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by IntrepidWorm 1209 days ago
In 1800's United States, fire departments in many large cities (Chicago and New York, to name two) were private for-profit industries. If a homeowner did not pay what was effectively protection money, the fire department would refuse to extinguish your property if it caught fire, and would sit around as the dwelling burned, in some cases with people still inside.

Fascinating idiom, thanks!
2 comments
Sayrus 1209 days ago
Tom Scott did a video[1] about this. For the UK at least, this may have been an urban myth rooted in the fact that only the fastest fire brigades were paid[2].

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wif1EAgEQKI

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_insurance_mark

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remote_phone 1209 days ago
That exists today in areas where you have to pay the fire department separately.
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