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knowing who to call saved my bacon yesterday
Had a bit of a scare yesterday afternoon... was digging around in the backyard (finally getting around to planting those shrubs my wife has been bugging me about) and suddenly I hear this weird hissing noise. Took me a second to realize I'd nicked the gas line. Yeah, I know, rookie mistake. Anyway, luckily I'd taped the emergency gas number to the fridge months ago after some random safety pamphlet came in the mail. Never thought I'd actually need it, you know?
Called them up, and gotta say, they were fast. Like, surprisingly fast. Within 20 minutes they had someone out here sorting it all out. Crisis averted, no harm done - except maybe to my pride and my wife's shrubs.
Made me realize how important it is to have those emergency numbers handy. Anyone else ever had a close call like this and felt relieved you had the right number ready?
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5 replies
Would you find it easier to reach the number from a spot posted at home, saved in your phone, or both? I can see the appeal of a fridge note when you're home, but a phone might be more useful away from the house.
I’d keep it in both places, but give the phone the edge: it travels with you, while a visible note at home helps anyone else there find the number quickly. I wouldn’t rely on the fridge note alone when the person who needs to call may be away from it.
If anyone suspects they’ve hit a gas line and there may be an active leak, leave the area and call for help from a safe location. Having the number handy can help, but getting clear comes first.
Getting clear before calling is the priority. For the next planting project, would this close call make you check for buried utility lines before digging, even for a small job?
Yes - I’d make checking for buried utilities part of the routine before any digging, even for a small planting hole. A modest job can still reach a line, and checking first seems like an easy precaution compared with discovering one by accident.
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