Darwin Award Nominee or Man Flunks Electrical Safety 101

[Rhubarb]

This guy was probably not the brightest light in the marquee, except for one brief, shining moment. From here ...

Originally Posted by Fort Worth Star-Telegram

A man who scaled a utility pole Sunday in west Dallas to pirate some copper, got a fatal jolt instead.

Police said the man had no identification with him when his body was found about 3 p.m. near the base of the power pole at 1800 Muncie Drive, said Senior Cpl. Jamie Matthews, police spokeswoman.

The Dallas County Medical Examiner's Office was using fingerprints to determine the identity of the man who appeared to be in his 40s, a spokeswoman for the office said Monday.

Evidence at the scene indicated the man was trying to steal copper wire from atop the power pole, Matthews said.

"He apparently cut into a hot wire, and that's why he was electrocuted,'' Matthews said.

I'm guessing he was not an out of work electrician.

[silenus]

Shocking!

[Little Nemo]

In his defense, he was planning on shaking all the electricity out after he cut a piece loose.

[pbbth]

He is going to be sad when he wakes up with no wire.

[if6was9]

He died on a pole and wasn't even stealing electricity???? Or Cable TV???? Died for 2 cents worth of copper... Man, that's sad.


He could have bet someone a buck he would simply climb to the top of a utility pole, done it, climbed back down and been 98 cents ahead.

[Tripler]

Oooooops.

I forgot to teach him the different colors on the poles: "Black is hot, red is not . . .". Of course everyone knows you don't usually string copper wire overhead--you gotta dig underground for it!

Tripler
Now, where's my trusty backhoe?

[Count Blucher]

In this world, everyone tries to seek their true calling. Obviously, he failed at 'Thief'; I'm just glad he had 'grass fertilizer' to fall back on.

[Spatial Rift 47]

Originally Posted by silenus

Shocking!

Yes, it is. I'm glad Rhubarb is here to help keep us up on current events.

[Malacandra]

I think it's safe to say this was a man of high potential.

(At least for a fraction of a second.)

[Nature's Call]

So resistence IS futile?

[Spatial Rift 47]

Only if R < 1 Ω.

[jjimm]

He probably had a battery of previous offenses, and the capacitance for many more. People like that burn out pretty quickly. Not the brightest spark (though he may have been for a couple of seconds).

[Mindfield]

Watts with you people and bad puns? An ohmage to 30s vaudeville or something?

Never mind, I don't have the energy to pit this.

[Chefguy]

Mhoed down in the prime of life. I can't generate any sympathy for him. At least he didn't let the danger impede his desire to live in a parallel universe. Seriesly.

[Subway Prophet]

Originally Posted by Spatial Rift 47

Yes, it is. I'm glad Rhubarb is here to help keep us up on current events.

Ohm man. Watt's your problem?

[ralph124c]

Can his relatives sue the power company? I think having all that copper wire in plain sight constitutes 'an attractive nuisance"..but maybe he was just trying to fet a pair of sneakers.

[Spatial Rift 47]

Originally Posted by Subway Prophet

Ohm man. Watt's your problem?

What can I say, I get a charge out of it.

[Subway Prophet]

Originally Posted by Spatial Rift 47

What can I say, I get a charge out of it.

Thus started his induction into the hall of fame

[Spatial Rift 47]

And to finish said induction, I'll be doing the NY-San Francisco-LA circuit. Think lightning will strike three times?






_{after jokes like this, I oughta be electron'd President}

[Gordon Urquhart]

An alternate current to add: a local man has got more Darwin-fu than the fellow in Dallas (our boy tried it in the rain).

[Ponder Stibbons]

Originally Posted by Gordon Urquhart

... (our boy tried it in the rain).

... singeing in the rain, just singeing in the rain ...

[Spatial Rift 47]

Originally Posted by Gordon Urquhart

An alternate current to add: a local man has got more Darwin-fu than the fellow in Dallas (our boy tried it in the rain).

I find it fitting that the name of the town in which this happened is Aurora. This incident would have to be an example of the Aurora Ignoramus.

[Cervaise]

Originally Posted by Spatial Rift 47

What can I say, I get a charge out of it.

That's oscilloscoping funny.

[matt_mcl]

Originally Posted by Chefguy

Mhoed down in the prime of life.

*dies*

[silenus]

Even the newspaper got in on it:

In the metro area, thefts of copper and other metals have surged, Aurora police said.

[Annie-Xmas]

Did anone think to qusetion his sexuality? Maybe he was AC/DC

[Bricker]

Wire we making light of such a powerful tragedy?

[Duke of Rat]

Originally Posted by Bricker

Wire we making light of such a powerful tragedy?

There was a memorial of sorts. Everyone in the neighborhood dimmed their lights for a second to commemorate his spark of inspiration. Now his story has become a lightning rod for punsters.

[Annie-Xmas]

If anyone had anything to do with this horrific death, they should get the electric chair. Or be crucified on an electric fence.

[Little Nemo]

You people are making puns about a man's death. I'm revolted.

[Quartz]

He's certainly received a summary discharge.

[Enter the Flagon]

This is beneath you people. A man's dead, for cryin' out loud, and all you people do is make ghastly puns.

Are you totally unphased? A fuse of you need to rectify this behavior, could you please suppress the urge to make light of this man's termination faraday or two?

[rjk]

The local symphony lost a great conductor! His career was all too short.

[Spatial Rift 47]

Originally Posted by Enter the Flagon

This is beneath you people. A man's dead, for cryin' out loud, and all you people do is make ghastly puns.

Are you totally unphased? A fuse of you need to rectify this behavior, could you please suppress the urge to make light of this man's termination faraday or two?

Do I have to tesla you again? I'm just wired for puns.

[Tripler]

I couldn't help but feel bad for the guy's family. I mean, I shunt have posted what I did. I don't know what was crosswired in my mind, but I don't have A-leg to stand on. I just want to beat myself black, red, and white silly over my guilt . . .

Tripler
I can give you 4,160 reasons I feel bad, too.

[Tangent]

Originally Posted by Annie-Xmas

Did anone think to qusetion his sexuality? Maybe he was AC/DC

A switch hitter? Possibly. I did hear that he had a sibling that recently had a sex change operation. He called her his tran-sister.

[Malacandra]

Oh look, another internet pyl-on.

[Polycarp]

Joule be sorry you got into these puns. Coulomb pun, though, Mindfield

[Tuckerfan]

Originally Posted by if6was9

He died on a pole and wasn't even stealing electricity???? Or Cable TV???? Died for 2 cents worth of copper... Man, that's sad.


He could have bet someone a buck he would simply climb to the top of a utility pole, done it, climbed back down and been 98 cents ahead.

Actually, it was probably considerably more than 2 cents worth of copper. The price of copper hasn't been static for a long time. In fact, the government is considering making pennies out of steel since the charge for zinc and copper (presently used to make pennies) is more than what the coins are worth. Personally, I'm amped at the thought that the government might come to it's senses and finally do away with pennies altogether.

[Mindfield]

Originally Posted by Polycarp

Joule be sorry you got into these puns. Coulomb pun, though, Mindfield

I know I shouldn't have. It was very armature of me to make fun of someone who was discharged from his field that way, but I have very poor resistance. That sort of behaviour is not conducive to generating positive karma though. and the shame hertz.

[Cervaise]

Originally Posted by Polycarp

Joule be sorry you got into these puns.

One person starts, and others pick it up and carry on... just like a relay.

[Spatial Rift 47]

Guys, guys, guys. Maybe we shouldn't pick on this guy any more. I mean, he just diode the wrong number, really. It's not his volt - he was just LED down the wrong path.

[JThunder]

I was expecting this discussion to be a lot more polarized. Clearly though, there's a strong bias at work here, and I don't think it's a transient phenomenon. Despite my reluctance, I'm forced to admit that this place is going down the tubes.

We must rectify this situation immediately.

[Chefguy]

Originally Posted by JThunder

We must rectify this situation immediately.

You've converted me. I was lagging behind, but now the sines are clear.