Man with the Golden Arm Posted September 3, 2004 Report Posted September 3, 2004 Surprised I did not see this posted here on the board as it involves a couple favorite scategories all rolled into one. Matthews band sued over waste dumping Bus driver allegedly dumped excrement into Chicago River Thursday, August 26, 2004 Posted: 8:58 AM EDT (1258 GMT) CHICAGO, Illinois (AP) -- The state of Illinois sued the Dave Matthews Band on Tuesday for allegedly dumping up to 800 pounds of liquid human waste from a bus into the Chicago River, dousing a tour boat filled with passengers. The lawsuit accuses the band and one of its bus drivers of violating state water pollution and public nuisance laws. It seeks $70,000 in civil penalties. "Our driver has stated that he was not involved in this incident," band spokesman John Vlautin said in a statement. He said the band "will continue to be cooperative in this investigation." According to the lawsuit, on August 8 a bus leased by the band was heading to a downtown hotel where members were staying. As the bus crossed the Kinzie Street bridge, the driver allegedly emptied the contents of the septic tank through the bridge's metal grating into the river below. More than 100 people on an architecture tour were showered with foul-smelling waste. The attorney general's office said no one was seriously injured. "This incident may be unique, but that does not lessen the environmental or public health risks posed by the release of at least 800 pounds of liquid human waste into a busy waterway and onto a crowded tour boat," Attorney General Lisa Madigan said in a statement. After the incident, the boat's captain turned the vessel around and took passengers back to the dock. Everyone received refunds, and the boat was cleaned with disinfectant. Evidently the Band has agreed to DNA anal-ysis to rectumfy the shituation. Quote
JSngry Posted September 3, 2004 Report Posted September 3, 2004 If they'd have driven through Gary and done it there, nobody would have noticed. At least not the smell... Quote
Eric Posted September 3, 2004 Report Posted September 3, 2004 800 lbs. is a LOT of yech I hope they get every penny - that is pretty disgusting Quote
Joe G Posted September 3, 2004 Report Posted September 3, 2004 Y'all know about Gary Indiana down there too, ay? Quote
mgraham333 Posted September 3, 2004 Report Posted September 3, 2004 Anyone care to improve upon their T-shirt design Quote
JSngry Posted September 3, 2004 Report Posted September 3, 2004 Y'all know about Gary Indiana down there too, ay? DUDE! When I was on the road, we took a trip into Chicago from somewhere, Birmingham, I think, and I had been travelling all night in a closed, air-conditioned van. We passed through Gary at about 7 am and decided to stop for breakfast. Well, the second I opened the door, I got a whiff of the air, and in less than 5 seconds (literally), I was having to fight back the urge to go vomitorious all over the parking lot. It was a MIGHTY struggle.... No wonder them Jacksons is all so freaky - they grew up breathing that shit! Quote
Jim Dye Posted September 3, 2004 Report Posted September 3, 2004 I remember the first time I drove to Chicago from Lansing. I decided to take the Skyway off of 94, which goes right through Gary. It was like driving through some apocalyptic nightmare. The steel plants were bellowing black smoke. Flames came out of tall pipes. The smell was awful. I was dumbfounded. It has gotten better since then, (80s) but it is still unbelievable. Quote
Joe G Posted September 3, 2004 Report Posted September 3, 2004 Gary, Indiana, Gary Indiana, Gary, Indiana, Let me say it once again. Gary, Indiana, Gary, Indiana, Gary, Indiana, That's the town that "knew me when." If you'd like to have a logical explanation How I happened on this elegant syncopation, I will say without a moment of hesitation There is just one place That can light my face. Gary, Indiana, Gary Indiana, Not Louisiana, Paris, France, New York, or Rome, but Gary, Indiana, Gary, Indiana, Gary Indiana, My home sweet home. For an awesome rendering (and I do mean rendering) of the melody, click here. Quote
bertrand Posted September 3, 2004 Report Posted September 3, 2004 How is the Dave Matthews band dumping a load of shit all that different from what happens when they put out a record? Can I sue 'em for that as well? Bertrand. Quote
ejp626 Posted September 3, 2004 Report Posted September 3, 2004 I remember the first time I drove to Chicago from Lansing. I decided to take the Skyway off of 94, which goes right through Gary. It was like driving through some apocalyptic nightmare. The steel plants were bellowing black smoke. Flames came out of tall pipes. The smell was awful. I was dumbfounded. It has gotten better since then, (80s) but it is still unbelievable. We used to make this drive all the time too, and you rolled up the windows and turned off all vents until you were through Gary. But it really has improved dramatically. I guess that's what deindustrialization will do for a city. Most of the residents wish the steel plants were still open. Quote
Man with the Golden Arm Posted September 3, 2004 Author Report Posted September 3, 2004 How is the Dave Matthews band dumping a load of shit all that different from what happens when they put out a record? Can I sue 'em for that as well? Bertrand. You know the first time going thru Gary for me was not so bad ... going to school in Akron might have helped devoid my olfactories of the stench of them old factories. Quote
catesta Posted September 3, 2004 Report Posted September 3, 2004 How is the Dave Matthews band dumping a load of shit all that different from what happens when they put out a record? Can I sue 'em for that as well? Bertrand. Right on! B-) Quote
DTMX Posted September 3, 2004 Report Posted September 3, 2004 The only decent commercial radio station in Atlanta, the legendary Z93, dropped all of its on-air talent last month and changed over to a alternative/classic rock format that consists mostly of a buttload of Dave Matthews songs. The new station name - I shit you not - is DAVE FM. There's still no on-air talent. Just songs, commercials, and traffic reports. At least there's college radio and NPR. Quote
7/4 Posted January 20, 2005 Report Posted January 20, 2005 January 20, 2005 Band Bus Driver Charged With Waste Dumping By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Filed at 9:59 a.m. ET CHICAGO (AP) -- The driver of a Dave Matthews Band tour bus was charged Wednesday with dumping 800 pounds of human waste onto a sightseeing boat on the Chicago River last summer. Stefan Wohl is charged with misdemeanor counts of reckless conduct and discharging contaminates to cause water pollution, Cook County State's Attorney Dick Devine said. The charges carry a maximum penalty of one year in jail and a $10,000 fine. Wohl, 42, of Selma, Texas, turned himself in to Chicago police Wednesday and was released on his own recognizance, authorities said. According to authorities, Wohl was driving alone to a downtown hotel Aug. 8 when he allegedly emptied the bus's septic tank as it crossed the metal grates of a bridge. The waste poured through the grates and onto the open deck of the Chicago's Little Lady tour boat, which was passing below with more than 100 people on board. Prosecutors relied on surveillance tapes and consulted engineers about the releasing of the waste before filing charges. ``We were satisfied with what they told us that it could not have been an accident,'' prosecutor Robert Egan said. Calls to Wohl's attorney, Mark Rotert, were not immediately returned Wednesday. No one was hurt in the incident, but officials with the Chicago Architectural Foundation, which operates the boat tour, said they have received several angry calls from passengers demanding compensation for clothing and personal items. Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan has filed a lawsuit seeking $70,000 in damages against the band and the driver, alleging they violated state environmental laws. At the time, a band spokesman said that Wohl had said he was not involved with the incident. An October-dated statement on the band's Web site said that although ``we still do not have a definitive understanding of what happened,'' the band would work with affected passengers to ``make things right for all concerned'' and make $50,000 donations to the Chicago Park District and Friends of the Chicago River. The band's statement said the incident ``is awful and it goes against so many principles we hold dear: environmentalism, accountability, and, mostly, principles of humanity.'' Prosecutors said the band cooperated in the investigation, including flying violinist Boyd Tinsley, who used the bus, from California to Chicago to be interviewed and bringing the bus back to the Chicago area for inspection. Quote
ghost of miles Posted January 20, 2005 Report Posted January 20, 2005 Wow, this puts a whole new light on the Dave Matthews song "Don't Drink the Water." Quote
doubleM Posted January 20, 2005 Report Posted January 20, 2005 It's too bad that they couldn't have somehow liquified Dave's voice, style, and annoying persona.... and sent it all along with the other shit. Quote
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