Evil motorcyclist threatens innocent crowd of violent protesters.

[James Deuce]

It's not Mercury's role to ask those questions. All they need to ask is Were the corerct procedures and protocols followed? The last thing they need to get involved in is a moral debate.

I think they should in this instance, given the gravity of the accusations being leveled. It is an opportunity for a body corporate to show some commitment at something other than the shareholder level.

[Reckless]

I've looked at the news reports, read the papers, looked at news web sites and based on having had someone at home for 4 months being fed through a tube and on a compressor for O2, just like this lady, I have some questions.

1. What was the family doing while she died?
2. Why didn't they call an Ambulance?
3. Or the GP?
4. Or even take her to hospital themselves?
5. Where were the portable bottles of O2 that get delivered by BOC within 25 minutes of you ringing and asking for them?
6. BOC can also provide a Generator if required.
7. You get given bottles of portable O2 if you have a compressor at home to help you breathe - why wasn't she attached to one of those while they sorted the power out?
8. How come no one has asked these questions?
9. Will someone at Mercury stand up and ask these questions?

This whole thing stinks. Typical Corporate beat up. It's sad that she died, but she didn't have to. It's bizarre that she did.

Jim2, Didn't quite agree with you on the traffic light thread but give you 10 outa 10 on this one!!
If it was 3 hours after the power off that she died. The UPS, if there was one, may not have lasted that long. I also know the one on my computers screems its head off when the power goes down. With different, more urgent tones as it goes flat. And its only a cheapy.

Maybe their casual approach to the situation was the main contributer. But we can only speculate none of us really knows, do we!

How dare they kick a Honda rider

[wybmadiity]

I would have head-butted the motherfucker.

Bam! And down the loser goes.

And then next one that has a go at you? And then the next 20??? How to get a mob really pissed off at you....

Not to mention the fact the bike would end up on the ground as well!!!

Bingo, Jim.

And no, they wont ask. They are already being portrayed as the villians in this saga by the media. I've been very unimpressed with the Herald and Campbell Live about their attacks on Mercury and their gutter journalism.

Mercury give seven weeks notice of the power being cut off. Seven weeks. And the bill was considerably overdue.

I think not taking ownership is the NZ way. There has to be a corporate villian. There were at least (depending on what you read) two children in the house, over 20 years of age. When she said "Look after your brother", and her vision went hazy, why would you not call an ambulance?

FFS, it was 3 hours after the power was cut that she died. 3 fricken hours. There could easily have been a 3 hour power cut.

Yes, it's sad. But why is this only Mercury's fault??

+1

[Devil]

You don't need one. When you have a compressor in the house, they supply you a backup in the form of Oxygen cylinders. There was no need for her to die. The guy from Middlemore Hospital tried to point that out, but they cut the interview short.

Didn't know that. That information just annoys me more. Arrest the children for a crime of stupidity.

[Fatjim]

I can't believe som many people actually read the papers these days. Dilbert is about the only thing true to life in there.

[candor]

Jim two, in reply to question eight, because then the manslaughter charges might fall closer to home.

On a young fellow without medical knowledge who obeyed his mothers command not to get help. She obviously did not expect to die. And as she deteriorated she was likely too confused from lack of oxygen to realise it was getting urgent. The family made the wrong call in not getting help - but it sounds to me like it came from the matriarch as if she paid the bills she prolly called the shots.

Mully - Campbell is imo always engaging in irresponsible unbalanced reporting to get mileage out of a story cos so litle actually happens here

[James Deuce]

There is a charge: Failing to provide the necessary care.

It's less than manslaughter, but this family needs a lesson.

We were "threatened" that if we didn't manage our son's care at home properly would we would be charged with that.

This family would have had the same talk when they were sent home with a compressor and O2 bottles.

[riffer]

Okay, my turn to bite.

The autopsy result has not been released.

Therefore any mention that the removal of power from the device which supplied oxygen to the unfortunate woman caused her death remains speculation.

I don't believe we yet have any proof other than what the family has said that the cause of death was conclusively lack of oxygen caused by removal of said breathing apparatus.

She was a big girl who'd suffered a terrible shock. She could just have easily have died from a heart attack caused by complications from hyperventilating because she thought she might die if they took her oxygen away.

... waiting for the official autopsy result before commenting further.

[James Deuce]

riffer, a compressor isn't life support. There was no need for her to die at home three hours after the power was turned off. Indeed if she was that big and showing signs of distress medical intervention should have been requested.

To blame the power company is utter bilge. What she died of isn't the issue. Blaming the power company and their proxy is not on and the Media and the PM should not be weighting the argument that way.

[riffer]

Yeah, I understand that mate.

I was just trying to talk about it in the same emotive terms that everyone else uses, as no-one seems to understand anything lately unless you sound like your freaking out...

edit: saw your post was edited - I'll reply. I agree with you that what she died of ain't the issue. My point is, she was a sick lady. It could have been that the 'leccy withdrawal freaked her out. In that case it could have been anything that set it off - she was a timebomb.

[James Deuce]

ROFLMAO.

Yeah F__k you, you F__king Upper Huttian!

Like that?

[shcabbeh]

It's easier to point the finger at a big corporation than to take responsibility yourself. That and most people/media seem to love watching the underdog win. It makes people feel powerful and happy when they round their hippies up and win small victories against "The Man". I just think in this case it's irresponsible.

I don't quite understand what Helen Clark is doing, how can she comment on such a thing with so little information about it? It's almost as if she's trying to win the polls back by giving sympathy to a poor family in Mangere. How cliche.

[Drum]

I almost choked when I heard on the news that Helen had been around to see the family, and had ignored the Mercury Energy representatives because she 'has nothing to say to them'. Bloody amateur. Looks like another trial by media. There's a big surprise.

[MadDuck]

she was a timebomb.

Having been dragged up in the back streets of East and South Auckland ...if it were my mum needing power to live I would have found the cash. The Samoan community would have rallied around thats what their fancy churches are for afterall.

BTW there is a kinda cool photo of the bikers arse on NZ Herald website (a KBer no less). The Quasimoto logo is not quite clear but its there.

Tomorrow will be another corporate to take the shit out of no doubt.

[Toaster]

bingo.....

Double bingo. I guess that family/bill-payer either never contemplated the power getting disconnected, or were purely reckless in their attitude towards paying for their power.

It's hard to say without the facts and there are many conflicting stories circulating. But I know if my life or a loved ones life depended on the power being on, I would be paying that bill by Direct Debit or even ahead of due date!

It's all about priorities - something that important deserved special attention by the family to ensure above all else that they had funds to ensure that bill kept being paid on time. And if anyone reading this thinks I don't understand financial hardship - be careful to judge before you know someone and where they are coming from. When times were very very hard, rent and bills came first, with me... food, clothing, fun, KFC... etc - last.