Well, now I've seen a car explode. WTF?
May. 3rd, 2007 09:57 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
eponymous_roseVery, very weird morning. I get to work on time (though only just, since I've been taking advantage of the relaxed atmosphere to catch up on my sleep a little), sit down and start troubleshooting some of yesterday's overflow errors, when this loud, screechy siren starts whirring in my ear. I'm the only one in the office at this point, so I just sort of sit there until the automated voice comes on, pronouncing that "This is an emergency. Please evacuate the building by proceeding to the nearest stairwell. Do not use the elevators."
Well, I finally get my act together, grab all my stuff and switch off the computer monitor, and scurry out to the stairwell, where I run into my supervisor heading down the same way. We make a brief joke about ill-timed drills and step outside - I think we both noticed the smoke at the same time. Not a drill, then.
Parked next to the curb, some thirty feet away, is a big old Volkswagen, which in itself is not a particularly remarkable sight, except for one minute detail: this particular van is on fire. And not just, y'know, smoking a little. Ten-foot flames are ripping this thing apart, and not a fire engine to be seen.
We just sort of stand in stunned silence (I think I made some sort of joke about being "evacuated" closer to the site of the emergency) as a few other folks wander out of the building behind us. Someone makes a weak quip about no-parking zones, and then the fuel tank explodes and we all scramble back a few steps.
The fire engines arrive on the scene almost immediately, and we all watch in that sort of bizarre blend of horror and morbid fascination to see if there was anyone inside when it went up. It took the firefighters some time to reach the wreckage, but no ambulance was ever called, and after some time the crowd started wandering off, with the alarms still ringing in the background.
One of my other professors came sprinting up and watched with us, muttering something about having missed an appointment to meet someone there fifteen minutes ago. I wound up tagging along with my professors for an hour and we went for coffee (or tea, in my case). We then had a long discussion about the relative benefits of different marking schemes, which made the situation even more surreal.
Add to this the fact that, last week, I was shouted at and shoved out of range of a gas leak by a police officer, and it's starting to feel like I've been cast in an action movie.
Anyway, right, back to work, I guess. Also, I suppose I should call my Mom before she hears about the explosion on the news. That would be awkward: "Oh, hi Mom. Nope, not dead. I do know, however, that performance on multiple choice exams shows a strong correlation with performance on weather briefings."
Also: there's still some smoke coming in the window. Best close it.
Well, I finally get my act together, grab all my stuff and switch off the computer monitor, and scurry out to the stairwell, where I run into my supervisor heading down the same way. We make a brief joke about ill-timed drills and step outside - I think we both noticed the smoke at the same time. Not a drill, then.
Parked next to the curb, some thirty feet away, is a big old Volkswagen, which in itself is not a particularly remarkable sight, except for one minute detail: this particular van is on fire. And not just, y'know, smoking a little. Ten-foot flames are ripping this thing apart, and not a fire engine to be seen.
We just sort of stand in stunned silence (I think I made some sort of joke about being "evacuated" closer to the site of the emergency) as a few other folks wander out of the building behind us. Someone makes a weak quip about no-parking zones, and then the fuel tank explodes and we all scramble back a few steps.
The fire engines arrive on the scene almost immediately, and we all watch in that sort of bizarre blend of horror and morbid fascination to see if there was anyone inside when it went up. It took the firefighters some time to reach the wreckage, but no ambulance was ever called, and after some time the crowd started wandering off, with the alarms still ringing in the background.
One of my other professors came sprinting up and watched with us, muttering something about having missed an appointment to meet someone there fifteen minutes ago. I wound up tagging along with my professors for an hour and we went for coffee (or tea, in my case). We then had a long discussion about the relative benefits of different marking schemes, which made the situation even more surreal.
Add to this the fact that, last week, I was shouted at and shoved out of range of a gas leak by a police officer, and it's starting to feel like I've been cast in an action movie.
Anyway, right, back to work, I guess. Also, I suppose I should call my Mom before she hears about the explosion on the news. That would be awkward: "Oh, hi Mom. Nope, not dead. I do know, however, that performance on multiple choice exams shows a strong correlation with performance on weather briefings."
Also: there's still some smoke coming in the window. Best close it.
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no subject
Date: 2007-05-03 06:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-05-03 07:23 pm (UTC)It was the weirdest feeling, coming out and seeing that fire. Everyone just stopped moving. But, y'know, pretty neat. And eventful. Wonder if it could've been a bomb (the smoke that poured out when they broke the window was oddly coloured)? Probably some lame-brained insurance scheme.
I was exposed to further professorly geekiness over the coffee thing - they got into an argument about the dynamics of the smoke rising the from the wreckage. I was giggling into my tea the whole time.
no subject
Date: 2007-05-04 05:06 am (UTC)I enjoyed what petrified everyone else in the class *far* too much, let me tell you.
no subject
Date: 2007-05-05 02:50 am (UTC)Closest I've ever come to that was my Physics prof in first year having a little Simpsons geekout, which was much fun. I was a little distracted at the time, however, owing to the fact that he's undeniably adorkable. 'Scuse me while I wade over to the shallow end of the pool.
no subject
Date: 2007-05-30 02:35 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-08-13 10:01 pm (UTC)