# Teen electrocuted while spray painting electrical substation **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 17, 2007, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teen-electrocuted-while-spray-painting-electrical-substation/404448 "2007-05-17T14:41:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Santo\_Rugger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Santo\_Rugger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santo_Rugger)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2007, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teen-electrocuted-while-spray-painting-electrical-substation/404448/1 "2007-05-17T14:41:32Z")
From [here](http://www.freenewmexican.com/news/58581.html), sorry, I couldn’t find a site that didn’t require registration. > [@](#): > > An 18-year-old man suffered serious burns Wednesday after he was electrocuted while spray painting graffiti inside an electrical substation in northwest Santa Fe, according to police. > > The man, who was airlifted to University Hospital with third-degree burns to 50 to 70 percent of his body, called 911 from his cell phone at about 4:30 p.m., said Assistant Fire Chief Ted Bolleter. Yes, it’s sad that this guy was hurt so bad (3rd degree burns on 50-70% of his body), but it’s still pretty awesome. > [@](#): > > “Entering an electrical substation is a very dangerous thing to do,” Buell said. “We strongly encourage people not to duplicate this act.” No kidding? ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2007, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teen-electrocuted-while-spray-painting-electrical-substation/404448/2 "2007-05-17T14:47:38Z")
Why would you tag the inside of the box? How many people are going to see that, maybe two or three a year? ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2007, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teen-electrocuted-while-spray-painting-electrical-substation/404448/3 "2007-05-17T14:49:21Z")
\*Nitpick: \* he is apparently still alive, therefore not quite “electrocuted.” Patiently awaiting the follow-up story describing the man’s multimillion-dollar lawsuit against the electric company for failing to prevent him from jumping the fence and tagging the substation. ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2007, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teen-electrocuted-while-spray-painting-electrical-substation/404448/4 "2007-05-17T14:51:31Z")
If you believe in a merciful Darwin, the accident will sterilize him without killing. ---
**Author:** ![Sunrazor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sunrazor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunrazor)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2007, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teen-electrocuted-while-spray-painting-electrical-substation/404448/5 "2007-05-17T14:54:46Z")
[QUOTE=Vinyl Turnip] Patiently awaiting the follow-up story describing the man’s multimillion-dollar lawsuit against the electric company for failing to prevent him from jumping the fence and tagging the substation. [/QUOTE] This is the really sad part. I’m betting there’s no insurance, a long and painful recovery, the utility company has deep pockets – so they get vandalized \*and \* raped. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2007, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teen-electrocuted-while-spray-painting-electrical-substation/404448/6 "2007-05-17T14:55:33Z")
[QUOTE=Vinyl Turnip] \*Nitpick: \* he is apparently still alive, therefore not quite “electrocuted.” [/QUOTE] So what do we call it when you don’t die from it? (You’re right…I’m just wondering what word we’re supposed to use). “Shocked” doesn’t have quite the punch I’m looking for. ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2007, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teen-electrocuted-while-spray-painting-electrical-substation/404448/7 "2007-05-17T14:59:15Z")
I didn’t realize electrocution necessarily resulted in death. I’ll be darned. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2007, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teen-electrocuted-while-spray-painting-electrical-substation/404448/8 "2007-05-17T15:11:59Z")
[QUOTE=McNew] I didn’t realize electrocution necessarily resulted in death. I’ll be darned. [/QUOTE] Electrocution, execution, I guess. I think electrocuted works better than “got shocked the crap out of” myself. ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2007, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teen-electrocuted-while-spray-painting-electrical-substation/404448/9 "2007-05-17T15:12:33Z")
[QUOTE=McNew] I didn’t realize electrocution necessarily resulted in death. I’ll be darned. [/QUOTE] It doesn’t, does it? Isn’t that why death sentences for the electric chair now have to specify “electrocuted _until dead_?” ---
**Author:** ![Santo\_Rugger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Santo\_Rugger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santo_Rugger)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2007, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teen-electrocuted-while-spray-painting-electrical-substation/404448/10 "2007-05-17T15:14:37Z")
[QUOTE=Joey P] Why would you tag the inside of the box? How many people are going to see that, maybe two or three a year? [/QUOTE] I thought the substation refered to the vicinity, which could have one or several junction boxes. Which doesn’t make the dude any brighter. ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2007, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teen-electrocuted-while-spray-painting-electrical-substation/404448/11 "2007-05-17T15:21:45Z")
[QUOTE=Pygmy Rugger] Which doesn’t make the dude any brighter. [/QUOTE] Well, he _was_ a bit brighter as the amps coursed through him. Nearly incandescent. ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2007, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teen-electrocuted-while-spray-painting-electrical-substation/404448/12 "2007-05-17T15:32:28Z")
“Electrocute” is one of those words which, through constant misuse, is starting to mean something it didn’t mean to begin with: that is, injury by electricity, not necessarily death. It was originally a portmanteau of electricity and execute, meaning death by electricity. ---
**Author:** ![Santo\_Rugger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Santo\_Rugger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santo_Rugger)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2007, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teen-electrocuted-while-spray-painting-electrical-substation/404448/13 "2007-05-17T15:40:44Z")
[QUOTE=fachverwirrt] “Electrocute” is one of those words which, through constant misuse, is starting to mean something it didn’t mean to begin with: that is, injury by electricity, not necessarily death. It was originally a portmanteau of electricity and execute, meaning death by electricity. [/QUOTE] Learn something new every day; kind of like you haven’t “drowned” unless you’ve passed out, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![RedSwinglineOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a9adbd/32.png) [@RedSwinglineOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedSwinglineOne)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2007, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teen-electrocuted-while-spray-painting-electrical-substation/404448/14 "2007-05-17T15:55:12Z")
Just to make it official, according to webster: Main Entry: elec·tro·cute 1 : to execute (a criminal) by electricity 2 : to kill by electric shock — elec·tro·cu·tion -ˌlek-trə-ˈkyü-shən\ noun I also was not aware you needed to die to be electrocuted. Even using a thesaurus I could not find a better word for really big shock. ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2007, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teen-electrocuted-while-spray-painting-electrical-substation/404448/15 "2007-05-17T16:00:33Z")
Depending on the degree of burns, 70% is often a death sentence. ---
**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:** [May 17, 2007, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teen-electrocuted-while-spray-painting-electrical-substation/404448/16 "2007-05-17T16:02:27Z")
No sympathy for this idiot. I hope if he sues the jury laughs him out of court. I hate taggers anyway. This just made me smile. ---
**Author:** ![ASAKMOTSD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/919ad9/32.png) [@ASAKMOTSD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASAKMOTSD)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2007, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teen-electrocuted-while-spray-painting-electrical-substation/404448/17 "2007-05-17T16:05:33Z")
I guess they could have had a warning sign posted. Someone would probably have painted it over with graffiti or something, though. Oh wait… ---
**Author:** ![SnakesCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4af34b/32.png) [@SnakesCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnakesCatLady)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2007, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teen-electrocuted-while-spray-painting-electrical-substation/404448/18 "2007-05-17T16:06:03Z")
[QUOTE=Sunrazor] This is the really sad part. I’m betting there’s no insurance, a long and painful recovery, the utility company has deep pockets – so they get vandalized \*and \* raped. [/QUOTE] And even though juries aren’t supposed to consider insurance coverage, they will know the utility company is covered, so this stupid vandal will probably get a hefty payout. Which does nothing to deter future Darwin Award candidates. Burns are painful. Really, really, painful. I hope this kid considers his “art” worth it. Idiot. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2007, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teen-electrocuted-while-spray-painting-electrical-substation/404448/19 "2007-05-17T16:09:48Z")
[QUOTE=Pygmy Rugger] Learn something new every day; kind of like you haven’t “drowned” unless you’ve passed out, I guess. [/QUOTE] Actually, you haven’t drowned unless you have died. I hope _electrocution’s_ meaning doesn’t become changed by people using it in a new and different way. And I hope _drown_ doesn’t change either. ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2007, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teen-electrocuted-while-spray-painting-electrical-substation/404448/20 "2007-05-17T16:35:00Z")
From [AskOxford.com](http://www.askoxford.com/results/?view=dict&field-12668446=electrocute&branch=13842570&textsearchtype=exact&sortorder=score%2Cname) **electrocute** • verb: injure or kill by electric shock. — DERIVATIVES electrocution noun. Sad, but true. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teen-electrocuted-while-spray-painting-electrical-substation/404448.md?page=2)