Concerns Rise Over Dangling Utility Pole in Birmingham

Concerns Rise Over Dangling Utility Pole in Birmingham

People in Birmingham are starting to worry, and for good reason! A utility pole is dangling precariously above a bus stop, and local resident Gene Davis is afraid it’s just waiting for the chance to hurt someone. Despite reaching out for help for several months, the situation remains unchanged, prompting Davis to seek additional assistance.

A Dangerous Situation

Imagine leaving your house only to be greeted by a utility pole, suspended in mid-air, just a few feet above your head—this is the reality Davis faces outside his home. The pole measures around 4 to 5 feet long, giving it the potential to cause serious injury if it were to fall. “If that pole should happen to come down, somebody is gonna be hurt, and it’s not gonna be a scratch,” Davis warns.

The troubling state of the pole follows a chaotic incident back in March, where a car careened down his block, knocking out his mailbox and fence before leaving Davis’s yard in shambles. “The front end of the car went into the ground. They jumped out and left,” he recounted, shaking his head as he remembered the chaos that played out in front of his home.

Repairs Still Needed

While repairs to his property took months, Davis was hopeful when Alabama Power came to replace their damaged line and put in a new utility pole. Unfortunately, they told him they were unable to remove the old pole due to AT&T’s wires being attached. This left Davis in an uncomfortable situation; a new pole stands strong while the old one dangles dangerously above.

Seven months ago, Davis first contacted AT&T about the unsafe pole. After receiving a claim number, he expected someone to help him, but days turned into weeks and weeks into months, and still, nothing has changed. “It’s hanging over a bus stop!” he exclaimed. Every day, people waiting to catch a bus stand on his sidewalk right beneath the hanging menace.

The Growing Risk

The bus comes by several times a week, and each time, the risk of injury increases. “I think AT&T needs to do their job and come get that piece down,” Davis stated emphatically. “It shouldn’t take them long because they have a bucket truck. They can go up there and get it! We don’t have anything we can go up there and get that pole down. If I did, I would’ve taken it down myself.”

Seeking Answers

In a desperate bid for answers, Davis reached out to local media to shine a spotlight on his plight. With hopes of drawing attention to his situation, he hopes that something will prompt AT&T to take action and remove the old pole. “The safety of my neighbors and the people standing under that pole is at stake,” he added, clearly frustrated by the lengthy delay.

Given the circumstances, many in the community are echoing Davis’s concerns. Everyone has a right to feel safe while waiting for public transportation, yet here we are—with a dangerous utility pole lingering over their heads!

Looking Ahead

As of now, there is no word on when the pole might be removed. It remains to be seen whether AT&T will respond more aggressively to the safety hazard they are leaving unaddressed. In the meantime, residents and bus riders alike are forced to tread carefully in the shadow of a problem that simply should not exist.

This situation illustrates just how important it is for utility companies to act swiftly for the safety and well-being of the community. We all hope that a solution is on the horizon for Birmingham and that residents like Gene Davis can soon find peace, knowing that their neighborhood is safe once again.