The CS "Darwin Award" thread...

[Gravekeeper]

Another one from Texas and another one with fireworks.

Though this guy lit fireworks off of his chest intentionally. The fireworks in question where 60 gram mortar style. Basically artillery. >.>

[Andara Bledin]

You know, I can't help but wonder if some of these people who are "everybody's friend" and "the life of the party" don't have some sort of mental issue that causes them to seek out greater and greater stunts so that they stay in the spotlight.

It's possible that the internalization that the only reason people stick around is for the schtick causes them to believe they have to keep upping the ante or everybody will go find some new friend. Basically, it's a tragic unintended consequence of mis-directed praise (omg, you're so funny, etc).

[Gravekeeper]

You know, I can't help but wonder if some of these people who are "everybody's friend" and "the life of the party" don't have some sort of mental issue that causes them to seek out greater and greater stunts so that they stay in the spotlight.

I believe the medical term is "histrionic personality disorder". >.>

Alternatively, endorphins are a hell of a drug.

[Rageaholic]

The first guy is a good cautionary tale that you don't clown around with explosives. And, oh yeah, fireworks are explosives.

Also, I'm fairly certain that mortar fireworks are illegal for anyone without a license in the entire US. I know this is the case for Florida (anything that can fly or blow up is illegal for consumers) so even if he didn't mean to do what he did, he was breaking the law just by having that class of firework in the first place.

If it's a law, it's probably not very well known. I haven't heard of such a law until now.

As for the firework guy, how did this happen? I know he put the mortar on his head, but did he even light it or was he foolishly playing with the lighter before it went off?

[Andara Bledin]

If it's a law, it's probably not very well known. I haven't heard of such a law until now.

That explosive fireworks are illegal in Florida?

Florida and California have the same rules, according to Wikipedia, along with nearly a third of the US (plus two more with stricter regulations and three with accross-the-board bans):

Sixteen states — Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Maryland, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia — allow the sale and use of non-aerial and non-explosive fireworks (also called "safe and sane") like novelties, fountains and sparklers, est.

About half the nation restricts against flyers and bangers while just over half allows them to varying degrees.

If you've heard the term "Safe and Sane" then you probably live in one of those 18 with restrictions.

[Titi]

I had this same discussion with my manager a couple of months ago when this happened

http://www.unionleader.com/article/2...WS07/150509269

While I feel for the family and friends of the guy that was lost, I would think that a police officer would have had more sense than to attempt to ride a bike down the basement stairs of a house so I had no sympathy for him.

[protege]

The second guy, though... He totally knew exactly what he was doing and chose to do exactly what he did. No sympathy. Sympathy for the people who had to deal with the aftermath, but zero for him.

No sympathy here either. There's a reason why that sign was installed. He chose to ignore it, and paid the price.

Reminds me of something similar. I'm sure everyone remembers the kid who got killed some years ago by trying to score free soda from a vending machine. He tried to tip the machine forward just enough that one would fall off the rack. Instead, he went overboard...and the machine fell on him Why you'd risk your life over a 50-cent can of Coke, I have no idea

That wasn't the end of it. No, his family sued Coke...because there wasn't a *warning* on the machine. Seriously? You need a fucking warning not to do that? A vending machine (at least the ones we had when I worked at camp) weighs as much as a small car. Why the hell would you think that tipping one towards you is a good idea? Last I heard, it got tossed.

There's a reason why this crap goes on in the US (and other places too, I assume?). We tend to *tolerate* and *reward* stupidity here. Instead of calling someone an idiot for Darwinning themselves, instead they get coddled. They get told "it's not your fault." Too many excuses, and everyone wonders why this crap keeps happening.

[Andara Bledin]

From the articles, a marina employee told him about the alligator. And somebody else shouted a warning before he jumped in, to which he uttered his now-famous last words. >_>

And apparently "Bear" will not be charged in the killing of the gator, but was issued a warning citation, likely so that it's on the books.

There's a reason why this crap goes on in the US (and other places too, I assume?). We tend to *tolerate* and *reward* stupidity here. Instead of calling someone an idiot for Darwinning themselves, instead they get coddled. They get told "it's not your fault." Too many excuses, and everyone wonders why this crap keeps happening.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure the soda kid (and every other would-be soda thief crushed by the machine they tried to tip - there's rather quite a few of them) gets pretty roundly mocked any time it comes up.

And alligator guy is getting zero sympathy.

Haven't seen any of this "coddling" you're talking about...

[wolfie]

Something that occurred to me - how many of these cases are people who would prefer to be remembered as someone who got killed doing something blatantly stupid than as a suicide?

[HYHYBT]

Why you'd risk your life over a 50-cent can of Coke, I have no idea

Generally because they don't believe it IS a risk, or even think things through enough to realize it might be. The thought process is "my drink is stuck; maybe if I jiggle it a bit, it will come loose," not "this machine is big and heavy; maybe trying to jar the soda loose will tip it over."