BMW, Fire Hydrant Incident Is Controversial: $100 Fine Not Enough? [Video]
A brand new BMW blocking a fire hydrant ended up being smashed in front of the owner’s eyes because Boston firefighters needed access to the water quickly in order to save many homes burning up in a fire. But the BMW, fire hydrant incident also caused a wave of controversy over the fact that the man was fined only $100 despite putting others at risk.
In a related report by The Inquisitr, Boston Fire Department spokesperson Steve MacDonald says the video about the BMW blocking a fire hydrant may sound funny, but in fact the owner of the vehicle posed a real danger to the public:
“It’s really a serious situation. That water supply is the lifeblood of the engine company. The engine carries 750 gallons – and that could be gone in just two minutes. With that number of alarms, every hydrant is important. There is really nothing funny about it.”
The damage to the brand new BMW was relatively minor. The vehicle’s windows were busted out in order to run the fire hose through the vehicle. Firefighters say they were forced to do this because you “don’t want to lose the full force of the water you’re getting from the hydrant. It’s important to be as straight as possible.” They also had to physically manhandle the BMW at the fire hydrant in order to get the position just right. Photos show there were a dent to the vehicle on one side, although all of this damage should be handled by the owner’s insurance companies.
The entire BMW, fire incident has caused to say the $100 fine associated with act are not enough. Officials say the mistake was “stupid” but also rare. Still, the Boston Herald ran an unofficial poll asking, “Should the penalities be increased for parking in front of fire hydrants?” About a third voted for increasing the fine to more than $500, but about the same number of people claimed that the BMW owner’s driver license should be suspended in addition to a higher fine. About 11 percent were okay with just suspending the man’s license, while a combined 28 percent suggested that common sense and the deterrent of having firefighters smash your BMW’s windows in should be enough.
But Boston Fire Department spokesman MacDonald seems to think increasing the fine won’t help:
“It’s just something you don’t do. The money, I don’t think, is a deterrent to anyone. Sometimes people do stupid things.”
Even Rafael Henriquez, who is friends with the BMW owner, admits the other man put lives in danger and shouldn’t be upset by the results:
“He was mad. I wanted to cry for him. Of course he brought that on himself.”
What do you think about the BMW, fire hydrant incident? Was the penalty enough?
See what happens when you park in front of a fire hydrant and firefighters need water: pic.twitter.com/wJ9tc4rI2J
— WESH 2 News (@WESH) April 11, 2014
