Regarding the mis-reporting of Symptoms...

This followed on from a newsgroup discussion about the way tradesmen can be misled by the way people describe the fault that they need fixing.

Regarding the misreporting of symptoms, in a recent instance it turned out that the report was 100% accurate, although I was highly sceptical. This was in a large block of flats where the floors are concrete and the majority of the flats have had wooden over-floors of one sort or another fitted over the years. The TV aerial cables originally ran from the tap-off units near the front doors through the flats. They were simply clipped to the skirting boards (from new, astonishingly). In this instance the report was that the TV would only work when a person was sitting in a particular armchair. The occupiers were able to demonstrate to a very sceptical me that this was, in fact, the case. Presumably when the new floor had been fitted the aerial cable has been unclipped from the skirting and left under the new laminate (which was probably on bearers because of the unevenness of the concrete).

I guessed that there was a fault or damage which meant that contact was only made under pressure. The thing was astonishingly positive in operation, and with the chair removed I was able to turn the signal on and off by transferring my weight from one foot to the other.

There was one positive outcome. I'd previously had a bit of a barney with the caretaker, but when he looked in our mutual amusement at the fault did much to pour oil on troubled waters.

I simply ran a new cable along the skirting by the way.