Sunday, September 16, 2018

Finding Power During a Long Outage

Updated September 2026: in 2018 I recalled the third day of the 2015 Chennai floods, charging devices from my car and then from the apartment gym's backup power, while the water rose to the parking area. I have rewritten it into advice on finding power during a long outage.

I spent the day walking around the apartment block. To charge my phone, I started my car and charged as much as I could. I sensed panic among the residents and avoided conversations to stay calm. In the evening I found the building was running backup power to common areas, and I could charge my MacBook Pro in the gym, then charge my other two devices from its USB ports. Late that evening I walked out again, hoping the water had dropped enough to drive to my home town. It had risen further and was reaching the parking area. My only companions were my iPod Touch and around 20 Tintin comics.

Where can you find power in a long outage?

  • Building backup: common areas, lifts and gyms often have generator or inverter power.
  • Your car: a USB port or inverter, used with care.
  • Power banks: charged before the storm.
  • Neighbours with inverters: share and take turns.

Is it safe to charge from a car?

Only in open air, never in an enclosed garage, because of exhaust fumes. Keep the engine running only as long as needed, and watch fuel levels. Do not start or use a car in flooded parking, where water can damage the engine and electrics.

How do you charge several devices from one?

A laptop can charge a phone through its USB port while plugged in, as I did. Charge the most important device first, and keep one fully charged as a reserve.

What does rising water in the parking area mean?

That leaving by car is getting riskier, and cars left in basements may be damaged. Move vehicles to higher ground early if you can, and do not try to drive through deep or moving water.

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Monday, September 10, 2018

What to Do If Your Pay Is Shared Without Consent

Updated September 2026: in 2018 I wrote about sharing a slightly lowered hike figure with a manager on my team, only to learn a week later from a colleague that the manager had told the whole team my exact percentage. I have rewritten it into advice on what to do if your pay is disclosed.

To recap: a manager on my team asked for my hike percentage, and after a lot of thought I gave him a figure slightly lower than the real one, trusting he would keep it to himself. Nothing more was said, and I got on with my work. About a week later, while chatting with a colleague who reported to the same manager, I learned that the manager had discussed my hike with him and shared my exact percentage with the whole team. It was a serious breach of trust.

How could he have known the exact figure?

Managers with access to team pay data may already know it, which means the question may have been a test or simply idle curiosity. That is one more reason to decline such questions: the asker may know more than you think.

What should you do if your pay is shared without consent?

  • Stay calm: confronting the person in anger rarely helps.
  • Note the facts: who said what, to whom, and when.
  • Raise it with your own manager or HR: sharing pay data can breach company policy, and people with access to it are usually held to a higher standard.
  • Ask for it to stop: rather than for a public apology.

How do you work with someone who broke your trust?

Keep the relationship professional and limited to work. Share only what the work needs, in writing where possible.

What about the misleading number I gave?

It did not protect me and made the situation more awkward. A polite refusal would have been better for everyone.

What is the lesson?

Confidential information stays confidential only if you keep it. Policy gives you the words to say no; use them.

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