Another NZer up for a Darwin award?

[bane]

Firstly, let me say that any death, especially that a young person is a tragedy, no matter what the circumstance. My thoughts and condolences go out to family and friends (that is not a PT).

However said circumstances I believe fit the criteria of the awards.

Five people in a car, sniffing LPG from a gas cylinder, one of them decides he needs a smoke.... oh dear...

[merv]

Yeah I was thinking the same myself after I read this on Stuff today:

Youth killed when teen sniffing gas lights cigarette
31 October 2006

A youth was killed when one of five teenagers sniffing from an LPG bottle in a car parked in Blenheim apparently lit a cigarette, police believe.


Thomas Kelson Hillman, 18, of Picton was killed after the gas explosion at 9.30pm last night. The other four remain in stable condition in Wairau Hospital.

Senior Sergeant Tony Sampson of the Blenheim police said initial inquiries failed to find any fault with the portable gas bottle which had been handled by members of the group at the time of the explosion.

Some members of the group were involved in inhaling flammable gases, he said.

It appeared that some had been sniffing LPG from the bottle minutes before the explosion, he said.

"It appears that an attempt to light a cigarette in the vehicle a short time later may have caused the explosion."

Mr Sampson said Mr Hillman had only been with the group for a short-time before the explosion but it was unknown if he had been inhaling the gas.

He survived the blast and was taken to Wairau Hospital, where staff spent "quite some time" in an unsuccessful effort to save his life.

Mr Sampson said police and fire service investigators were warning that substance abuse involving flammable gases was an extremely dangerous practice and "one which can have tragic consequences".

Mr Hillman's death has been reported to the coroner and police inquiries were continuing.

[Hitcher]

I had my suspicions when the news about a gas cylinder explosion was first published. Cylinders generally don't explode if they are being treated in a seemly manner.

[Waylander]

So how soon for the ban on LPG containers? Or maybe lighters?

[bobsmith]

So how soon for the ban on LPG containers? Or maybe lighters?

Nah, I think we should ban teenagers. they're dangerous. Hell ban all kids while we're at it then we'll never have to worry about dieing children, etc...

[doc]

So how soon for the ban on LPG containers? Or maybe lighters?

As a user pays society we should really look at a tax on the people that use gas cylinders to pay a tax on each refill to pay for the cost of this "Tragedy". Then the "Consolidated Fund" can be used to solve the problem.

[Waylander]

As a user pays society we should really look at a tax on the people that use gas cylinders to pay a tax on each refill to pay for the cost of this "Tragedy". Then the "Consolidated Fund" can be used to solve the problem.

More likely end up in some politico pocket. Then they can say that the tax isn't enough to cover for it and raise it again.

[Skyryder]

So how soon for the ban on LPG containers? Or maybe lighters?

I thought a ban on smoking might be the way to go.


Skyryder

[dawnrazor]

survival of the fittest

[Waylander]

I thought a ban on smoking might be the way to go.


Skyryder

Nah, they get too much money on the tobacco tax.

[Drum]

Makes me proud to be from Blenheim.

Maybe if pot was decriminalised they might've just had a toke instead, and one kid would still be alive today.

[Motu]

When I heard about it this morning it sounded like the media were getting set up to run with how dangerous it is to have LPG bottles in cars.....and I was thinking,now how can this be a problem when people have been doing it for decades without a problem.

Now we find out what really happened....phew,I can still jamb my bottle between the front and rear seats so it won't roll around.

I can't beleive how unbeleivable stupid this younger generation coming through now is......ok,it's natural to be somewhat thick at that age,but really.....

[Paul in NZ]

LPG gets you high?? No wonder BBQ's are so popular.

I would have thought that it is an expensive way to get high given the current cost of a bottle of cheap red wine

[MrMelon]

Jesus there were 5 of them in there. Did one of them not become a little suspicious when another started rolling a smoke and asked for a light?!

[SlashWylde]

Nah, they get too much money on the tobacco tax.

...well actually the govt is gearing up to eliminate smoking altogether. The plan is to progressively raise the price of tobacco and eventually replace name brand cigarette with a plain packaged variety, with distribution controlled by the state. The long term aim is to see what they call an "end game" point in time where there are no more tobacco sales.

Now I have no problem with this in regards to cigarette smoking which is an addiction which costs the country a lot of money. But as a cigar aficionado who enjoys a good Cuban one or twice a year it really fucks me off that the nanny state is trying to tell me I can't have one.

I suppose cigarette smokers would feel the same however.

Rant over...back to your regularly scheduled insanity...