So you think your car is special, huh? Like maybe it has some magical power that reorganizes its atoms as such that a fire hose can pass through it without breaking, or emergency jet packs that can lift it up and away when the fire hydrant it’s parked in front of needs to be used. Well, it’s not, and yet again, another hapless driver gives us the perfect reason why you shouldn’t leave your ride where it isn’t supposed to be.

A Wilmington, Del. driver learned that there is no such thing as a special car that’s allowed to sit in front of hydrants after firefighters bashed out the windows of the Ford Fusion vehicle while battling a three-story house fire that was spreading, reports NBC News Philadelphia.

With the fire on the move, firefighters broke the car’s two front windows and fed the fire house through them to access the hydrant and get the water to the scene.

And lest you think you’ve got wiggle room, be careful — in this case, it’s illegal to park within 15 feet of a hydrant, and not just directly in front of it. Many cities have similar regulations, all put in place to make sure firefighters have water when they need it.

After 40 minutes of battling the blaze, the fire was brought under control, say officials. No one was inside the homes at the time, but a dog was killed and a firefighter was taken to the hospital for heat exhaustion and later released.

As for that car, police issued a ticket and had it towed, providing a no doubt unwelcome surprise for the owner. Although again, it shouldn’t be a surprise if you act like the rules don’t apply to you. Or if your car’s emergency jet pack lifting capabilities are on the fritz.

Firefighters Trying to Fight Blaze Bust Windows of Car Blocking Hydrant [NBC News Philadelphia]

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