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This is what happens to the cars of morons who park in front of hydrants
By adamg on Wed, 04/09/2014 - 8:44pm
Mike Moura shows that firefighters don't let stupid cars get in the way of water, in this case at the eight-alarm fire in East Boston.
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Lol they busted the windows
Lol they busted the windows for no reason to "run the hose through" when they simply could have put hose over top of car just fine
Couldn't that introduce a kink?
Which would reduce the amount of water?
Limits to the angle coming out of the hydrant
The car is right next to the hydrant, meaning that the hose would have to go up very sharply from the connection (with its own length to consider) in order to go over the car.
This problem is solved by busting the windows, reducing the upward angle.
Wow swirly
Is there NOTHING that you're not an expert on?
No, there isn't.
(Hate women much?)
I know. That guy is worse than Hitler!
Come on, Lecil. If you're going to engage in wild hyperbole, don't settle for anything but the best. ;)
swirlygrrl is probably the
swirlygrrl is probably the most annoying person ive ever encountered on the internet, but you dont have to be an expert to know how a hose works. anyone who has ever used a garden hose knows that a kink stops the water and you could probably arrive at that conclusion even without ever using a hose. Pretty complicated stuff but I don't think swirlygrrl ever went to hose school.
I would say that the trolls....
... whose primary interest in posting here seems to be attacking swirly are far more annoying than she is.
That because there does seem
That because there does seem to be a sense where Swirrly grates both anons and registered posts. Plenty of registered posters have gave that criticism. Though anons tend to be more vitriolic. Not it should matter in my opinion and let's not go tangent on that topic again. Most diplomatically spoken was pointed by a registered poster who connects Swirrly reminds of a SNL character that-I-Don't-remember-who.
That makes two of us
I find a lot of what you post to be annoying, too. When I can even understand it.
But I don't log out and attack your sometimes indecipherable grammar just to feel superior about it. I doubt that you are doing this sort of trolling to me, either.
That's the problem with these anons: they aren't exactly challenging any ideas or contributing to any conversations in any way. They are just expressing their anxiety over their ingrained fear of people who actually travel, who are employed as knowledge workers, who have had varied careers, and know stuff.
Well, I have to disagree your
Well, I have to disagree your assessment that the anon attacks because they have some kind of insecurity.
For example, one common pattern is anon start to attack after you mentioning bikes on a topic not directly about bikes. Many times the post would be a fair and valid post fitting as some kind of analogy or parallel to connect. Likely you use it as an example as your major experiences includes bikes and you can make a connection.
But to my understanding, anons would attack because they are genuinely tired of hearing about bikes both by being discussed/flame so much and from hearing from a single voice (as a parallel, you probably -and almost everyone else- have no patience left for Markk bringing cars up so many ways regardless he has a point or not on the particular post). Not because they are jealous/threaten of your worldliness. Claiming worldliness tend to also annoy people too, BTW.
This is not to say I'm any better. And no one can please everyone. Just as I can annoy because I can't seem to figure out to proofread better or other reasons I may or may not be aware off. The same applies that the dissenting post genuinely take issue. But lack patience and willingness to civility (or from the example above, more about they don't want to one more thing about bikes at all, regardless the validity of how it was brought up) than being jealous.
Really? The most annoying?
She's the most annoying person you've ever met on the internet? We must travel in different circles, friend, because the internet I use is full of anonymous posters on news and discussion sites, who have nothing to add to the discussion but want to have their voices heard anyway, even if it's just for broad-spectrum bitching. Perhaps you're familiar with the type.
You don't need to be an expert to figure that out
Just need a brain
I asked a firefighter last time
Is that so hard to do?
There is both a fancy academic/scientific name for this behavior (eliciting expert judgement) and a non-fancy name for it (hey Earl - why do they do this?).
But I guess it probably is a totally tricky feat of daring-do when you never leave mommy's basement, don't have any friends besides mommy, and never talk to actual working people, amirite?
I believe the correct
I believe the correct expression is "derring-do."
I believe the correct
I believe the correct expression is "derring-do."
Here's a better explanation:
This guy was an ass, and deserved to have his window busted.
BOOM!
*drops mic*
gay
What you said makes no sense...the bend in the hose at the connection can't be helped...and by putting it througg the window now caused 2 kinks in the hose
Not gay, bent
Bent seems the more appropriate word for the situation than "gay".
It happen!
Hey. Guys - I was a firefighter for 7 years in CT before moving to Boston and I will say there is no "going around." Large diameter supply hose bends in a very wide arc (we're talking 10' or so). Any tighter or any sharp bends and you're going to reduce the flow of water. If that water is the only thing between my brothers and a fire, you better believe I'm going to get them every gallon I can. That means if I have to smash out the windows of your BMW to hook up, I'm going to. Every man deserves to go home and that's what you get for parking in front of a hydrant.
Besides, if you can afford a BMW you can afford the insurance on it.
Besides
It's just so darned fun!!!
(Smash away boys! The offending parker knew exactly what s/he was doing when s/he put her car before the safety of those living near the hydrant and the fire crew!)
Besides the practical, I also
Besides the practical, I also think this is the BFD's way of saying, "We told you not to block the hydrants. Here's why."
And I support that message.
Does it?
Does insurance pay out for your own stupidity??
Amen
Amen
The most upvoted comment ever?
Is Adeas comment the most upvoted comment ever?
A caller who called into
A caller who called into Toucher and Rich this morning said it did exactly that and that they were planning to remove the door before they got it going.
Noooope.
The only one who did anything wrong here is the guy who parked in front of a hydrant. Parking in that part of Eastie is ample as it is, especially that early in the night. This dude had it coming, and probably deserved a ticket and a tow too.
Re: lol
Oh? I'm guessing you've hooked many a hydrant from the comfort of your keyboard?
Channel 7 news is showing a
Channel 7 news is showing a video of a group of firefighters trying to lift the car out of the way first.
Unbelievable that there are so many armchair firefighters who seem to know better than actual firefighters!
Besides going over would
Besides going over would create too much of a kink. I'm a firefighter. If you think I want a kink in a supply line when I'm inside a burning building you're crazy. How many of you have the guts to go in a building at 1000 degrees??? Dang few of you computer jockeys. Don't criticize what you don't know
Spit take
OK, that is just freaky... about 20 minutes before I saw this I was thinking about the first time I heard of this happening.
Justice prevails...
...especially if the car owner's insurance co. denies any claim. I have no idea whether it could play out that way.
Glass is covered in MA. You
Glass is covered in MA. You don't need an excuse. They could just say someone broke into their car. No?
Citation for parking in front of hydrant...
... will match the glass claim (if they make it); rudimentary data processing would pick that up and deny the claim. Insurance companies look for any excuse and have their computers automatically run cross-checks on license plates, VIN numbers, etc.
Besides, once this fire is out, that car will be towed and impounded. If it wasn't reported stolen, that car is out of action and its owner will absolutely be paying a stiff rise in his insurance rate.
That's not how insurance works
The fact that you broke the law is not grounds for non-payment of a claim. Otherwise 99% of accidents would not be covered.
Rear ended somebody? Following too close or failure to stop.
Sideswiped somebody? Failure to maintain lane.
Broadsided somebody? Violation of traffic control.
You're probably right
... but again, this isn't going to go into the "accident forgiveness" column.
Frankly, by the time they get it back from the impound yard, it's likely to be eligible for a salvage plate.
A comprehensive claim isn't
A comprehensive claim isn't an at-fault accident. And it doesn't raise your rates (at least for insurance companies that still use the traditional SDIP system).
Plus.... This is all over the
Plus.... This is all over the news! Sorry sucka.
I wouldn't worry about the
I wouldn't worry about the glass. The interior is probably flooded and all the electronics toast.
What a lazy inconsiderate
What a lazy inconsiderate jerk!
Besides the obvious damage to the car, how much is the fine?
Fine is just $100
Here's a list of the fines and it looks like they have not been raised since 2008.
https://www.cityofboston.gov/Parking/fines.asp
No wonder people park in residential spaces. It's cheaper than a parking lot.
That depends upon the level of enforcement
It's only cheaper to park illegally in a resident spot instead of finding private parking if you don't get a $40 ticket every night. Enforcement in certain neighborhoods is much more stringent, notably Beacon Hill, Back Bay and the South End. I can recall times in the South End when letting my resident sticker expire meant a ticket almost every night (which means the meter maids were looking carefully). When I moved to Southie and didn't change my sticker for several months, I only got a handful of resident sticker citations.
Whoohoo!
I've seen pictures like this before, but wasn't sure I believed they actually happened. Glad to see that it does, at least in my home town! My apartment overlooks what I call the "conveniently placed fire-hydrant"; it's a great place for cabbies to let me off, or delivery guys to put their hazards on and run to my front door. But it always irritates me when I see a car in that spot, unoccupied, for more than 5 minutes. And yes, we've had a fire in my building and I've seen that hydrant in use!
In addition....
Why is there an Xfinity van parked in front of the offending car?
We had one that parked regularly in my neighborhood too. One night it was parked right next to the Conveniently Placed Fire-Hydrant with it's yellow bubble-gum machine flashing into my bed room all night long. I called Comcast to complain, and they tried to track the technician down. When I got up the next morning the light was still flashing, but someone had dropped a baseball cap over it. These commercial vans should not be taking up residential parking over night... (I did, however, get a free movie from Comcast. Make of that what you will.)
There's also
A B. Good van parked in the neighborhood a lot, and there was a guy who always parked his limo near the HS. Haven't seen the latter in a while, but it was there every night for at least a few years.
Gonna give the limo a pass
The limo driver is probably a company of one. And he probably lives in the neighborhood. AND he may even go grocery shopping with that car. Unless he's advertising a large limo company on the side of his car, I'm going to let him park in the neighborhood (though not in front of a hydrant of course!).
I'm willing to bet that Xfinity (and AB Good) have strict policies which keep even contractors from using branded vehicles for personal use. Those companies should also cough up non-residential parking for those commercial vehicles.
It is illegal to park any
It is illegal to park any commercial vehicle on the street overnight.
Another idiotic law
Then again, 99.99% of parking regulations and restrictions (excepting those that actually impact safety - like blocking hydrants and bus stops) are idiotic.
Xfinity
I dated a Comcast guy. Fred was allowed to take home his truck and use it for personal use as long as he kept track of the miles he used and paid for his own gas. It never had to be 'returned' anywhere as it was his to use.
Of course Fred was also the same guy who got called during storms and major outages at 3am to drive to string up wire somewhere. So he had a purpose to have that truck all the time.
Oh, okay
That actually makes sense. Thanks for educating me!
Wrtong - Residents shouldn't get special allowances
to monopolize parking spaces on PUBLIC streets that ALL TAXPAYERS pay to build and maintain.
While you may have a point about the flashing light, don't you have window shades?
Three years ago in Dorchester
Same thing.
Since both windows were
Since both windows were smashed to get the hose to the hydrant, couldn't the firefighters least unlock and open the passenger door, if not the driver side door (or rip or saw that door off its hinges) so that the water can flow better? Or is that too time-consuming or wouldn't make a difference with the water flow or not permitted even with the car parked illegally? If the car is parked in front of the hydrant and there's a fire emergency, I would say priority goes to easily accessing the hydrant whatever means needed to get that access (wasn't there an issue with water flow during the Beacon Street fire last month?).
Too much time
Most engines only have 750-1000 gallons of water. With water flowing through one charged line at 150 gpm, they only have 6 minutes to get water flowing from the hydrant. The friction loss of going through the windows vs. straight through the doors is minimal and not worth the time. When a truck rolls up to a fire like that, water is needed asap, and doesn't have to be done in the cleanest fashion.
On the news at noon, CH 7 ,
On the news at noon, CH 7 , there was a video showing the firefighters trying to jockey the car out of the spot first, so I would say they were more then generous in their efforts. With all the houses being so close together , and that turbo wind again , time was of the essence , and it was a blessing that no one was lost , and that the fire didn't spread like the Chelsea fire.
Deo Gratias ,Domine .
That car owner deserved what
That car owner deserved what he got. It is illegal and dangerous to park in front of a fire hydrant. What a moron! Deserves a hefty ticket as well!
Thanks Miki
HA!
Break My Windows.
Remember this one?
http://www.universalhub.com/2011/another-reason-not-park-front-hydrant
I bet this dude's next car...
Will be a Yugo. The firefighters did try to move the car and dented the driver's side door. Glad they just smashed the windows. Word is the dude parked there to go see the fire.
You can see the damage from trying to move the car
In this view from the other side.
Kicking it?
I actually would think that breaking the windows, then opening both doors would make for less of a kink in the hose, so maybe they were actually trying to limit the damage to the car, bless their hearts.
"But then there'd be a door sticking out into the street!" Yeah, and they come with "jaws of life" that could snip that door off in a hot second.
What most of you computer
What most of you computer chair people don't realize is that every "option" to do less property damage you recommend takes time. It takes at a minimum (unless you happen to be lucky enough to have a jaws system powered by a button on a touch screen, which they do make) almost 5 minutes to unload, setup and start the jaws motor/pump. You can't go under a vehicle. IT TAKES TO LONG. Through the windows is the fastest and best bet. As a firefighter I have not had to do this yet. But would I?? DAMN RIGHT I WILL!!! We protect lives and property. We don't have time to think about your precious car when we get the call and it says "reported occupants inside". Sorry you parked there. Think about it next time.
Move it with what???
A crowbar? That's a pretty narrow point of attack kind of dent.
Looks like
a terrific Craigslist ad for car for sale.
DO YOU SEE WHAT HAPPENS,
DO YOU SEE WHAT HAPPENS, LARRY?! DO YOU SEE WHAT HAPPENS?! DO YOU SEE WHAT HAPPENS, WHEN YOU FIGHT A STRANGER IN THE ALPS?! DO YOU SEE WHAT HAPPENS, LARRY?! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCcKBcZzGdA
Awesome!
I've never seen that before.
https://www.youtube.com/watch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RUIiCnJYyo
From the movie Backdraft...
I don't fault the BFD at all
I don't fault the BFD at all for doing this, but wouldn't the water have flowed better if they'd run the hose UNDER the car? Over the top is no good, around is no good... path of least resistance would seem to be under the car. Driver will still get an earful from the fire marshall for that.
Same Problem As Over?
Still would put a kink in the hose, right?
Suldog
http://jimsuldog.blogspot.com
Um...
I'm all for bustin out windows of jerks that park in front of hydrants, but couldn't they just feed the hose underneath the car?
Don't get me wrong, I'd still support smashing the windows.
What you can't see
From the picture is that the car is very low to the ground and not enough room for a hose with water going through it.
Defending
this illegally parked car with dimension semantics is a clearly a thoughtful and logical response to this selfish act.
If passing the hose under the
If passing the hose under the car works better for the firefighters (they know best), I am sure they'd do it. Even if it was better and they did run the hose under the car, I'd still want them to smash the windows out - send the dick a message. Parking in front of a hydrant is asking for trouble (well deserved).
The ground clearance on the
The ground clearance on the car is not enough to thread a fully charged line underneath. Plus you have a chance the undercarriage could damage the hose.
I enjoy the picture as much
I enjoy the picture as much as anyone else...
But why not simply extend the sidewalk out there, so no one can park there, thus creating a potential problem?
OR! how about just not
OR! how about just not parking your car in front of a fire hydrant. Duh.
Cost
Do you have any idea how many hydrants there are in the city? The cost of one curb extension is minimal, but the thousands they would need? For the once every few years somebody parks in front of one AND there is a fire, it's just a better solution to smash the windows and move on.
I should think BFD is in no mood
..for stupid bullshit after they just buried two of their own over some other assholes witless nonsense.
AMEN!!!
And hallelujah...
BRA, not BFD to blame
Blame squarely goes to the Boston Redevelopment Authority for allowing building of residential units without requiring 1+ parking spaces per unit.
http://bostonherald.com/news_opinion/local_coverage/2014/04/southie_buil...
So, the BRA puts lives at risk by pushing more parking on to streets to impede safety vehicles and access to fire hydrants. There are plenty more opportunities in Dorchester and Roxbury for redevelopment and granite counter tops than Southie.
Those BRA
bastards need to get into their time machine, go back to 1912 and make sure those damn triple deckers include underground parking.
What the flying hell are you on?
What does parking in Southie have to do with parking in East Boston?
Mark, go pound sand.
Because Eastie isn't getting redeveloped?
No the owner of a big BMW can't possibly live in some new condo. His family must have been living there for generations. For fire safety, wood framed structures close together is a bad idea. Property line setbacks need to increase to reduce fire spread.
Are there any limits
To your quest to pave the whole fucking world so you can drive over everything?
Flaherty wasn't citing any real data on demand for parking with apartments, anyway.
Here's a tip: MOVE TO MONTANA. You can drive several hundred miles at 80mph without stopping. In fact, you can go about a thousand through multiple states without stopping.
80 MPH with a loaded gun
and an open bottle of JD.
Where long rides are measured in six-packs
n/t
Inverse equation
more six packs = shorter ride segments
... as the number of six packs approaches the limit of bladder capacity.
Headed through there in August ... I'll work out the math then.
Swirls , you celebrity world
Swirls , you celebrity world traveler, you. Are you really Marie ?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tLMvPs1Wmo
I may embark in some travel. might go to Connemara and try to find a stone there for Martin , maybe I will swing by with the Gulfstream on my way to check out the lads drilling the oil in North Dakota fields .
Switch to Long-haul piloting there Kvn?
The mundane reality: I have a car in Portland that needs to come to Meffuh, and a week long conference in Seattle and a brother in Alberta to visit along the way.
(We've all come to look for America ...)
I'll wave as you fly over ;-)
If you haven't yet, I suggest
you read Edward Abbey's The Monkey Wrench Gang. Then you'll understand how the "measure long trips by number of six-packs consumed" theory works.
What do you think the empties
What do you think the empties are for?
More cars
More off-street parking wouldn't mean fewer cars parked on the street, it would just mean more cars in the neighborhood, and thus more traffic. You would have to up it to about 3 spaces per unit before demand for street parking would go down measurably. This is Boston, not Carlisle.
Plenty of off street parking
Plenty of off street parking in Carlisle , commercial plates no problemos....
http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q72/dockmen027/IMG_2346a.jpg
When this part of East Boston
When this part of East Boston was built, cars didn't exist.
shut up.
forever.
I don't see why this was a problem
This is what everybody has always done in this neighborhood. It's just the newcomers who complain about parking in front of hydrants and they don't even bother to knock on their neighbors' doors.
Or...
We could put 4 of these on every engine:
Then instead of breaking out the windows and denting the side of the car, they can roll it out of their way....and down the street into the Mystic River.
And while they are jacking it up...
...the truck runs out of water and the fire gets worse.
Screw smashing the windows, they should have flipped the thing over with a truck. Even when I was running deliveries I would never, ever park in front of a hydrant.
Did you watch the video?
It takes about 1 min to jack up and move the car (they grab the lifts at 0:20 and start to roll the car at 1:20). And that's with the "precision drill team" crap they're doing instead of just quickly getting it up and out of the way.
You're telling me 4 jakes trying hard couldn't roll a car out in under 30 seconds?
Clearly busting the windows wasn't even sufficient because he was still too close to the hydrant for good flow and they had to shove him out some.
If you'd rather they break the windows than do something like this, then you're just into revenge porn.
Inefficient
a) It took over a minute to prep the jacks. Even if four firemen sped it up and lowered the time to 30s, that's still considerably longer than it takes to just smash through two windows and throw the hose through them. Even a five-second difference can determine someone's fate.
b) Where would you roll the car to? Even after they propped it up on the jacks, the workers had to push the front of the car to get even a slight turn angle. If the car had been parked between two vehicles, then the extremely wide turn radius would have forced the workers to push it back and forth many, many times to get it out of that spot, and even then they'd have to roll it down the street, blocking the path for any necessary emergency vehicles (unless someone were tasked with rolling it aaaaaall the way out of the way. Shouldn't that person be taking care of the fire instead?)
So by now you've lost at least 30 seconds jacking up the car, and who knows how much longer getting it out of the spot and rolling it out of the way. Not to mention, you've tied up four emergency workers whose time would be better spent taking care of the actual emergency. Whereas smashing through takes a single fireman a few seconds at most.
Yes, he got a ticket
The Globe reports.
Yay!
Not news.
Well, it is
the Glob(e).
Wake up call to City of
Wake up call to City of Boston,, prevent something like this from happening again, well here's an idea, EXTEND SIDEWALK OUTWARD to prevent morons like this bmw owner from parking in front of a hydrant!!, where ever there is a hyndrant..extend the sidewalk towards the street.(a slab of concrete 3 feet wide 6 feet out towards street).
Cheaper yet, a chair, toilet, old washer etc
City just needs its own space savers! Concrete bump outs work less well in places with snow than SF. Harder for plows to plow around them, leaving more snow for residents to shovel and fight over.
Hose through car
This person got off easy ! As a 32 year member of the fire service I have come very close to doing what they did twice now but the owners showed up with seconds to spare.
OPTION 2 is to use that big 12"- 18" bumper on the front of most pumpers and use it as intended....To push vehicles out of the way in just such situations. The Irony is it's name The BOSTON BUMPER, Honest ! The idea was to protect the truck from damage beyond that big heavy bumper. Fire trivia for the day
Illegal improper driveways,
Illegal improper driveways, seems the Toyota highlander can barely fit in between both houses, it also looks like a major trap, again illegal apartments and driveways need to be inspected by BISD Promptly...Summer is approaching, and everyone and thier neighbors will be having bbqs on thier wooden porches in Eastie using thier lethal lighter fluid on thier charcoal grill, or more potent propane grill on thier fragile wooden porches, Im sure there is someone or several inspectors driving around Eastie at the moment looking for cars that are parked too close to houses in thier own driveways and back yard, I can provide you a list....around my neighborhood..
saw this done in NY
i grew up in Queens, car in front of hydrant. The firemen smashed the windows and made sure they didn't turn off the water until the hoses were removed. All because a house alarm was going off ( back when they were uncommon). Firemen all had a good laugh!