Posted on 07/04/2010 11:35:40 AM PDT by llevrok
KIRKLAND, Wash. - Homemade fireworks caused an explosion inside a vehicle on Interstate 405 in Kirkland on Saturday.
The Washington State Patrol says a man filled some balloons with welding gas - a combination of oxygen and acetylene gas - which is normally stored in steel cylinders.
They rubbed together, causing static electricity, and exploded. Troopers say the blast blew out the back window of the pickup truck.
They say the man, woman and 3-year-old girl in the vehicle are lucky they were not injured or even killed in the blast.
"Hold my beer and watch this", was mentioned at the time of lighting the fuse/liftoff.
By timing the flash to the arrival of the sound, and estimating the angle of elevation... I've had some go to 1500 feet and 2.5 miles (horizontal distance) away before blowing. The explosion was LOUD at 2.5 miles away... I can only imagine what it was like directly below the explosion.
If I did this today, I'd imagine I'd be waterboarded.
Sounds like a Darwin award candidate.
This proves the point that dumb people are everywhere...and not just in the South!
But...boy howdy...I could see this going down in any state in the South! lol
Stupidity knows no borders.
And rightfully so! /sarc
I seem to recall filling glass bottles with calcium carbide rocks, catching the fumes (acetylene?) in balloons, putting the balloons in a big paper bag, taking the bag to Mom’s school dumpster and lighting it ... I mean, um, wow, what a dream I had!
Good imaginary times.
LOL
Did you ever get your hearing back?
;<)
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