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Jolt from PG&E control box seriously burns woman
San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 10/4/5 | Steve Rubenstein

Posted on 10/04/2005 1:03:59 PM PDT by SmithL

SAN JOSE -- A San Jose woman was burned over 50 percent of her body early today when electricity surged through her after she apparently broke into a Pacific Gas and Electric Co. control box, authorities said.

The 41-year-old woman was being treated at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center for burns she suffered at 3 a.m. at Meridian and Foxworthy avenues in San Jose, police Sgt. Nick Muyo said.

The woman, who was not identified, was "apparently attempting to access the control box in order to remove copper wire,'' PG&E spokesman Jeff Smith said.

Smith said that PG&E copper wire is occasionally stolen and resold for its metal value.

(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; News/Current Events; US: California
KEYWORDS: burned; darwinwannabe; hottomeintheoldtown
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Back in East Tennessee, we'd talk about the kind of thief that would steal a chimney, and come back for the smoke.
1 posted on 10/04/2005 1:04:03 PM PDT by SmithL
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To: SmithL

Zotaroonie. Ouch.


2 posted on 10/04/2005 1:05:16 PM PDT by cripplecreek (Never a minigun handy when you need one.)
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To: SmithL

What's pathetic is that the perp will no doubt sue PG&E and collect.


3 posted on 10/04/2005 1:05:26 PM PDT by AxelPaulsenJr (Pray Daily For Our Troops and President Bush.)
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To: SmithL

Isn't this like trying to steal hubcaps from a moving car?


4 posted on 10/04/2005 1:06:06 PM PDT by Niteranger68 ("Spare the rod, spoil the liberal.")
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To: AxelPaulsenJr

The box actively tempted her. She couldn't help herself.


5 posted on 10/04/2005 1:06:24 PM PDT by AppyPappy (If you aren't part of the solution, there is good money to be made prolonging the problem.)
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To: SmithL

Bush's fault, no doubt. Future Darwin nominee though.


6 posted on 10/04/2005 1:06:38 PM PDT by theDentist (The Dems have put all their eggs in one basket-case: Howard "Belltower" Dean.)
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To: SmithL

Did she cop to kiping the copper?


7 posted on 10/04/2005 1:06:42 PM PDT by GSWarrior (To activate this tagline, please contact the administrator.)
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To: SmithL

Damn lucky she's still alive after that stunt.


8 posted on 10/04/2005 1:06:57 PM PDT by caver (Yes, I did crawl out of a hole in the ground.)
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To: SmithL

You go into a big ole electrical control box to take the wire....that the electricity is traveling through!?!

Are you crazy isn't even a question.


9 posted on 10/04/2005 1:07:42 PM PDT by najida (The internet is for kids grown up-- Where else could you have 10,000 imaginary friends?)
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To: SmithL

Bet she won't do that again.


10 posted on 10/04/2005 1:08:02 PM PDT by txroadkill (It must really suck to be a democrat)
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To: SmithL

Darwin award candidate?


11 posted on 10/04/2005 1:09:40 PM PDT by Ben Mugged
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To: SmithL
She had a great alternative income idea, but then the eeeeevil multinational corporate moguls decided to pass electrical current through the wires, just to foil people like her!!
12 posted on 10/04/2005 1:09:53 PM PDT by coloradan (Hence, etc.)
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To: AxelPaulsenJr

Just what I thought when first reading it. Her lawyer will contend that PG&E did not put a big enough lock on the box, the warning sign should have been made to look more menacing, or the box was too alluring.


13 posted on 10/04/2005 1:09:58 PM PDT by Andyman (Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God.)
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To: coloradan

Foil? Boil? Broil?


14 posted on 10/04/2005 1:10:23 PM PDT by coloradan (Hence, etc.)
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To: SmithL

Reminds me of a story I read a few years back. Some gangbanger was running from the police when he decided to hop a fence and take a shortcut through an electrical substation. The short version is that he didn't make it out the other side. The longer version is a little more gory, but can be summed up as: Climbing on substation equipment is a BAAAD idea!


15 posted on 10/04/2005 1:11:48 PM PDT by Arthalion
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To: SmithL

OMG the Freep-a-thon ad is PERFECT!!!


16 posted on 10/04/2005 1:12:23 PM PDT by An.American.Expatriate (Here's my strategy on the War against Terrorism: We win, they lose. - with apologies to R.R.)
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To: najida; aculeus; general_re; mhking; Larry Lucido
You go into a big ole electrical control box to take the wire....that the electricity is traveling through!?!

Poor risk/reward ratio.

You can find pix on the web, not pretty, of people who've climbed poles to steal power lines.

17 posted on 10/04/2005 1:13:04 PM PDT by dighton
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To: Andyman

I know of a similar case here in Arkansas, where a fellow was stealing copper wire from a pole. Only problem was the line was hot. The perp was fried, his family sued Entergy Corp. and won.


18 posted on 10/04/2005 1:13:33 PM PDT by AxelPaulsenJr (Pray Daily For Our Troops and President Bush.)
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To: An.American.Expatriate

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM....

Just realised they are dynamic - what a drag .....

When I viewed it before posting - the Double Lighting Zot was shown.....


19 posted on 10/04/2005 1:14:07 PM PDT by An.American.Expatriate (Here's my strategy on the War against Terrorism: We win, they lose. - with apologies to R.R.)
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To: GSWarrior

Copper Clapper Caper

20 posted on 10/04/2005 1:15:21 PM PDT by txroadkill (It must really suck to be a democrat)
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