Grumpy, are you staying warm?

[Grumpy Goat]

For some reason our town water department gets real pissy if you shut off the shut off in the yard.
They want you to call and have you do it.

I believe you meant "... have them do it ..."

I can understand why.

Can't really trust all homeowners to be careful around what is the municipality's equipment (valve and gauge). My gauge has a brass lid over the glass (?) face of the gauge and a dropped wrench onto the open gauge would bust the glass (and possibly the gauge as well). Then the water would flow unmeasured until the next time the guy comes to read the gauge, after which the municipality would have to repair the gauge as the homeowner would likely deny any knowledge of the break.