# Scary stuff: the boy in the balloon **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 15, 2009, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scary-stuff-the-boy-in-the-balloon/513940 "2009-10-15T18:58:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![chique](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@chique](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chique)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scary-stuff-the-boy-in-the-balloon/513940/81 "2009-10-15T20:46:44Z")
> [@TWDuke](#): > > Seems pretty pointless and stupid to me. Really, a six-year-old boy trapped in a flying-saucer-shaped balloon spinning out of control at 8,000 feet above the ground isn’t news because other bad stuff is happening to other people? Enjoying the show? ---
**Author:** ![Huerta88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/82dd89/32.png) [@Huerta88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Huerta88)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scary-stuff-the-boy-in-the-balloon/513940/82 "2009-10-15T20:49:26Z")
> [@TWDuke](#): > > If at 6 I had done something really, really bad and wanted to hide, it would be a while before anyone found me. I know a couple of six year olds. But it’s been awhile since I interacted much with them. As far as the impulse to hide/conceal, I definitely agree. Six year olds, IIRC, aren’t, however, the greatest at execution or follow-through or patience. Anyone with kids in that range have a view on how long he could actually keep himself hidden before he got hungry or bored or lonely? ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scary-stuff-the-boy-in-the-balloon/513940/83 "2009-10-15T20:52:03Z")
No. Neither will I use it as an excuse to insult strangers on the Internet. If you don’t care what happened to this boy, I would suggest not following the story. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scary-stuff-the-boy-in-the-balloon/513940/84 "2009-10-15T20:52:22Z")
I agree that’s an awfully long time for a 6-year old to hide. Kids that age hide for 10 or 15 minutes, not for hours on end. ---
**Author:** ![SanibelMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@SanibelMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanibelMan)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scary-stuff-the-boy-in-the-balloon/513940/85 "2009-10-15T20:53:28Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > I agree that’s an awfully long time for a 6-year old to hide. Kids that age hide for 10 or 15 minutes, not for hours on end. I hope he curled up under a hedge somewhere and fell asleep. ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scary-stuff-the-boy-in-the-balloon/513940/86 "2009-10-15T20:53:31Z")
> [@Arnold\_Winkelried](#): > > If someone could use a “report his post” on the OP and ask for the thread title to be changed I would be most appreciative. Just FYI, you should be able to do that yourself now. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scary-stuff-the-boy-in-the-balloon/513940/87 "2009-10-15T20:54:26Z")
> [@chique](#): > > Enjoying the show? While there are millions of children in peril everyday, this is quite a unique situation. It is singular in its type of desperation, and also offers the anticipation that the kid will be safe. To accuse people of following a story like this on the news as enjoying some sort of entertainment is pretty short-sighted, narrow-minded, and presumptuous. Did you enjoy the “show” on 9/11/2001? ---
**Author:** ![Gesturing\_Mildly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/65b543/32.png) [@Gesturing\_Mildly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gesturing_Mildly)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scary-stuff-the-boy-in-the-balloon/513940/88 "2009-10-15T20:55:18Z")
My prediction is that the older kid, the one who reported that the child had gotten in the balloon, is responsible. ---
**Author:** ![fubbleskag](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fubbleskag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fubbleskag)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scary-stuff-the-boy-in-the-balloon/513940/89 "2009-10-15T20:55:21Z")
Michael Jackson’s going to be mad that his takeout order to heaven didn’t arrive. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scary-stuff-the-boy-in-the-balloon/513940/90 "2009-10-15T20:56:49Z")
> [@SanibelMan](#): > > I hope he curled up under a hedge somewhere and fell asleep. Either that or he fell out somewhere and is hurt. How are they doing the search? I would think they’d start at the house and spiral out from there? ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scary-stuff-the-boy-in-the-balloon/513940/91 "2009-10-15T20:58:09Z")
> [@fubbleskag](#): > > Michael Jackson’s going to be mad that his takeout order to heaven didn’t arrive. This really isn’t the right time or place for tasteless jokes. Start a Pit thread if you’d like to do so. twickster, MPSIMS moderator ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scary-stuff-the-boy-in-the-balloon/513940/92 "2009-10-15T20:58:15Z")
> [@Gesturing\_Mildly](#): > > My prediction is that the older kid, the one who reported that the child had gotten in the balloon, is responsible. That occurred to me. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scary-stuff-the-boy-in-the-balloon/513940/93 "2009-10-15T21:00:14Z")
> [@Gesturing\_Mildly](#): > > My prediction is that the older kid, the one who reported that the child had gotten in the balloon, is responsible. [Is this](http://www.ugo.com/tv/fat-bad-guys/images/entries/eric-cartman.jpg)the older kid? I read that this family was on Wife Swap. They were a danger courting family (storm chasing, etc.) while they traded with a very safety oriented family. Hijinks ensued. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scary-stuff-the-boy-in-the-balloon/513940/94 "2009-10-15T21:04:28Z")
> [@Gesturing\_Mildly](#): > > My prediction is that the older kid, the one who reported that the child had gotten in the balloon, is responsible. My thought exactly. ---
**Author:** ![Gesturing\_Mildly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/65b543/32.png) [@Gesturing\_Mildly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gesturing_Mildly)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scary-stuff-the-boy-in-the-balloon/513940/95 "2009-10-15T21:05:56Z")
Wait. The kid’s name is Falcon? Really? ---
**Author:** ![chique](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@chique](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chique)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scary-stuff-the-boy-in-the-balloon/513940/96 "2009-10-15T21:06:30Z")
> [@TWDuke](#): > > No. Neither will I use it as an excuse to insult strangers on the Internet. If you don’t care what happened to this boy, I would suggest not following the story. It wasn’t an insult, it was a question. The idea of watching what should be a family’s private despair played out live on TV (well, the internet, really, as I’m at work and can’t watch anything) oogs me out. I’ll wait for tomorrow’s headlines. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scary-stuff-the-boy-in-the-balloon/513940/97 "2009-10-15T21:07:57Z")
So now they’re saying that there was originally a box attached to the thing and that’s what the kid climbed into but the balloon seen flying and crashing did not have the box attached. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scary-stuff-the-boy-in-the-balloon/513940/98 "2009-10-15T21:07:57Z")
Just read that a pod that was attached to the balloon is missing. Probably in a nearby backyard somewhere, doesn’t it seem? ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scary-stuff-the-boy-in-the-balloon/513940/99 "2009-10-15T21:17:35Z")
Got the engineering software out and cranked some numbers. We had to estimate the exact size and shape from the description of “20 feet wide, 5 high” being bandied about. Depending on exact volume, the lifting capacity is between 39 and 65 pounds _total_ - that would be kid, balloon, “pod”, everything. That just doesn’t seem reasonable, unless the 6 year old is a really, really, really small 6 year old because the structure of that thing is going to have weight, too. And that’s the largest possible volume with those dimensions, which I don’t think that thing was. Oh, and about $1,500 worth of helium. I don’t think the kid was on board. I think he was messing with daddy’s toy and it got away. Anticipating a spanking, he went and hid somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2009, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scary-stuff-the-boy-in-the-balloon/513940/100 "2009-10-15T21:17:37Z")
I have a very, very bad feeling about this. I think somebody did something to the kid, and set off the balloon as a distraction. Obviously, I hope I’m wrong. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scary-stuff-the-boy-in-the-balloon/513940.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scary-stuff-the-boy-in-the-balloon/513940.md?page=6)