# Darwin Award Nominee or Man Flunks Electrical Safety 101 **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 18, 2006, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darwin-award-nominee-or-man-flunks-electrical-safety-101/364966 "2006-07-18T03:20:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rhubarb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/59ef9b/32.png) [@Rhubarb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhubarb)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2006, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darwin-award-nominee-or-man-flunks-electrical-safety-101/364966/1 "2006-07-18T03:20:05Z")
This guy was probably not the brightest light in the marquee, except for one brief, shining moment. From [here](http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/15057894.htm) … > [@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. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2006, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darwin-award-nominee-or-man-flunks-electrical-safety-101/364966/2 "2006-07-18T03:29:54Z")
Shocking! ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2006, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darwin-award-nominee-or-man-flunks-electrical-safety-101/364966/3 "2006-07-18T03:42:38Z")
In his defense, he was planning on shaking all the electricity out after he cut a piece loose. ---
**Author:** ![pbbth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f9ae1b/32.png) [@pbbth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pbbth)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2006, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darwin-award-nominee-or-man-flunks-electrical-safety-101/364966/4 "2006-07-18T03:56:13Z")
He is going to be sad when he wakes up with no wire. ---
**Author:** ![if6was9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e47c2d/32.png) [@if6was9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/if6was9)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2006, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darwin-award-nominee-or-man-flunks-electrical-safety-101/364966/5 "2006-07-18T04:02:13Z")
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. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2006, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darwin-award-nominee-or-man-flunks-electrical-safety-101/364966/6 "2006-07-18T04:03:19Z")
Oooooops. :smack: 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? ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2006, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darwin-award-nominee-or-man-flunks-electrical-safety-101/364966/7 "2006-07-18T13:23:37Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Spatial\_Rift\_47](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a8b319/32.png) [@Spatial\_Rift\_47](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spatial_Rift_47)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2006, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darwin-award-nominee-or-man-flunks-electrical-safety-101/364966/8 "2006-07-18T13:57:59Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Shocking! Yes, it is. I’m glad **Rhubarb** is here to help keep us up on current events. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2006, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darwin-award-nominee-or-man-flunks-electrical-safety-101/364966/9 "2006-07-18T14:07:59Z")
I think it’s safe to say this was a man of high potential. (At least for a fraction of a second.) ---
**Author:** ![Nature\_s\_Call](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nature_s_call/32/19006_2.png) [@Nature\_s\_Call](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nature_s_Call)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2006, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darwin-award-nominee-or-man-flunks-electrical-safety-101/364966/10 "2006-07-18T14:14:41Z")
So resistence IS futile? ---
**Author:** ![Spatial\_Rift\_47](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a8b319/32.png) [@Spatial\_Rift\_47](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spatial_Rift_47)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2006, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darwin-award-nominee-or-man-flunks-electrical-safety-101/364966/11 "2006-07-18T14:17:31Z")
Only if R \< 1 Ω. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2006, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darwin-award-nominee-or-man-flunks-electrical-safety-101/364966/12 "2006-07-18T14:20:51Z")
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). ---
**Author:** ![Mindfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindfield/32/19759_2.png) [@Mindfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mindfield)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2006, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darwin-award-nominee-or-man-flunks-electrical-safety-101/364966/13 "2006-07-18T14:39:15Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2006, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darwin-award-nominee-or-man-flunks-electrical-safety-101/364966/14 "2006-07-18T15:06:39Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Subway\_Prophet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecb155/32.png) [@Subway\_Prophet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Subway_Prophet)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2006, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darwin-award-nominee-or-man-flunks-electrical-safety-101/364966/15 "2006-07-18T15:15:33Z")
> [@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? ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2006, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darwin-award-nominee-or-man-flunks-electrical-safety-101/364966/16 "2006-07-18T15:41:11Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Spatial\_Rift\_47](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a8b319/32.png) [@Spatial\_Rift\_47](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spatial_Rift_47)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2006, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darwin-award-nominee-or-man-flunks-electrical-safety-101/364966/17 "2006-07-18T15:55:26Z")
> [@Subway Prophet](#): > > Ohm man. Watt’s your problem? What can I say, I get a charge out of it. ---
**Author:** ![Subway\_Prophet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecb155/32.png) [@Subway\_Prophet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Subway_Prophet)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2006, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darwin-award-nominee-or-man-flunks-electrical-safety-101/364966/18 "2006-07-18T18:41:06Z")
> [@Spatial Rift 47](#): > > What can I say, I get a charge out of it. Thus started his induction into the hall of fame ---
**Author:** ![Spatial\_Rift\_47](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a8b319/32.png) [@Spatial\_Rift\_47](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spatial_Rift_47)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2006, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darwin-award-nominee-or-man-flunks-electrical-safety-101/364966/19 "2006-07-18T20:04:21Z")
And to finish said induction, I’ll be doing the NY-San Francisco-LA circuit. Think lightning will strike three times? [sub]after jokes like this, I oughta be electron’d President[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Gordon\_Urquhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/db5fbb/32.png) [@Gordon\_Urquhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gordon_Urquhart)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2006, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darwin-award-nominee-or-man-flunks-electrical-safety-101/364966/20 "2006-07-18T20:10:35Z")
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)](http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_4835565,00.html). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darwin-award-nominee-or-man-flunks-electrical-safety-101/364966.md?page=2)