--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I started walking and I looked down…" description: "\"When I started walking and I looked down and I saw on the floor this water, which looked like, you know, water in your basement except it happened to b..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/472/william-scranton-23646_basement_when-i-started-walking-and-i-looked-down_2660635.jpg" --- # When I started walking and I looked down and I saw on the… ![“When I started walking and I looked down and I saw on the floor this water, which looked like, you know, water in your basement except it happened to be in the auxiliary building of a nuclear power plant.” quote by William Scranton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/472/william-scranton-23646_basement_when-i-started-walking-and-i-looked-down_2660635.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/472/william-scranton-23646_basement_when-i-started-walking-and-i-looked-down_2660635.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/472/william-scranton-23646_basement_when-i-started-walking-and-i-looked-down_2660635.jpg) > “When I started walking and I looked down and I saw on the floor this water, which looked like, you know, water in your basement except it happened to be in the auxiliary building of a nuclear power plant.” [William Scranton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-scranton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He describes an unexpected water sight in a nuclear facility, highlighting oddities in technical environments. **In simple terms:** Unexpected details catch attention. Key Takeaway Notice the unusual. Themes observation environment surprise Mood curious analytical Type descriptive observational When to use this quote - facility inspections - engineering audits - risk assessment Key Concepts industrial safety attention to detail Questions to Reflect On - Why do small details matter? - How can oddities affect safety? A Different Perspective May distract from larger safety concerns. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Nuclear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nuclear/) [Nuclear power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nuclear-power/) [Plant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plant/) [Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power/) [Water](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/water/) ## Related quotes > [There was still plenty of water in the basement, and I felt it soaking me from the knees on down. If someone wanted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-was-still-plenty-of-water-in-the-basement-and-i-felt-it-soaking/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Oh, it’s so gorgeous!” They were full on to the sun, which glowed low directly ahead of them, heavy with golden light and warmth.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-wax/oh-it-s-so-gorgeous-they-were-full-on-to-the-sun-which-glowed-low/) [Wendy Wax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-wax/) > [“Then Cynthia looked at him and smiled, and he knew he couldn’t possibly resist her, no matter what she had done. It felt as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-burton-robinson/then-cynthia-looked-at-him-and-smiled-and-he-knew-he-couldn-t/) Robert Burton Robinson > [“They paused, treading water, and looked back at me. I couldn’t believe that WolfBroJake was able to stay afloat with all that metal armor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/skeleton-steve/they-paused-treading-water-and-looked-back-at-me-i-couldn-t-believe/) [Skeleton Steve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/skeleton-steve/) > [“Fire and water looked so lovely together. It was a pity they destroyed each other by nature.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-f-kuang/fire-and-water-looked-so-lovely-together-it-was-a-pity-they-destroyed/) [R.F. Kuang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-f-kuang/) > [My most vivid memory of my father centers on the day he left. It was warm, and my mother was especially short with Rhonda…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deval-patrick/my-most-vivid-memory-of-my-father-centers-on-the-day-he-left-it-was/) [Deval Patrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deval-patrick/) > [All the green-screen stuff - all the special effects stuff - I shot right there in my house, in the basement in my theater…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vickie-winans/all-the-green-screen-stuff-all-the-special-effects-stuff-i-shot-right/) Vickie Winans > [I like the Hotel Costes, on rue Saint Honore, a boutique hotel near the Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre and the Tuileries. I love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-temperley/i-like-the-hotel-costes-on-rue-saint-honore-a-boutique-hotel-near-the/) [Alice Temperley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-temperley/) > [I love getting into the basement of a courthouse, and all the dusty records - all that stuff makes me really happy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-cameron/i-love-getting-into-the-basement-of-a-courthouse-and-all-the-dusty/) [Sharon Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-cameron/) > [I might be in the basement. I'll go upstairs and check.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-c-escher/i-might-be-in-the-basement-i-ll-go-upstairs-and-check/) [M. C. Escher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-c-escher/) > [When you're writing a novel, you spend four years sitting in your basement and a year waiting for the book to come out and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/when-you-re-writing-a-novel-you-spend-four-years-sitting-in-your/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [White Zombie was a bunch of kids with the worst equipment playing in a basement. But that is what is so great about it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-zombie/white-zombie-was-a-bunch-of-kids-with-the-worst-equipment-playing-in/) [Rob Zombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-zombie/) > [Every time I get in an elevator, the operator says the same thing to me: 'Basement?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-dangerfield/every-time-i-get-in-an-elevator-the-operator-says-the-same-thing-to/) [Rodney Dangerfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-dangerfield/) > [Ireland starts for me with the end of 'The Dead,' which my father read to me from his desk in his basement office in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-jeremiah-sullivan/ireland-starts-for-me-with-the-end-of-the-dead-which-my-father-read/) [John Jeremiah Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-jeremiah-sullivan/) > [When I go to my health club, and it's in the basement, you have to take the elevator down. And this drives me crazy.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/when-i-go-to-my-health-club-and-it-s-in-the-basement-you-have-to-take/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) ## More by William Scranton > [And I remember walking in there and, I must say, I was quite unnerved the closer I got to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-scranton/and-i-remember-walking-in-there-and-i-must-say-i-was-quite-unnerved/) [William Scranton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-scranton/) > [I was scheduled to give my first official press conference that morning anyway, 'cause I was chairman of the Governors Energy Council and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-scranton/i-was-scheduled-to-give-my-first-official-press-conference-that/) [William Scranton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-scranton/) > [There were schools and hospitals who were ready to take people with undescribed injuries, but not necessarily ready to take people with severe radiation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-scranton/there-were-schools-and-hospitals-who-were-ready-to-take-people-with/) [William Scranton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-scranton/) > [Obviously, I'm not looking in the core of the reactor, but I am looking at what, at that time, was considered the source of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-scranton/obviously-i-m-not-looking-in-the-core-of-the-reactor-but-i-am-looking/) [William Scranton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-scranton/) > [The Nuclear Regulatory Commission and EPA, et cetera, had worked out what allowable releases are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-scranton/the-nuclear-regulatory-commission-and-epa-et-cetera-had-worked-out/) [William Scranton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-scranton/) > [You're feeling the responsibility for hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people on your shoulder in a way that I couldn't feel as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-scranton/you-re-feeling-the-responsibility-for-hundreds-of-thousands-if-not/) [William Scranton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-scranton/) > [What I had said in the morning was that this is what we know has happened, but there has been no significant off-site release.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-scranton/what-i-had-said-in-the-morning-was-that-this-is-what-we-know-has/) [William Scranton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-scranton/) > [They're calling their Washington sources at the NRC or in Congress and they're not hesitating to give their opinion, but their opinion, frankly, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-scranton/they-re-calling-their-washington-sources-at-the-nrc-or-in-congress/) [William Scranton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-scranton/) > [Another very strong image from the first day was giving my initial press conference in the morning - going down and finding out that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-scranton/another-very-strong-image-from-the-first-day-was-giving-my-initial/) [William Scranton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-scranton/) > [By Thursday morning, we'd gotten over the worst of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-scranton/by-thursday-morning-we-d-gotten-over-the-worst-of-it/) [William Scranton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-scranton/) > [It took me 45 minutes to get in all of the suits and putting all the dosimeters on me so that they knew how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-scranton/it-took-me-45-minutes-to-get-in-all-of-the-suits-and-putting-all-the/) [William Scranton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-scranton/) > [And it was at that point that I realized, in fact, our whole administration realized, that we could not rely on Metropolitan Edison for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-scranton/and-it-was-at-that-point-that-i-realized-in-fact-our-whole/) [William Scranton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-scranton/) > [There are allowable limits for radiation going - I mean there's radiation all around us. There's radiation from your television set. There's radiation from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-scranton/there-are-allowable-limits-for-radiation-going-i-mean-there-s/) [William Scranton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-scranton/) > [My time inside there was very short compared to the amount of time it took to take on and take off this suit and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-scranton/my-time-inside-there-was-very-short-compared-to-the-amount-of-time-it/) [William Scranton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-scranton/) > [None of us knew what this power plant looked like. We had no schematic drawing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-scranton/none-of-us-knew-what-this-power-plant-looked-like-we-had-no-schematic/) [William Scranton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-scranton/) [Explore all 25 William Scranton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-scranton/) ## More Basement quotes > [When I go to my health club, and it's in the basement, you have to take the elevator down. And this drives me crazy.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/when-i-go-to-my-health-club-and-it-s-in-the-basement-you-have-to-take/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [Ireland starts for me with the end of 'The Dead,' which my father read to me from his desk in his basement office in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-jeremiah-sullivan/ireland-starts-for-me-with-the-end-of-the-dead-which-my-father-read/) [John Jeremiah Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-jeremiah-sullivan/) > [Every time I get in an elevator, the operator says the same thing to me: 'Basement?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-dangerfield/every-time-i-get-in-an-elevator-the-operator-says-the-same-thing-to/) [Rodney Dangerfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-dangerfield/) > [White Zombie was a bunch of kids with the worst equipment playing in a basement. But that is what is so great about it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-zombie/white-zombie-was-a-bunch-of-kids-with-the-worst-equipment-playing-in/) [Rob Zombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-zombie/) > [When you're writing a novel, you spend four years sitting in your basement and a year waiting for the book to come out and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/when-you-re-writing-a-novel-you-spend-four-years-sitting-in-your/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [I might be in the basement. I'll go upstairs and check.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-c-escher/i-might-be-in-the-basement-i-ll-go-upstairs-and-check/) [M. C. Escher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-c-escher/) > [I love getting into the basement of a courthouse, and all the dusty records - all that stuff makes me really happy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-cameron/i-love-getting-into-the-basement-of-a-courthouse-and-all-the-dusty/) [Sharon Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-cameron/) > [I like the Hotel Costes, on rue Saint Honore, a boutique hotel near the Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre and the Tuileries. I love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-temperley/i-like-the-hotel-costes-on-rue-saint-honore-a-boutique-hotel-near-the/) [Alice Temperley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-temperley/) > [All the green-screen stuff - all the special effects stuff - I shot right there in my house, in the basement in my theater…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vickie-winans/all-the-green-screen-stuff-all-the-special-effects-stuff-i-shot-right/) Vickie Winans > [My most vivid memory of my father centers on the day he left. It was warm, and my mother was especially short with Rhonda…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deval-patrick/my-most-vivid-memory-of-my-father-centers-on-the-day-he-left-it-was/) [Deval Patrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deval-patrick/) > [“In the basement of Sydney's new house is a little room that is about the size and shape of a coffin.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-chaon/in-the-basement-of-sydney-s-new-house-is-a-little-room-that-is-about/) [Dan Chaon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-chaon/) > [After I left the Pumpkins, I went home and just sat around. I have a studio in my basement, and I found myself writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-chamberlin/after-i-left-the-pumpkins-i-went-home-and-just-sat-around-i-have-a/) [Jimmy Chamberlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-chamberlin/) > [I might be in the basement. I'll go upstairs and check. We adore chaos because we love to produce order. I don't use drugs;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-c-escher/i-might-be-in-the-basement-i-ll-go-upstairs-and-check-we-adore-chaos/) [M. C. Escher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-c-escher/) > [“He had no idea what was wrong, but he knew something was wrong. It turned out that the heart of the fire had not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/he-had-no-idea-what-was-wrong-but-he-knew-something-was-wrong-it/) [Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/) > [“lacking is a panic room in the basement.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-m-sutter/lacking-is-a-panic-room-in-the-basement/) C.M. Sutter Browse all 141 Basement quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When I started walking and I looked down and I saw on the floor this water, which looked like, you know, water in your basement except it happened to be in the auxiliary building of a nuclear power plant.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William Scranton" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-scranton/when-i-started-walking-and-i-looked-down-and-i-saw-on-the-floor-this/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Basement" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-scranton/when-i-started-walking-and-i-looked-down-and-i-saw-on-the-floor-this/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/472/william-scranton-23646_basement_when-i-started-walking-and-i-looked-down_2660635.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/472/william-scranton-23646_basement_when-i-started-walking-and-i-looked-down_2660635.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/472/william-scranton-23646_basement_when-i-started-walking-and-i-looked-down_2660635.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When I started walking and I looked down and I saw on the floor this water, which looked like, you know…” — William Scranton", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "William Scranton", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-scranton/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When I started walking and I...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-scranton/when-i-started-walking-and-i-looked-down-and-i-saw-on-the-floor-this/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-scranton/when-i-started-walking-and-i-looked-down-and-i-saw-on-the-floor-this/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```