Well, it's been an exciting day in Bethnal Green today. I was working from home, as I've got loads to do after being up in Norwich for most of the week. At about midday I decided to open a window to let some air in. I'm clever like that when it comes to problem solving. Despite what any IQ scores of 95, or the inability to spell "horoscope" or "Sagittarius" would suggest.
As I opened the window, I noticed thick black smoke coming from the flats opposite (about 20 metres from my flat). I watched for a few seconds, wondering if it was a chip-pan fire, but it appeared to be coming from the stairwell and was getting worse.
I called the fire brigade and went downstairs where a group of neighbours had gathered. The fire engines turned up literally two minutes later (I do live pretty close to the fire station) and they started tackling the blaze. There were people upstairs in the flats who couldn't get out, so it was all a bit hairy. Turns out some joyriders had stolen a motorbike, and set fire to it by the flats. They'd left it by a wooden door and the fire had started from there. The damage to the flats is pretty bad - the stairwell looks gutted and all the windows are smashed. There was probably no intent to damage the building, but it's mostly old people who live here (I fit in really well), so it was a horrible thing to happen for them.
Speaking to the neighbours, one of them said, "I saw the lads what did it. They was young lads."
I said, "Well, make sure you tell the police."
"Ooh, no. I'm not saying nothing."
I've never understood this attitude. A group of tossers sets fire to their flats, and could easily have killed someone... and yet "mustn't be a grass". I saw a policeman later that day and asked him if he'd spoken to the ladies who'd seen the boys. I grassed them up. I dropped them in it. I am not a proper Eastender. Still, they'd already spoken to them, so my meddling was unnecessary.
But still, I got to dial 999 and everything. Lucky that with my rubbish IQ of 95 I could remember what the number was.
1 comment:
Arh - you seem to be quite affected by this IQ result. If it helps, I think you are VERY clever!
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