OneEyedDiva
SF VIP
- Location
- New Jersey
I smelled gas in my apartment this morning. I no longer use my stove but I checked just to make sure I didn't bump into one of the knobs on the stove. At first I thought it was just in my apartment but my upstairs neighbor-friends who are husband and wife (the husband is VP on the board) started going door to door asking people if they smelled gas. The wife called the gas company and was told to call 911, so she did that. We were told to evacuate the building right after that. I don't wear street clothes in the house so as they were contacting neighbors, I was changing clothes. When I left the apartment, this time I had the presence of mind to bring my emergency suitcase with me in case we weren't allowed to go back into the building today. One of my neighbors said the fireman told her if they couldn't find the source of the leak, we wouldn't be able to stay there. Two fire trucks came, the gas company was not expedient but I was told that workers are sent out from the next town over. The firemen had arrived and already started going to each person's apartment. I let them in and they found no trace of gas in my apartment. Two of my neighbors weren't at home, my new neighbors directly across from me and my friend that lives over me.
I called my son, who was working, twice. He's a truck driver and texted me that he'd call as soon as he could. I texted him back about the evacuation. When he called back, he told me he had already called his ex (my honorary daughter and mother of two of my grandchildren) and she was on her way so I could sit in her vehicle to get out of the rain. Shortly after she showed up, she let my son know I was in the car and he told her he was already on his way to my house. Blessedly he requested a light load so he could be off by 12:00, before he even knew about my situation. By the time he got to me, the problem had been solved. The gas was coming from my neighbors across the hall who left their pilot light on or something. The wife had dropped the husband off at the laundrymat while she went to church. Luckily our VP was able to reach the husband when he called. Before they got home, the firemen had used a piece of equipment that they can stick through a keyhole and determine if gas is leaking from an apartment.
This is a better outcome than last time we went through this. A few years ago, we had to evacuate and although they let us back in, the source of a gas leak could not be so easily determined. PSEG workers wound up having to knock in walls of each apartment in two of our buildings and in the entry halls to try trace it. Finally they found it. But it happened again year before last in two other buildings. This kind of thing makes me nervous because I've heard so many reports about buildings exploding. I'm thankful today that we are safe.
@Pecos
I called my son, who was working, twice. He's a truck driver and texted me that he'd call as soon as he could. I texted him back about the evacuation. When he called back, he told me he had already called his ex (my honorary daughter and mother of two of my grandchildren) and she was on her way so I could sit in her vehicle to get out of the rain. Shortly after she showed up, she let my son know I was in the car and he told her he was already on his way to my house. Blessedly he requested a light load so he could be off by 12:00, before he even knew about my situation. By the time he got to me, the problem had been solved. The gas was coming from my neighbors across the hall who left their pilot light on or something. The wife had dropped the husband off at the laundrymat while she went to church. Luckily our VP was able to reach the husband when he called. Before they got home, the firemen had used a piece of equipment that they can stick through a keyhole and determine if gas is leaking from an apartment.
This is a better outcome than last time we went through this. A few years ago, we had to evacuate and although they let us back in, the source of a gas leak could not be so easily determined. PSEG workers wound up having to knock in walls of each apartment in two of our buildings and in the entry halls to try trace it. Finally they found it. But it happened again year before last in two other buildings. This kind of thing makes me nervous because I've heard so many reports about buildings exploding. I'm thankful today that we are safe.
@Pecos
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