Dave Matthews Band Lawsuit

[rookie1]

This story has been getting a lot of air time here in the Chicago area here's a blurb for those that hadn't heard:

AUGUST 25--Claiming that a Dave Matthews tour bus driving on a Chicago bridge dumped "80 to 100 gallons of liquid human waste" on dozens of people taking a river boat tour, the Illinois attorney general yesterday sued the band and one of its drivers for $70,000. According to the Cook County Circuit Court complaint, a copy of which you'll find below, as the Matthews coach drove on the Kinzie Street bridge, the "contents of the bus' waste tank were released through the drain at the bottom of the bus and were discharged down through the open grating onto the bridge deck, into the river and onto the sightseeing tour boat." The band and driver Stefan Wohl have denied they were responsible for the fetid August 8 cascade, which landed, the AG reported, on "persons with disabilities, senior citizens, a pregnant woman, a small child and an infant." But Chicago cops reportedly have surveillance tapes showing the bus on the bridge at the time of the incident.

[Dan]

I am sorry but I couldn't stop laughing when I first read this.

Am I going to go to he!! when I die?

[Bluerauder]

This story has been getting a lot of air time here in the Chicago area here's a blurb for those that hadn't heard:

AUGUST 25--Claiming that a Dave Matthews tour bus driving on a Chicago bridge dumped "80 to 100 gallons of liquid human waste" on dozens of people taking a river boat tour,.....
Heard this on the radio and TV news here in the DC area last week. :puke:

[martyo]

That's just plain ****ty!

[MERCMAN]

wonder who the "stool- ie" was who ratted them out? Sounds like a modern version of pennies from heaven (NOT)

[TripleTransAm]

Was this an intentional 'dump' or an accident? Either way... yecchhh!!

Having taken a similar tour in 1998 (the architectural tour, that goes along the south artery of the river followed by a harbour-front pass), I can sympathize with those poor people, as I imagine getting dumped on is the LAST thing you expect on such an otherwise-enjoyable boat ride through the heart of an enchanting city. :(

[Dan]

I know that I would be 'p!ssed off'.

Or, in this case, would that be 'p!ssed on?"

Either way I know that I would go home pooped.

[Joe Walsh]

They should have tested the bus driver to see if he was DWI...you know SH_T FACED!!! :D

[SergntMac]

It's laugable, and it's not, I too am going to Hell for my thoughts on this caper. The cops have done a great job of tying up the facts, but they lack enough evidence for criminal charges against the responsible party. Sadly, because of that, Dave Matthews and his entire band, is on the civil liability hook when they were not present, nor, had any knowledge of the driver's conduct. The local press is of course, treating it as if Dave himself unzipped and let loose. Nonetheless, the DM Band will pay damages, unless the act is deemed criminal. Quick lesson in the chain of liability, eh?

[prchrman]

Someone correct me if I am wrong...but...isn't DM supposed to be like politically correct with environmental friendly rhetoric and such...kinda ironic don't you think...dumping dung on people...maybe he can go into politics...

[TripleTransAm]

Looking back, I recall the boat ride we took in 1998 was in a partially covered boat. If I remember correctly, some of the bridges crossing the river were of the metal-grate surface variety, so I don't see it making sense to have uncovered boats passing underneath such a risky location... I mean, there's the potential for road hazards falling through the grates not to mention toxic materials (rubber particles, leaking lubricants, hot water, etc.).

Seems to me the tourboat took too many liberties with their customers' safety.

Doesn't take away from the fact that what happened most likely contravenes some city laws about public cleanliness, judging by the way the material was discharged and how it seemed to affect a range of surfaces, not the least of which was the boat itself.

[Patrick]

And I thought I was having a sH$#$y day!!!

[cyclone03]

Did the bus actaully stop and dump,or did it spill as they drove over the bridge?

[Bluerauder]

Seems to me the tourboat took too many liberties with their customers' safety.
Now, it's the tourboat's fault. :bs: Gimmee a break !!! :shake: :twocents:

[Joe Walsh]

Someone correct me if I am wrong...but...isn't DM supposed to be like politically correct with environmental friendly rhetoric and such...kinda ironic don't you think...dumping dung on people...maybe he can go into politics...

Yeah, I think he is a tree hugger type...and BTW, he is in Politics...he has been 'stumping' for our illustrious Mr. Kerry!! DM wants to make sure that we get another extremely rich Senator from Mass.* into the White House...that way they can help the poor people!
*they finally gave up hope on Teddy

[rookie1]

Did the bus actaully stop and dump,or did it spill as they drove over the bridge?

Apparently the bus took a dump er............I mean, dumped it's load while traveling across the bridge.


btw "was the driver S!!!faced" was hilarious.

It's hard to read anything about this story without laughing uncontrollably but can you imagine those poor people on the boat? I try to think about it from their perspective and still can't keep from laughing.
Mac is right the police have actually done a great job investigating this(no doubt snickering on the inside) and now there may be actual tape of the incident.

[TripleTransAm]

Now, it's the tourboat's fault. :bs: Gimmee a break !!! :shake: :twocents:


Now, don't get me wrong... I'm not advocating dragging the tourboat operators into this. You could just as well say that the tourists themselves were at fault for travelling on an uncovered boat that passed underneath traffic-bearing structures that could let debris or hazardous material! I was being a bit sarcastic, to be honest, and I agree with you: the lawsuit thing gets frivolous.

Truthfully, we haven't really heard the full story, as Mac explained...

[Joe Walsh]

This same type of thing happened a few years ago when an Amtrak train crossing over a bridge dumped its toilet storage tanks on some poor fisherman in a boat below the bridge. I think it was in S. Carolina. Amtrak had to pay lots of fines $$$ for the illegal dumping of raw sewage, but I never heard if the fisherman got any compensation for the abuse.

[Bluerauder]

Truthfully, we haven't really heard the full story, as Mac explained...
I have heard enough of the story to deduce what likely happened. The bus driver was looking to save some time in pumping out the sewage tank. The bus stopped on the bridge (from reports) and he pulled the dump switch while no one was looking. He probably never even thought of the possibility of boat traffic below. Moreover, I suspect that this isn't the first time that he pulled this little time saving trick. Unfortunately for the tour boat guests, his timing was very bad. This time he got caught. The little "turd" should lose his Class A bus license for a year.

There seems to be a pervasive mentality out there that "It's not wrong if nobody catches me". That's wrong and that is part of the reason why incidents like this happen, why we have stop sign accidents, and red light runners. That's my :twocents: I will now get off the :soapbox:

[RCSignals]

This is one of those things that you can't help but see humour in, but know you really shouldn't.
I can see someone thinking they'd "save some time" and doing something like this. The things some people do to avoid doing what they are supposed to or should do! (Steve talked about this recently in another thread, people spending more time and energy avoiding working than it would take to just do a task)


.............................. ..... which landed, the AG reported, on "persons with disabilities, senior citizens, a pregnant woman, a small child and an infant."

Would it be seen as being any different, more or less serious, if it were "on" any other 'category' of persons?

[jgc61sr2002]

Hey it could have been an accident. :dunno: But it was a stinky situtation.

[TripleTransAm]

There seems to be a pervasive mentality out there that "It's not wrong if nobody catches me". That's wrong and that is part of the reason why incidents like this happen, why we have stop sign accidents, and red light runners. That's my :twocents: I will now get off the :soapbox:


No need for the soapbox comment. I think you nailed it right on the head. :up:

[RCSignals]

I think you nailed it right on the head. :up:

In the context of the topic, that's pretty funny :lol:



Does anyone know just how big the holding tanks are on those Buses? (BDJ ?)

[Bigdogjim]

70-80 gallons is a little high? I think 30-40 tops. Some custom Coaches might have expanded tanks put in to handle showers etc. Still what was the driver thinkin?
I have know many a driver that have a midnight run in the old days look for a place to "dump".

Problem is the blue chemical leaves a tell tale trademark:):):)

Had a driver dump one day in Vt. at a ski slope talk about stupid:):):)

In the early 70's we had a air override switch to the left of the driver's dash and could "dump" at 70MPH........Oh well they were the days:lol:

[Silver_04]

Dave Matthews said it best in his song, "I Did It". Nuff Said

[Donny Carlson]

If you have been to, or lived in, San Antonio (or south Texas), you know about the infamous Grackle, which migrates down to south Texas in the winter in huge numbers ...

http://birds.cornell.edu/BOW/COMGRA/images/mcqcomgrack.gif

At night, these little bast..er, birds, congregate in huge numbers in trees, make a lot of noise, and poop. A lot. When I was a student at Rice, you had to be very careful when using the sidewalks that run under tha trees on the campus (and Rice has many, many trees), because any distubance that scared the Grackles, their first instinct before flying is to release a huge dropping. A common prank at Rice was to wait until some unsuspecting victum was right under a big tree, then slap your hands rapidly and loudly. It would look like a rain storm. Heard of a s**t storm? This was it.

On the river in San Antonio you can go for a nice, leisurely boat trip. It's wonderful, all the history, slow ride, lots of TREES. I was there with my (then) wife during the height of Grackle season, and she wanted to go on the boat. I said, no way, and told her about how the Grackles, which were noisily congregating in trees along the river, would crap all over the tourists given the opportunity, and told her about the prank at Rice. Shortly after this, a boat makes its way along near where we were standing, and Diane decides to wait until it was under a stand of trees that was MASSED with Grackles to slap her hands together. It was not a pretty sight, especially since I almost wet myself laughing.

[TAF]

Donny...you crack me up, my friend...

5 years living amongst those stately live oaks in Olmos Park....I HATED those damn birds...thanks for the memories....I think.