This is a sad story, and one I am embarrassed about. But I'm posting the details and link the the video here because it might help others avoid the same disaster. My mind played a trick on me for a couple of seconds, and that's all it took to run over a fire hydrant. I was not hurt, and neither was anyone else, thankfully.
http://kevinwarnock.com/2011/01/17/tragedy-with-my-rts-bus-conversion/ (http://kevinwarnock.com/2011/01/17/tragedy-with-my-rts-bus-conversion/)
There's a link to the video I shot with my iPhone of the hydrant water fountain I created. It's spectacular in an awful kind of way.
I've been driving a conversion for almost 10 years without an at fault accident, and this stupid accident happened at 2 miles per hour roughly. These vehicles are powerful.
Has anyone here done anything like this before?
Again, I'm mortified, but I think sharing here is the right thing to do.
Kevin
GREAT write up and nothing was hurt but your pride!
I wouldn't worry about your record too much. Sooner or later it will be a thing of the past and something to laugh about!
i trust you know that the small hydrant is fresh water and the large is salt water from the bay?
Kevin.. Don't beat yourself up too much.. Accidents happen. Glad nobody was hurt..
Jimmy
Thanks for the update, Kevin.
Now I know what your other account is. Great ;).
God bless,
John
No, I didn't know the big hydrant is salt water! Well, if I had knocked that one over at least there's a limitless supply of salt water in the San Francisco bay!
when I was a teen, I was riding with another teen friend. She hit a fire hydrant but it was quite the geiser! Im sorry about your RTS but it looks repairable and one day you will laugh about this ;)
Awesome write up! Good lesson to share.
I've paid lots more to learn lots less. ::)
Now that it is part of your past, you will have a cool story to tell.
(Most of us have stories to tell that don't shed the best light on our abilities . . . welcome to the club! 8) ;D )
The next time you find yourself in a difficult spot, just remind yourself that it ain't as bad as standing at the corner of 19th Avenue & Moraga in wet shoes! ;D
Wait a second, how could such a thing happen? I thought we had these buses to just work on them. We're not supposed to drive them also, are we?
I thought fire hydrants are designed with the actual valve well under ground so the fountain of water so familiar from TV and movies wouldn't happen? Maybe that is only in cold weather states where the valve would freeze if it wasn't 4 feet or more down?
On the bright side of things, at least you know what your next bus project will be.
These things happen to all of us--a distraction, a momentary lapse in judgement, and an ahh sh*t.
Large machines=big bo-boo's.
Quote from: belfert on February 03, 2011, 05:50:43 PM
I thought fire hydrants are designed with the actual valve well under ground so the fountain of water so familiar from TV and movies wouldn't happen? Maybe that is only in cold weather states where the valve would freeze if it wasn't 4 feet or more down?
the most commonly used type of hydrants have the valve at the bottom of the barrel, with a break away flange between the barrel and the valve, and another break away flange between the top of the barrel and the hydrant body. Ideally the breakaway flange will snap and the underground piping and valve will remain intact, avoiding what happened in this case. There were some hydrants used in the 70's and older that were not of a break away style, and would result in the "gusher" if struck hard enough. In my 26 years in the fire industry I have seen very few of these though, and many fire districts have required them to be replaced.
You are not the first busnut to have this happen to them. I bought a chain link fence on my first trip to Jack's rally.
Most likley will not be my last thing either as long as I can drive.
Old people rule and have the most fun.
uncle ned
Last summer I backed into a gate at a shop and tore off one of my aux. back up lights, bent the gate a little too. He still hasn't forgiven me for it and will on occasion bring it up to remind me, lest I forget. I saw a guy back into a big blue dumpster and move it about four feet ... now that was cool ... and somewhat noisy to boot.
Hey Cliff ... go over to my webpage and look at the new tool for men.
BCO
the reason San Francisco has salt water hydrants is that during the big earthquake of 1906 there was not enough fresh water to put all the fires out so the city burnt. i think they also have hookups so it can be attached to a fire boat if there is no power for the pumps.
Don that was good I stole it and pasted it on my Facebook wall!
;D BK ;D
Yes, I knew San Francisco has a special super duty hydrant system that was put in after the 1906 quake. I just didn't know this system uses salt water. I learned something about my city. Thanks!
Kevin
Another sordid fact of San Francisco is the storm water and sanitary sewer system are combined - YUK >:(
It takes a lot of courage to post something like this, thank you for sharing. This should serve to wake all of us to the fact that we cant ever let our attention lapse, to keep our tanks up, and maintain our vehicles better. No one is infalible. No one.
Kevin, very nicely written and there's a lesson to be learned from your experience. I learned it well.... about 16 years ago I installed a fuel gauge and it works quite well. I like to apply an old military adage known as "the 7 P's" --
Hey Kevin,
Sorry to see you crunched your Baby! I can sympathize having done something very similar very recently. Perhaps not as spectacular, but I had a lapse of judgement and took out a shopping center stop sign in exact same fashion. Mangled the right rear bay door, just as you, plus the wheel house trim on my beloved GM 4104. Dang it!!! >:( Good news is no injuries! And your Baby will be fine again once mended.
Best of luck, and lesson learned, eh?
Kevin