Two female employees of The Bahamas Electricity Corporation (BEC) got the fright of their lives on Tuesday as they were allegedly cornered by angry Pinewood Garden residents who reportedly threatened to kill them if their lights were turned off, claimed BEC Chairman Leslie Miller yesterday.
According to Mr. Miller, the women were only doing their job, disconnecting the power supply as a result of the customer’s bill not being paid.
However, he said things got out of hand when the women were cornered in the yard and not allowed to leave.
“Five men in the neighborhood then went to the gate and stopped them from leaving the yard,” Mr. Miller said.
“The women were then threatened. One man said that he would go home, get his nine-millimeter and kill all two of them if they came in his yard and turned off his light. The gentleman who lives in the yard then threatened one of them with a rock and said what he would do if they turned off his light. Interference with the corporation’s officers in the execution of their duties is punishable under the penal code.”
Mr. Miller said the women only escaped harms’ way because they called their male co-workers, who intervened.
The police showed up soon after, Mr. Miller said.
Mr. Miller said the power to the home has since been disconnected from the lamp pole, the meter removed and the man who threatened the woman’s life has been arrested and will be charged in court.
BEC’s chairman said he knows that times are hard and it is difficult for many to pay their light bills, but he said it is better to pay something, than not make an attempt to pay at all or even contact the corporation.
“Pay your bill and they won’t turn your lights off,” Mr. Miller warns consumers.
“Just don’t intimidate Bahamian women. I take grave offense to that. They [the five men] are cowards for five guys to stay to the gate and refuse to let those women leave. They started to cry. One didn’t know what to do. I’m telling you, your light is off, it will stay off for a little while buddy. Get used to it.”
BEC has 32 employees that carry out disconnections, with one third of whom being females.
Sadly, the chairman said incidents like the one that happened on Tuesday take place every week and have been happening for years.
“One man, about two weeks ago, came out with a shotgun because his neighbour was being turned off by BEC and because his neighbour was being turned off, his wife told him they were the same two that just turned off their light last week,” he said.
“He then went and got a shotgun and went outside with it and told them to come back again. You know how scary that is for a woman to be accosted by a man with a shotgun in his hand because he didn’t pay his bill? She turned off your light because you didn’t pay the damn bill.”
The mother of the young man who threatened to hit the BEC worker with a rock apparently met with Mr. Miller and apologised for the incident.
However, Mr. Miller said it is not her he wants an apology from, as she didn’t do it.
He added that their family must now suffer the consequences of being without power.
