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Suspicious tanks in SUV shut downtown street

By adamg on Wed, 05/14/2014 - 1:52pm
Franklin Street shut

Police blocked off Franklin Street around 1:20 p.m. due to a couple of suspicious items in a white SUV parked outside 260 Franklin St.

Bill Yelenak captured the scene - police have opened all the vehicle's doors and its hatchback.

Another view, by Jed Hresko:

Franklin Street

The objects in the SUV, which had racked up an impressive number of parking tickets, turned out to be two propane tanks, according to Janet Mesh, who took this photo:

Franklin Street tanks

May 5:
Downtown street shut as police investigate unattended backpack.

Neighborhoods: 
Downtown
Free tagging: 
Franklin Street


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Comments

By Hyde_Parker on Wed, 05/14/2014 - 2:01pm.

What's suspicious about that particular car, as opposed to all the other cars parked right next to it?

By adamg on Wed, 05/14/2014 - 2:03pm.

Propane tanks.

By Ron Newman on Wed, 05/14/2014 - 2:08pm.

I don't know what the rules are for transporting these in private vehicles. Anyone know more?

By anon on Wed, 05/14/2014 - 2:13pm.

How the hell are you going to get it refilled? Ron, have you never used a grill?

By SwirlyGrrl on Wed, 05/14/2014 - 3:21pm.

Ron doesn't have a car. If he does have a gas grill, the Barbecue Barn is conveniently located about 3-4 miles down the Minuteman Bike Path.

Don't laugh - I've thrown a cylinder in our old baby trailer and gotten a refill there.

By SwirlyGrrl on Wed, 05/14/2014 - 2:20pm.

And returned with a full one.

They do ask that you do the exchange outside and not bring the empty inside.

How many trucks at The Big Hole have much larger tanks of flammables sitting in them? Are they going to bust open every tailgater's SUV at Gillette Stadium now?

(note that at 2pm it seemed to be all clear over there ... but there is a propane tank using food truck nearby)

By bostnkid on Wed, 05/14/2014 - 3:39pm.

after my father passed away my mom made me clean out under the back porch of the old house. my dad didn't refill, he just got new tanks. needless to say I had to wait until hazardous waste day in west rox to get rid of them. I loaded about 10 of them into my jeep and started driving. it wasn't until they started rubbing together that I started to think about the possibility of being blown to smithereens. obviously I made it but I was a wee bit nervous.

By zetag on Wed, 05/14/2014 - 2:10pm.

Is it illegal to have an empty propane tank in your car? You'd think if someone wanted to detonate a car bomb they wouldn't leave it parked long enough to get a ticket. If you went through all that effort you'd probably try to blow it up ASAP, no?

By Boston_res on Wed, 05/14/2014 - 2:33pm.

The perp might want time to get away.

By zetag on Wed, 05/14/2014 - 2:42pm.

Probably wouldn't wait long enough to get a ticket though.

But in this case it was an electrician working in a building on the block. Who would think an electrician might have loose wires in his vehicle, very suspicious. While they're over here there's a big metal bin behind my building with a bunch of trash in it. Who know what else might be in there, might as well have them check it out just in case.

By Lecil on Wed, 05/14/2014 - 3:19pm.

How long was the electrician in the building? Adam's posting mentioned a number of parking tickets, which would have taken some time to accumulate. Propane tanks in an apparently abandoned car could well attract some concern from the authorities even if there was little likelihood of malfeasance on the part of the vehicle's owner.

By SwirlyGrrl on Wed, 05/14/2014 - 3:23pm.

Some of these vehicles collect them all over the city, not just in one spot.

By Lecil on Wed, 05/14/2014 - 3:34pm.

Yeah, I've never understood why some people drive around with tickets under their wipers. Do they expect the meter-person to take sympathy on them and not give another one? Does that ever work?

Instead it makes their car look abandoned, and voila! Now you have to slink back to it and explain to all the police and bystanders you've just inconvenienced and explain why you're too special to A) Park legally and/or B) pay your damned tickets!

By alabb on Wed, 05/14/2014 - 2:50pm.

Can't buy propane in Boston, for some reason

By SwirlyGrrl on Wed, 05/14/2014 - 3:39pm.

Let Yelp be your guide: http://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=propane+refill&find_loc=Boston%2C+MA

By PeyoteEatingWaterBear on Wed, 05/14/2014 - 3:58pm.

Cross the street to Brookline and hit up Brookline Coal and Ice.
www.brooklineice.com

By zetag on Wed, 05/14/2014 - 4:11pm.

I got propane in Boston last week, so you're definitely wrong.

By Lmo on Wed, 05/14/2014 - 4:36pm.

Neponset Circle Car Wash has propane.

By anon on Wed, 05/14/2014 - 3:57pm.

It's a good thing none of the other cars parked nearby contain any tanks full of explosive material.

By Michael on Wed, 05/14/2014 - 10:50pm.

Better increase random MBTA bag checks!

By H on Thu, 05/15/2014 - 5:18am.

I was there. The meter maid observed the propane tanks and some wiring around them. I'm glad it turned out to be nothing, but I am glad they are being vigilant and thorough. The same people making jokes would be the first to condemn then had the vehicle gone unnoticed and something happened.