TOPIC: What do you make of this? (need some help please)

Between the main panel (left) and the sub-panel (right).
Was covered with only cardboard.  Looks like this had a meter head on it??
Are those wires (the small blue ones ok?) I'm assuming the meter would have some sort of clips that fasten into these.

What do I make of this?  That the client needs to have an electrican fix that mess. 

The blue wires are acting as fuses since they are smaller diameter wire than the feeds.  Cardboard is not an approved enclosure cover.  If they did this, what else have they done that is incorrect that you have not found?  Get an electrician to clean up all the problems found and unfound.

Robert if that is the meter then that person has bypassed (removed) and "Jumped" the meter and is basically stealing their power.  I've run into this many times in my past as an electrical contractor.  As far as your job as an inspector, I would say, in the report, to have a licensed electrician, make the peroper repairs and get the proper state or local inspections performed.

Robert, Jim is correct in that this is an example of someone "jumping " the meter, It is also very dangerous as the "fuse'" wires could start a fire easily especially with a cardboard cover. I have seen this before however and in that instance it was in a home converted from duplex to single family use. On inquiry I learned that as it was between the main panel and a sub panel they had done it not to steal but to have a single bill rather than the broken out bills from the former two units. It is in any case improper wiring and calls for a licensed electrician to remedy.