It's not the first time they have tried this ruse out on us.  And they have been making the rounds of all the big houses in our neighborhood, too.  I guess they think we don't talk to our neighbors.  Or maybe they think we really are as stupid as we look.

It goes like this:  An official looking person comes to the gate, saying he is working for the electric company. He's even wearing the company uniform and has some "official" papers.  Says he's been sent to inspect our electric meter.  He takes a look at the meter, consults his papers, and declares that we need to buy a new meter.  And he goes on and on with a whole bunch of electrical jargon that is designed to intimidate one into thinking this is on the up-and-up.  Unfortunately Jim Tucker lives here and he's not easily intimidated by all the mumbo jumbo.  So while he goes to get his tools to test the existing meter and prove that it is perfectly fine, the official looking person shows Francis a paper that states we will have to pay 350.000 F ($900) for the new meter.  When Francis queries him, the man says he will negotiate with Jim when he returns.  But he quickly lets Francis know that, since he has had to do so much talking to explain everything to us, we have to provide him with a beer.  (Sure thing!)  When the non-dummy Jim Tucker returns with his tools and the man suddenly realizes that he has met his match, he begins back paddling.  "Well, no," he says, "your meter is not actually worn out.  But I'm in charge and when I say you need a new one, you must buy one from me."  In the end, when he sees there is no possible way of convincing Jim to come up with the money, he then tells him he will have to be paid 50.000 F ($100) in order to leave the current meter in place and go on his way.  (Indeed!)

Sadly for him, Francis ushers him out the gate WITHOUT the beer and most certainly WITHOUT the 50.000 F.  It's not his lucky day.  Francis tells us that if we had fallen for this, he would have removed our perfectly good meter, pocketed the money, taken his beer, and skipped off into the sunset with the false promise of returning right away with our new meter.  He can easily convert that meter into more beer money.

We live in a fallen world.