Northern Subverbia: The Idaho Zamboni caper...

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

The Idaho Zamboni caper...

HERE (Seattle Times)

BOISE, Idaho • Two employees have been fired from the city's ice skating rink after making a midnight fast-food run • in a pair of Zambonis...[the drivers]...had to negotiate at least one intersection with a traffic light on their late-night creep from Idaho Ice World...The rubber-tired vehicles, whose top speed is about 5 mph, drove about 1 1/2 miles in all.

Parks Department Director Jim Hall: "They were fired immediately...We're pretty sure it was just the one time. When we interviewed them, they didn't seem to be too concerned about it. I don't think they understood the seriousness of it."

Although neither of the $75,000 Zambonis nor their $10,000 blades appeared damaged, Hall said Boise may still try to press charges against the former employees for allegedly operating an unlicensed motor vehicle on a public street.

Hall again: "They could have been hit by a car."

<**blink**>

"They could have been hit by a car"?!?!?!?!?! At 5 miles an hour, being the size they were, they coulda both been hit by a baby-carriage. And I can see that it would be easy for a distracted driver to overlook two drag-racing Zambonis in the hustle bustle of midnight traffic in Boise.

Totally adolescent stunt? Sure.

Fair to fire 'em? Well, yeah, firing's among the allowable responses (mind you, now they're two of the most terrain experienced Zamboni drivers on the planet)...

"operating an unlicensed motor vehicle on a public street"? Got 'em. Stone cold. That's what the courts are for.

5 comments:

jane-bond said...: ya gotta love the idiots of the world for creating stories like this!!! i could just picture the zamoni's drag racing. nice find!; 11:25 a.m., November 23, 2006
Ron said...: Thanks, jane-bond

I just think going to court over a prank like this is massive overkill. The seriousness???. Gimme a break.

If I saw two Zambonis cruising down the street at midnight I'd crack up laughing. The world needs its oddities :-); 11:27 p.m., November 23, 2006
Anonymous said...: LOL.. this motivated a huge lauch and chuckle my way :)

You, being in Canada, and have possibly watched some of the "mastercard" commercials that have shown recently on Hockey Night In Canada, might even get a good chuckle out of comparing the punchline of those commercials "Priceless" with what these Boise Zamboni drivers did.; 9:39 p.m., November 24, 2006
Anonymous said...: ouch.. lauch = laugh; 9:39 p.m., November 24, 2006
Anonymous said...: That's pretty darn funny. The funny part is the countersuit they will bring against the city for the zamboni's not have adequate safety equipment including airbags during their joyride...

And the really funny part is the people of Idaho have to pay for this trial.; 6:33 a.m., December 06, 2006

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Wednesday, November 22, 2006

The Idaho Zamboni caper...

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