Transporting this symbolic hydrant to the Animal Shelter new office reminded me of my Falls Church Water days: One cold winter night while on call, someone had driven their sedan around a corner too fast, slipped on the ice and knocked over a hydrant so it was spurting water into the sky just like in the movies. Luckily, I arrived quick enough to locate the shut-off valve before it froze over; but after I turned it off, the strange thing was, was that nobody was around.

The vehicle was wedged over the hydrant, and inspecting the scene closer, it appeared as though they had tried to drive away, but could not get it unhooked from the spouting hydrant. I wondered if they had been met by an ambulance, but then a police officer came by and said that that was not the case. We saw quite a few beer cans crushed in the back seat, and later I learned that the owner of the car called the police a few hours later to report his car stolen. The police invited him down to fill out a report in person; but apparently he never showed - probably in fear of being criminally charged with filling out a false police report.

Never did learn how the owner finally got his damaged car back, or if he ever did.