MAMEWorld Forums - The Loony Bin - Re: Opt-in fire brigade

> $75? What dumb ass wouldn't pay that unless he was counting on free service if his
> house caught fire. If that's how their system works... you need to participate to
> benefit. Makes sense to me. Only a moron would opt out.. he suffered for his own
> stupidity.
>
> Think about it this way... if you don't pay... and they'll still put your fire out...
> who'd EVER pay... which results in an unfunded fire department.
>
> Would you feel sorry for him if he also didn't have fire insurance? Or just say "what
> a dumb ass" for not having fire insurance on his house too. No one's going to buy him
> a new free house because he's uninsured dumb-ass are they?
>
> What they describe was common in South Carolina... your house would have a fire
> plaque on the front if you paid... and didn't if you didn't. BUT you could pay a
> ridiculous fee if they arrived and you didn't have a plaque... it was like 100 times
> the normal rate.

But that's the difference. In this case, they wouldn't even take cash on the spot to save his house. I mean, OK, yes, he's a dumbass for not just paying the fee. Charge him some ridiculous amount to put out the fire. But to just stand there and watch his house burn just to make a point seems unnecessarily cruel. Not to mention, what if someone were trapped in the house? Would they still stand by, let them burn or make some untrained civilian run in to make the save? There's more to life than just money.