The dope with the phone.

Things are pretty quiet in suburbia, so it's always fun when something exciting happens, like a car fire, as long as it's someone else's car. 

As I exited the store there was a small commotion, and someone said "smoke," and yep, one row away from the Fredsel, a black sedan was belching smoke under the hood.

There were already folks on the scene, and there would be more. The folks I observed included:

1) Employees of the store, one of whom appeared to have called 911.

2) The car owner, standing back with a worried look.

3) A couple of guys (one pictured) who looked like volunteer firemen; one had an entry tool, which he used to carefully bang on and pry up the hood of the car, from whence flame belched; he and the other guy had fire extinguishers, which they then sprayed under the hood.

4) The dope with the phone who took the above picture.

5) The lady who pulled up and asked me if they could use a half bottle of Diet Pepsi to help quench the flames, which seemed really weird, but she spoke like she knew what she was talking about (and suggested I get away from there in case the car blew up).

6) The onlookers standing by the store, not doing much but not getting in the way, discussing what might have made the car spontaneously combust.

7) The cops who pulled into the lot as I was getting into my car.

8) The fire truck that I heard coming down the street as I got out of there.

Now, if I'd been on my own and there'd been a nun or a baby or a dog trapped in the backseat, I hope I would have had the wherewithal mentally, physically, and courageously to save get she/he/it out; but as people who knew what they were doing were on the scene, and no one was in the car, it was best I just take my leave---after taking my picture. But I missed the cool shot where the flames were leaping out. "Excuse me, but could you guys pry up the hood again so I could try to get a fire pic? Yes, thanks a lot."

Nothing really happens to you unless you can post a picture of it online, right?

So, in sum, there's our suburban excitement for the day. I'm not going to be able to dine out on that story, but I hope the guys who leaped in with the tools and extinguishers got a bite to eat on it. And I hope that the person who owned the car had AAA and good insurance. Thanks for the show, sir!