The key-copy swindle for expats in Rue du Luxembourg

A friend just arrived in Brussels a few days ago, and rented an apartment close to the European Parliament. He went to make a copy of of his key to Mister Minit in Rue du Luxembourg.

This is a picture of his key:

As you can see a very standard one, rather very common type of key.

Well, he was charged 6.95 eur for one single copy of the key. Can you believe it???

He paid more than double the price normally would cost in other “more reasonable” places. Is it the law of demand-offer???? I don’t think so, it is the law of the opportunism, and ingenuity of new people in the neighbourhood.

The funny think, and I told my friend, is that in Mr. Minit, if you make two copies of the same key, you get one extra for free!!!! ....Hilarioius!!!!

Welcome to Brussels Mr. Minit!!!

Less CO2 = More Euros for ELECTRABEL

THIS IS THE NEW STRATEGY OF ELECTRABEL: a product called GREEN PLUS ("VertPlus") 

• 100% renewable energy, produced in Belgium. The guarantee that for every kWh of electricity you use, 1 kWh is produced from renewable energies such as sun, wind, water or biomass.
• Free and exclusive access to personalized services designed to cut your CO2 emissions.

 

First question I ask myself. Does Electrabel tell me how much CO2 I am producing with my energy consumption????   or how much CO2 will I save????  NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOPE

Another question: 100% renewable means 100% green????   NOOOOOOOOPE

You probably have already received their season free magazine in your mailbox "Energique". Again, I ask myself, how many tons of CO2 have they produced it to create and bring 4.5millions copies to our homes in Belgium????  They used recycled paper yes, but that does not mean anything when it comes to CO2 emissions. 

OKAY. Less CO2 emissions, but, at what price ELECTRABEL offers this? I honestly admit I am not able to calculate it exactly, but I am estimating it between 20% and 30% more expensive (price per KWh, including everything)

Well you have to read 6 documents in order to really understand it 100%:

• Fixed price for electricity (only available in Dutch and French)
• Fixed price for natural gas (only available in Dutch and French)
• Indexed price for natural gas (only available in Dutch and French)
• Special conditions (only available in Dutch and French)
• General conditions (only available in Dutch and French) 
• Appendix to the General Conditions in the Walloon Region (only available in Dutch and French) 
• Appendix to the General Conditions in the Brussels Capital Region (only available inDutch and French)

Quite simple right????   This is because they want to hide the dark side of it.  IT IS MORE EXPENSIVE!!!!!!  So basically what ELECTRABEL is offering is: pay more for the same service, and feel.... better????

 

Green electricity is produced anyway in this country, and it will be more and more produced in time, whether ELECTRABEL wants it or not. It is not their decision, it is the Government decision. Will you change the world paying more for your energy?? Not with ELECTRABEL. Because they are selling smoke....CO2 smoke. 

 

It is no wonder why they promote energy savings among its clients in its magazine. They want us to consume less energy, but pay it more expensive!!!!

 

Besides, the small letter, which you always need to read carefully, says that you need to engage for at least two year period, three year if you live in Brussels. 

 

Still interested in paying money for nothing in the next three years????

 

 

 

LAISSEZ-FAIRE, BRUSSELS SOUL ?

Laisez-farie is a term used to describe a policy of allowing events to take their own course. The term is a French phrase literally meaning "let do". In Brussels you have the feeling it is much more that this, it is a stigma in many people. It is a way of life. They just don't care....

They see someone peeing in the metro, they keep walking.

They see some pickpoket in Montgomery....they don't say anything.

They see someone smoking in a public metro station, no one says anything

And the same type of examples apply to many services. You surely can provide more examples than myself. 

But here is a good one I had the oportunity to see last week: Look at the picture an guess...

It is a car upsde down, after an accident, in the middle of the lane that enters in the Shuman tunnels from the Leuven road.  

None of the cars on the right stopped to check, signal the accident (and avoid another one), or just see if they could help.

Is there a better example of this philosopy? (Laissez-faire)

I showed this to a beilgian friend and he was not surprised....he said "people have been educated here not to look to the bad things of others....it is not good catholic eduation to face that, it is better to avoid reality than see its darkness"

I could not belive what he was saying, and I don't see the relationship with religion, however I see the LINKS of this philosopny and service in this city. 

One year of life of this blog

One year ago I started my adventure creating www.serviceinbrussels.info

I thought soon I would run out of content and ideas to keep it alive. That is why I made an agenda at the begining. Surprisingly, in one year, I did not have time to write about all topics in my agenda, and I even wrote about many more new topics inspired in my day to day life in this city. 

Thank you to Brussels for giving my so much content to write here and have fun while I kick some ass. Thank you friends and readers who participate with articles, ideas, content, comments, and emails of solidarity. We all love this city, but still, some things need to be pointed out clearly in order to motivate changes and open the eyes of some. 

Thank you everybody.

2 MONTHS TO HAVE MY ADSL INTERNET WORKING AT HOME

I told you before about what happened with the company of my friend...they did not have internet for two months. 

Well, recently a similar story happened to me, in my place. I moved out to a new appartment and I decided to look for an Internet Service Provider in Brussels. In short, I decided to take a contract with MOBISTAR because basically they had a good offer, and very important, they answered the phone when I called them a couple of times to get extra details about their service. Surprisingly some competitors did not even answer to my calls. 

So far so good. I ordered my internet ADSL, and I received in a few days the modem-router and I just had to plug it, install it and let it run for ever and ever....

Any way, thanks to the BELGACOM REGIME in this country, my internet did not work due to some problem in the line of BELGACOM. Let me explain you this. The government has forced Belgacom to sublet their lines to competitiors in order to allow market competition in the ADSL market. In other words, even though I have a contract with MOBISTAR, actually the line and some part of the cable infrastructure belongs to BELGACOM. So MOBISTAR depends and relies on the diligence of the dictator BELGACOM. 

In real terms this evolved to the game of the chicken and the egg. What was first??

Belgacom said my line was OK and it was a problem with MOBISTAR infrastructure. 

Mobistar said everything on their side was OK and BELGACOM had sompe problems activating my line. And like this during two months until the miracle happened.

Today, my internet works and I am very happy. I dont really know what the real problem was. But I don't care. 

 In favour of BELGACOM I have nothing to say. They came twice and needed a lot of time to solve the problem. 

In favour of MOBISTAR I have something positive to say. Every time I called to the customer service they answered my call relatively quickly at any time, and replied to my questions and requests very politely and efficiently (compared to others). I am very satisfied with MOBISTAR and I am thinking to change my mobile phone contract to them as well. 

Congratulations MOBISTAR. You guys are making possible the opening of the belgian ADSL market. 

TRAFFIC SIGNALS IN BRUSSELS - NO COMMENT

WALKING TO MY JOB IN BRUSSELS

I told you already that normally I walk to my job every day (half an hour walk). I even take my bike sometimes. The main reason is not that I want to make some sport, nor I want to be a "green" environmentally-friendly guy...NO NO NO....the main reason is that I HATE PUBLIC TRANSPORT in peak times.  I refuse to use it, it is worthless. Yet walking or cyclyng can even be more challenging in Brussels, and not because the weather.

Last friday I decided to take my camera and take some pictures of the obstacles I find every day twice. Here are some samples:

End of the sidewalk...you shall walk on the stree!!!

Bump!!!

which one will it be???? after raining....

Bicycle friendly-environment in the European Quartier

OK....where do I cross the street? who has priority?....mmhh, not clear

More bumps??? nooooo....more stones!!!!

You need bricks at home? ...don't buy them!!! just take them from the street.