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[Dalek]

7 ON YOUR SIDE
INCREDI-BALL: 2-TON TARGET CEMENT BALL ROLLS THROUGH PARAMUS PARKING LOT

ARAMUS, New Jersey (WABC) -- It looked like a scene from an Indiana Jones flick. A big red boulder, the 2-ton logo of one of the world's largest retailers, rolling across one of their busiest parking lots, causing thousands in damage. But who's responsible to make this right? Check out the video, you be the judge.

Keep your eye on the ball, the first in a row guarding the gate to the Target location in Paramus, New Jersey.

The video was shot by a Target parking lot surveillance camera. You can watch as a pick up truck bumps the ball, jarring it loose, the ball starts to roll into traffic, and smash! Right into a moving car.

"All of sudden I hear this crash and a really loud noise," Eileen Grady said. She thought she ran something over, but it was the 2-ton bollard bouncing of her driver's side door.

It ricochets and keeps on rolling. A brave man jumps out of his car to stop the ball, followed by his dog.

A red dent in her Nissan Rogue was left behind. Grady says the impact also shot a nail out of the ball into her rear tire.

"It's about $3,500 in damage," Grady said.

She filed a claim with Target insurance company, which was promptly denied. Paramus police responded, but couldn't make out the truck's plate on the video. After watching the video, Grady doesn't even think the driver knew he dislodged the ball.

The video shows that it took three men to roll the ball across the parking lot. But they leave it balanced right outside the store exit.

A Target employee places a cone near the ball, but he walks away leaving it unattended, first, for 24 seconds. Then again, while he chases a loose shopping cart, for half a minute. In the lapse, a child even hops on top of the unsecured 2-ton ball.

After seeing the video, 7 On Your Side asked Target to reconsider Grady's claim, but unlike its ball, the nationwide retailer wouldn't budge.

video at link

alternate link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBW8nPoY4kE

 

[Darth Pinche]

His name is Robert Paulson.

 

[Glix]

His name is Robert Paulson.

In death, a member of project mayhem has a name

 

[gregor7777]

His name is Robert Paulson.

Perfect

 

[sangreal]

oh, Paramus I was looking at the OP wondering wtf ARAMUS, NJ was

 

[Dishwalla]

The big red ball in front of the Target here is a Pokestop.

 

[Ferrio]

Am I the only one that doesn't believe that's 2 tons?

 

[Sparrowhawk]

Yeah, Target needs to pay for that shit.

Am I the only one that doesn't believe that's 2 tons?

Looks like the guy who jumped out of his car stopped it pretty easily lol.

 

[RinsFury]

That thing was barely attached, they better pay that poor womans claim.

 

[KeyBladerXIII]

I always wondered what those balls were for.

 

[TAJ]

I can't believe people are blaming Target for this and not the guy in the truck who hit the ball.

 

[BackLogJoe]

Those balls weigh 2 tons???

I can't believe people are blaming Target for this and not the guy in the truck who hit the ball.

If those balls really weigh 2 tons, they need to be secured better.

 

[disappeared]

That dude who stopped it.

Balls of steel.

 

[oneils]

The things is literally just sitting there? Yeah, I gotta say that I think target is at fault here.

 

[Sparrowhawk]

I can't believe people are blaming Target for this and not the guy in the truck who hit the ball.

If they're actually two ton balls of cement sitting next to a goddamn road, they need to be better secured than that.

 

[Borgnine]

Let's get some tank obstacles and have a giant ass game of Jacks.

 

[Dreadnought]

Those are there to stop cars how does a truck just bump it and it dislodges? Needs to be secured better

 

[Gravidee]

Could've been worse.

 

[RinsFury]

I always thought there was some rebar or pipe running through those balls to secure them to the ground. What the fuck, Target?

 

[LiK]

His name is Robert Paulson.

gaddamit

 

[Lactose_Intolerant]

Those balls weigh 2 tons???

The pair on the guy?

 

[Belker]

His name is Robert Paulson.

When my friend and I watched at that the cinema, we didn't know what the film was about. I don't think we'd seen any trailers or paid them much attention. We just decided to watch it.

Afterwards we came out and were literally unsteady on our feet. We wondered if some kind of gas or something else had been released in the cinema. I had never had an experience like it and haven't since.

 

[strafer]

Could've been worse.

 

[Ferrio]

Okay I looked it up, 2 tons of cement is roughly 1 cubic yard. So ya... that looks pretty accurate, surprising.

 

[GTI Guy]

Why the hell would they not pay for the damage? It's 3500! Target is DUMB.

 

[TAJ]

If they're actually two ton balls of cement sitting next to a goddamn road, they need to be better secured than that.

There are cars and trucks out there that are over 6,000 pounds. Good luck with that.
That's not even counting commercial vehicles.

 

[Nafai1123]

Am I the only one that doesn't believe that's 2 tons?

I'm skeptical too. That's heavier than most cars.

 

[TAJ]

I'm skeptical too. That's heavier than most cars.

Cars are mostly empty space.

 

[ThreePiMatt]

The whole purpose of those things is to block vehicles from coming onto the sidewalks in front of the stores. If they get dislodged and become a hazard because they failed to do what they were designed to do, that should absolutely be Target's fault.

 

[Chie Satonaka]

Why the hell would they not pay for the damage? It's 3500! Target is DUMB.

It's unreal. The negative PR alone is worth paying the money. Now this is even more of a story.

I have no doubt that they'll eventually pay for the damages, but why would you deny it? Of COURSE it's going to become a thing. Just pay!

 

[nico1982]

Okay I looked it up, 2 tons of cement is roughly 1 cubic yard. So ya... that looks pretty accurate, surprising.

4 feet diameter then, but the ball looks like 2-2.5', at most 3'.

 

[VanquishUK]

Why is there a two tonne cement ball very loosely secured to the side of a road on a slope tilted towards parked cars? Target should pay for at least some of the damages, it shouldn't even be there.

 

[soundscream]

I never understood why they started putting those balls up in front of stores. In this case the parking lot is on an incline so I could see it picking up some momentum. Next time I shop at this location ill be sure to avoid parking to close.

 

[jesu]

It looked like a scene from an Indiana Jones flick

 

[Nafai1123]

Cars are mostly empty space.

I'm well aware, but they're also a hell of a lot harder to stop when in motion than what appeared to happen in that video.

 

[Futureman]

Am I the only one that doesn't believe that's 2 tons?

Yea... 4,000 lbs??

I can't believe Target isn't responsible. The initial truck barely touched it.

 

[Futureman]

The whole purpose of those things is to block vehicles from coming onto the sidewalks in front of the stores.

Are they though? I think it's more of a decoration. Especially as we see now they aren't actually attached in the ground with rebar.

 

[Demoncarnotaur]

Could've been worse.

My immediate thoughts.

 

[TAJ]

The whole purpose of those things is to block vehicles from coming onto the sidewalks in front of the stores. If they get dislodged and become a hazard because they failed to do what they were designed to do, that should absolutely be Target's fault.

They're a deterrent, but so are traffic cones and tape.

 

[jacob armitage]

This was way less exciting than i'd hoped.

 

[SyenceLabb]

It takes some pretty big balls on Target's part to refuse to pay that woman's claim.

 

[chuckddd]

Why did she file a claim with Target? File a claim with your own insurance company. That's what they're there for; to sue people.

 

[kinggroin]

His name is Robert Paulson.

There's no way you weren't in cahoots with the OP.

This is masterful.

 

[soundscream]

It takes some pretty big balls on Target's part to refuse to pay that woman's claim.

We know why, they dont want to set a precedent. Its shitty but their thinking of the next time it happens. If they were smart they would just get rid of them.

 

[themagicalkitsune]

2-Ton red cement ball rolls for five feet, makes a dent in a car and is stopped by man and dog shortly afterwards.

 

[Makki]

Why did she file a claim with Target? File a claim with your own insurance company. That's what they're there for; to sue people.

To bundle a claim for pain and suffering from Indiana Jones flashbacks and a sprained ankle.

 

[curiouscharles]

how in the fuck do you hit a giant red ball in your truck?

all i got from this was a reminder how much people suck at driving.

 

[NameGenerated]

Sorry, was playing THPS3.

 

[Robdraggoo]

She should have filed the claim with her insurance company who would have then subrogated to target or whoever to determine fault.

Insurance adjusters and lawyers dont fuck around. If they can get someone else to pay they will.

 

[Jarrod38]