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https://www.askthetrades.co.uk/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl DIY Forum >> Building Questions >> Sometimes DIY is not a good idea! https://www.askthetrades.co.uk/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1084219490 Message started by HandyMac on May 10^th, 2004, 9:04pm

Title: Sometimes DIY is not a good idea!
Post by HandyMac on May 10^th, 2004, 9:04pm

It seems that a DIYer managed to chop thru a fibre optic cable when erecting a fence, and he now owes BT �25,780. Read all about it here:

http://www.theregister.com/2004/05/10/bt_bill_cable/

What I'd like to know is how the devil did this guy manage to chop thru a fibre optic cable without meeting enough resistance to give him the idea that maybe he should stop digging?

Andrew

Title: Re: Sometimes DIY is not a good idea!
Post by rabbit_rabbit on May 10^th, 2004, 9:09pm

Bloody daft - tell BT the fibre cable should have been armoured or p1ss off I pay enough in phone bills.

RR

Title: Re: Sometimes DIY is not a good idea!
Post by thescruff on May 10^th, 2004, 9:13pm

Tis in the paper, he was knocking a steel fencing spike into the ground at the front of his house.

According to BT he was pinching ground by moving his boundary forward.

scruff

Title: Re: Sometimes DIY is not a good idea!
Post by Building_Control on May 21^st, 2004, 7:28pm

Isnt there a minimum depth the cable should be at?

Title: Re: Sometimes DIY is not a good idea!
Post by bigjules on May 28^th, 2004, 9:17am

Be aware that none of the statutory authorities, (BT/gas/electricity/cable/water etc) will give any guarantee as to position, route or depth of underground services.

They will only advise APPROXIMATE location.

Be aware!!

Title: Re: Sometimes DIY is not a good idea!
Post by HandyMac on Jun 2^nd, 2004, 10:06pm

Well he got his punishment then:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/leicestershire/3770939.stm

Andrew

Title: Re: Sometimes DIY is not a good idea!
Post by Dewy on Jun 3^rd, 2004, 2:31am

That was a different one Andrew.
This one wanted to see how long his kids could jump about before the house collapsed.

Title: Re: Sometimes DIY is not a good idea!
Post by tjohndavies on Jun 22^nd, 2004, 4:35pm

When BT contractors were laying fibre optics recently in the grass outside my house I saw them using a standard trenching spade, but angled and to half its depth. This meant that the cables were about to buried approx. 4 inches under the surface. As I didn't want the entire lot to surface when digging my flower beds I went out and showed them how to dig a hole

John Davies

Title: Re: Sometimes DIY is not a good idea!
Post by big_all on Jun 22^nd, 2004, 4:55pm

heeelllooo j d and welcome
welcome to the mad house :o :o 8)