Question for Ashdigger

[georged]

After watching a YouTube compilation of tourists getting their pic taken next to one of the horseback royal guards at Buckingham Palace---and grabbing the horse's reins for shits 'n' giggles to make the photo "better"---all within a couple of feet from a large, impossible-to-miss sign that says

DO NOT MESS WITH THE HORSE --- IT KICKS AND BITES

I got to wondering what the champion story might be in Ashdigging profession. Legend status idiocy.

My guess: someone fired off a Roman candle in their living room during some celebration or other.

 

[brian64]

My guess: someone fired off a Roman candle in their living room during some celebration or other.

It's just gotta be way worse than that.

 

[NomadOrb]

I have a feeling Ash is going to make us regret that you asked that question.

 

[Servant King]

My guess is something involving fortuitously timed flatulence, a bic lighter, and a sizable cash wager.

Drunkenness too, but I figure that's basically a given.

 

[ashdigger]

I can break this into multiple stories because, it’s too hard to pick out from the nonsense Olympics, the true champion.

I’ll start with this one.

I investigated a vehicle fire. The vehicle was driving down the road when the insured heard a loud BANG and the engine compartment burst into flames.

Upon inspection and questioning…..

The 2000 Chrysler Minivan had 140,000 miles and had never had the oil changed.

When I inquired why, the insured responded “The dealership told me free oil changes for the life of the vehicle”

He interpreted that as never needing one because it was “free of oil changes”

 

[MarcosEZLN]

I can break this into multiple stories because, it’s too hard to pick out from the nonsense Olympics, the true champion.

I’ll start with this one.

I investigated a vehicle fire. The vehicle was driving down the road when the insured heard a loud BANG and the engine compartment burst into flames.

Upon inspection and questioning…..

The 2000 Chrysler Minivan had 140,000 miles and had never had the oil changed.

When I inquired why, the insured responded “The dealership told me free oil changes for the life of the vehicle”

He interpreted that as never needing one because it was “free of oil changes”

I mean, in the insured's defense, that vehicle did last its entire life without an oil change.

 

[ashdigger]

Another good one.

A guy had spent one month of his free time sanding and refinishing his wood floors on a two story house with a basement.

The hallways, bedrooms and basement were all hard wood. The bathrooms and kitchen were going to be tile.

He put all of his stain down and the next day he figured he’s start on the kitchen and he had construction debris to clean up so he fired up the shop vac and the low order explosion blew him against the wall, but luckily only burned the shop vac.

 

[ashdigger]

Shop Vac stories are the best because people don’t understand that the motor isn’t spark proof.

I had a guy changing the gas out of one snowmobile to the other, using the shop vac as a transfer pump.

Atomizing gas with a sparking ignition source doesn’t end well.

Another guy did the same with quads.

Another guy vacuumed out his trucks gas tank.

Another guy used his shop vac to transfer gas between the fuel tanks on his $150,000 boat.

They all end the same.

Sometimes the person even survives.

 

[ashdigger]

I had a case where a dad was teaching his son how to weld, in the garage, next to the family car. The renegade slag ignited the cardboard boxes filled with Christmas decorations.

 

[brian64]

Those are all pretty good, but considering the kind of things that people are capable of, I really expected it to be a lot crazier.

The 140K with no oil change is a good one though. I'm actually impressed it made it that far.

 

[ashdigger]

In my profession the causes of fires are Accidental, Incendiary, Natural and Undetermined.

More commonly known as Darwin, Stupidity and dumbass.

A great example is a woman was on oxygen and smoking.

Well, while dangerous, the key is don’t wear a cotton top. Cotton holds the oxygen in a perfect stoichiometric balance (sweet spot of fuel air mixtures) and then the draw essentially causes the face to ignite along with the clothes.

 

[ashdigger]

In the southwest we have two things, a lot of architecture utilizing structural foam behind stucco and spiders.

So people make homemade blow torches using brake cleaner and a lighter to kill the spiders.

Well, the rigid foam ignited and works it’s way up the wall and ignites in the attic.

Attic fires are dangerous because they have oxygen and fuel and are protected.

 

[ashdigger]

And to answer the original question, the fireworks fires come in two forms.

1. Putting fireworks in a garbage can without soaking them. Never ends well.

2. Kids playing with fireworks in their room and suffering horrendous injuries or death.

I love the 4th of July, I hate fireworks.

 

[warren]

Don't forget the dummies who put a lamp on the table, bend the cord 90 degrees and then push it tight to the wall.

I love the 4th of July, I hate fireworks.

I can handle a fireworks show but, intermittent fireworks in the neighborhood trigger my PTSD at times.

 

[ashdigger]

Well here’s something people are capable of.

I worked a case where an alcoholic wasn’t allowed to go to the house his family resided in because of domestic violence issues.

He went there anyway. Got into the garage and created chaos. He eventually got into the house. He bound and gagged his wife and three children. He ignited the garage and one bedroom.

When the firefighters arrived and kicked in the front door they tripped over the family. They were all still alive.

They searched the house and found him sitting in the basement smoking a cigarette, drinking whiskey and watching pornography.

 

[solideogloria86]

Well here’s something people are capable of.

I worked a case where an alcoholic wasn’t allowed to go to the house his family resided in because of domestic violence issues.

He went there anyway. Got into the garage and created chaos. He eventually got into the house. He bound and gagged his wife and three children. He ignited the garage and one bedroom.

When the firefighters arrived and kicked in the front door they tripped over the family. They were all still alive.

They searched the house and found him sitting in the basement smoking a cigarette, drinking whiskey and watching pornography.

I can be disgusted by humanity, but never really surprised.

 

[solideogloria86]

P.S. Thanks for adding the science to go along with the stories.

 

[verporchting]

You definitely have an interesting life! Great stuff, thanks for sharing!

 

[sablebrush52]

Well here’s something people are capable of.

I worked a case where an alcoholic wasn’t allowed to go to the house his family resided in because of domestic violence issues.

He went there anyway. Got into the garage and created chaos. He eventually got into the house. He bound and gagged his wife and three children. He ignited the garage and one bedroom.

When the firefighters arrived and kicked in the front door they tripped over the family. They were all still alive.

They searched the house and found him sitting in the basement smoking a cigarette, drinking whiskey and watching pornography.

Which congressional district is he representing?

 

[ashdigger]

Which congressional district is he representing?

Not too far off.