I'm pretty sure that I saved DC at least 50 dollars on fire truck petrol today.  Here's the story:  I went to Starbucks, got a drink, and sat down at the counter.  I started to read the Metro section of the Washington Post, but I couldn't focus on it.  I'd like to say it was because of the terrible choice of the front-page story, "Giving Creativity a Lot of Wiggle Room," but my distraction was caused by something else.  Through the window, I watched different people continually go up to a garbage can, lean over it and look in.  I couldn't figure out what might have been attracting everybody who walked by...in fact, it was really strange to watch.  Soon enough I saw, what appeared to be, that mirage-like vision of rising heat.  I thought, "holy shit, fire!"  I jumped out of my seat, went outside, and like everybody else, peered over the side of the garbage can.  Sure enough, little flames were crackling at the bottom.  Unlike everybody else, though, I decided to fucking do something about it.  I ran back into Starbucks, told the people what was up, and asked for a bucket of water.  By the time I got back to the garbage can (about 40 seconds later), the garbage bag had completely melted and the flames were rising over the lid.  Luckily, that one bucket of water did the job.

I don't even want to think about what would have happened if that fire had kept on blazing.  I am certainly not trying to flatter myself, but I was really disheartened by the fact that everyone who saw the fire, went up to it and then walked away.  Nobody did anything...