New York firefighters had to smash a car's windows as it was blocking a fire hydrant. The driver was also given a ticket by the New York Police Department.
In a video shared by ABC News, from Joseph John Ramos via Storyful, the yellow hose pipe can be seen woven through the grey Volkswagen car's front windows, which have been smashed, to reach the fire truck parked in the street.
"A good lesson to be taught. The NYPD's giving them a ticket now," says the person filming the scene. "Parking on a hydrant, and a fire breaks out, putting people's lives in danger."
In New York City, it is illegal to park within 15 feet of either side of a fire hydrant, and perpetrators will receive a ticket costing $115.
'A GOOD LESSON': One vehicle owner learned the hard way why you shouldn't park your car in front of a fire hydrant. Firefighters smashed through a car's windows to get a fire hose to the hydrant and the car got a ticket to top it off. https://t.co/MQNLvXKU2c pic.twitter.com/qMWTOD0IDi
— ABC News (@ABC) February 22, 2021
The video has been viewed more than 60,000 times on Twitter and has sparked a debate among Twitter users on whether or not the fire department should have broken the car windows or not.
Some Twitter users are in defense of the driver, with one saying: "It took more time breaking out the car windows and running the hose through the car to prove a point.
"The FD owes the owner new windows, repair of other damages, and interior detail. The owner is owed a ticket for parking in front of the hydrant."
However, others believe that the fire department did the right thing, such as one Twitter user who responded to the suggestion that the driver should sue and said: "Yes, he/she did deserve this. Break the law, suffer the consequences.
"Most people know this will happen if you park in front of a hydrant and a fire breaks out. A judge would likely throw the suit out while laughing his butt off."
The Volkswagen driver is far from the first to have had their windows broken by the fire department after blocking a hydrant.
In August 2020, a BMW driver had his windows smashed after he left his car parked in front of a fire hydrant in the Bronx for four days when a fire broke out nearby, as reported by the New York Post. The fire department smashed both of the car's front windows and wove the hose through to gain access to the hydrant.
In California in February 2019, the Anaheim Fire and Rescue Department shared a series of photos of a car that had both its back windows broken after it had parked in front of the hydrant, as reported by USA Today.
The Anaheim fire department explained that the hose did not fit under the car and that placing the hose on top of the car would likely create more damage than breaking two windows.
