Some news stories raise big questions about the world. This is not one of those. But it is, however, a curious story that you’ll have some major questions about by the end, as we do. A car caught fire in Adelaide, which is dramatic enough on its own, except for one small detail that has hijacked the entire story. There was a toilet on the hood.
Yes, an actual toilet, on top of the burned out car. Footage of the scene, posted by 9News, made the rounds online as viewers asked endless questions. A fire happening, yes, that makes plenty of sense. But as far as the toilet goes, that leaves a lot to be desired in terms of logic. How did it get there? Which home is missing their commode?
Here’s the part that makes it so good. No one seems to have any idea why the toilet was there, and it may never be explained. A flaming car is a sad thing. A flaming car wearing a toilet like a hat is comedy.
Naturally, the internet did what it does best and ran with it. People are already cooking up theories, and every one is funnier than the last. The real answer is probably mundane, like it always is — it’s possible the toilet was lost as part of the explosion. But until someone steps forward to explain the bathroom fixture, the toilet gets to stay mysterious.
So, About That Toilet…
Let’s address the obvious question. What happened here? The toilet could have been mid-move, riding along on a trip to a new bathroom somewhere. It could have been headed to the dump, too. It could even have been someone’s idea of a joke.
Whatever the case may be, we’re unsure what happened with the commode after the car went up in flames and burned out quickly. That gap is exactly why the story took off instead of disappearing the way most car fires do. A burning car is forgettable, but a burning car with an unexplained toilet is screenshot material. Sometimes the best stories are the ones with no explanation at all.
What Actually Makes a Car Catch Fire
Strip away the porcelain and you’re left with a fairly normal car fire, which happens more than people think. Most start with one of a few culprits, usually an electrical fault, a fuel or oil leak, or something overheating under the hood. A spark in the wrong spot near a flammable line is all it takes. From there, a small flame can spread through a vehicle alarmingly fast.
If it ever happens to you, minus the toilet, the advice is simple. Get yourself and everyone else out, and then call for help. A car fire is not something to fight yourself. Fire crews also warn against popping the hood on a fire underneath it, since the rush of air can make the flames flare up. As for the toilet, that remains a problem only Adelaide can solve.