"Some stupid with a flare gun..."

[gridlore]

OK, I expect people to be stupid. Especially on the Fourth of July. Any holiday which combines beer with pyrotechnics is just asking for trouble. For example, last night morons were shooting off bottle rockets all over the damn place. I expect that. People are dumb.

But what happened after we went to bed took the proverbial cake. We didn't get in until about 0030, and I fel right to sleep. Only to be awakened by Kirsten leaping up (and if you know Kiri, you'd understand how odd that is) and I opened my eyes to see that our entire bedroom was lit by flickering orange light.

Oh, shit.

We both prairie dog up to the window, and see that one of the flat heads who lives next door had dumped something burning into the alleyway between our buildings. This alleyway is filled with tinder-dry weeds. As I called 911, he evidently pour/threw wine out the window.

Amazingly enough, the weeds didn't catch, and after being shunted off 911 to the non-emergency line for ten minutes, we went back to sleep.

But what the freaking fuck?

Comments

[netquiddler.livejournal.com]

That totally sucks... can he get busted for attempted arson?

How To Get Through The Phone Tree

[drewkitty.livejournal.com]

Call (408) 277-8911. This is an EMERGENCY number (San Jose Police Dispatch) valid anywhere in the city of San Jose from either cell phones or wireline phones.

When the operator answers, give your location, name and nature of the emergency, i.e. "There's a fire in the alley!" or equivalent. The police call taker will dump you to fire side and a fire dispatcher will ask you questions, establish a priority (low) and dispatch a fire engine. The same holds true for medical emergencies, they will transfer you to a fire dispatcher once they are satisfied that it's a real medical emergency.

Once the fire is out, of course, it is no longer a fire emergency and using the police non-emergency number (408) 277-8900 is more appropriate. Then you will be in queue with all the other people complaining about illegal fireworks, etc.

Yay city of San Jose! If it were my neighborhood, I'd seriously consider the pros and cons of coming over the next day, knocking on the door, and expressing my feelings about having someone at his house nearly set the neighborhood on fire. If the response is unpleasant, then I'd research who his landlord is and send a nice polite certified letter. Second letter is CC'd to code enforcement. :)

Re: How To Get Through The Phone Tree

[gridlore.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the information. This neighborhood is just dicey enough that I'm not knocking on doors without armed backup and a Kevlar vest.