# I suddenly live on a canal! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 24, 2004, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-suddenly-live-on-a-canal/261223 "2004-08-24T04:16:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2004, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-suddenly-live-on-a-canal/261223/1 "2004-08-24T04:16:54Z")
Well, for a brief few hours I did, anyway. Last night around 18:00, a very swift but fearsome thunderstorm raged over the city. Hail as big as marbles, lots and lots of rain. And of course, the sewage system didn’t cope with all the water all too well! [Here’s the result!](http://coldfire.50megs.com/Riantwonenaanwater/Haven.html) Ignore the Dutch text, it’s just silly anyway. I think the water stopped rising before any got into the car (the grey Citroën next to the covered motorbike), although I’m not too sure about that low-sitting Alfa in the other pic. 😃 It came all the way onto the sidewalk, almost to the level of the single step leading to my door. This means my motorbike was sitting pretty low in the water. Hopefully the engine stayed “dry”, meaning no water made its way in. Anyway, after a few hours the water slowly drained, and all seems to be well now. I’m off to work in a bit, if the car will run. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![liirogue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dbc845/32.png) [@liirogue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/liirogue)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2004, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-suddenly-live-on-a-canal/261223/2 "2004-08-24T13:59:21Z")
You all have such funny looking cars 😛 ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2004, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-suddenly-live-on-a-canal/261223/3 "2004-08-24T14:08:09Z")
Cars? Look at the text! Hope all is well, Coldie. We’ll be calling you soon for use of your vehicle in the filming of Ronin II. ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2004, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-suddenly-live-on-a-canal/261223/4 "2004-08-24T14:26:02Z")
As a road block, I presume? I mean, what good is a 90 BHP diesel in a high speed chase? 🙂 And **liirogue** , some European cars may be funny looking to you, but realise that the complete reverse goes for us. I saw someone driving a Hummer H2 the other day - in Amsterdam. Now, anyone who’s ever been here can attest that this is a _crazy_ idea. Big-ass car, very narrow streets, tiny parking spaces… you want a Fiat 500, really, not a big land yacht. Really, my car is pushing the envelope as far as inner city size goes, here. And it’s about a meter and a half shorter than an H2. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2004, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-suddenly-live-on-a-canal/261223/5 "2004-08-24T14:41:41Z")
Cool. Water fun for all! A couple years ago, we had such a heavy, sudden rainstorm that people were canoeing down the street a block from my house (on Selby just west of Snelling, for the Twin Citians in the audience). ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2004, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-suddenly-live-on-a-canal/261223/6 "2004-08-24T14:43:41Z")
I thought you folks were good at dikes. But I guess that’s what happens when you live in the Lowlands, low. ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2004, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-suddenly-live-on-a-canal/261223/7 "2004-08-24T14:45:27Z")
We _rock_ at dykes! Umbrellas, however, are more of a Brit thing. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2004, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-suddenly-live-on-a-canal/261223/8 "2004-08-24T14:53:34Z")
Anybody else catch themselves scanning the pics for “_Ugly Naked Man_”? Refresh me… that was his name, right? ---
**Author:** ![liirogue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dbc845/32.png) [@liirogue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/liirogue)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2004, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-suddenly-live-on-a-canal/261223/9 "2004-08-24T15:15:37Z")
> [@Coldfire](#): > > As a road block, I presume? I mean, what good is a 90 BHP diesel in a high speed chase? 🙂 > > And **liirogue** , some European cars may be funny looking to you, but realise that the complete reverse goes for us. I saw someone driving a Hummer H2 the other day - in Amsterdam. Now, anyone who’s ever been here can attest that this is a _crazy_ idea. Big-ass car, very narrow streets, tiny parking spaces… you want a Fiat 500, really, not a big land yacht. Really, my car is pushing the envelope as far as inner city size goes, here. And it’s about a meter and a half shorter than an H2. 🙂 I have to agree on how stupid most of these large vehicles look. I much prefer the smaller variety (aka The Mini Cooper 😃 ) But your cars still look funny. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2004, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-suddenly-live-on-a-canal/261223/10 "2004-08-24T15:59:55Z")
Holy hatchbacks! What do you guys have against cars with rear decklids? 😃