The Night The Lights Went Out In Los Angeles
By Justin Gardner | Related entries in Bad DecisionsThis is a bit personal since my sister moved out there nearly a year ago. She’s trying to get into the system via hair and makeup. Her name is Heidi Gardner. Hire her. She’s very good.
Thankfully, the outage was because of human error…
LOS ANGELES - Major portions of the city lost power for more than an hour around lunchtime Monday after utility workers mistakenly cut several cables, causing a short that sizzled through the system.Roughly 2 million people were affected by the resultant power surge and outages, which trapped some in elevators and snarled intersections regionwide. All power was restored by 3 p.m., about 2 1/2 hours later.
At the height of the blackout, many office workers seized the chance for an extended lunch on a mild afternoon, even as police and fire sirens echoed in the background.
“I’m just reading the paper and seeing a lot of my colleagues out here, so I guess we all have a good excuse,” said Ludwig Welsh as he ate his midday meal outside his downtown insurance office.
There were few reports of injuries. Two men were briefly hospitalized after inhaling toxic fumes at an oil refinery when smoke backed up after the power went out, fire officials said.
Again, thankfully this was due to American error.
This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 13th, 2005 and is filed under Bad Decisions. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
September 13th, 2005 at 8:02 am
[T]hankfully this was due to American error.
Take that, World! We even screw up better than the rest of you!
We’re Number One! We’re Number One!
…
Huh? We’re not supposed to be proud of this? Oh, well, never mind, then….
September 13th, 2005 at 9:46 am
Well, better American error than Foreign terror. Especially since there were reports that claimed they were going to strike LA yesterday.
September 13th, 2005 at 11:33 am
Justin, I understood (and agreed with) your point, I just wanted to engage in some pointless chauvanism. There’s been little to crack jokes about in the last few weeks.
Well, better American error than Foreign terror.
Nicely put! Has a Jesse jackson-esque quality to it. (And I mean that as a compliment. The man does have a flair for this sort of thing.)
September 14th, 2005 at 12:34 am
Understood.
And by the way, thanks for the compliment and the comparison. I don’t agree with everything Jackson says and he is a very flawed man, but sometimes he hits the nail on the head. I just wish his voice was more balanced and less opportunistic. His credibility would skyrocket if he heeded that advice.