So...my neighbor just saved my life merely by knocking on my door

[shadowkat]

A little discombobulated. While watching Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (last week's episode), my neighbor knocked on my door and asked if I smelled gas. I told her that I didn't...but we stood in the hall for a bit discussing it, and I asked her to come into my hallway -- she didn't smell it, but weirdly we did in the hall right outside my doorway. She said she checked her apartment and nothing was left on. I went out again, and smelled it and it seemed to be coming from my apt somehow. So I went into the kitchen to check and discovered one of my gas burners had been left on. This shocked me.

She saved my life. I could have easily gone to bed with that burner still on.

I hadn't smelled it at all. I accidentally left it on after cooking some green beans. It wasn't lit, so I didn't know. And gas burners don't really smell. The gas is subtle, and the kitchen is separate from the bedroom and living room, off to the side. It had been on for about two hours, if that. I turned it off immediately and double checked everything, then opened the window in my kitchen and a window in my living room and turned on the fan. It's a warm night for November, so this works fine.

I share this with you, because.. it's good to be reminded that we are not alone and how little things like knocking on a neighbor, who you don't know, door could save their life. It's the little things that often matter the most. The little connections.

I've been reminding myself of that this week.

Comments

[petzipellepingo]

Yikes! She's a wonderful neighbor, thank goodness she noticed. I depend on Petzi Sis for odd smells because I can't smell a thing. But then we have an electric stove but gas boiler and water heater.

[dar_vidder]

Whoa, that is terrifying! Your neighbor is awesome!

[atpo_onm]

Holy crap, that's scary! Glad you're OK, and thank the fates for your caring neighbor!

Your gas doesn't smell? Really? Around here they add a substance called mercaptan to the city's natural gas supply, and it's pretty hard to miss if you get a leak-- there's a pungent odor of rotten eggs if the gas isn't being burned.

I find it hard to believe NYC wouldn't do this, it's a very old treatment, it was even around when I was a kid. I don't have any gas appliances in my home, but many of my neighbors do, including the people on the other side of my duplex.

Anyway, again, thank goodness you're OK!

[shadowkat]

No, it has no smell. Very subtle. The building also dates back to the 1920s.

We smelled it in the hallway outside of our doors but not in the apartment.

[trepkos]

Wow - that's so easy to do, isn't it? So glad you were warned!

[cactuswatcher]

Very glad you got some neighborly help!

[yourlibrarian]

Glad this turned out ok, that must have been very alarming. I imagine that part of it is that if you've had the gas on for a while cooking you're less likely to notice the continued smell (maybe that's why, when mixed with fresh air, you noticed it outside your door). Plus I understand that sense of smell declines with age.

I've always had a very poor one and I think would probably be particularly susceptible to nasal blindness.

[shadowkat]

Usually, I have a great sense of smell. I can smell spoiled chicken or meat through the packaging. But it may be where the kitchen is located and the air flow -- it goes towards the foyer and out the door from the kitchen, I think?

Anyhow...as my mother pointed out when I told her -- that's how a lot of fires get started. Someone accidentally left the gas burner on.

She inadvertently saved my life. It really shows how much we are connected to each other. Also had a co-worker kindly help me out with something yesterday.