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Man blows himself up trying to kill a spider
The Telegraph ^ | August 31, 2010 | Laura Roberts

Posted on 08/31/2010 11:16:54 AM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks

The 28 year-old suffered severe burns after attacking the arachnid with an aerosol can at his home in Clacton in Essex.

The man was summoned by his wife to deal with a spider she had seen scuttling behind the lavatory on Bank Holiday Monday. Not being able to reach it, the man decided to kill it by spraying it with the can.

However he was unable to see whether it was dead because the bulb in the bathroom light had blown. At this point he turned to a cigarette lighter to illuminate the room, but in the process ignited the gas fumes and caused an explosion.

The blast was so strong it blew the man off his feet and lifted the loft door off its hinges.

He suffered flash burns to his head, legs and torso and was rushed by ambulance to hospital after dousing himself in cold water.

A spokesman for Essex Fire Service said: "It appears the wife had spotted the creepy crawly in the bathroom and asked her husband to capture it.

"He sprayed it first with an aerosol where it was lurking behind the toilet bowl and when that didn't appear to work, he lit up his lighter to spread some light on the situation as the bathroom bulb had blown.

"There was an almighty explosion which blew the man back into his hallway and lifted the hatch on the loft.

"He did exactly the right thing by jumping into the shower and cooling his burns with cold water while his wife raised the alarm."

Firefighters administered emergency first aid at the scene while waiting for ambulance teams to arrive.

A spokesman added: "We're not entirely sure whether the spider got away or not but there was no sign of it at the scene."

(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Health/Medicine; Pets/Animals; Weird Stuff
KEYWORDS: aerosol; cantfixstupid; explosion; spider
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Ahhh Jolly Old England, the home of Darwinism.
He’s probably lucky he didn’t knock the flour tin off the top shelf before lighting up.


21 posted on 08/31/2010 11:39:03 AM PDT by Waverunner
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To: Slings and Arrows; JoeProBono; Daffynition
Survival of the Fittest PING
22 posted on 08/31/2010 11:40:27 AM PDT by a fool in paradise (I want IMPROVEMENT, not just CHANGE.)
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To: ClearCase_guy

http://www.johnspeedie.com/healy/eyeballs.wav


23 posted on 08/31/2010 11:41:15 AM PDT by BenLurkin (This post is not a statement of fact. It is merely a personal opinion -- or humor -- or both.)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

>> A spokesman added: “We’re not entirely sure whether the spider got away or not but there was no sign of it at the scene.”

Ah, the British wit.


24 posted on 08/31/2010 11:43:20 AM PDT by Gene Eric (Your Hope has been redistributed. Here's your Change.)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks
Had it still been legal to use CFCs, there would have been no explosion. Most non-food aerosol cans today use highly flammable gases as propellants. The kinds of things best left in lighters, camp stoves, etc.

Nitrous Oxide (AKA “laughing gas”) is often the propellant used for food stuffs. That's led to a lot of whipped cream sales — as huffers seek a cheap high.

Just one of the, seldom acknowledged, side-effects of environmental laws.

BTW, asthma suffers are paying a hefty premium for puffers, because CFCs can no longer be used in them. The substitute propellants are much more expensive.

25 posted on 08/31/2010 11:43:44 AM PDT by USFRIENDINVICTORIA
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Greeny effect ... butane is the propellant now, instead of flurocarbons.


26 posted on 08/31/2010 11:46:04 AM PDT by MHGinTN (Dem voters, believing they cannot be deceived, it is impossible to convince them when deceived.)
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To: Anitius Severinus Boethius
What was he spraying that caused an explosion like that?

Probably hairspray. Ever fired a potato cannon?

27 posted on 08/31/2010 11:46:18 AM PDT by 6ppc (It's torch and pitchfork time)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

I use hairspray and leave lighters out of the mix.
Then I show hubby where to claim the carcass. :)


28 posted on 08/31/2010 11:47:25 AM PDT by AirForceMom (Molon Labe)
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To: ErnBatavia
I'd take a can of Right Guard, flick my bic and blowtorch him.

The key point being, you blowtorched him. Spray a bunch into the air then flick your bic and you have a pretty good imitation of a fuel-air explosion (i.e. mini-daisycutter).

29 posted on 08/31/2010 11:49:46 AM PDT by 6ppc (It's torch and pitchfork time)
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To: MHGinTN
butane is the propellant now, instead of flurocarbons.

Brilliant!

30 posted on 08/31/2010 11:51:22 AM PDT by windsorknot
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To: GreyFriar
Darwin Award contestant

He's an idiot and tried to get the award, but he survived and therefore didn't remove himself from the gene pool. No Darwin Award... well, maybe if the flash burns were really bad below the belt he can get one.

31 posted on 08/31/2010 11:52:41 AM PDT by KarlInOhio (Gun control was originally to protect Klansmen from their victims. The basic reason hasn't changed.)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Couldn’t he have just changed the lightbulb first? Or weren’t there two other people available to help him do it?


32 posted on 08/31/2010 11:55:51 AM PDT by ReneeLynn (Socialism is SO yesterday. Fascism, it*s the new black. Mmm Mmm Mmm.)
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To: Anitius Severinus Boethius

Could have simply been hairspray. Very expolsive.


33 posted on 08/31/2010 11:56:22 AM PDT by Lando Lincoln (Reconciliation takes place in November.)
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To: MozarkDawg
Unless the spiders are poisonous (very rare), I leave them alone as well. They more than earn their keep with the harmful insect pests which they kill-- flies, moths and other such vermin.

Occasionally, they will build webs where I don't want them and I merely clean out the webs, usually when the spider is away. I swear they even have the sense to figure out where web building is not allowed, because I do not do it often.

I was once downstairs on the PC when I heard a large fly buzzing because it got tangled in the web. The spider was there in a flash to make sure the catch did not escape. It was rather fascinating to see how the industrious spider landed its prey.

I came to the conclusion that most spiders behave like conservatives, patient and industrious, whereas the vermin insects behave like liberals, stealing and polluting that which they did nothing to create. Now, if only we conservatives could think of a way to turn liberals into something useful they way that spiders do!

34 posted on 08/31/2010 12:01:48 PM PDT by Vigilanteman (Obama: Fake black man. Fake Messiah. Fake American. How many fakes can you fit in one Zer0?)
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To: ErnBatavia
I used to have an apartment with high wood beamed ceilings....when I'd see a spider way up, I'd take a can of Right Guard, flick my bic and blowtorch him.

Well yeah, Flamethrowers are directed weapons. Fuel-Air explosives are area effect ordnance.

35 posted on 08/31/2010 12:07:54 PM PDT by Oztrich Boy (Pardon him...he is a barbarian, and thinks that the customs of his tribe ... are the laws of nature)
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To: GreyFriar
Darwin Award contestant

Not unless he fried his reproductive equipment beyond repair.

36 posted on 08/31/2010 12:09:22 PM PDT by zot
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To: Anitius Severinus Boethius

Many aersol contents are flammable - ie hair spray

also since Freon was banned many use hydrocarbons like butane are propellents


37 posted on 08/31/2010 12:13:32 PM PDT by njslim
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To: PetroniusMaximus

This guy and fried nipples kid should get together.


38 posted on 08/31/2010 12:15:38 PM PDT by cjshapi (Proudly posting without a tagline since 2001)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks
Since this happened in Britland, this song seems appropriate somehow.
39 posted on 08/31/2010 12:16:50 PM PDT by Disambiguator
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To: zot

Point to you.


40 posted on 08/31/2010 12:20:25 PM PDT by GreyFriar (Spearhead - 3rd Armored Division 75-78 & 83-87)
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