Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for August 04, 2014

Somehow I don’t trust TJ’s slinky grin… ;)

But will we ever know how T.J. restaurant truck went kablooie?

Different colors for different folks… ;)

Yellow is not unheard of for a fire truck. It’s not common because red is more traditional but there are some. It’s more of a visibility thing.

In the background, Elvis Presley singing Suspicious Minds

we’ll see once the insurance adjustors and/or arson investigators get involved…

When in doubt, C-4.

“An Escape Clause”“Smoke And Rear View Mirrors”“Pomp And Coincidence”“No Pop For The Weasel”“Yeah… That’s The Ticket”“What A Ko- wink y -dink… (Just Blink And Nod )”“Bread And Circumstances”or“You Never Get A Second Chance To Make A First Explosion”

Yes, there are definitely different colors of trucks. White, Yellow and Red are 3 that I have seen…

True.

Maybe this has nothing to do with the truck exploding, and everything to do with changing TJ ’s character?I suppose Evans will now send him off to Peru as a missionary.

My station has primarily yellow fire engines – our newest engine (355, which drives like a sports car!) is blue and white, as our our medic units.

Orion

When the Fire Marshall starts investigating, TJ will be put under suspicion, and when it is learned that his housemate is a firefighter, Brad will be named as a likely accomplice. There may not be enough evidence to sent anyone to jail, but Brad’s career would be greatly jeopardized.

I have a feeling that I was right on Friday’s strip… TJ should have had a flood… heh.

Finally, TJ’s going down on insurance fraud! He will not be missed.

A “mobile volcano”…a la Aaron?! ;)

“Looks almost like the Monkeeymobile”^Looks like TJ planned on taking “The Last Train To Clarksville”…. to “meet (Brad) at the (fire) station…” (♫)

And I wondered if Brad would believe TJ while maybe Toni could possibly doubt him… well the Brad part was right…..

“As for the readers… "^I don’t know….. some have still maintained that ol’ Teej didn’t do it on purpose…I suspect that some may still do so….

Ah, the fire department has arrived! By tomorrow, Brad should be starting to wonder about TJ’s remark in today’s last panel.

“Even though he’s a cross between a shark and a slippery eel”^Shark+ Eel= ……..“Now, wouldn’t cha… Barracuda?…..” (♫)

Brad, brad brad..can’t you see right through Tj?

“I wonder if it achieved escape velocity.” ^Depends on how fast TJ could run to hide it…..

If someone questioned me in a reader’s poll as to whether TJ’s situation was deliberate or accidental, I would have to admit that I am undecided at this point. There are plenty of reasons for both points of view. In any case, if I picked one position, it would turn out to be the other…

I guess we’ll find out by the end of the week… And, Greg! Where’s Brad and Toni’s wedding story already??? ;)

TJ’s grin leaves us no doubt…

Gage, DeSoto, Kelly, Lopez, Stoker and the Cap would never be caught dead in a yellow fire truck. Station 51, KMG365.

Walter White blew it up.

Uh oh… TJ might have stepped in it this time.

Brad would be under suspicion of being an accomplice because firefighters are experts not just at extinguishing fires but also in how they start, and how arson can be disguised. The Fire Department will naturally wonder whether he gave TJ any advice. Burning down your business for the insurance while also having a housemate who’s a trained firefighter sounds awfully… convenient.

That’s what I’ve been thinking… =-O

If TJ did nuke his own truck, Brad could be the one that nails TJ to the wall for it. Say what you like about the goof, he’s a total straight arrow and I don’t think he’s going to be very much inclined to cover for an arsonist. Firefighters get killed by firebugs. Friend or not, some things cross the line — completely.

Now, if Brad has reasons for thinking TJ has done something dishonest, he will be in a classic bind, having to choose between their friendship and his loyalty to the fire department.

I wonder if this story will be wrapped up in a week or two— I suspect that if something big happens, it will be drawn out into the future. Yah, I dunno…

I guess I’m not connecting your statement here with something I wrote! (either that, or my mind’s full of gummi bears tonight!). ;)

Flood losses pay more than fire losses, but it’s harder to start a flood!

I’ve got a very disgruntled IS Katie grumbling in my face; she is saying, “WHY are we not in bed yet?!” Not such a bad idea, actually! ’Nite all! ;)-—————————————————————————————-

“The moon is up, and yet it is not night; Sunset divides the sky with her; a sea Of glory streams along the Alpine height! Of blue Friuli’s mountains; Heaven is free From clouds, but of all colours seems to be,… Melted to one vast Iris of the West,… Where the day joins the past Eternity.”(Lord Byron, 1788-1824)

in the USA we have different colors firetrucks, red the most prominent, but after that is yellow and orange, than white, than some greens, and rarely but also seen is the blue color, most of them are not solid (insert color), but has some white around … one that is even rarer is black, here is one from Norfolk Massachusetts http://www.firefighter-emt.com/images/black_large.jpg

I think I’ve just changed my position. TJ’s expression when the truck went up behind him looked pretty surprised. I was pretty sure, at that point, that it was an accidental explosion that just happened to take place when TJ was getting sick of the job. And, umm, outside the truck.

Then, in Friday’s panel, he did look just a bit smirky when he said that he did have insurance. I started to wonder. And with today’s strip, I’m just about positive that this was, indeed, arson.

If we assume that TJ did, indeed, arrange for the fire to take place, then Brad will be in a bind, with loyalty conflicting with professionalism. I think, for Brad, the choice would pretty much have to be his career (and woman) over a friend who’s shown himself to be more than a bit of a dirtbag. Not for the first time, either.

But I also don’t think it’s really Brad’s problem. First of all, he’s not a trained arson investigator. Surely the Fire Department isn’t just going to let TJ’s friend and roommate be the only one conducting, and signing off on, the investigation. They’ll have their own veteran specialist checking things out — it won’t just be Brad’s say-so. And, as ethically challenged as TJ is, he’s not all that bright. There’s no way he could have rigged this in a way that would fool a professional investigator.

No matter how much TJ will want Brad to falsify records, destroy evidence, or whatever, it just won’t be practical for Brad to do much — and getting caught in something like that would, at the very least, cost him his job and Toni’s respect. Not Gonna Happen.

In fact, I’m halfway convinced that TJ probably took out the insurance policy just recently (or maybe upgraded the coverage). Following this logic, he may have thought he could save money by arranging the explosion before he’d made the first premium payment — without reading the fine print that says you don’t get to collect on your insurance before a certain time has passed, and most certainly not before you make the first payment.

If this weren’t the Luanniverse, I’d be pretty sure how the Wheels of Justice were going to grind this twit — but then, Greg has been known to let Reality take the week off in pursuit of a good punch line. He’s a cartoonist, this ain’t real life, and we all need to remember that.

Oh, and for today’s soundtrack I’ll submit “Light My Fire”, by the Doors (or Jose Feliciano, if you prefer), “Fire”, by the Crazy World of Arthur Brown, and “Great Balls of Fire”, by Jerry Lee Lewis.

Make that “Toni’s and Shannon’s respect. Totally Not Gonna Happen.”

Brown rice and tofu wraps, guava juice, popcorn shrimp, grilled snow peas…an explosion was inevitable.

For the second engine, talk about “The Hunt For Red October”…..

I didn’t think the third pic was a car wash. I just assumed that that’s how they pumped water “for the next fire”….

@ Wiselad:

There have been some Black/Gold or Black/White engines near where I live, too….

I do still think the explosion was accidental (probably an over-heated propane tank), But TJ had better get that smarmy smirk under control by the time the insurance adjusters show up, or he will for sure come under suspicion of arson and insurance fraud!

There are some fire departments that use yellow trucks, apparently on the theory that they’re easier to see, especially at night. There are even some departments whose trucks are actually white, for that matter. The fire trucks where I live are red and white.

In Chapel Hill, NC the fire trucks are Carolina blue

http://legeros.com/ralwake/photos/weblog/pivot/entry.php?id=5645

I guess TJ never heard of insurance fraud.

Sometimes a smirk is just a smirk.

Still, someone call Johnny Dollar! ;-)

You can safely bet the mortgage on it!

Brad’s happy face looks totally naive, and TJ’s happy face looks like….a cartoon monkey face? So I would say they’re the Chump and the Chimp, which would make a ridiculous sit-com name.

Chesterfield County Virginia uses a combination of yellow and white on their apparatus. Looks pretty cool.

The insurance, if TJ does not act so suspicious, will replace his truck and he will be back in business, doing the same thing he just ended with that is a pure definition of insurance. If TJ does not want that settlement then it will look like he burnt it down on purpose.

I’m pretty certain T.J.’s about to commit insurance fraud, or at lease he thinks he can. Now the question is, which direction will Greg take this: to a learning experience or prison for ole T.J.?

With the conflict of interest Greg has, he should notify his superior and let them handle it.

Each department has their own color scheme. Around here they are white

Fire Chief has the final say on what caused the explosion. I hope Greg mixes that into the story.

Our neighbor was once investigated for arson. His house burned down—with no connected electricity or gas. And he was in the middle of an expensive divorce settlement.

In Hawaii, they have yellow fire trucks. Probably other places, too.

Most of Chicago’s fire equipment is red with black roofs. That goes back to the 1920’s when the city bought a bunch of Model T for their chiefs to drive. The roofs were made of a material that couldn’t be painted red, so they remained black while the rest of the car was painted red. Except for the ambulances, that’s what CFD’s equipmwnt is painted today.

2 food trucks have exploded in Philadelphia this summer, caused by exploding propane tanks. 2 people were killed in the 2nd accident.

2 words “Insurance Investigator”

Yeah, Yeah, Yeah Smiley. And Its ALSO Lucky for YOU that Greg and Karen Didn’t Let Certain Posters around Here “Guest-Write” THIS Storyline…..,

Ours are red…except for one station. The have orange trucks. As long as they’re big, loud, and can handle the job, they can be purple with green and yellow polka-dots for all I care.

Plot twist TJ goes to jail.

you were suspicious before he even did anything. Errr, I mean before the event occurred.

Oh-oh. Conflict of interest, Brad. You’re required to report statements like that in the investigation. But you’ll also have to remove yourself because he’s your roommate & friend.

Whether he planned it or not, the comment and his smirk should warrant an investigation. Then again this is Lu-lala-land.

I think military fire trucks are yellow

The Fire Marshall has to file a report on every fire that the department extinguishes. For a major industrial accident like this one, he should be out there soon, trying to determine the likely cause of the explosion. Once he learns that TJ and Brad are housemates, eyebrows will most definitely be raised. You’re not out of the woods yet, TJ.

I HATE to repeat myself, but….KA-CHING!!!

If T.J. is suspected of arson, his claim will be reassigned to the adjuster who works the special investigation desk/unit.~There have been cases where the investigation is worked 24 hours a day to be certain that there is a crime. If there is a crime, a payout will be made so an arrest can be made. ~Without a payout the crime has not concluded, and the guilty is free to go out and create another incidence that results in an insurance claim. ~Although it seems unfair to the victim, an insurance company will purposely pay out to one who has made a false claim so an arrest can be made. There has to be a payout or there cannot be an arrest.

Here’s the deal, If someone in the Fire Department should happen to remember TJ’s phony, ‘Meals For Firefighters’ gig, that boy’s a-gonna have arson investigators ALL OVER his butt.

I have seen red, yellow, light blue and puke green fire trucks. Red is best.

Watch out, TJ !Evans is in the mood to drop you in the river with cement overshoes!

-@Dave53-OMG Levi …YOU didn’t blow up the truck did you-LOL! (I tried to use the response button, but got an error message instead.)

We have red & yellow fire trucks in eastern Nebraska, as color depends on district.

Food truck explosions not so rare. A Philly food truck exploded on July 2nd. The propane tank on the back blew up and injured 12 people.

Restaurants and, I imagine, food trucks automatically trigger arson investigations. It’s an old trick to get some money from a failing business or one in need of a remodel.

I’ve seen yellow, red of course, and even sky blue on a fire truck. Yellow most common these days.

Looks like Brad may have to arrest his friend TJ. Hey TJ, why not just sell it to some other dreamer instead of blowing it up?

Brad doesn’t seem suspicious at all. TJ does look pretty guilty in the last panel. It doesn’t mean he caused the explosion, maybe just that he realizes how well this turns out for him.

Saturday- story on TJ, 212 commentsSunday – story on Mom & Day, 92 commentsMonday: story on TJ, 140+ comments thus far.*Looking at the emotion involved (as measured by comments), looks like if anyone goes, it should be Mom & Dad!

He seems to have a sly smile now but he seemed to have a genuine look of shock last Friday…..

Over-excited Claimant: They’ve sent my claim to special investigation! Retired Insurance Worker: Stupid, they suspect you of fraud.

We have some that are red…and some that are white…as long as they work!!

Well, that’s another way of thinning the cast. As more and more awkward questions get asked by the authorities, let’s see whether TJ starts reading up on the USA’s extradition treaties with Peru.

Better than the white that Brooklyn Park is painting it’s fire hydrants. White hydrants in winter. Someone didn’t think over at city hall.

Or Terry Stafford, singing “Suspicion”.^Or “Crack The Sky” singing their own song also entitled “Supspicion”….

Not all vehicle fires are this easy to extinguish.

Glad that he is okay. Good to see Brad again. Wonder if he and Toni set a date yet?

That truck’s near Hanover, right?

This fire was caused by the friction of the insurance policy rubbing up against the lien.

As great as it would be to see TJ sent to the Big House, realistically there’s no way the Evanses are going to make him actually guilty of arson. He’ll look guilty but prove to be innocent.

Ok if he didn’t have any customers ever how did he keep it open?

Around here, some stations have red and other stations have a greenish-yellow. I don’t recall any stations with both.

At TJ’s trial, Ann Eifel will be called as a character witness. You’d better take a plea deal for a measly 15-to-20 year stint in Folsom before that happens, TJ.

Yes you did.

As I stated last Friday,this is not funny. http://news.yahoo.com/mother-daughter-die-burns-philadelphia-food-truck-blast-191846999.html?bcmt=comments-postbox

Martin, it’s not supposed to be funny. These things happen as you show. The fear some of us are having is that we are looking at insurance fraud

HHHMMM…

….Interesting. Is T.J. more of a slimeball rather than just a juvenile wisecracking show-off? I’m not assuming anything….yet.

He looks sly here, but he looked absolutely shocked when it blew. Hmm…

You can be expecting an explosion, but since you don’t know exactly when it will go off, the loud noise will still startle you anyway.

Here’s an example where another always-grinning villain is startled (at about 0:57) by an explosion that he arranged, because it didn’t go off quite when he thought it would.

Re: Your orange Xterra…I’ll bet you don’t have too much difficulty finding it in a Mall parking lot! ;)

I can hardly wait for the Tuesday installment, which comes in at about midnight in the Central Time Zone.

BB later… ;)

At this point in time, I am still wavering as to whether the explosion was deliberate or accidental…

Definitly insurance fraud