Stay Inside! About 3/4 of a Mile from Here, There Might Be Something That Smells Bad

So today was weird. About 10 a.m. a truck heading southbound on 101 (the major highway that runs pretty close to both my house and my church) had an accident right near Bernal Road, the exit that you get off to get to FCC. Not a big deal, right? Well, yeah, unless the truck happens to be carrying several tons of nitric and sulfuric acid, which is toxic and highly flammable.

So Southbound 101 was closed because of a giant battery acid spill. Not sure what someone needed an entire tanker full of battery acid for. That's one big Duracell. Probably some crazy science teacher somewhere. "Look kids! Watch how this boulder of potassium reacts when it's dropped into this basin of acid! Luis, man the crane."

But whatever.

Actually, I learned that sulphuric acid isn't too dangerous unless it's on fire, which it wasn't. But just to be safe, the fire marshall told all businesses and residential owners to go inside, close their windows and doors, and stay inside until further notice.

The kind of scary part was that as soon as I found out about it, I called my wife, who had just left home and was on her way to church. Exactly the wrong direction. I kind of over-reacted and told her to turn around and go home right away. Only I said it with a level of intensity you usually reserve for war-time firefights.

After I explained what was going on, she finally understood.

I blame the noxious fumes that were 1/2 mile away.