How many times have you salivated over that distant, free parking spot, to only then, after a long strech in first gear, learn that it is a fire hydrant spot?...

well, simply park your car in front of the fire hydrant, open the trunk and disguise the thing!

The idea is to create one or two fake garbage bags, preferably inflatable, very much like a prop. Maybe a smaller bag next to it (or even a recycle bag with cans inside) for added realism.

The "main" bag would be opaque, black, tall with some fake dirt smudged over it. On the bottom of it, a womb would serve to disguise (hide) the fire hydrant.

That would automatically "convert" an illegal parking spot into a nice and available one!!
-- ZAKK, Jun 22 2000

What happens on garbage day when they come to pick that garbage bag up?

Ooops! :-)
-- jeddings, Jun 22 2000


If somebody "disguised" the fire hydrant in front of my house, I would set fire to their car.
-- Eeyore, Jun 23 2000


Many years ago Mad Magazine suggested carrying a fake fire hydrant in your trunk so that you could reserve your parking space when you weren't using it.
-- dominus, Jun 23 2000


Seems MAD ain't half so 'mad'. A lot of their 'crazy ideas' are quite practical. ZAKK, when you start making these things, I'm in the market! We also might need a product to occasionaly reclaim a wheelchair parking - although I've seen a perfectly fit workman leap into his Ford 350 4x4, remove the blue wheelchair tag hanging from his mirror, and take off. Must be the economy model solution.
-- jetckalz, Jun 23 2000


How many times has an incontinent canine salivated over the psuedo fire hydrant next to which you parked. "Damn you bastards, tricked again!"
-- cilla_not_now, Sep 08 2000


I like the concept, but you would also need a can of cement / granite colored spray paint for color-coded curbs.
-- Vecini, Nov 29 2000


Or a garbage can with the bottom cut out.. actually, in London, a friend of mine used to have a fake yellow police "boot" attached to the rear wheel of his car, whenever he went shopping at peak times..
-- kevynct, Dec 06 2000


1. The value of a fire hydrant far outweighs you inconvenience. If you disagree I hope someone sets fire to your home.

2. I have an absolutely foolproof system for avoiding parking fines. I don't own a car.
-- sirrobin, Aug 28 2001


As the son of a Fire Chief (for 19 years while he also managed water district for 43 years and was Foreman of Grand Jury for one year while maintaining several civic leader positions all the while remaining humble in persona) who was also the son of a Fire Chief (who also managed water district while farming 40 acres of oranges and running a pharmacy and who those who knew him said he was the nicest person they ever met before he died two days after sustaining injuries in an explosion at water treatment facility as my Father saw it and then drove him to hospital where doctors tried to treat burns which covered 85% of his body) I would have to say you need to get a little exercise and walk to intended destination rather than be a lazy self centered nihilistic individual.
The bell still rings for my Grandfather at precisely noon every day in the belfry built in his honor. I'd like to have met him. I'm sure someone who loses a loved one due to fire in all its permutations would think your idea is for dogs to piss on.
-- thumbwax, Aug 28 2001


Even though its not really cool to hide a fire hydrant, I think the fire department ought to KNOW where their hydrants are. I would be much more concerned about that than whether or not someone used a bottomless trash can to hide it.
-- Jscotty, Oct 11 2005


I knew a man who carried an aerosol can of white paint in his car. He would park on a single yellow line right in front of the little yellow sign (UK system: single yellow = no parking during the hours shown on the little yellow sign) and spray the little yellow sign white, obliterating the text. This made it illegal for wardens to ticket him as the restrictions were not displayed - a point he could contest and win in court if necessary. I took a dim view of this, being a (usually) fairly upstanding member of society, but I was impressed with his ingenuity.
-- wagster, Oct 11 2005



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