I remembered feeling silly last week standing there on East Second Street staring at that building that had partially collapsed. Half the building had simply fallen into itself. I guess that’s what buildings do sometimes.

Yet I was fascinated by it, like many others apparently were as evident by the throngs of people who just stood there in amazement. I joked to Jason Sample, the public affairs director for WRFA who briefly came by, that someone should be selling hotdogs as if at a sporting event.

It’s odd how something like that can draw a lot of people together. But then again, a collapse isn’t something you see every day. Mix in firefighters, police officers and DPW workers and it’s a show for everyone. I should note that the first responders did a good job keeping people at bay and to ensure that everyone and everything was safe.

Standing there last week surrounded by firefighters and the public reminded me of an incident back in 2007 or 2008 when I was in the fire department. We had been summoned to a crash on Broadway where a car had hit a utility pole, bringing wires down on top of the vehicle.

When we got there we realized there wasn’t a whole lot we could do. The power lines were still active, so the occupants, who thankfully weren’t seriously hurt, were basically trapped in their own car. That particular night had been hazardous with snow and ice, so the power company had many places to be.

So we waited. And waited. And then waited some more – probably for two hours in that frigid wind and icy road. It’s easy to understand how the driver lost control in the first place.

I felt bad for those stuck in the car. When they looked out, they saw a dozen firefighters standing there looking at them. I imagine if that building had human-like qualities (personification to those wondering) it would have probably felt the same way with everyone standing there, just waiting for something to happen.

Luckily the power company arrived that night to turn off the electricity. We got them out of the vehicle and to the hospital with bumps and bruises and a story to tell.

There was no particular reason for me to stand around, looking at the building. One of our reporters had already come and gone, and by that point I had somewhere to go. Yet I was content standing there, just watching an object with no feelings. Part of the fun was watching everyone else react. People snapped pictures; a few news crews did their thing; and a lot of city officials (thankfully in hard hats) did a lot of pointing and talking.

I hate to admit it but I am a big fan of people watching. You can learn a lot from idly observing people in a public space. It might be a waste of time, or even creepy in other people’s eyes, but in terms of killing time and taking in the surrounding, nothing beats watching people go about their days.

It’s clear I wasn’t the only one that day who wanted to take in the moment. I’m just glad no one was hurt in this instance.