Sporting an iPod isn't always the care-free, non-stop dance party that Apple's marketing department would like us to believe. We already knew that the devices could
cause accelerated hearing loss,
get you mugged on the subway, and
take away your free will, and now it seems that the popular DAP may also make you an attractive target for the cruel wrath of Mother Nature. Seventeen-year-old Jason Bunch of Colorado was enjoying a lazy Sunday afternoon mowing the lawn this past weekend, when all of a sudden he woke up in bed with burns all over his face, vomiting and bleeding from his ears. Although its not clear whether the iPod he was listening to acted as an antenna for the bolt of lightning that ran through his body, its melted earbuds and a hole in the back of the case would seem to indicate that it did indeed serve as a pathway for the harmful electricity. Not only did Bunch lose hearing in one ear and his sense of equilibrium, but even worse, the incident also forced him to stand up his date for the evening -- and we doubt he'll get another chance with this particular girl after offering such an unbelievable and lame-sounding excuse for his absence.
[Via
The Raw Feed]
posted July 7th 2006 9:57AM
Who the hell mows the lawn when it's storming anyway?
Now I look at my Ipod, it stares back at me and tells me I'm next.
It also seems the cord prevented the charge to go through his heart, thus keeping it safe from arrest and saved his life... no? ;-)
All the iPod silhouttes look like they're being electrocuted when they dance in those damn commercials... was apple forseeing this? =O
Thank god those porkchops didn't suffer any damage or else he would never be able to date again, ever!
Now the important question...Did the iPod survive?
two points I found confusing
1. An ipod is relatively small, especially in comparison to a lawn mower, which, I have found, are general constructed of a metallic material
2. Why the hell are you mowing a lawn with a lightning storm approaching. I am assuming, of course, that the first bolt was not the one to strike him and that clouds did form to warn of the on-coming storm
This sounds more like a nominee for a Darwin award than a case of someone I should feel bad for
lol
But I suppose he wasn't hit because of the iPod.
Mythbusters proofed in an Experiment that was about lightning attracting piecrings that you have to wear a door knob in your face to higher the chance of getting hit by a lighnting.
But that the power went trgough his headphone is possible although it was probably molten trough after some microseconds.
If the Apple market share is 70 Percent 70 percent of all people geting hit by a lightning with headphones use an iPod.
I wonder if the lawnmower he was holding onto was one of those with a handle bar made of metal...
Why is it that anything even remotely connected to an iPod becomes news? I doubt the ipod had any effect in attracting lightning (and if it did, it would be pretty nonsignificant).
Isn't the phrase "iPod equipped teen" a bit redundant?
I seem to remember everyone's favorite Myth Busters address the increased chance of lightning striking a person with heavy facial piercings -- perhaps it's time for an iPod revisit?
And I agree with Z -- I'd think that if the iPod did anything at all, it avoided the fatal path through the heart.
(PS: We (Colorado) are fortunate enough to have more lightning strike victims than any other state -- like I need another excuse not to go to work this morning)
Suggestion: DONT MOW THE LAWN WHILE ITS RAINING!
I don't understand how he can possibly believe that it was his iPod when he was sitting there mowing the lawn. It is not uncommon to get struck by lightning while mowing the lawn. How can this guy possibly believe it was the iPod and not the lawn mower?
This is why if you hear thunder or see rain clouds you shouldnt be outside. Honeslty to show how f'in stupid people are. On the 4th of july in my neighborhood a storm was coming and i could hear thunder in the distance. Yet people on our street stayed in the pools and playing outside till it started raining really hard. Its really ashame but its natures way of weeding out the morons.
Yikes!
I also question why he was mowing in an (assumed) rain storm, but still...that's crazy.
The dude lost his hearing... it hardly matters whether the iPod works. You can see where the melting earbud burned into his flesh ffs. How about "Best wishes..." instead of a lame date joke?
So, when does the class action lawsuit come out?
it says in most manuals, the warranty does not cover acts of god. I found that one funny myself. One thing that makes me wonder is that if he was using a lawnmower, and he was probably touching it, which meant electricity would have gone through the mower too, doesnt that mean theres a pretty good chance the electricity would have ignited the gas in it?
wickedawesome needs a tall glass of chill the f out. It's just a blog, settle down.
"Jason Bunch was listening to Metallica on his iPod while mowing the lawn outside his Castle Rock home Sunday afternoon when lightning hit him."
Dear Lord, please tell me he was listening to the particular album I'm thinking of right now.....
Actually the iPod SAVED HIS LIFE... THe iPod sucked the lightning instead of hitting him directly.
Why people always blame iPod stuffs.. pfffff
How exactly does one vomit out of the ear?
I agree the ipod gave up it's own life to save that of a stupid young boy.
Watch out ! Metallicas gonna be maiking sure he paid for their songs :)
I'm sure glad that I got a CREATIVE instead!
I agree the ipod gave up it's own life to save that of a stupid young boy.
----
LOL!! iawtc
Hey, I feel real sorry for the guy, but just one thing...
HOW COULD HE HEAR THE IPOD OVER THE NOISE OF THE LAWN MOWER?!
He must have lost some of his hearing already if it was turned up THAT loud.
"How exactly does one vomit out of the ear?"
I was thinking the same thing...
Looks like he's a big fan of sideburns.
Lightning can strike as much as 20 miles away from any lightning generating storm. And freaking accidents can happen: lightning is only the connection of negative particles in the air with positive particles from the ground (I think I have the charges right).
Or simply: God hates Apples. I could see why, since they helped to ruin the garden of eden.
Yep, he should have got an iriver...
Ride the Lightning...yikes!
> How exactly does one vomit out of the ear?
Easy. Read here - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eardrum
Or to be more precise here - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eustachian_tube
Sounds like an episode of The Twilight Zone..
Make room for the new wooden version coming soon.
Must have been listening to AC/DC!
2006 Darwin Award Nominee
This is why people shouldn't be outsdie mowing lawns in thunder and lightning (heck - or even rain). Duh and duh.
Lesson #1. Don't turn the volume up so loud that you can't hear a thunderstorm.
Lesson #2. If it's raining, stop mowing the lawn and go inside.
Lesson #3. Girls are not impressed by guys that haven't learned lesson #2.
If anything, the iPod saved his life. Even though he shouldn't have been mowing the lawn in what we'd assume to be bad weather, it would appear as though the lightning was focused mainly on the copper wire of the headphone cord and the iPod itself.
So what's the big concern about the iPod ? There are so much people having an iPod, a news like "underwear-equipped teen stuck by lightning" would have the same chance to happen.
What About the poor Girl.....is she still willing to go on a date??
How about the more obvious..."God hates metallica" instead of "God hates iPods"
and, as a matter of fact...it is very unlikely that it was an apple that Adam and Eve ate in the garden of Eden
He's dumb to think that he lost his chance with the girl. Women love it when men are taken from their point of being strong, it's where they can really show their motherly power. If he was smart he'd milk this for as long as he could.
The mom:
"It's a miracle," she said. "He should not have lived through it."
What, she's a doctor? Lots of people survive being struck by lightning. I'm glad the kid is alive and everything, but come on. I can't stand it when people speak their opinion in a way that makes them sound like they actually know what they're talking about.
I don't think you people read articles correcly. He wasn't mowing the lawn in a storm or rain. It said he had atleast 15 minutes to go inside before the storm hits. The lightning must have hit before the storm even arrived.
I would stress that even if the iPod played any role whatsoever in the guy getting hit by lightning, the fact that it was an iPod is irrelevant. It could have been an old Sony cassette Walkman and it would have done the same. I find it gratuitous that the fact it was an iPod was such a big part of the story.
RIAA is gonna serve him a lawsuit in the hospital bed for illigally downloading Metallica
"enjoying a lazy Sunday afternoon mowing the lawn"
Yeah, if you're a masochist. Lazy and enjoyable were never terms I associated with cutting the grass when I was a teenager.