Tag: Damage

NYC BMW Has Hood Crushed By Construction Backhoe

Bradley Farless2 Comments

After a fine dinner at Pinche Taqueria, my wife and I were walking down Bleeker Street (between Lafayette and Bowery) and, well… this:

BMW with backhoe crushing hood
BMW with backhoe crushing hood.

I had to stop to make sure I was seeing it right, and sure enough, the hood of the car is being smashed in by the backhoe.

Close up of backhoe resting on (aka smashing) BMW hood.
Close up of backhoe resting on (aka smashing) BMW hood.

I suppose seeing me standing there taking photos was drawing attention, because by the time I left, there was a crowd of people looking at the car, people peering out of apartment windows, lots of laughing, lots of joking, and people calling “shotgun” on who gets to post this to Reddit first.

A number of questions come to mind.  Whose car is this?  Why did the person driving the backhoe do this?  Was it intentional?  Did the BMW driver piss off the backhoe operator?  Was it stupidity?  When will the lawsuit drop and who’s going to pay for this?

Work Permit at construction site for BMW with hood crushed by backhoe.
Work Permit at construction site for BMW with hood crushed by backhoe.

Regardless of whether this makes the NYC news or not (I’m sure there will be too many stories about Honey Boo Boo or something equally stupid to show this), I’m sure the driver of the construction vehicle will be fired, but the work permits were applied for by a guy named Martin Donovan, so I guess he’ll be held ultimately responsible for footing the bill.  (Update 2: Noticed that both vehicles were parked illegally in a spot that has no parking b/t 7 am and 7 pm, Mon – Fri.  Makes the question of legal responsibility for the damage a little more muddy, doesn’t it?)

Vehicle information and more photos in the gallery:

Update:

Found this photo on Reddit of the car earlier today, before the backhoe dropped onto the hood.

The BMW, before the backhoe dropped.
The BMW, before the backhoe dropped.

Be Careful Where You Park Your Car in New York City or….

Bradley FarlessLeave a comment

A white van with graffiti spray painted all over it in New York City.

… you might wind up with a ride that looks a little something like what you see above.

Over the last 10 years or so, New York City has really been cleaned up.  I heard recently that crime has gone down by a third during roughly the same amount of time.  Still, that doesn’t mean you should let your guard down when it comes to making sure you keep yourself and your property safe.

Without checking actual statistics I would say that New York City is probably a safer place than Manila, but even so I know people who don’t go out after dark, just to be on the safe side.  Women get snatched up and raped, people get robbed, and there have even been fatal shootings in the neighborhood around where I’ll be staying.

In the week that I was in New York (before the trip I’m currently on to visit family in Georgia), we heard someone fire off about 6 rounds from a pistol on the street behind our apartment building and we walked down a street just a few short hours before two people were found dead in a vehicle there.

So, while I can relax a little bit compared to being in Manila, I’ll still be keeping my eyes open and listening for trouble.