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September 17, 2013 11:22 AM Subscribe
How to Empty a Swimming Pool (SLYT)
No, I think it worked.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 11:26 AM on September 17, 2013 [4 favorites]
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 11:26 AM on September 17, 2013 [4 favorites]
ALL HAIL KING RUBE. BOW TO HIM, BOW TO THE KING OF RUBES.
posted by (Arsenio) Hall and (Warren) Oates at 11:30 AM on September 17, 2013 [8 favorites]
posted by (Arsenio) Hall and (Warren) Oates at 11:30 AM on September 17, 2013 [8 favorites]
Yeah, I understand this is a copy and the original was deleted. While it looks like fun, you're not supposed to empty a swimming pool onto your lawn but into an approved treatment facility. There are numerous jurisdictions where this would be illegal.
posted by dhartung at 11:32 AM on September 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by dhartung at 11:32 AM on September 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
One of those things that seemed like a good idea at the time, but in retrospect...
posted by ambrosia at 11:32 AM on September 17, 2013
posted by ambrosia at 11:32 AM on September 17, 2013
Aw, come on that was cool.
posted by jquinby at 11:32 AM on September 17, 2013 [9 favorites]
posted by jquinby at 11:32 AM on September 17, 2013 [9 favorites]
Glad the cameraman managed to keep it reasonably steady while holding grandpa's beer.
posted by uncleozzy at 11:33 AM on September 17, 2013 [12 favorites]
posted by uncleozzy at 11:33 AM on September 17, 2013 [12 favorites]
That is some hick business. (Takes one to know one.)
posted by nosila at 11:37 AM on September 17, 2013
posted by nosila at 11:37 AM on September 17, 2013
A Cowboy Pool Party is actually the quickest way to fertilize your lawn.
posted by Foci for Analysis at 11:37 AM on September 17, 2013
posted by Foci for Analysis at 11:37 AM on September 17, 2013
I'm unsure exactly what Rube expected? Did he somehow think that the few tons of water would just seep out of the slice in the thin vinyl wall? Idiot's lucky he didn't break one of the kids' necks.
posted by Thorzdad at 11:38 AM on September 17, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by Thorzdad at 11:38 AM on September 17, 2013 [2 favorites]
A Cowboy Pool Party is actually the quickest way to fertilize your lawn.
That's a load of bull shit and you know it!
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 11:40 AM on September 17, 2013 [4 favorites]
That's a load of bull shit and you know it!
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 11:40 AM on September 17, 2013 [4 favorites]
Did he somehow think that the few tons of water would just seep out of the slice in the thin vinyl wall?
That is not at all my impression of what I think he was expecting. I think he was expecting pretty much exactly what happened, or some approximation thereof. Judgement on the wisdom of the decision aside, he probably wasn't expecting a gently cascading stream to magically appear and entertain everyone.
posted by RolandOfEld at 11:40 AM on September 17, 2013 [7 favorites]
That is not at all my impression of what I think he was expecting. I think he was expecting pretty much exactly what happened, or some approximation thereof. Judgement on the wisdom of the decision aside, he probably wasn't expecting a gently cascading stream to magically appear and entertain everyone.
posted by RolandOfEld at 11:40 AM on September 17, 2013 [7 favorites]
Trigger alert: Citizens of Boulder and other nearby environs. . .
posted by Danf at 11:40 AM on September 17, 2013 [3 favorites]
posted by Danf at 11:40 AM on September 17, 2013 [3 favorites]
nothing like being swept off your feet and into some children while holding a razor-sharp blade!
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 11:43 AM on September 17, 2013 [7 favorites]
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 11:43 AM on September 17, 2013 [7 favorites]
That was pretty cool, fun police gonna police fun.
posted by ghharr at 11:47 AM on September 17, 2013 [8 favorites]
posted by ghharr at 11:47 AM on September 17, 2013 [8 favorites]
Why on earth are you all freaking out? Looks to me like they knew exactly what to expect and got it. Looked like a lot of fun, too.
posted by Mars Saxman at 11:47 AM on September 17, 2013 [11 favorites]
posted by Mars Saxman at 11:47 AM on September 17, 2013 [11 favorites]
Aww, I thought it was fun. My only memories of my grandfather are of him yelling at me for being too noisy. At least they'll look back and laugh at the time that Grandpa popped the swimming pool and coasted across the lawn...without even losing his cowboy hat.
posted by Elly Vortex at 11:48 AM on September 17, 2013 [4 favorites]
posted by Elly Vortex at 11:48 AM on September 17, 2013 [4 favorites]
The cameraman's laugh was infectious! Actually, it looked like fun for the kids, but not for the hat man. I'd give it a go.
posted by MoxieProxy at 11:49 AM on September 17, 2013
posted by MoxieProxy at 11:49 AM on September 17, 2013
Spalding NOOO!
Anyway, that's what I thought of when I saw this post.
posted by Ber at 11:49 AM on September 17, 2013 [6 favorites]
Anyway, that's what I thought of when I saw this post.
posted by Ber at 11:49 AM on September 17, 2013 [6 favorites]
WTF? Why would the hat man put his children in front of that deluge? Clearly they should have been IN the pool on boogie boards.
posted by mullacc at 11:51 AM on September 17, 2013 [23 favorites]
posted by mullacc at 11:51 AM on September 17, 2013 [23 favorites]
Inspired, no doubt, by more than a few episodes of America's Funniest Home Videos.
posted by Ardiril at 11:53 AM on September 17, 2013
posted by Ardiril at 11:53 AM on September 17, 2013
There go the Boomers again destroying the nation's infrastructure literally right in front of Generation Y.
posted by bottlebrushtree at 11:54 AM on September 17, 2013 [10 favorites]
posted by bottlebrushtree at 11:54 AM on September 17, 2013 [10 favorites]
And for what it's worth, and since we're all just office chair quarterbacks here, I'd say the utility knife (since it can be near instantly and easily retracted) was less of a risk in my mind than the metal support structure flailing out and bopping someone a good one on the head.
WTF? Why would the hat man put his children in front of that deluge? Clearly they should have been IN the pool on boogie boards.
QFT. My concerns were just addressed. Can we have a redo?
posted by RolandOfEld at 11:54 AM on September 17, 2013
WTF? Why would the hat man put his children in front of that deluge? Clearly they should have been IN the pool on boogie boards.
QFT. My concerns were just addressed. Can we have a redo?
posted by RolandOfEld at 11:54 AM on September 17, 2013
Do it again, pa!
posted by orme at 11:55 AM on September 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by orme at 11:55 AM on September 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
My only question is, why ruin a perfectly good pool?
posted by Greg_Ace at 12:02 PM on September 17, 2013 [3 favorites]
posted by Greg_Ace at 12:02 PM on September 17, 2013 [3 favorites]
"why ruin a perfectly good pool?" - Are you sure it wasn't an old one that they were about to replace?
posted by Ardiril at 12:04 PM on September 17, 2013
posted by Ardiril at 12:04 PM on September 17, 2013
YES I AM SURE
No, I'm not, and that's a fair point.
posted by Greg_Ace at 12:05 PM on September 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
No, I'm not, and that's a fair point.
posted by Greg_Ace at 12:05 PM on September 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
Yea, and having helped a friend at work put up that exact same pool a few weeks ago, I can say it's unlikely to survive a cycle of put up/tear down and still be rip/tear free. Doubly so after a season (or more) of use.
posted by RolandOfEld at 12:06 PM on September 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by RolandOfEld at 12:06 PM on September 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
Ber: "Spalding NOOO!
Anyway, that's what I thought of when I saw this post."
Some more hightech version of that ran through my head.
Next comment - WHY DESTROY THE POOL AND WASTE ALL THAT WATER?
posted by Samizdata at 12:07 PM on September 17, 2013
Anyway, that's what I thought of when I saw this post."
Some more hightech version of that ran through my head.
Next comment - WHY DESTROY THE POOL AND WASTE ALL THAT WATER?
posted by Samizdata at 12:07 PM on September 17, 2013
Hereafter known as EVIDENCE 1A.
posted by blue_beetle at 12:07 PM on September 17, 2013
posted by blue_beetle at 12:07 PM on September 17, 2013
I must object in the strongest possible terms that he did not announce his intention to publicly perform a gratuitously stupid act with the traditional warning cry of "Hey, y'all! Watch this!"
less of a risk in my mind than the metal support structure flailing out
Metal? Looked like pvc to me.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 12:11 PM on September 17, 2013
less of a risk in my mind than the metal support structure flailing out
Metal? Looked like pvc to me.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 12:11 PM on September 17, 2013
Metal? Looked like pvc to me.
It's not, it's very thin metal tubing painted white with plastic fittings.
posted by RolandOfEld at 12:12 PM on September 17, 2013
It's not, it's very thin metal tubing painted white with plastic fittings.
posted by RolandOfEld at 12:12 PM on September 17, 2013
"WASTE ALL THAT WATER?"
For as country as this looks, I would say the probability is high that they have a spring-fed well up on a hill and their supply is both free of cost and totally reliant on gravity.
Also, did you miss the green mass in the bottom?
posted by Ardiril at 12:12 PM on September 17, 2013
For as country as this looks, I would say the probability is high that they have a spring-fed well up on a hill and their supply is both free of cost and totally reliant on gravity.
Also, did you miss the green mass in the bottom?
posted by Ardiril at 12:12 PM on September 17, 2013
This is the Real American™ way to drain a pool.
posted by Confess, Fletch at 12:26 PM on September 17, 2013 [5 favorites]
posted by Confess, Fletch at 12:26 PM on September 17, 2013 [5 favorites]
I guess this is where I get to tell one of my favourite jokes:
q. How do you get 100 Canadians out of a swimming pool in a hurry?
a. Say: "Would everyone please get out of the swimming pool."
posted by not_that_epiphanius at 12:26 PM on September 17, 2013 [30 favorites]
q. How do you get 100 Canadians out of a swimming pool in a hurry?
a. Say: "Would everyone please get out of the swimming pool."
posted by not_that_epiphanius at 12:26 PM on September 17, 2013 [30 favorites]
Yes, the water looked very green and some kind of algae mass or something can be seen sliding along the ground.
Also, is that a fish or frog flopping around in the remains at 1:25?
posted by anazgnos at 12:27 PM on September 17, 2013
Also, is that a fish or frog flopping around in the remains at 1:25?
posted by anazgnos at 12:27 PM on September 17, 2013
How to Empty Destroy a Swimming Pool
What a fucking waste.
posted by Sys Rq at 12:31 PM on September 17, 2013 [2 favorites]
What a fucking waste.
posted by Sys Rq at 12:31 PM on September 17, 2013 [2 favorites]
This was a great video and looked like alot of fun... I don't really understand all the grar and venom in some of the responses though. I think the risks of this stunt going bad border on nil, and the potential for fun border on great. Huzzah for happyfuntimes!
posted by joecacti at 12:43 PM on September 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by joecacti at 12:43 PM on September 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
Weeeeeeeeee!
posted by brundlefly at 12:46 PM on September 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by brundlefly at 12:46 PM on September 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
That was brilliant. Us middle age dads need more Jackass in our lives.
posted by colie at 1:04 PM on September 17, 2013
posted by colie at 1:04 PM on September 17, 2013
It does not appear in the video that he retracted the razor blade as he was tumbling with it along with the children.
Enhance video. Zoom in. Further. Further. Ok, now enhance again. Now you see it. Look right there...
You can see that he has had a tattoo of a broken diving board removed on his upper arm, indicating he is indeed the west side pool bandit, known for destroying pools up and down the east coast in the late seventies.
...
But, as seriously as I'm going to get in a thread about aboveground pool demolishing, you must have better eyes or CSI level video enhancing technology than I do to be able to say with any sort of conviction whether or not he retracted said utility knife blade. *shrug*
I just await the day when little-miss-pool-debris in this video makes her speech in front of the United Nations thanking her grandfather for sparking her interest in tidal waves and thus paving the way for her creation of the first Tsunami Ameliorating Device and Ubiquitous Polarity Safety Enhancing Towel, the TAD-UPSET, that will save billions of people from rogue water influxes.
posted by RolandOfEld at 1:36 PM on September 17, 2013 [5 favorites]
Enhance video. Zoom in. Further. Further. Ok, now enhance again. Now you see it. Look right there...
You can see that he has had a tattoo of a broken diving board removed on his upper arm, indicating he is indeed the west side pool bandit, known for destroying pools up and down the east coast in the late seventies.
...
But, as seriously as I'm going to get in a thread about aboveground pool demolishing, you must have better eyes or CSI level video enhancing technology than I do to be able to say with any sort of conviction whether or not he retracted said utility knife blade. *shrug*
I just await the day when little-miss-pool-debris in this video makes her speech in front of the United Nations thanking her grandfather for sparking her interest in tidal waves and thus paving the way for her creation of the first Tsunami Ameliorating Device and Ubiquitous Polarity Safety Enhancing Towel, the TAD-UPSET, that will save billions of people from rogue water influxes.
posted by RolandOfEld at 1:36 PM on September 17, 2013 [5 favorites]
One minute twenty-nine? Waste of time. The essential four seconds have already been GIFed.
posted by oneswellfoop at 4:38 PM on September 17, 2013 [5 favorites]
posted by oneswellfoop at 4:38 PM on September 17, 2013 [5 favorites]
I too was a little worried about the knife, but after seeing everything turn out okay I went back to watch the initial cut maybe a dozen times. The body of water moves so much more gradually than I would have expected, there's something really weird about seeing a lump of unrestrained water slowly fall over like that.
posted by lucidium at 5:00 PM on September 17, 2013
posted by lucidium at 5:00 PM on September 17, 2013
What a cool grandpa! When I growing up we had a below ground pool and I spent years desperately hoping that for some reason the pool would need to be drained and then refilled. Just the thought of playing in the bottom as it slowly went from a puddle, to a paddling pool to full: little girl shivers to this day.
posted by Wantok at 5:11 PM on September 17, 2013
posted by Wantok at 5:11 PM on September 17, 2013
The World Famous: "More like how to kill yourself and your loved ones with a boxcutter. Sheesh. What an idiot."
Many box cutters automatically retract with a spring when you don't have your thumb on it. They use them in grocery stores and warehouses to prevent injuries from forgetting to retract it and sticking a sharp blade in your pants pocket.
Giving him the benefit of the doubt, I think grandpa only expected them to get sprayed with lots of water. I don't think he expected the pool to pop like a balloon and sweep them across the yard. Otherwise, sitting in chairs in front of it doesn't make much sense.
I'm not sure what the correct procedure would be for emptying an above ground pool full of 2000 gallons of water. Pump it out? Spend 8 hours a day for a month bailing it out with a bucket?
Remember kids: It's all fun and games until someone loses an eye.
posted by double block and bleed at 5:23 PM on September 17, 2013
Many box cutters automatically retract with a spring when you don't have your thumb on it. They use them in grocery stores and warehouses to prevent injuries from forgetting to retract it and sticking a sharp blade in your pants pocket.
Giving him the benefit of the doubt, I think grandpa only expected them to get sprayed with lots of water. I don't think he expected the pool to pop like a balloon and sweep them across the yard. Otherwise, sitting in chairs in front of it doesn't make much sense.
I'm not sure what the correct procedure would be for emptying an above ground pool full of 2000 gallons of water. Pump it out? Spend 8 hours a day for a month bailing it out with a bucket?
Remember kids: It's all fun and games until someone loses an eye.
posted by double block and bleed at 5:23 PM on September 17, 2013
"I'm not sure what the correct procedure would be for emptying an above ground pool full of 2000 gallons of water. Pump it out? Spend 8 hours a day for a month bailing it out with a bucket?"
A siphon and some patience (okay, maybe a few days of patience)?
It's hard to tell from the camera perspective, but it looks like the guy takes a white support tube to the head in a fairly stiff manner. Maybe that's why he is so slow to get up at the end of the video. I certainly hope it was PVC.
posted by 517 at 5:58 PM on September 17, 2013
A siphon and some patience (okay, maybe a few days of patience)?
It's hard to tell from the camera perspective, but it looks like the guy takes a white support tube to the head in a fairly stiff manner. Maybe that's why he is so slow to get up at the end of the video. I certainly hope it was PVC.
posted by 517 at 5:58 PM on September 17, 2013
And a new ritual was born to signify the end of summer....
posted by Redhush at 7:21 PM on September 17, 2013
posted by Redhush at 7:21 PM on September 17, 2013
I see a lot of people in this thread who are not getting invited to my pool party.
posted by sourwookie at 7:59 PM on September 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by sourwookie at 7:59 PM on September 17, 2013 [1 favorite]
What fun to be conked on the head with a wooden stool!
posted by BlueHorse at 8:05 PM on September 17, 2013
posted by BlueHorse at 8:05 PM on September 17, 2013
I'm not sure what the correct procedure would be for emptying an above ground pool full of 2000 gallons of water. Pump it out? Spend 8 hours a day for a month bailing it out with a bucket?
This pool has a drain outlet, it may double as a inlet for the filter. I forget exactly... but there is a way to do it properly without a siphon hose or, god forbid, a bucket. Or in this case a sharp object. It'd still take a while though, if I recall correctly my buddy filled his up during the better part of an afternoon and an evening with one water hose going full blast as his input. And that's without clogs, kinks, or dealing with debris/detritus, all of which you'd have to factor in since this pool looked far from pristine.
I certainly hope it was PVC.
This is the same model pool I helped someone put up less than 3 weeks ago. It is thinwall metal tubing. It is the cheap stuff that's not unlike that which I've seen holding up short (<4 or 5 foot) chainlink fence, except not galvanized in this case of course and perhaps a bit thinner. So thin that you don't really feel great when the pool starts to swell up and take the weight of the water but hey, walmart economics and all that....
posted by RolandOfEld at 8:47 PM on September 17, 2013
This pool has a drain outlet, it may double as a inlet for the filter. I forget exactly... but there is a way to do it properly without a siphon hose or, god forbid, a bucket. Or in this case a sharp object. It'd still take a while though, if I recall correctly my buddy filled his up during the better part of an afternoon and an evening with one water hose going full blast as his input. And that's without clogs, kinks, or dealing with debris/detritus, all of which you'd have to factor in since this pool looked far from pristine.
I certainly hope it was PVC.
This is the same model pool I helped someone put up less than 3 weeks ago. It is thinwall metal tubing. It is the cheap stuff that's not unlike that which I've seen holding up short (<4 or 5 foot) chainlink fence, except not galvanized in this case of course and perhaps a bit thinner. So thin that you don't really feel great when the pool starts to swell up and take the weight of the water but hey, walmart economics and all that....
posted by RolandOfEld at 8:47 PM on September 17, 2013
I'm not sure what the correct procedure would be for emptying an above ground pool full of 2000 gallons of water. Pump it out?
posted by double block and bleed
Plumbing-eponysterical.
posted by RolandOfEld at 8:49 PM on September 17, 2013
posted by double block and bleed
Plumbing-eponysterical.
posted by RolandOfEld at 8:49 PM on September 17, 2013
I'm not sure what the correct procedure would be for emptying an above ground pool full of 2000 gallons of water.
I've done this. The process works like this:
(1) Attach garden hose to drain outlet
(2) ATTACH GARDEN HOSE TO DRAIN OUTLET
(2.5) Swear a lot because the hose won't attach because the plastic fitting is all stripped
(3) Go to hardware store to get metal insert to screw into drain outlet
(4) Screw it in
(5) Go soak up the blood from not wearing gloves to do that; threads are sharp.
(6) Attach the hose to the outlet finally
(7) Get in the pool, which is at this point still somehow liquid even though it is barely above absolute zero, and remove the plug from the drain outlet
(8) Wait a day or so until the water is below the outlet level
(9) Manhandle the pool around to get the pool sort of diagonalized so more water will drain
(10) Let drain moar
(11) Flip it totally upside down to finally drain it more or less completely
(12) Throw in towels to soak up remaining puddles
(13) Leave in sun to dry out for a few days
(14) Roll up like a smurf burrito and put in garage
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 9:39 PM on September 17, 2013 [6 favorites]
I've done this. The process works like this:
(1) Attach garden hose to drain outlet
(2) ATTACH GARDEN HOSE TO DRAIN OUTLET
(2.5) Swear a lot because the hose won't attach because the plastic fitting is all stripped
(3) Go to hardware store to get metal insert to screw into drain outlet
(4) Screw it in
(5) Go soak up the blood from not wearing gloves to do that; threads are sharp.
(6) Attach the hose to the outlet finally
(7) Get in the pool, which is at this point still somehow liquid even though it is barely above absolute zero, and remove the plug from the drain outlet
(8) Wait a day or so until the water is below the outlet level
(9) Manhandle the pool around to get the pool sort of diagonalized so more water will drain
(10) Let drain moar
(11) Flip it totally upside down to finally drain it more or less completely
(12) Throw in towels to soak up remaining puddles
(13) Leave in sun to dry out for a few days
(14) Roll up like a smurf burrito and put in garage
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 9:39 PM on September 17, 2013 [6 favorites]
As a proud hick from a long line of hicks, I would imagine that in terms of safety, these kids and grandpa had done some even more whahooo river rafting, down rapids, in inner tubes. I ain't sayin' that's bad, it's just that after doing some time on a fast river, surfing the swimming pool seems like a little thing.
So I guess my point is that often hicks do questionable stuff.
posted by angrycat at 4:45 AM on September 18, 2013
So I guess my point is that often hicks do questionable stuff.
posted by angrycat at 4:45 AM on September 18, 2013
This is totally stupid. I give it 5 out of 5 stars.
posted by Doohickie at 12:25 PM on September 18, 2013
posted by Doohickie at 12:25 PM on September 18, 2013
MetaFilter: Roll up like a smurf burrito and put in garage
posted by Sys Rq at 12:46 PM on September 18, 2013
posted by Sys Rq at 12:46 PM on September 18, 2013
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posted by philip-random at 11:24 AM on September 17, 2013 [1 favorite]