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Michael Harper is an idiot. The 36-year-old Leicestershire-man was in the middle of robbing a power sub-station when he decided, hey, why not urinate on the power transformer. The transformer exploded, Harper caught on fire, and 2,000 people lost power. Dunce.
Harper and an accomplice were stealing copper wire (naturally) from the station. To keep from being electrocuted, they had insulated the wires with oil. Which, of course, catches on fire when a moron pees on a transformer and sends sparks flying around.
Harper was “permanently disfigured” by the explosion and sentenced to a year in jail, where, with any luck, he’ll pee on the electrified fence in the yard. [Leicester Mercury via News.com.au via Fark]
My sympathies for those who lost power.
And quite rightly, none for the arsehole who got injured. We can only hope that his ‘permanent disfigurement’ means he will not be passing his genes on.
PS is it really sad that I’m excited and over the moon about the possibility of *excited shudder* replies? On giz uk?!
My power was back fairly soon, i appreciate your sympathy. However, diverting my power to speed up natural selection is a worthy cause in my book!
Very public spirited of you
You really need to get a user pic your name is too go to go without one.
I did try at one time but couldn’t find the option. How would i do it? Reply to comments, best invention since sliced bread Giz uk
Bottom right of this page (above the giz logo) see the link for “how do I add an avatar”
This is Darwins Law at work. I’m not usually a vindictive or spiteful person, but I hope he’s currently walking around with what looks like a reject Twiglet for a penis. Really sick of all these scumbags stealing metal from everywhere! It’s really bad here in coventry (although from what I see it’s bad everywhere).
Fair enough, Coventry may be as bad as you say, but how is the cable theft situation there?
haha very sneaky! So right though, I tend to call it Chaventry.
I think this calls for an honourable mention in the Darwin Awards… not quite a qualifier due to not actually dying, but still xD
I think you can still get one for removing yourself from the gene pool
“To keep from being electrocuted, they had insulated the wires with oil.”
I don’t want to defend the idiot who pissed on the transformer, but this does seem like an odd choice of insulation, especially seeing as I can imagine other situations not involving bodily fluids where fire could still be the outcome. Does anyone know the reason for choosing oil as insulation over erm… well, insulation? The stuff they wrap wires in, that is.
I guess it has something to do with oil repelling water… I read an article about burying the national grid and why it wasn’t feasible; from what I remember electricity cables etc are out in the air to keep them cool. Insulating them would cause them to catch fire I would think.
I do like a happy ending!
The sad thing is he’ll probably claim and get a load of compensation.
Shame he won’t be able to buy himself a new weiner!
Unlikely, as he was breaking and entering at the time.