Slush Pile: Don't Smoke that Roach, Dude!

2006 Slush Pile

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Don't Smoke that Roach, Dude!

2006 Reader Submission
Pending Acceptance

This is submitted as an Honorable Mention, but I'm keeping my eyes open for further stupidity on their part...

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/3634051

Here on the Gulf Coast we have insect pest problems and generally speaking, those pests are roaches. Particularly when it's warm and humid and they breed (or when it's cold and damp and they come inside). I understand that other places also have roach problems, but some of our roaches can grow to several inches long (at which point the chamber of commerce and the tourist bureau asks us to call them Palmetto Bugs, so as not to scare off any Yankee tourists). And while anyone would freak out when walking into the kitchen at night, flipping on the light and seeing what looks like a moving brown carpet, you tend to get seriously annoyed when your sleep is disturbed by creepy critters scurrying over your body! So what do you do? Well, if you live in an apartment, you call the management and they dispatch a maintenance man over to help out. This generally means using foggers. And if one fogger is good, more are better, right? Warning labels? Real Guys don't need any warning labels! Real Guys *know* what they're doing! So an apartment resident and a maintenance man in Hitchcock, TX set off 18 foggers in a 2 bedroom apartment and the fumes were ignited by a pilot light. According to the investigating officer, "The explosion caused the bricks to come off the side of the building and the water pipes to burst." Not only that, that part of the apartment was so damaged that the the surrounding units were condemned. The resident and the maintenance man were taken to the hospital with minor burns to the face and upper chest. No bystanders (human or animal) were injured. Anyone want to make a bet about whether the roaches survived?

Submitted on 02/04/2006

Submitted by: Jim
Reference: Houston Chronicle, 3 Feb 06

>> Moderator Scores <<

James said:
Neutral: Honorable Mention
I like this write up a LOT better than the first one we received. Apparently, this news link suggests that the tenant worked in cahoots with the maintenance man and is thus a participant and not a bystander. 18 foggers where four or five would do? sounds like overkill to me...and good enough for an HM. Thanks, Jim!

Jack said:
Neutral: For Darwin's Eyes
I have to recuse myself from this one, as I know the submitter and helped him with the write-up.

Jorge said:
Definitely Toss: Repeat

Greg said:
Maybe Toss: Bystanders Hurt
I've read multiple different reports on this event, and contrary to the "No bystanders (human or animal) were injured" claim in this write-up, two people were injured I'm afraid. Shame, because it's a good one. Thanks for an excellent write-up! :-)

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2006 Slush Pile

Don't Smoke that Roach, Dude!

2006 Reader Submission Pending Acceptance

>> The Darwin Awards, by Wendy Northcutt << Link to Fight Evil.

2006 Reader Submission
Pending Acceptance

>> The Darwin Awards, by Wendy Northcutt <<
Link to Fight Evil.