Gas passing in New York City
posted at 10:09 am on January 8, 2007 by Allahpundit
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The cable news networks are all covering it so I guess I need to toss up a post. There’s a major gas leak somewhere in Manhattan, the smell is detectable from the southern tip of the island to midtown and across the river in Jersey City. Some office buildings are being evacuated and 911 is being inundated. On Fox, E.D. Hill says the smell is “overwhelming” in some parts of their offices.
No sign of terrorism, etc etc. Bloomberg’s holding a news conference soon; you can watch live over the web here.
Update: CNN says the NYPD sees no evident gas leak, but the Jersey City mayor’s office said they were told it’s coming from a leak in Chelsea.
Update: There was a small gas leak, says Bloomberg, but nothing that would have generated a smell like this. He doesn’t know what’s causing it yet but speculates that there may be a spill of mercaptan, the odorant added to natural gas to make it smell.
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Is the UN in session?
Wade on January 8, 2007 at 10:11 AM
I’m here in New York now and I can confirm that it stinks everywhere. From outside on the streets, the subway, and even the building I’m in.
Verbal Abuse on January 8, 2007 at 10:24 AM
Well then, isnt this Bill and Hillary’s problem?
Labamigo on January 8, 2007 at 10:24 AM
Labamigo for the win.
ReubenJCogburn on January 8, 2007 at 10:27 AM
Jersey to New York: You smelt it, you dealt it.
thebrokenchair on January 8, 2007 at 10:29 AM
I’m going to call no overused Rosie or Michael Moore jokes.
Respect my authoritah.
Ringmaster on January 8, 2007 at 10:29 AM
Fox just removed it but they had the “Breaking: gas …” alert at the top of the page.
bbz123 on January 8, 2007 at 10:30 AM
If they had plenty of transfats in their diet, this wouldn’t be a problem.
harrison on January 8, 2007 at 10:33 AM
Whoever smelt it, dealt it. Chelsea? This makes sense of course, the daughter of two gas-bags no doubt is full of it herself…………….
ritethinker on January 8, 2007 at 10:39 AM
Delayed reaction due to New Year’s day black-eyed pea consumption.
Just wait ’till the collard greens kick in.
BacaDog on January 8, 2007 at 10:41 AM
How long can “The News” channels keep up the
flash News Report of GAS ? ? ? ?
What a load of crap. . .
Texyank on January 8, 2007 at 10:41 AM
Glenn Beck was just saying they’ve closed Radio City and they’ve moved his crew out.
That’d be one big ass gas leak, wouldn’t it? How does that possibly manage not to get ignited and go boom?
This would be a good time to put the Nomex on if you’ve got it, I think.
Pablo on January 8, 2007 at 10:44 AM
Where is Hillary? Maybe she’s got her mouth open again?
csdeven on January 8, 2007 at 10:56 AM
Maybe it’s just the fear-monger in me but this all seems like a perfect way to test the dispersal range of an airborne chemical or biological material.
bambam on January 8, 2007 at 11:13 AM
Hahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha…
I first read this and was useless for a good 5 minutes, what a hoot, I needed something funny and look what happens.
tormod on January 8, 2007 at 11:14 AM
Dry run?
Here’s a cheery thought…you’re a terrorist who wants to launch a poison gas attack on NYC. Your gas is similar in density and weight to mercaptan, the additive in natural gas that gives it its smell.
So, you release an amount of mercaptan equal to the amount of bad stuff you have to see what kind of an area would be affected.
Disclaimer: I know squat about chemistry (or mercaptan, for that matter), so this is just a random thought.
flipflop on January 8, 2007 at 11:16 AM
Damn, bambam, you beat me to it.
flipflop on January 8, 2007 at 11:16 AM
When I lived in NYC, winter was the least smelly time of the year. I blame global warming.
And Bush.
Attila (Pillage Idiot) on January 8, 2007 at 11:20 AM
“Never ascribe to malice, that which can be explained by incompetence.” — Napoleon
Gas company’s screwed something up.
spmat on January 8, 2007 at 11:21 AM
Oh, I just figured it out. The AP is having their 2006 truth in media awards ceremony in the Big Apple today…that is the foul odor………..
ritethinker on January 8, 2007 at 11:26 AM
It shows how big a victory terrorist scored with 9-11. It is interesting though how we are apathetic and then OH crap something happens. I’m sure there will be some reports on what we are doing and how it isn’t working AND claims these were (miami truck) scare tactics by the Bush administration….Or wait they were attempts to deflect from his new Iraq strategy…or wait..
tomas on January 8, 2007 at 11:28 AM
I’ve posted some comments by the Kos Kids.
Here’s my favorite:
Verbal Abuse on January 8, 2007 at 11:33 AM
is it kind of an eggy smell? cuz, if it’s an eggy kind of smell, i know what it is.
jummy on January 8, 2007 at 11:38 AM
And to observe the response. Will people leave their offices and crowd into the streets where they can be hit with a second wave?
RedWinged Blackbird on January 8, 2007 at 11:39 AM
They’re reporting that the source of the smell is that Giants have just landed at the aiirport..
Mazztek on January 8, 2007 at 11:50 AM
[obligatory]Michael Moore had the chili![/obligatory]
Jim Treacher on January 8, 2007 at 11:57 AM
Fortunately for everyone it was silent but not deadly.
ReubenJCogburn on January 8, 2007 at 12:12 PM
Has anyone determined if it is mercaptan or whatever? If so, isn’t the gas company the only people with access to it?
Enough jokes people, this is serious! A lot of self important people live in NYC.
Bill C on January 8, 2007 at 12:17 PM
That’s what happens in the playoffs.
right2bright on January 8, 2007 at 12:22 PM
Ooh…that was harsh!
flipflop on January 8, 2007 at 12:24 PM
They are so wrong, this has Karl Rove written all over it.
right2bright on January 8, 2007 at 12:31 PM
It may be a gas that makes them; rude, obnoxious, overbearing, and giving them a inflated ego.
right2bright on January 8, 2007 at 12:40 PM
It would make sense that it’s mercaptan.
T-Mercaptan’s active incredient is thiol. Sulfur Thiol, to be specific. Thiols are organic compounds that create an incredible stench that the human nose is particularly sensitive to.
Naturally occuring instances of Thiols include Volcanic Sulfur Vents, Skunk spray, the excretions of various insects and flatulence by both animals and humans.
wearyman on January 8, 2007 at 12:52 PM
(Insert obligatory joke here)
Isn’t Rosie back from vacation today?
kevcad on January 8, 2007 at 1:04 PM
Pull my finger.
vcferlita on January 8, 2007 at 1:08 PM
I just returned from a Mexican lunch. Call Homeland Security, and reactivate Jack Bauer.
Kid from Brooklyn on January 8, 2007 at 1:25 PM
Dear Hot Air:
See, I told you so!
Best Regards,
Hugo Chavez
Kid from Brooklyn on January 8, 2007 at 1:27 PM
It’s a cosmic effect. There’s a black hole near Uranus that’s ejecting dark matter.
stonemeister on January 8, 2007 at 1:34 PM
All of the jokes have been sophomorically incredible (I don’t know why at 25 I still can’t stop laughing at fart jokes), but the above was by far my favorite.
That said, I hope this doesn’t turn into something that is any more serious than a bad smell.
Esthier on January 8, 2007 at 1:41 PM
I believe this is N-Butyl-Mercaptan. The stuff is strong enough that only an ounce spilled would disperse over a large area rather quickly. We used to transport this from a manufacturer in Illinois and even closed and sealed containers would smell up an area the size of 2 football fields.
I had an opportunity when I was a senior in high-school advanced chemistry to make some mercaptan and a leaky hood in the chem lab cleared out the school.
That leads me to the belief that one of two things happened. Either there was a small spill of the stuff in transport or it was a successful prank conducted by someone with less than honorable intentions.
Schmo on January 8, 2007 at 1:43 PM
Mayor Bumberg wants to know if farts have lumps.
Wade on January 8, 2007 at 1:58 PM
I always knew that the UN and the Leftists in that city were full of
hot air….gas.Tim Burton on January 8, 2007 at 2:02 PM
Watching Bloomberg & Co. at their press conference earlier. He said they didn’t know what it was, but that there was nothing to worry about. If you don’t know what the problem is, how do you know it’s nothing to worry about?
tomk59 on January 8, 2007 at 3:54 PM
It’s a Smug Alert!
No, actually, I agree that it’s possibly another Dry Run.
Airports (flying Imams): Check
Ports (yesterday’s “communication barrier”): Check
NYC’s ventilation system: Check
NTWR on January 8, 2007 at 3:56 PM
Add to this the event in Miami and that there was a boiler explosion at an electric plant in southern Ohio that there is no info on.
Not, of course, to mention everything else (possible border excursions, etc.) that may be going on – like the city of Austin being partially shut down because there are birds dropping like flies (no pun intended).
Thank Heaven that there are no dangers to humans being assessed by anyone in any of these cities (said with extreme sarcasm).
yeah, it’s a dry run – but for what? That would be the $64,000 question – and probably the 64,000,000,000 answer.
I agree with you in your assessment – unfortunately most of America seems to still have their blinders on.
Emmett J. on January 8, 2007 at 4:36 PM
Everyone here just calm down, enough with the conspiracies. Lest thou forget, Nancy and the boys are in control now so everything is just dandy. I suggest we follow the advice of the dems and just sit back and see what happens……(note this entire post was delivered with healthy doses of sarcasm and methane….)
ritethinker on January 8, 2007 at 7:05 PM
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