Strange Power Outage Downtown

**Gannon** · September-13-12, 07:28 AM

So...who got stuck in this, and who gets the morning OFF from their high-rise job in the core buildings downtown?

http://www.freep.com/article/2012091...text|FRONTPAGE

Not even enough information for a decent conspiracy postulate...

...help a curious brother out?!

**RedeemerKid** · September-13-12, 07:32 AM

A quick walk though parts of the Ren Cen reveals one tower [[400) on backup power [[limited to powering essential stuff only) while at least one other tower [[100) seems totally fine.

**Gannon** · September-13-12, 07:33 AM

Although I'll have to admit some empathy for the firefighters who had to trek up 22 floors in a few buildings, even carrying out a few people who were stuck when the power went out.

Only my experience was seven floors at the Park Shelton around 1990, when the elevators would fail every other week, it seemed. Amazing how heavy groceries get after a few floors.

Perhaps it was an extreme stress-test by the administration to see if they could eliminate a few of 'em, now that they have to rescind that pay cut?!

Yeah, I'm fishin'.

**Gannon** · September-13-12, 07:35 AM

Thanks RKid...was there anything important at GM today?! They've been in a wee shakeup, someone in their foreign management quit a day or so ago.

Geez, Ford is making alignments in their upper managers, too. H-m-m-n-n.

**nativegirl** · September-13-12, 07:50 AM

RK, I work at one of the building that's having the outage issue and this has been ongoing since Saturday, 9/8. This has always been my fear of working in high rise buildings; either getting stuck in the elevators or having to walk down a series of stairs which I did yesterday [[all 16 of them!) My back is killing me today for some reason.

**Gannon** · September-13-12, 07:56 AM

Nativegirl,

What time did everything fail?!

Cheers

**MidTownMs** · September-13-12, 08:04 AM

Originally Posted by nativegirl

RK, I work at one of the building that's having the outage issue and this has been ongoing since Saturday, 9/8. This has always been my fear of working in high rise buildings; either getting stuck in the elevators or having to walk down a series of stairs which I did yesterday [[all 16 of them!) My back is killing me today for some reason.

.

Be thankful you didn't have to walk UP 16 floors.

**RedeemerKid** · September-13-12, 08:08 AM

Originally Posted by Gannon

Thanks RKid...was there anything important at GM today?! They've been in a wee shakeup, someone in their foreign management quit a day or so ago.

Geez, Ford is making alignments in their upper managers, too. H-m-m-n-n.

No idea. Aren't they always in a "wee shakeup"? From my experience, change is constant. Except from vending machines.

**RedeemerKid** · September-13-12, 08:09 AM

Originally Posted by nativegirl

RK, I work at one of the building that's having the outage issue and this has been ongoing since Saturday, 9/8. This has always been my fear of working in high rise buildings; either getting stuck in the elevators or having to walk down a series of stairs which I did yesterday [[all 16 of them!) My back is killing me today for some reason.

Hmmm. I've been in and out of the Ren Cen during the daytime all week. Noticed nothing until this morning.

**nativegirl** · September-13-12, 09:14 AM

Hmmm. I've been in and out of the Ren Cen during the daytime all week. Noticed nothing until this morning.

RK...it wasn't just the RenCen, which btw only the 400 tower was impacted. If you work in the RenCen complex you may have noticed that other buildings such as the Millender Center had issues yesterday and on Saturday.

**guito13** · September-13-12, 09:21 AM

I work in tower 400 of the rencen. The first occurance happened sometime saturday morning. I went up there on Sunday to do some work only to find that there was no power in my office. It was resored on Sunday afternoon around 3:30.

Fast forward to yesterday, the power failed around 3:30 pm. We were sent home around 4:00. As of now there is power to 400 but we were instructed to work from home as the power may go out again.

**sturge** · September-13-12, 10:07 AM

No issues at Compuware HQ.

**jolla** · September-13-12, 10:30 AM

My legs were like jelly after walking down 20+ flights of stairs.

**guito13** · September-13-12, 11:38 AM

Originally Posted by jolla

My legs were like jelly after walking down 20+ flights of stairs.

Aye, I waked down them too...legs felt weird

**Gannon** · September-13-12, 11:48 AM

So, the 'refugees' from this event should all be walking around downtown as if they finished their first marathon yesterday? Yuck.

I am empathizing over your quads cramping...best increase your salt intake a wee bit, maybe a few bananas a day for a while.

**laphoque** · September-13-12, 01:13 PM

Wow.. you may want to start working out before you get all deconditioned and bedbound like my patients. You've got to use your muscles if you want to avoid wheelchairs and walkers later in life. Maybe make going down the stairs a regular thing. You should probably even consider going up.

It's always interesting to see which couch surfers have trouble making it up to the top of the train station. Most of them do.

**Jimaz** · September-13-12, 01:19 PM

Originally Posted by Gannon

...I am empathizing over your quads cramping...best increase your salt intake a wee bit, maybe a few bananas a day for a while.

Yes. High potassium foods: bananas, potatoes, tomatoes, orange juice, other juices. Gatorade was invented to prevent cramps in athletes but people shouldn't drink it straight all the time.

Pharmacist recommended some over-the-counter pills but I noticed the word "homeopathic" on the label.

They used to recommend quinine or tonic water containing quinine but nowadays they limit over-the-counter quinine to the point where it's useless for cramps.

I am not a physician, but oh do I hate cramps!

**BrushStart** · September-13-12, 03:18 PM

Been without power/water/elevators [[or a combination thereof) on and off since last Friday evening. Have had to stay in 2 different hotels since I can't live without water very long. Have now had TWO refrigerators full of groceries spoil due to no power. This morning, I climbed up 29 flights of stairs to get my clothes for work, then walked down 29 flights of stairs. My fiance got stuck in the elevator when the power suddenly went out unexpectedly. As of right now, power is still out and it's not looking promising due to the fact that the underground cables are reportedly "smoldering." Between the incompetence/negligence/carelessness of DTE and my building [[which should have backup generators to at least pump water), it's amazing anyone still lives and works in this place.

**guito13** · September-13-12, 04:37 PM

Originally Posted by laphoque

Wow.. you may want to start working out before you get all deconditioned and bedbound like my patients. You've got to use your muscles if you want to avoid wheelchairs and walkers later in life. Maybe make going down the stairs a regular thing. You should probably even consider going up.

It's always interesting to see which couch surfers have trouble making it up to the top of the train station. Most of them do.

* Bows down to almighty fitness king *

**leapfrog** · September-13-12, 06:34 PM

Originally Posted by laphoque

Wow.. you may want to start working out before you get all deconditioned and bedbound like my patients. You've got to use your muscles if you want to avoid wheelchairs and walkers later in life. Maybe make going down the stairs a regular thing. You should probably even consider going up.

It's always interesting to see which couch surfers have trouble making it up to the top of the train station. Most of them do.

Well said. Unless you are out of condition, 20 flights of stairs shouldn't be that much trouble. I work out several times a week at the gym, but get some bonus workout time by using the stairs regularly at work. I suspect some of the commenters here are strictly elevator jockeys

**DTFellow** · September-13-12, 06:54 PM

Brushstart, I too had to walk up and down many flights of stairs yesterday, has there been any progress on the power or water situation? Over the weekend at least the water was working [[eventually). . .

**MrChrome** · September-14-12, 07:26 AM

Ren Cen tower 400 and Millender Center are both on the same electric feed. The problems started Friday night at 11pm. Both buildings usually have a backup generator to provide essential services, but Millender's has not been functioning. Millender quickly rented a small generator to power one elevator and some lights. This left us without water because pumps are needed to get the water up to the highrise floors. Saturday morning, Millender rented a much larger portable generator power all of the elevators and the water pumps. Power was restored from this outage around 4pm on Sunday.

Starting on Wednesday at 3:30pm power was cut to both buildings again. Again, Millender's generator did not function. Millender residents were allowed to use the stairs to go to and from their apartments. I think power was restored to Tower 400 around 8am on Thursday. Millender finally hooked up their portable generator around 10am, giving us elevators and water. The power finally came back on around 4am Friday morning.

Millender needs to get their generator fixed. I can hear it roaring, but it provides no power. It worked last time we had power outage a few months ago.

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**downtownguy** · September-14-12, 12:02 PM

^^ I wonder how many tickets the meter maids have slapped on that trailer housing the generator?

**Axle** · September-16-12, 03:30 PM

"Now look at this guy! Taking up 5 spaces, that's a lot of parking tickets mMhmmm... And doesnt he know you can't park a commercial trailer on Detroit streets? He's getting a ticket for sure! I'm just doing my job" =-)

Alex.