Charles Darwin's Darwin Awards 
HOME
Darwin Awards
At-Risk Survivors
Slush Pile
2007 December Slush
(?) Good Samaritans
(?) Just Two For The Air
DA: The Alchemist
(NO)Tigers maul zoo visitor to death
(?)slagged
(HM)Man Nearly Dies Downing Vodka at Ai
(?)Escape to Death
(DA)Why Didn't the Truck Blow Up?
(?)19 year old killed By his own pipe
(?)snowmobile rider killed on I-84
(?)Can't they do anything right?
(Hmm)Teen Taunts Tiger, Gets Killed
(DA)Burglar cable ascent and descent
Sleepy Boater on Auto Pilot
Driving Switch-a-Roo
Officers investigating bizarre free
It's About the Pin, Stupid
gaurd rail 1 biker 0
Crashing Rage-aholic
The idiot and the firework.
Hunting from a Kayak
Pizza Pal Perishes Pitifully
Desperate lover
Cyclist who crashed with rattlesnak
Crime didn't pay
Dried out thief
smokin berries
Live on TV, it's 'railroad chicken'
Dad has gone, fishing....
Barely survived as teenager!
Fuel drum explodes in teen's face
Firecracker!
Drunken Leaper
Homemade bomb blast kills teen
Click or Screw?
A Hand of Light
Balls of Fire
Run over by own car
Death at a Football Game
Road Rage Causes Deadly Accident
Man injured in fall from Gatlinburg
Moronic Ski Day
Bigfoot Hoax Backfires
Stump Remover
Man Shots Self in Leg
Wally Trolley Dash
death by booze and lapdance
snake souvinere survivor
potato gun
stonner electricion electricuted
house got burned because of spider
Older Slush 
 
~ Random Story ~
Email Alert!
NEW! Gift Shop
Rules  Search
Contact Darwin
Submit a Story
Philosophy Forum
Home

  

Darwin Awards
2008 Slush Pile

This item was recently submitted by a reader.
Should I include it in the archive?
Vote to tell me what *you* think!

house got burned because of spider

2007 Reader Submission
Pending Acceptance

Zülpich: Frau brannte Haus nieder - sie wollte Spinnen töten In Zülpich hat eine Frau beim Versuch mehrere Spinnen in ihrer Garage zu töten versehentlich eine ganze Doppelhaus-Hälfte unbewohnbar gemacht. Sie hatte zuerst versucht, die Spinnen mit Haarspray zu töten, was ihr aber misslang. Danach versuchte sie die Tiere mit einem Feuerzeug zu verbrennen. Dabei entstand durch das versprühte Haarspray eine so große Flamme, dass diese eine Hecke zum Brennen brachte. Sie schaffte es dann nicht, mit einem Gartenschlauch das Feuer zu löschen. Von der Hecke griff das Feuer dann auf das Haus über, das seitdem unbewohnbar ist. Die Feuerwehr konnte nur noch den Übergriff auf das Nachbarhaus verhindern. Der Sachschaden soll über 100.000 Euro betragen. http://www.shortnews.de/start.cfm?id=587780

Submitted on 12/30/2007

Submitted by: Anonymous
Reference: Stern Short News 02.09.05

Copyright © 2008 DarwinAwards.com

Great? 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 Awful?
Love it! Hate it!
>> Moderator Scores <<

Bruce said:
Maybe Toss: No Self-Selection
While an amusing story it sounds like the woman simply didn't think things through but never was in any real danger. True she burned down her house, but it doesn't sound like there is any self-selection involved here. Thanks just the same.


Chip said:
Definitely Keep: Honorable Mention
While there was no injury (or worse) from the twice-stupid attempt to kill a spider, there very well could have been so I will vote for an honorable mention on this one.


James said:
Definitely Keep: Honorable Mention
There are impulsive, phobia-driven acts, and then there's this. Unless spiders in Germany are anthropophagous and three or more feet in diameter, I can see no reason this woman couldn't have just gone to the nearest store and purchased a can of "Raid" or other similar insecticide. Perhaps this is more overreaction than stupidity, but the fact that she tried it a SECOND time is what does it for me! Thanks!


The Darwin Awards Gift Shop

The Darwin Awards Condom

Keep yourself out of the gene pool!
A condom in a matchbook, useful for emergency contraception, bachelor parties, frat parties, and important rites of passage. LOADED inside and out with funny quotes and stories. Everyone loves this item!
Friends don't let friends reproduce!
$13 for Pack of 4

 

 

Slush Pile
Slush Pile Rejects

HomeRulesFAQsAwardsSlushSite Map
DarwinAward | HonorableMention | PersonalAccount | UrbanLegend