If you have read the updates to yesterday’s story (HERE) about the Los Angeles explosion that demolished a light industrial building, you know that the cause has been identified as an illegal tap onto the gas main. On Thursday, the gas company cut off the service for non-payment and then early Friday morning somebody jury-rigged a bypass around the shutdown meter. When the regular street pressure of 28 psi hit the interior furnaces and appliances that are designed for 1 psi, it blew them out and filled the shop with gas.
Firefighters know about that type of incident because good fire schools teach about gas meter construction and the related hazards. But the ordinary citizen knows nothing about meters or psi’s and does not give a thought to the possible consequences of illegal piping. It’s just like water, right?
But what I’m leading up to is the antics of the Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa who is undoubtedly the most useless and inept mayor in the city’s history. Villaraigosa is a do-nothing publicity hound who does nothing all day but flit around from place to place for photo ops and self-promoting talks. Naturally, when he got word of this particularly-newsworthy event, his travel team parachuted into South L. A. for the inevitable appearance before the cameras. The Los Angeles Times tell us that he, …. arrived at the scene Friday afternoon, called the explosion “a poster incident” for why customers should not tamper with their gas meters. He praised the Fire Department and said the damage “could have been a lot worse.”
Wow! Have you ever seen a more profound thought before? You shouldn’t steal gas and the damage could have been worse. Well, maybe that does impress the dunces who voted for him and still can’t figure out why the city’s financial situation is in the toilet. But the do-nothing mayor didn’t stop with that exhibit of logical thinking. Again, from the Times: Villaraigosa and Councilwoman Jan Perry, in whose district the explosion occurred, said they would consider a plan to educate South Los Angeles business owners about safe practices.
That’s right… this huge city that is bankrupt, bust, broke, whathaveyou, is being managed by people who think that it would be wise to spend even more taxpayers’ money to set up classes and projects to teach people to not steal utililty service. Or at least do it safely.
Every now and then I point out that most municipalities are not closing firehouses, or laying off firefighters and police officers. Mainly it’s the cities that have a history of being steered by ineptitude and questionable practices by people whose priorities are far different than what we think they should be.
Our priority right now is to get this equipment checked out. I’m going to get the coffee started. See you back in day room in a little bit.
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