Everyone received refunds.

dtj · Post by **dtj** » Wed Aug 25, 2004 10:03 pm 0

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.

GodMedia · Post by **GodMedia** » Wed Aug 25, 2004 11:59 pm 0

And now... the shite jokes...

Stone · Post by **Stone** » Thu Aug 26, 2004 4:31 pm 0

Why's the tour company paying up? It wasn't their fault...

Being in America I'd have thought they'd go for a class-action lawsuit instead of letting the tour co. pick it up and then sue themselves

Stone

mightyzim · Post by **mightyzim** » Thu Aug 26, 2004 4:33 pm 0

probably tax deductable...

stark · Post by **stark** » Thu Aug 26, 2004 4:47 pm 0

i'd blame microsoft, it was probably their software running the dump valve from the toilets.

Kronos · Post by **Kronos** » Thu Aug 26, 2004 11:26 pm 0

stark wrote:i'd blame microsoft, it was probably their software running the dump valve from the toilets.

classic

lowey · Post by **lowey** » Fri Aug 27, 2004 10:20 am 0

I can just see the tour operators saying to their customers "Oh you got showerd with faeces? Okay, we'll refund your ticket". I'd want a lot more than a refund after being showered with shit.

hairy_pete · Post by **hairy_pete** » Fri Aug 27, 2004 10:44 am 0

From the boat operating company? How and, more importantly, why?

Stone · Post by **Stone** » Fri Aug 27, 2004 2:10 pm 0

hairy_pete wrote:From the boat operating company? How and, more importantly, why?

Because it was obviously their fault for unadvisedly passing under a bridge

Stone

dtj · Post by **dtj** » Sat Aug 28, 2004 12:12 am 0

One wonders if the reaction would have been different had everyone on the boat been a Dave Matthews fan...

Post by **Muttley** » Sat Aug 28, 2004 12:16 am 0

dtj wrote:One wonders if the reaction would have been different had everyone on the boat been a Dave Matthews fan...

What, you mean Dave Matthews could have 100 times as many fans as was previously thought! Never!

Muttley

zbandito · Post by **zbandito** » Sat Aug 28, 2004 5:40 am 0

they dumped CD's into the river?!!!

I jest, they're good

ravuya · Post by **ravuya** » Sat Aug 28, 2004 5:56 am 0

From what I saw on the news the local government is going to take them to task quite well.

Whose genius idea was it to make a bridge with all kinds of little holes in it, anyway? I mean, woo hoo, instant waterfall in rain == instant capsize to anything going under it.