Former state Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata was driving by Oakland’s fire training facility the other day when he had a thought:

“I’d just watched a video of the July 4th sideshow ‘celebration’ along Interstate 880,” Perata said. The outlaw car-spinning contests have plagued Oakland for years.

“The Fire Department was dousing this building with water and I thought, why not position Oakland fire engine companies adjacent to the sideshow crowds and douse the onlookers with a ‘hard rain?’” Perata said.

“The discomfort of being soaked by hundreds of gallons of water would chill everyone out and soon ruin the evening.”

Perata put his idea in an email and sent it off to officials including City Councilman Larry Reid, whose East Oakland district is a popular location for sideshows.

“I suggest Don first take a ride with Oakland police before calling in the Fire Department,” Reid said. “He needs to see just how crazy and dangerous these sideshows can be.”

San Francisco Chronicle columnist Phil Matier appears Sundays and Wednesdays. Matier can be seen on the KPIX-TV morning and evening news. He can also be heard on KCBS radio Monday through Friday at 7:50 a.m. and 5:50 p.m. Got a tip? Call 415-777-8815, or email pmatier@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @philmatier