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Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Libraries Strike Back-


Associated Press. July 10, 2007.

MEADVILLE, Pa. - A 1,500-pound wrecking ball broke loose from a crane cable and raced downhill, smashing into several cars and injuring three people before coming to rest in the trunk of a car at an intersection Monday.

The wrecking ball, about 3 feet across, was being used to demolish part of a library at Allegheny College when the cable snapped, police said. The crane operator tried to stop it, but it rolled nearly three-quarters of a mile downhill, damaging more than a dozen vehicles as it bounced from curb to curb, police said.

Most of the damaged vehicles were parked, but the ball slammed into the rear of Alex Habay’s car stopped at an intersection, causing a chain reaction accident with two other cars at the traffic light, police said.

9 comments:

Mike said...

Man I wish I had my own personal wrecking ball. If I could do anything else for a living, I would love to operate one of those big wrecking ball swinging thingies. God that would be such a satisfying job and if it got loose and tore up a few cars along the way, well then that's all the better.

Forrest Proper said...

Mike- that really would be a great job. My only question about the story is that it says the crane operator "tried to stop it" as it rolled away down the hill.

How do you "try to stop" a 3-foot wide, 1500 lb wrecking ball?

Phoebe Fay said...

When will people learn? Don't fuck with the libraries.

Still the image of the guy trying to stop it has given me some great visuals.

Anonymous said...

>>How do you "try to stop" a 3-foot wide, 1500 lb wrecking ball?

He obviously had balls of even sterner stuff...

Cissy Strutt said...

I like how the ball is resting neatly in the boot.

Forrest Proper said...

Phoebe- That's right- the libraries have been under attack for the entirety of the Bushie's tenure, but now they're starting to fight back...

Reverend- ooooouch.

Cissy- It is a very neat and polite 1500-lb, 3-foot wide wrecking ball. It actually fits quite snugly. And after a few whacks with a hammer the bumper will probably be almost good as new...

Sara Sue said...

One of my pet peeves is when I hear people say, "liberries". It grates my nerves to the point of anger. I've even heard teachers say it! I think until we cure our nation of this horrible language the libraries will remain under attack.

I say we put a wrecking ball in front of all of 'em and let the poor things defend themselves.

Joey Polanski said...

That deaf, dumb, & blind kid sure plays a mean pinball!

Forrest Proper said...

Sara- isn't a liberry the fruit we get lye from?

Joey- Bada Bing!