# 1,000 Idiots Watch Powerplant Being Blown Up; One Loses Leg **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 3, 2013, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-000-idiots-watch-powerplant-being-blown-up-one-loses-leg/665277 "2013-08-03T21:33:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2013, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-000-idiots-watch-powerplant-being-blown-up-one-loses-leg/665277/21 "2013-08-05T15:49:08Z")
I saw the footage on this morning’s news. Out of all the videos of implosions I’ve seen (probably hundreds) this is the first one where I’ve seen shrapnel flying like that. I’ve got to wonder if perhaps they used way too much explosives, or else positioned them wrong somehow. Normally, the main hazard to spectators is the huge cloud of dust, which can’t possibly be healthy to breathe. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2013, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-000-idiots-watch-powerplant-being-blown-up-one-loses-leg/665277/22 "2013-08-05T19:49:01Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > I don’t think it necessarily makes you an idiot if you like to watch stuff get blowed up. Absolutely not. It is, however, a strong indicator of maleness. ---
**Author:** ![Macca26](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/13edae/32.png) [@Macca26](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Macca26)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2013, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-000-idiots-watch-powerplant-being-blown-up-one-loses-leg/665277/23 "2013-08-05T20:11:00Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > Spectators have been hurt (and killed) in 'controlled" explosions for over 100 years. > Like, the famous [Crush, TX staged train wreck](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crush,_Texas). Now that I’ve read about the Crush, TX incident, I’m imagining it is the origin behind all those train speed math problems. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2013, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-000-idiots-watch-powerplant-being-blown-up-one-loses-leg/665277/24 "2013-08-06T00:58:37Z")
On other implosions I’ve seen, the dynamite “big kaboom” charges used on concrete slabs and columns are wrapped with heavy fabric and chain link fencing to contain shrapnel. I can only guess this wasn’t done here. By comparison, the shaped charges used for cutting steel columns focus their energy like a pair of scissors, and are sometimes covered not to contain shrapnel, but to protect the charges from damage by flying debris as their paired alignment is surprisingly critical for an explosive device. ---
**Author:** ![Fubaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@Fubaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fubaya)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2013, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-000-idiots-watch-powerplant-being-blown-up-one-loses-leg/665277/25 "2013-08-06T01:08:52Z")
I’m not saying they’re idiots, but I rarely trust anyone who tells me I’m in a safe zone. Don’t you know how stupid people are? If I was there, I’d have been in the far back of the safe zone with most of my body behind a concrete pillar or vehicle or something. I might still lose my head, but at least my odds are better than standing at the front of the zone, right at the edge of the line that someone says is safe. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-000-idiots-watch-powerplant-being-blown-up-one-loses-leg/665277.md?page=1)