How close have you been to lightening? - Page 2

singpilot · 10-17-2005, 04:09 PM

Tech, I am LOL on this one.

Over on one of my sailing boards, someone posted and asked what kind of wenchs I used.

Of course, I replied... cheap ones, easy ones, ones that self lubricate, ones that stay where you put them, it went on and on.

More than half of the guys didn't get it at first either.

That old thing about doing a battle of wits with an unarmed man.

Present Pelican company excepted, of course.

dd74 · 10-17-2005, 04:17 PM

I don't get the last three posts simply because this isn't the Technical section.

Anyway, several people I've talked to today about what happened say I'm lucky to be alive...

dd74 · 10-17-2005, 04:19 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by tabs
I think you should buy some Lotto Tickets....

Best response so far. LOL!

Howard Agency · 10-17-2005, 04:43 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by techweenie
Damn, Howard, you beat me to it!

And, you know, CF is better for lightening...

914 guys are too cheap for CF.

gassy · 10-17-2005, 06:06 PM

I was eating lunch outside with a female VP of our biggest client. We were under an umbrella, a typical Chicago storm rolled through. A bolt hit the building across the street--it went right through us. Miss VP jumped up and threw her arms around me. Not too bad.

osidak · 10-17-2005, 06:21 PM

Was in a bar reaching for the TV to change channels and the TV got zapped. My hand was inches from the set. Hair on my arm was standing up and the TV was smoldering

Was playing golf during a tournament when they sound the clear the course horn. I was the passenger in the cart. My right foot was still on the ground when lightening struck about 40 feet from me. Left 4 burn marks on my foot from where the metal cleats where still on the ground. Chest hurt for a couple of hours afterwards

Was stuck in traffic during a heavy down pour. Lightening struck a metal guard rail right next to my car. Was seeing spots and my ears where ringing for a long time afterward

gassy · 10-17-2005, 07:17 PM

Geez osidak! Glad you're still with us!

Vonzipper · 10-17-2005, 07:48 PM

There was that weekend that I hooked up with the girl from the Ice capades, does that count??

Wait, that was too close to the flame .......Got it, sorry.....

Carry on

dd74 · 10-17-2005, 07:58 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by gassy
Geez osidak! Glad you're still with us!

Hell, yeah. Dr O. is a human lightning rod. Don't get near me during inclimate weather.

Hey Gas, I owe you a sixer, or at least a bottle of whatever that was you like to guzzle. PM me your address...again...

LeeH · 10-17-2005, 09:01 PM

I was at summer camp when I was 12 or so. They got us all out of the lake due to an approaching storm. Mom had told me to make sure and take a shower after swimming in the lake so I did... in the cinder block on concrete slab bath house.

As I reached up to turn off the water - *KAPOW* It knocked me back against the shower stall. The feeling came back to my arm over a few hours.

M.D. Holloway · 10-18-2005, 06:31 AM

I was struck back in HS - felt like every inch of my body was hit with a baseball bat, sent me back 10 feet into a wall, no bad burns but it went in through my left hand and went out my right toe, that toe was been numb eversense (25 years).

DonDavis · DonDavis's Garage

1989
I was in the Navy and my ship was drydocked in Philadelphia. I used to run quite a bit. A storm was heading in and I had decided to forego the usual run of 6 miles and do a sprint from our ship's gate to the base's main gate and back. That was just over a mile. The storm was still far off so I thought I was all good. I made it to the main gate in under 2:20. This was going to be may fastest time at this pace. I had not broken the 5 minute barrier yet. Distance was my game. Six or eight miles was a piece of cake and I had been working on the 1 mile time for couple of months.
About halfway back, lightning began striking closer than I liked. Funny, my pace picked up and I was really cruising now.

I remember feeling light and able to breathe VERY well.
Did I mention I was in a Navy shipyard? Lots of tall metal ships all around? You guessed it. However, it was an indirect hit from a stike of, what I believe, the building next to me. I vaguely remember a flash, a jolt, heat and then darkness. I came to on my back in the road. A passerby had stopped. My upper body felt incredibly heavy and everything was in slow motion. Oh, and I couldn't move. Things began speeding up but still couldn't hear. The guy was talking but I thought I was dead. The first thing I could hear was the approaching ambulance. By the time the EMTs were at my side, I was regaining my senses and realized that I had been hit. They asked what was wrong so I told them. They laughed then took me to the Naval Hospital. Upon arrival, the ER Doc says "SO, you think were hit by lightning?". I said "No Sir, I know I was". He said "Well, lets run a few tests". He came back later, shook my hand and said "You took a Hell of a shot. You're lucky to be here".

I had no burns or injuries aside from a few scrapes from the fall. I was only wearing running shorts/shoes and carrying a t-shirt. My ID badge was in my waistband and the spot where the metal tab was touching my skin itched for weeks.

My outlook on everything changed at that point. I was up for orders in a few months and had planned staying on the east coast. I switched to the west and the rest is history. I've been in AZ for 13 years and we have VERY intense Monsoons every summer. Lots of thunder and lightning. Sometimes I get a little spooked.

The guys on the ship called me Flash, Hot Rod, Sparky, Lightning Boy amoung others.

I was just glad to be there.

And still here.