Did I do something bad?

[idziak4ever1234]

So I am laying in bed reading the NY Times and look out the window and notice my neighbor two doors down was burning yard waste. It is really windy in Grand Rapids, MI today and the smoke was everywhere. I live in a nice residential neighborhood and know that burning is not allowed.

Having said all that, this home was the only home in our progressive neighborhood to have a Trump sign up in 2016.

I called the fire department to report it. They came out with a fire truck and put it out. I am almost certain the reason I felt compelled to do so was retribution for their support of Trump.

The pollution was bugging me, but my need to hurt them back really fueled my motive, I think.

I'm not necessarily proud of myself, but it kind of feels good at the same time.

Did I do a bad thing?

[GReedDiamond]

1. No.

[homegirl]

56. Know the type

The law is for thee,
not for me.

And they claim to worship the Constitution, law and order and the Second Amendment. Only the last is true.

[Warpy]

62. Anybody who burns outdoors on a windy day deserves it

Michigan isn't the dry west, but embers can still fly and catch stuff on fire that nobody wanted burned.

OP did a good thing. Maybe he'll even get a court summons and a fine, the dumbass.

That the nitwit is a Chump is just the icing on the cake.

[burrowowl]

95. Burning on a windy day is a NO-NO!

You did good.

[DENVERPOPS]

117. Correct

ask any firefighter if they have fought structures caught on fire by outside burning of debris........

Calling the Fire Dept was absolutely the best thing to do, especially on a windy day......

[Ninga]

2. Continue to read your NYT and have a drink.

[agingdem]

6. nope

it's one of those rare delicious payback moments...doesn't happen often so relish it...

[Ninga]

9. He did his duty, he can go back to reading, AND have a drink to celebrate. That's all.

Too subtle I guess....

[nocoincidences]

3. He broke the law.

He deserved it.

[idziak4ever1234]

7. Yeah, these type of people think they have the right to do whatever they want

[brewens]

4. Be proud. Every little bit helps. I wouldn't hesitate to bust a Trump worshipper for

anything, cigarette butt out the window or whatever.

[ProfessorGAC]

5. No

Neighbor is a selfish boor, that was breaking the law.
Maybe if he wasn't an ass, you would have let it go.
But he wasn't, he was flouting the law, he got busted.
So sad for him!

[cayugafalls]

8. You did good. Burning is not allowed. You stopped it.

Way to go.

Relax and enjoy the smoke free air.

[bluestarone]

10. You have MY VOTE for

Citizen of the YEAR!!!! Keep up the good work!

[ornotna]

11. Did you do a thing?

[Rorey]

12. You did your good deed for the day.

I hope he got a ticket. Nobody has a right to make the air quality in their neighborhood bad, and you potentially saved people from damage due to fire.

You should be proud.

[gibraltar72]

13. Only if they shoot your windows out.

[DonaldsRump]

14. You done good!

It's exactly what I would have done. It's dangerous as hell, especially when it's so windy.

The Trump aspect just makes it much sweeter! And there's nothing wrong in feeling this way.

[TEB]

15. Paybacks do feel awesome congratulations

[iamateacher]

16. It's very windy on the east coast today

I knew someone whose house was burnt to the ground this time of year from a trash fire with wind. You did the right thing.

[rzemanfl]

17. You did the right thing. It would be so hard to get that smokey smell out of your socks.

[Tipperary]

19. Ha.

Indeed.

[alittlelark]

20. .................

[idziak4ever1234]

22. Way cute!

[Celerity]

50. too much smoke and the socks stop talking back

[rzemanfl]

90. Thank goodness this one made it.

[BBG]

132. The healing baptism of laundry could have revived one

Those socks ain’t going to wash themselves.

[rzemanfl]

133. A reply from a person who knows the subject is always welcome. n/t

[Cha]

18. I hate burning air pollution... I don't care who

he voted for.

[SammyWinstonJack]

24. Agree. And I currently live in an RV park. Camp fires are a thing here.

It's annoying.

[Vinca]

21. No. If it's windy it could cause the neighborhood to burn down.

[MoonRiver]

23. You did a service to your neighborhood.

Rules exist for reasons.

[smirkymonkey]

25. No, not at all.

Don't give it a second thought.

[Rebl2]

26. No!

I hope he/she was fined as well

[Six117]

27. Nope!

[turbinetree]

28. You know........ you followed the rule, he should also.........

so..........no have a or on me and continue reading the paper...............

[idziak4ever1234]

29. Thank you all for the encouragement!

Everybody agreed with my actions. I must have done a good thing!

[GetRidOfThem]

71. Dead on...

You did the right thing, even if he was not a Trumpster....

[jpak]

30. No

You did the right thing

Yup

[fierywoman]

31. You acted in a way that was good for the community, and followed the agreed-to

wishes (laws) of the community for the well-being of the community.

[rurallib]

32. Ya done good for a lot of reasons

There are very good reasons why burning is no longer permitted.
You did your neighborhood and maybe your city a big favor.
And you may have taught your neighbor a valuable lesson.

[jrthin]

33. No, you did not.

[Thunderbeast]

34. THIS IS MEDAL OF FREEDOM worthy!

You have NO OBLIGATION to accept the risk of a raging fire in the neighborhood.

Would you still call the fire department if the neighbor had a "I SUPPORT THAT WOMAN" yard sign? I get that it would not generate the same satisfaction....

[MyOwnPeace]

45. Far more worthy

than anything Rush Limpballs ever did!

[Blue_true]

35. No. You did the right thing.

What that person was doing was inconsiderate.

[stillcool]

36. the thing about people is that when..

they do something they're not supposed to be doing, and get away with it, they do it more. Fire is nothing to eff around with, so Republican or not, you did a good thing.

[kacekwl]

37. Trump said it was ok to burn so.....

AG Barr will send someone next week to repeal that law and fire the firefighters who put it out.

[stillcool]

66. ah yes...the law is applied as party favors

[Texin]

38. Nope. You smelled smoke, looked out the window at a fire in the neighborhood.

You reported it.

[Jedi Guy]

39. If they'd had a Clinton/Kaine sign in their yard in 2016, would you have let it go?

If not, great, you applied the law equally. If, however, you would have let it go for a progressive, then I find that problematic. Giving your own side a pass simply because they're your own side isn't a good thing. That's what the other side does.

Also, just because the majority agreed with you that it was a good thing doesn't make it a good thing. A course of action can absolutely be unpopular but right, or popular but wrong.

[friendly_iconoclast]

59. Can't speak for the OP, but I would not have- that fire was a disaster waiting to happen

Perhaps their motive for calling 911 wasn't the purest, but it was still the right thing to do.

It was a clear and present danger to the entire neighborhood, so If I had seen that I would have called as well, no matter who.
Fires don't care who or what they burn.

As for the schadenfeude, I can't say that I wouldn't likely feel a wee bit of myself in similar circumstances...

[Jedi Guy]

89. It's possible to do the right thing for the wrong reason(s).

I was merely curious as to whether or not the OP would have looked the other way or handled it differently had the neighbor in question been a progressive. I agree that they did the right thing in this circumstance, but thought I'd pose a hypothetical.

[idziak4ever1234]

112. Yeah, I probably would have except that a real progressive would not likely be burning in the first

[Jedi Guy]

130. No True Scotsman. There are assholes and idiots among progressives, as well.

In any case, if you'd have given a progressive neighbor a pass, I'd say in this instance you did the right thing for the wrong reason.

[luv2fly]

61. Spot on

I was going to say the same thing .. we have to play fairly despite our more primitive instincts sometimes.

[soldierant]

86. Seriously -

You did the right thing.
You upheld the law.
You protected your neighborhood.

Your motivations are between you and the universe, and they are no one else's business.
The fact that you are even asking the question is proof youo are more thoughtful than most people.
And IMO a better person.

[Jedi Guy]

92. I think perhaps you intended to reply to the OP rather than to me. N/T

[soldierant]

101. I did. So sorry.

[Jedi Guy]

104. It's all good!

[idziak4ever1234]

110. Thank you!

[Woodwizard]

40. My Neighbor used to burn

He is a bit older than me and lived here at a time when it was legal, but one morning he chucked some plastic in his burn barrel we live downhill from him it is rural here I took a walk to his house and told him to please stop burning garbage. He did I have no idea of his politics he was just oblivious that it was effecting anyone.

[Worried senior]

41. Here in NE WI we have a burn ban

They aren't even issuing burn permits. I imagine it was as windy here as it was there and he should not have been burning.

You did good.

[the_sly_pig]

42. Same kinda whole pours

Paint and oil down the sewer. F them.

[ancianita]

43. Nope. You did the right thing for a reason that's none of your neighbor's business. Don't feel bad.

You chose a good moment to remind them of their mindlessness. I hope they have to pay the fire department bill.

[IronLionZion]

44. You saw something and said something like a good citizen

it's the neighbor's fault for breaking the law.



Doing the right thing is extra satisfying when it takes down a Trumpster.

[ismnotwasm]

46. Nope

[Doreen]

47. You did the right thing and we are proud of you.

A little victory dance is not wrong. Be proud that you saved you and your neighbors from possibly losing your/their homes.

[CanonRay]

48. Enjoy the moment

[Celerity]

49. Hell no, fuck that POS MAGAt. nt

[relayerbob]

51. Nope.

[Mr.Bill]

52. If the fire got out of control and burned a house down,

would you feel bad for not reporting it? Of course you would. That's how you know you did the right thing. And maybe kept it from happening again later on.

[friendly_iconoclast]

53. Not at all. The guy was a dangerous dumbass to burn on a windy day.

Jerk could have taken out a house or two very quickly if that fire had gotten away from him.

You did the right thing, if perhaps not for the purest of motives

As for the schadenfreude- I won't judge...

[panader0]

54. I live in the country, and I have a burn permit.

Truth is, I've never burned yet but I need to.
My permit requires me to call the fire station, give my permit number,
which lists my address and get permission. The obvious reason is so you
don't burn on a windy day. Things can get bad in a hurry.
Even without rules against burning, it's a bad thing to do on a windy day.

[Richard D]

55. So bad it's good!

[NoRoadUntravelled]

57. Self reflection is always a good thing and kinda rare these days.

That being said, I have a question.

Why does it seem that the majority of people who feel entitled to break the rules are tRump supporters?

Why is it the people protesting social distancing are tRump supporters?

Who is pissed off about wearing a face mask in grocery stores?

Who has threatened to cancel their Costco memberships because a mask is required in the stores?

Who is promoting conspiracy theories that call Coronavirus a hoax, death totals a hoax?

Who says Climate Change is a hoax?

Who calls the police on Black children selling lemonade?

Who shoots unarmed Black men while jogging?

It's time to push back. It's time to stop watching them get away with breaking the rules like their idol does.

You did the right thing. May we all do more of that.

Note: I edited second to last sentence - too much salty food made fat fingers fly to wrong keys.

[sarge43]

58. No you did not. You did the right thing.

That fire could have gotten out of control.

Your thoughts and motivations are your own. Only you can judge them. Our actions and the consequences can be questioned by others.

[ananda]

60. Lol

Yes, you did a bad thing.

In the scale of things bad, it ranks about a 1
to Trump and the GOP's endless list of 10's.

[Sneederbunk]

63. Did the sign burn?

[idziak4ever1234]

64. LOL

[James48]

65. Yes, you DID do something bad.

As windy as it was today (I also am in Michigan)- I think you should have waited.

In fact, you should have gone over with some other burnables, and asked him to toss yours in, and stoked up a bigger fire, and then let the wind blow those burning embers back onto HIS roof and walls, and ensured his f’king house burnt to the ground.


THEN- when his entire home was ablaze- THAT is when you could have called the fire department.

Next time, make sure he really roasts his own place first.

[idziak4ever1234]

87. Maybe we should meet up in Lansing and troll the protesters!

[marieo1]

67. Proud of you

Absolutely not. You did the right thing, the sane thing, I'm proud of you!!

[Codeine]

68. People burning yard waste

just seems insane to me as a Californian. I thought that was some imaginary 1950s bullshit. Weird to think it still happens.

[AllaN01Bear]

69. no you didnt . these ppl feel that laws are for little people (liona helmsly , the queen of mean)

and that they are imune. i live in a small apartment complex with elderly and disabled, and a # of them feel that way and express it so. u did the right thing. too bad neighbor didnt get hit with the suppression costs during a high wind event.

[LisaM]

70. If the fire department took the complaint seriously

I wouldn't think twice about it.

[Iggo]

73. That's a really good point.

Good thing.

Good motive.

Iffy ulterior motive, but hey...

[badhair77]

79. That was my thought.

If the firemen felt the responsibility to put out the fire, especially on a windy day, you can rest assured you did the right thing no matter the reason. They did not treat it as a nuisance call. Enjoy the rest of your day.

[leighbythesea2]

72. My house is just outside GR

& you made ME feel better.

I talk to my frontline friend there everyday & the shit she is putting up trying to help people makes me so mad.
I cant even tell you right now. Suffice to say some trunp supporters are mad about every rule.
Im out of state but my husband is there. Its galling.

[idziak4ever1234]

81. I live near Riverside Park.

[leighbythesea2]

107. Ah!

Rockford area. My friend is with St Marys hospital. Also in the area.

[warmfeet]

74. Nope. You did nothing bad.

You did a sane thing.

Thank you for your sanity.

[sprinkleeninow]

75. You did well. 👍👊

A couple months ago while in a parking spot waiting for grocery pick up, a shopper tried leaving her cart against the metal pole to the left and front of me. I go out my half rolled down window, "Don't leave your cart there!" She goes, "People appreciate..." Just then, the cart starts rolling back and would've slammed into a car parked nose to nose with me. I go loudly, "LOOK, LOOK!" She grabbed it from rolling further. I go, "Yah, people don't appreciate carts slamming into their cars!" She takes it and leaves in on the store sidewalk several feet away from the door! I gave her the stink eye throughout the whole thing. I could've taken her. But only in my ulterior 'nous'. Not a physically violent person. I start thinking mb she is a smelly repub which really set me off. I dint call names or cuss at her, so there's some restraint. After coming home with groceries, it bugged me all evening and I felt creepy and guilty for doing what I did. Shared the episode with someone and they assured me I did correctly.

[idziak4ever1234]

78. Yeah... I kind of wanted some feedback.

[Poiuyt]

76. Yes, you did something bad, but you can make up for it by setting his trump sign on fire

[GopherGal]

80. No, not something bad.

... now if the neighbor had been burning the Trump sign, you'd have had a duty to make sure the sign was destroyed before reporting the fire.

[PWPippinesq]

77. "They" seem to lack common sense.

You did the prudent thing.

[denvine]

82. No you didn't!

These asshole repugs feel as though they can break the rules or laws when it suits them. Good for you!

[yaesu]

83. I would go out of my way to make a tRumpsters life miserable, you did good. nt

[spudspud]

84. Nope. Burning yard waste on a windy day is a moronic and dangerous thing to do. The fact that he..

was a Magat is just a delicious bonus.

[George II]

85. I would have done that. Too bad you can't anonymously find out if a fine was issued.

[niyad]

88. No, you did not. You may have saved your entire neighborhood from the stupidity of those

trumpian idiots. Fires and wind are a dangerous combination. Think Los Alamos. Think Waldo Canyon. Think Black Forest. (A friend and I were just discussing these fires earlier today, interestingly enough).

Whatever your underlying motive, you did the right thing.

[Pacifist Patriot]

91. My ethical dilemma

If you did, I don't care.

[Tribetime]

93. 👍 I can only hope they fined them

Hell I think that calls for their arrest!....😊

[Oppaloopa]

94. Do they charge him or fine him for putting out the fire?

[idziak4ever1234]

106. Not sure about that.

[Politicub]

96. You did a service for the neighborhood.

The magat’s feelings be damned.

[FakeNoose]

97. Watch out - your neighbor will look for some way to get even

You acted correctly, but that won't stop your neighbor from evening the score.
That's what they all do.

Just sayin'

[ooky]

98. No, and doing it to a magat makes it even better.

They are selfish assholes who think laws don't apply to them.

[sinkingfeeling]

99. No. Wish I could do the same. My neighbor is supposed to be

owner of a construction business. He brings building debris home by the trailer load and illegally burns it for days. Since I am the only one who has visibility to his property, I don't dare report it.
He's a Trump supporter and a nasty man. I'm a 72 year old single woman. I have photo documented it all and will send it to fire marshal after my house sells and I am 800 miles away.

[Maru Kitteh]

100. Fuckers like that think rules are for "other." You did the RIGHT THING.

Actions and consequences.

[marlakay]

102. My hubby says right on right on!

We have young neighbor two doors down that at time had just him and wife and toddler, garage was converted to room so he only had driveway. Had two SUV’s, trailer, sports car and only the wife’s SUV was legal. All the rest had no tags or even license plates. They were all newer cars. If only in their driveway no problem but they were all over our small court. Hubby told me sports car was worth $80,000 so why couldn’t he afford tags?

I am in conservative city but 3 of 6 houses in court are dems his not one of them.

After paying hundreds of dollars to renew our cars he got angrier and angrier as he watched him drive all the illegal cars, so eventually he called up anonymously and turned him in. Cops came out ticked him but he did nothing, so my hubby calls again months later and they finally take guy to court for all his tickets. Cop gets on witness stand and says I only gave him ticket because his neighbor turned him in and said who it was.

Neighbor was surprised always waved at us friendly, came to our door and confronted my husband, said he should have talked to him. I agreed with that but confrontation is hard.

He paid a fine and registered some of them rest in driveway, he had affair with 18 yr old at his house while he was out of work and wife was working. I think that figured in with why hubby turned him in. Wife left him and now he ignores us and is on second girlfriend.

[yardwork]

103. It sounds like you might have prevented the house catching on fire!

[MustLoveBeagles]

105. No you did the right thing

The neighbor broke the rules. The fact that s/he is a trump supporter is just gravy.

[Kaleva]

108. The burning of yard waste is prohibited in Grand Rapids at any time.

One has to get a permit to burn wood for recreational purposes.

[idziak4ever1234]

111. Yeah. The GRFD was there in 15 minutes.

[Kaleva]

118. You did the right thing. Even if the neighbor was a true blue Dem instead of a Trump supporter.

[blueinredohio]

109. Nope, I would have done the same thing.

Just protecting your interest.

[Crunchy Frog]

113. A Trumper who acts with zero consideration for anyone else,

and breaks the law to boot.

No. You did the right thing.

[PatrickforO]

114. No. It's windy and the guy was burning an open fire.

Burning is not allowed.

Burning is not allowed, because that minor sacrifice of individual freedom is for the general good. What if his freedom to burn yard detritus caused your house to burn down.

This is the problem with these idiot demonstrators too. Where does their freedom stop and yours begin?

[SpankMe]

115. No

I used to be a lot nicer toward people of other political opinions.

But, for Trumpers it isn't merely their opinions that are problematic. It's the regime of totalitarianism, corruption, hypocrisy, meanness, cluelessness, terrorism, anti-Americanism, irregularity and evil that their support enables.

So, I say - fuck 'em. Let 'em fall.

[Tarc]

116. Putting the screws to Trumpkins at every opportunity is always a good thing

[BobTheSubgenius]

119. I think their affiliation is simply muddying the water.

They were wrong, you were within your rights. If not, the FD wouldn't have come.

What if that fire had gotten away from them and done some real and serious damage? How would you feel about failing to act.

All the political affiliation did was give you some impetus beforehand, and a little guilty satisfaction afterward.

[ailsagirl]

120. Not at all

[Demovictory9]

121. no. do they know that you are the one that called?

[KentuckyWoman]

122. You were absolutely heinous.

Not really.

Truth is, whatever your reasons, you did the right thing. I suspect you often do.

[Rainbow Droid]

123. Doing the right thing for the wrong reason is still doing the right thing. You can sleep well.

[BComplex]

124. A fire? The wind is blowing? It could could catch any number of things on fire.

And there's probably a good reason it's against the law.

[WinstonSmith4740]

125. Oh, HELL, no!

There's a reason open burns are not allowed in residential neighborhoods, and you've got to be a complete idiot to do it on a windy day. As he's a Trump supporter, that is self evident. You could have saved any number of houses in your area...flying sparks don't care where they land. You shouldn't feel guilty at all . But if you ever feel it creeping in, just ask yourself if he would have hesitated to drop a dime on anyone else. Feel better now?

[Mira]

126. We all

love you

[TreadSoftly]

127. You did the correct behavior

Police/fire are authorized and equipped to handle such situations.

This is one where anonymous reporting saves you from harm in both ways: by the actual fire and by any kind violence from the perp.

Enjoy your NYT!

[UCmeNdc]

128. No. It was good for you.

[Jamastiene]

129. No, because you can be sure they would hurt you if they had half a chance.

I had a situation like that with one of my neighbors. We kept calling the game warden over and over on him, because he was burning household waste and the wind kept blowing it into my house and choking both me and my aunt (RIP).

Finally, he learned to stop burning household garbage. Now, he sweeps it out his back door. I'm not even sure who to call for that.

I'm surrounded by ~77%* Trump supporters in my neighborhood. All I saw in 2016 were Trump signs everywhere, that magically changed to those "Thank Jesus" signs. That is something I could not help but notice. Most of those with the Trump signs in 2016, put those same yellow and red "Thank Jesus" signs up after. I am not sure if those were signs printed on both sides or what, but it was too many of them and too much of a coincidence not to notice it. Now, Trump 2020 signs are everywhere. They still haven't learned.

Anyhow, I'm sure he was a Trump supporter. Some of these guys where I live get together and shoot for hours and hours a day. One of them once told me outright they were practicing for when Trump declares open season on gays, blacks, other minorities. Anything I can do to stop them or make them quit breaking the laws and various city and county ordinances, I will. Anything that might bring them a fine and less money for more ammo, I will. I'm sick of their shit.

I feel no guilt for it though. I know they would hurt me or, as one outright told me, kill me, if given half a chance. So, I don't really care.

*I got that number by looking up how my precinct votes and they averaged out approximately at that number during the time when Amendment One was on the ballot and how they voted for Trump.

[Squidly]

131. Absolutely the right thing

Icing on the cake...I dont know what its like where you live, but in the county where I live, if the fire dept is called to your property its an automatic $1000 bill. And probably a fine on top of that for breaking an ordinance.

[DFW]

134. Burning waste in a yard in a residential area on a windy day?

You would have been right to call the fire department even if he had a dozen Biden/2020 signs in front of his house.

Not that you would have had to worry about that, of course. People with Biden/2020 signs don't tend to pull stupid crap like that in the first place.

[I_UndergroundPanther]

135. I don't think you have done anything wrong

He was a fire hazard in a neighborhood that band burning leaves. Since it's windy just one flaming leaf could have started a fire.

You did the right thing,the fact a Trumper did wrong that's the cherry on top.

[HAB911]

136. NO, they probably feel rules don't apply to them

I have one of those Trumpers across the street from me that, regardless of watering restrictions, waters 5 days a week. I'm on the verge of reporting him.

[SayItLoud]

137. QUESTION everything!

This is a primary tactic used by tRUMP to cause confusion, and self doubt. Question everything, keep people confused and in the confusion TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THEM and everything legal and illegal.

So NO, you did nothing wrong.

And THANKS for posting and sharing this!

[weissmam]

138. easy answer

NO

Trump supports are either

Idiots
Racists
fools

or a combination of the above

[RicardoFuerte]

139. Ricardo Fuerte

You are a Great American!

[dlk]

140. Intentionally creating toxic fumes in a residential area is bad

It seems reasonable to take steps to stop the pollution.

[marble falls]

141. You did a good thing for a good reason but bad motives. Go beat yourself with a wet noodle ...

and forget about it. Pull yourself a beer and gloat just a moment only.

[Ferrets are Cool]

142. Nope

[RandySF]

143. No

[Catch2.2]

144. No, and I'll tell you why.

Fire and wind are not a good combination. Doesn't matter if he is a trump supporter or not. What he was doing is dangerous and illegal. That being said, the fact that he's a trump supporter doesn't surprise me that he has that entitled attitude that he can do whatever he wants.

[sellitman]

145. Fuck the fire threat

You burned a MAGAt.

Way to go!

[Beartracks]

146. Nope. You can't help it if inconsiderate law-breakers are likely to be Trump supporters. n/t