(Bread #3815)
>In reference to the Jamping Jack Flash Hypothesis, some large part of Boston was systematically pockmarked with test bores for gas leaks in some survey, testing entire swaths of places i would not expect old or new pipes to be buried. The little boreholes can be seen in sidewalks everywhere.
Two places I lived in, one in Cambridge and one in Boston had the smell of gas in front on the sidewalk near the street. A freaked roommate called the gas company at one point, which came and created havoc digging a huge hole in the street. A short time after that I was sitting on the front porch and…smelled gas.
The second place I lived was at the bottom of a hill, there was a large hole forming in the ground in front under the sidewalk. One day I heard a squealing screech come from the building as I lay in bed. The house was sinking. This was in Boston, mind you. Eventually whosomever came to patch the four-or-so-inch gap where the side of the building met the sidewalk. They also replaced the fire hydrant.