# Police, firefighters called in after flat Earth debate turns heated **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 16, 2016, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-firefighters-called-in-after-flat-earth-debate-turns-heated/757493 "2016-06-16T03:30:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Flyer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/flyer/32/7298_2.png) [@Flyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flyer)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2016, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-firefighters-called-in-after-flat-earth-debate-turns-heated/757493/1 "2016-06-16T03:30:36Z")
From the “when you think you’ve seen it all” department. . . . > [@](#): > > A family argument over whether the Earth is flat or round became so heated that one of the participants threw a propane cylinder onto a campfire, prompting an intervention by firefighters. > **[Incendiary campfire argument over flat Earth prompts call for firefighters,...](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/flat-earth-debate-leads-to-fire-police-call-1.3634692)** > > A family argument over whether the Earth is flat or round became so heated that one of the participants threw a propane cylinder onto a campfire, prompting an intervention by firefighters. I wish they had included the names. That’s one family I want to be SURE that I don’t marry into – for several reasons. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2016, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-firefighters-called-in-after-flat-earth-debate-turns-heated/757493/2 "2016-06-16T06:12:18Z")
Meanwhile, the son’s girlfriend was last seen sailing off toward the edge of the planet. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2016, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-firefighters-called-in-after-flat-earth-debate-turns-heated/757493/3 "2016-06-16T06:23:20Z")
Stupid people. Don’t they know it’s turtles, turtles, all the way down? ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2016, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-firefighters-called-in-after-flat-earth-debate-turns-heated/757493/4 "2016-06-16T14:15:18Z")
> [@](#): > > It’s not clear if anyone at the campfire put forth the argument that the Earth’s equatorial bulge makes it not perfectly round, but instead a shape known as an oblate spheroid. :D:D:D ---
**Author:** ![Reluctant\_A](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/839c29/32.png) [@Reluctant\_A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reluctant_A)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2016, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-firefighters-called-in-after-flat-earth-debate-turns-heated/757493/5 "2016-06-16T15:47:30Z")
Oh, Canada. ---
**Author:** ![mascaroni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dc4da7/32.png) [@mascaroni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mascaroni)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2016, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-firefighters-called-in-after-flat-earth-debate-turns-heated/757493/6 "2016-06-17T17:47:24Z")
I knew the Flat Earth society was still going, but had always presumed its members these days were just post modern ironists (“ironist’s”… is that a real word?) People actually take it seriously in the face of all evidence? Unbelievable. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2016, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-firefighters-called-in-after-flat-earth-debate-turns-heated/757493/7 "2016-06-17T18:08:14Z")
What is it with girlfriends and the crazy worlds they inhabit? A woman that I almost married wrote an article “Why You Need To Hide Your Cash” (because Obama’s “going to steal it from everyone” before he leaves office). And another just wrote a post stating that Hillary owes it to the American people to shoot herself, so that Bernie can have the nomination. Luckily, I married The Practical One. _Whew!_ ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2016, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-firefighters-called-in-after-flat-earth-debate-turns-heated/757493/8 "2016-06-17T19:09:55Z")
> [@digs](#): > > Luckily, I married The Practical One. _Whew!_ But you apparently considered a woman who is looney tunes. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2016, 8:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-firefighters-called-in-after-flat-earth-debate-turns-heated/757493/9 "2016-06-18T08:47:49Z")
Seems like you have a type. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2016, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-firefighters-called-in-after-flat-earth-debate-turns-heated/757493/10 "2016-06-18T08:53:43Z")
> [@mascaroni](#): > > …post modern ironists (“ironist’s”… is that a real word?)… Iron _Men_. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2016, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-firefighters-called-in-after-flat-earth-debate-turns-heated/757493/11 "2016-06-18T13:54:22Z")
_I am Irony Man…_ [/Blackish Sabbath] ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2016, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-firefighters-called-in-after-flat-earth-debate-turns-heated/757493/12 "2016-06-19T21:32:53Z")
Okay, this should have been on the TV show _Emergency!_ I can just picture Gage and DeSoto calling Rampart Hospital about this. “Rampart, we have a male, age approximately whatever, suffering from burns caused by his throwing a propane tank on a campfire over whether the Earth is flat or not.” “Start an IV with Ringers lactate and then start a lecture about how ancient peoples figured out the Earth was round.” ---
**Author:** ![ITR\_champion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c67d28/32.png) [@ITR\_champion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ITR_champion)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2016, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-firefighters-called-in-after-flat-earth-debate-turns-heated/757493/13 "2016-06-19T23:00:32Z")
> [@Flyer](#): > > From the “when you think you’ve seen it all” department. . . . > [http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/flat-earth-debate-leads-to-fire-police-call-1.3634692](http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/flat-earth-debate-leads-to-fire-police-call-1.3634692) > > I wish they had included the names. That’s one family I want to be SURE that I don’t marry into – for several reasons. This sounds like one of those stories where it’s worth checking whether it’s a hoax. Alternatively, maybe it’s a story that’s too good to check. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2016, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-firefighters-called-in-after-flat-earth-debate-turns-heated/757493/14 "2016-06-20T00:24:11Z")
> [@ITR\_champion](#): > > This sounds like one of those stories where it’s worth checking whether it’s a hoax. No, I’m still pretty sure the world is round. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2016, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-firefighters-called-in-after-flat-earth-debate-turns-heated/757493/15 "2016-06-20T01:00:03Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > No, I’m still pretty sure the world is round. In all those pictures from the faked moon landings, it looks like a flat disc. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2016, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-firefighters-called-in-after-flat-earth-debate-turns-heated/757493/16 "2016-06-20T04:43:31Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > In all those pictures from the faked moon landings, it looks like a flat disc. But the countries and continents that appear on that disk change from one picture to another. Which is one way to tell that the moon landings were faked. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2016, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-firefighters-called-in-after-flat-earth-debate-turns-heated/757493/17 "2016-06-20T05:23:45Z")
At most race meetings in Australia any group can sponsor a race. You make a contribution towards the prize money, the race is named after your group and you are given a pile of members tickets for the day so that you can attend. If there is a trophy you get to award it. At today’s Geelong races there are races named after _Roderick Insurance Brokers_ and _Wilson Real Estate_. One day years ago I was surprised to see the _Flat Earth Society Handicap_ run on a Wednesday at Canterbury. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2016, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-firefighters-called-in-after-flat-earth-debate-turns-heated/757493/18 "2016-06-20T07:00:35Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > In all those pictures from the faked moon landings, it looks like a flat disc. :dubious: In other words, round. Like a pancake or a coin. Round doesn’t imply spherical. ---
**Author:** ![Sinaptics](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/278dde/32.png) [@Sinaptics](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sinaptics)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2016, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-firefighters-called-in-after-flat-earth-debate-turns-heated/757493/19 "2016-06-20T12:34:22Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > In other words, round. Like a pancake or a coin. Round doesn’t imply spherical. And apparently, we’re all 2 dimensional. I can confirm this based on every picture ever taken of me. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2016, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-firefighters-called-in-after-flat-earth-debate-turns-heated/757493/20 "2016-06-20T15:51:25Z")
> [@Sinaptics](#): > > And apparently, we’re all 2 dimensional. I can confirm this based on every picture ever taken of me. I’m surprised you have any soul left in you. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-firefighters-called-in-after-flat-earth-debate-turns-heated/757493.md?page=2)