, a small multimedia press that still resides in fantasy. He devotes most of his time to his four wonderful children, and calls the Mojave Desert home.
