Mona Shaw

Mona "The Hammer" Shaw is an elderly Bristow, Virginia resident who rose to national media celebrity in August 2007 when she registered her discontent with Comcast customer service by smashing equipment in her local cable office with a hammer. Some regard her as an American folk hero of consumer and elder rights, while others dismiss her actions as criminal and inappropriate.
Comcast incident
Background
Mona Shaw and her husband Don signed up for a special-priced telephone, cable television, and high-speed internet service through America's largest cable company, Comcast. The Shaws waited all day on Monday August 13, 2007 for the installation worker to arrive, and no one showed up.
A Comcast representative started the installation the following Wednesday, told Ms. Shaw that a third party would finish the job, and left, leaving some of his equipment behind.
The next day, the Shaws weren't able to receive phone calls: without her consent the technician had changed her phone number of 34 years. Ms. Shaw called the customer service line to complain and was greeted with an automated phone tree.
"The next thing I know a police officer comes roaring in. When he said put down that hammer, well I did, right on the telephone!" Shaw later recounted.
By the time the incident was over, the police sergeant and two backup units had been called. An ambulance was also called for Shaw herself. "My blood pressure went up around my ears. I started hyperventilating," Shaw said. "They had to call the rescue squad and put me on a litter."
UU World, the magazine produced by the Unitarian Universalist Association, published a short blurb about Shaw's actions on their website under the title of "If I Had a Hammer", a reference to a song by Unitarian Universalist folk singer and civil rights activist, Pete Seeger.
Shaw claims she has been invited to appear as a guest on the Dr. Phil television show, although the show says it will not publicly confirm guest appearances until they are advertised. Shaw appeared on Good Morning America on October 19, 2007. She did indeed appear on Dr. Phil along with other people who took 'action' against things they were against.

Main Menu

See Also

Main Menu