Where's the fire?

They recently opened a New York Sports Club about a quarter-mile from my house.  For those of you unfamiliar, New York Sports Club is a chain of gyms owned and operated by Town Sports International (they also own Washington Sports Club, Boston Sports Club, Philadelphia Sports Club and well-you get the idea).  The other day as I was out-and-about I noticed a flurry of fire department activity at the sports club.  There were about a half dozen pieces of fire apparatus, a few chiefs cars, the town police and the like.

On March 25, 1990 The Happy Land Social Club (at 1959 Southern Boulevard in the West Farms section of The Bronx, New York)  caught fire.  It was an arson fire that killed 87 people who were trapped in the unlicensed social club.   Most of the victims were young ethnic Hondurans celebrating Carnival. Unemployed Cuban refugee Julio Gonzalez, whose former girlfriend was employed at the club, was arrested shortly after and ultimately convicted of arson and 87 counts of murder. That said, it is safe to say that we all know the potential dangers of overcrowded spaces.

This morning I was at the dry cleaner and we were talking about the gym, which is in the same shopping center, when a woman walks in.  The woman, a regular - I've seen her around, tells us she was there the day of the activity AND she's the one that called the fire department.

Here's the biggest cup part........... She called the fire department because when she went to "Spin Class" the class was full and there was no space for her.  She then noticed a sign that read "Occupancy by more than 30 persons is unlawful - Town of Haverstraw Fire Inspector"  This woman then counted and found there were 36 people in the class, if there were only 35 and she was the 36th would have been fine with her but since there was no space for her, and she picked up one of the phones on a desk and called 911.

I can't decide if she potentially saved the lives of everyone in the gym or if she's a lunatic.

Speaking of lunatics........  Those of you from the NY area and those of you who read my Facebook page may remember that within the last two weeks a man dangled himself off the Tappan Zee Bridge and unfurlled a banner in an attempt to voice his displeasure over a currupt county government (The back story is that he was fired from his job in the Rockland County Department of Mental Health because he was unstable - ironic I thought).  Well, it turns out he's my neighbor.  I'm just saying.