This is what could happen if you park in front of a fire hydrant in N.J.

[47of74]

I'm with the firefighters on this one;

It's 4:17 a.m. and four fire fighters need to make snap decisions. A vacant house along Sherwood Terrace is on fire, but occupants may be inside, neighbors relayed.

The fire hydrant that first responders need to hook their hose up to is blocked by a parked vehicle. What do you do?

"We exhausted the alternatives," Pennsauken fire Chief Jospeh Palumbo said of finding a water source during the "critical time period" when the first crews on scene arrive and get to work.

Palumbo, who arrived on scene shortly after the first fire truck arrived, said they were "left with no choice" but no break the rear driver's side and front passenger's side windows on a black Honda SUV as to get a hose from the hydrant to the engine.

And for some strange reason I thought of the line from The Big Lebowski when I saw the headline. You know the, "...This is what happens when you a stranger in the " line.

[sharp_stick]

1. It happens a lot more than you might think

and they have to bust the windows out because the hose won't bend up and over the car parked next to the hydrant and still produce the proper amount of water.

The fact that the assholes car invariably gets filled with water in addition to losing it's windows is an "unfortunate" side effect.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

6. They could probably route the hose under the car ...

... and get it done quicker. But, it's more fun to take the time to break glass and thread the hose through the car. And take some more time to dig the phone out of the fire suit and get a photo for facebook.

Yes, the guy that parked there was an asshole. He's not alone.

[47of74]

7. The exhaust could've compromised the hose.

Plus going over the car would kink the hose and reduce the flow of water in the hose.

[littlewolf]

2. I have never seen it happen but did see it in the movie "backdraft".

[jberryhill]

3. Not just NJ

This is very common

[Liberal_in_LA]

13. omg

[Taitertots]

4. I'd just smash the car out of the way with my fire truck...

And send them an invoice if it damaged my truck.

[MADem]

5. Probably faster to break the windows--and often there are cars parked at either end of the

illegally parked car in valid parking spots, which would make it difficult to get at the hydrant-blocking car without damaging those that are legally parked.

No need to get all "damage-y." Two cracked windows and the FD is in business....

[Agschmid]

8. "Damage-y" LOL

[Taitertots]

10. Going by the picture in the OP.

Just pull up behind it. Bumper to bumper and push it out of the way. No way it's faster to smash out windows and run the hose through the car.

[MADem]

11. I kind of think the opposite, and I'll explain my reasoning.

If you look in the background, you'll see a street with a lot of cars parked on it. Parking might be at a premium in the neighborhood.

I'll bet there's a car parked in front of, and behind, this car--those cars are simply parked out of camera range.




Also, why risk damaging the car doing the ramming? It makes no sense to do that. This works, and the person who violated a "driver's ed" taught parking ordinance that is valid all around the world is simply out the cost of two windows.

It's a good lesson--he or she will probably not do that again. I wouldn't think of parking in front of a hydrant. It's just a hard wired no-no with me.

[Lurks Often]

9. Nope, my sympathy meter didn't even twitch for the driver of the car

I have zero problems with fire departments breaking windows or whatever else is necessary when a car is parked in front of a fire hydrant. First, people's live may rest on how fast the FD gets the hose deployed and second, it teaches the idiot owner, who damn well knew he is supposed to park in front of a hydrant, a lesson.

[Liberal_in_LA]

12. lol. picture