Regarding that 10% figure for idiots/imbeciles/morons/people unencumbered by the thought process/just plain lazy people, here is a video illustrating some of the most…outstanding…workplace incidents of 2013.
While it appears that most of the scenes are from foreign countries, I am sure that there are a host of fairly similar incidents in this country on a daily basis. And–let’s face it–we do share the roads with people like this every day:
Edited to add:
Lest anyone think that this video is not automotive-related, one of the sequences shows a front-end loader systematically demolishing a minivan while it removes snow from a street.
I’m sure that you guys weren’t serious about firefighters purposefully damaging vehicles illegally parked in the fire lane. That would be vandalism and I imagine that the original perp would sue the fire department big time and end up sitting on a big wad of cash. Better to just let the police write a huge ticket and impound the vehicle. Then the money only goes in the right direction.
Not defending the guy but arent shopping cart return “corrals” usually taking up the full parking space? Sounds like it was moved and in the wrong spot to begin with
Here’s a slight twist to the inconsiderate behavior discussion. When I was driving tour buses, I was taught to parked at the most secluded part of the lot and closest to the exit. The idea is you want the easiest way out when you drive something that big. One day me and few other drivers on the same trip hopped in one bus to go to lunch. When we came back, the rent a cop was waiting for us, telling us that we can’t put a bus there as we took up two spaces in the empty part of the lot. We told him, to no avail, we were CUSTOMERS dining at the mall with receipts to proof it. The driver wasn’t having any of that and asked to speak to the manager of the mall. At that point, the rent a cop left without saying another word. I don’t know if some people are inconsiderate or they are just dense
I think the funniest one is when the sanitation worker repeatedly smashes the plastic trash can, throws it in the back of the truck, then tears off the mailbox, and also throws it into the truck
Three likely explanations, and the second and third might be related . . .
I was NOT kidding about the firefighters spraying “inconsiderate jerk” on the car
If I parked in the fire lane, then the firefighters had to smash my windows to route the hose through, then sprayed something on the car . . . I wouldn’t have the balls to turn around and sue. Because I would know I deserved it
Anybody that has the balls to turn around and sue is indeed a POS. If I learned that a friend of mind had sued the fire department after that, I would no longer associate with them. I also don’t associate with people who view every single accident as a big payday, no matter they didn’t even get a scratch
@db4690, I doubt that you would associate with someone like that to begin with. I also find it hard to believe that fire hoses couldn’t be routed around the illegally parked vehicle. If the fire truck actually needs to be in that exact spot for some reason, they could push the perp out of the way and then have it towed. That might be more fun anyway.
I don’t think the firefighters would want to risk damaging the fire truck to push the illegally parked vehicle out of the way
Just a hypothetical question . . . if you parked your car in the fire lane, and it was damaged (pushing the car out of the way, or the windows were smashed to route hoses through) . . . would your comprehensive insurance pay for the damage?
It wouldn’t surprise me if there was some clause that excluded it . . .
The US is a sue happy country. It wouldn’t surprise me to learn that some of my neighbors and acquaintances are like that.
@sgtrock, I’ve been to Utah and especially around Salt Lake City there seems to be a pretty fair number of wheeled maniacs. Doing 75 just gets you tailgated and blown by…
For what it’s worth, my late father was former U.S.N. and a lifelong firefighter; mostly at military bases. He was involved in all phases of that profession including Scuba and helicopter rescue and trained up to the time he passed.
He told me that when there is a danger to someone the fire department is going to attempt to save them no matter what they have to run over to accomplish that. In his case the fire axe was for breaking windows or more commonly the canopies of downed aircraft.
Here’s a partial cut and paste from a civilian department about that issue. The bumpers on fire trucks aren’t going to even get scratched if the Roman galley ramming technique is used…
Fire appliances will ram cars parked in narrow North Shore streets to clear their way in an emergency if necessary, say firefighters.
Shore firefighters are warning some streets are too narrow and would create major problems getting to a fire or accident scene.
Albany station officer Ron Henderson says it’s a particular problem in new Albany subdivisions.
“The Fire Service would remove a vehicle forcibly if necessary, if a person’s life is in danger,” he says.
“Even if the vehicle’s legally parked, we will force entry.”
Sometimes people can do some impressive mental gymnastics to position themselves as a victim. A good lawyer will manage that client’s enthusiasm for any such suit and inform them of any applicable government immunity and concepts like assumption of risk & contributory negligence. If a city department deliberately does unnecessary excessive damage to someone’s personal property there probably will be a victim seeking compensation.
If a building is on fire, and a car is illegally parked in the fire lane, blocking access to the hydrant, it DESERVES to be shoved out of the way, and/or have the windows smashed up to route the hose through
anybody that sues is a POS
Any lawyer that takes on that case for money is a POS and is giving the profession a bad name
Any “victim seeking compensation” deserves a swift kick in the rear, by the fire chief and the mayor
And the lawyer deserves the same
Period
No ifs ands or buts
I love this country. But the fact that you can be in the wrong, sue, and collect a fat paycheck absolutely disgusts me. It makes me believe that some people are just morally reprehensible, and would sell out their wife, mom, kids, etc., if they would stand to gain financially
I hope the percentage of people falling in this category is very small. But it’s probably far bigger than I think it is
OK, but I’ve never seen a hydrant in the fire lane? How could a car in the fire lane block the hydrant? Also why would you run a hose through the windows of a parked car when it is easier to just go under, on top, or around it? In a building with fire lanes, you usually have risers for fire hoses and the hoses are connected to the risers. The hoses are already there (although they usually leak from age). A fire lane is to get the equipment vehicles close to the building so I understand if you can’t get the trucks past the cars to unload equipment but not the hydrant and fire hose scenario.
“I’m sure that you guys weren’t serious about firefighters purposefully damaging vehicles illegally parked in the fire lane.”
I was sure that I had heard of this phenomenon numerous times over the years, so I did a quick internet search and found that–guess what–this is S.O.P. for firefighters.
The truck owner must have been in a hurry and couldn’t or didn’t want to take the time to find an actual parking spot. It could have been worse I suppose, they could have parked on the sidewalk in front of the store. I do agree it was an inconsiderate and unsafe thing for the truck owner to do. I suppose one could phone up the police and ask them to take a look-see and maybe write a parking ticket. Or inform the store manager who might have the truck towed away.
I don’t see either of those events happening though. The police would likely say they have better things to do than enforce parking lot etiquette, and the store owner wouldn’t want to offend a customer by having their car towed away.
There’s a similar situation I encounter from time to time. An elementary school where the curb in front of the school is painted “red” and big “no parking or stopping” signs. The signage is there b/c cars parked there create a serious safety issue. A child, not paying att’n, walking between parked cars and out into the street could easily get run over. But I see cars parked there around 3 pm most every day, it appears to be parents picking up their kids.
@Bing, from conversations with my father who was firefighter most of his life the hose needs to be in a straight a line as possible from the hydrant. Any kinking at all has an effect on the volume and pressure of the water going through the hose.
Parking next to a hydrant just reinforces how blindly inconsiderate, or non-caring, some people can be.
Wonder how many of those people who got hosed ended up at city hall demanding to have their cars repaired or replaced and wanting 10 grand in damages for pain and suffering.
My Beemer is mangled and now I’m emotionally scarred…
