This is What Happens When You Park in Front of a Fire Hydrant

This story is originally out of California, but is also a useful reminder to pay attention to where you park. 

Look, I know life is busy, trust me. Most of the time I'm running around like a chicken with my head cut off. I also understand accidents happen. With all the chaos going on in our lives, sometimes we need to stop and be reminded that often times our seemingly innocent actions can cause real problems for other people.

You know how some curbs are painted yellow? Yeah, that means we aren't supposed to park there. You probably already know this, and we're all probably guilty of doing this, but it's still wrong. Often times we get lucky and can get away with it for a short amount of time, but other times it causes a huge inconvenience to others just trying to do their job.

Even if you're only running in to pick something up or make a quick transaction, parking in front of a prohibited spot can make something go from bad to worse. Take this example from Anaheim, California.

This person parked on a painted curb, blocking a fire hydrant. When emergency crews were called to the scene, they found their source of water was blocked. As you can imagine, this is a huge issue. The firefighters were forced to bust this cars windows to allow the hose to be connected to the hydrant. I'm sure the owner wasn't too happy, but they were left with no choice.

And, actually, it's the owners fault.

Take this as your friendly reminder to pay attention to where you park, even if it's for a short amount of time. Certain curbs/lanes/areas are prohibited for a reason. Respect our emergency personnel and their duties.