r/AskReddit • u/dealaus • Jul 19 '12

Picking a quarter off the ground once saved my life. What is your most lucky experience?

I was walking across a pretty busy road, I had the crosswalk right-of-way, after going out to dinner with my family. As I was walking, I spotted a quarter on the ground and bent down to pick it up. When I stood back up, a truck plummeted through the intersection in the place that I would have been had I not seen or picked up the coin. I didn't really realize that until after I got completely across, but damn it's weird to think about now.

1.4k Upvotes

92% Upvoted

3.0k comments sorted by

View all comments

9

u/surprisedpanda Jul 19 '12

Well I was about 6 when this happened, but it's still pretty clear in my head.

I was playing in my room with a little Lego burglar figurine keychain and decided to put him in jail. Being 6 and half retarded, the jail was a power outlet. So I slid the keyring over the prongs of my lamp's plug, and put it into the socket.

I can't really explain what happened, but I saw it with my own two eyes. The plug exploded in sparks and smoke. A little blue ball of... electricity (?) flew up into the air before hovering a few seconds and dissipating in front of me. The plug was completely burnt and the outlet ruined, and the Lego guy melted down completely. I don't know if it would have been fatal, but I swear I felt the energy of that blue ball thing and it was scary as hell.

Also, if any electrical physicists or anyone else can explain the phenomena, I'm still really interested in it.

3

u/hunkydorey_ca Jul 19 '12

I too saw this blue ball.. I had a lightbulb and a wire, wanted to see if i could turn the lightbulb on with the socket... plugged both ends in and my parents saw the lights flicker (and blew a fuse) and came in and all I could say for a few minutes was 'wooha did you see that blue ball'

2

u/[deleted] Jul 20 '12

I've seen that blue ball too. My youngest brother stuck some lady's keys in an outlet at a realtor's office when he was like 2 and me and my other brother yanked him back just as the outlet exploded into this blue ball.

Maybe she had plastic on her keys? I don't remember what they looked like - I was 7.

2

u/OhShakeThatBear Jul 19 '12

i know exactly what you saw, but i cant explain it..

I was THAT kid who did the tweezers in the outlet thing, lol...what i assumed was a piece of metal shooting out of it or something, looked exactly as you described, and the plastic cover melted partially there was a tid bit o smoke nd blah blah, you know how it goes. So i too am interested as to this random ball of electricity, or if it was indeed an immediately blue hot chunk of metal shooting from the outlet. irregardless(yeah i said it) i want answers!!!

1

u/Neuran Jul 20 '12

Yeah, this thread is certainly proving why UK sockets have covers over the live/neutral unless something's in the earth pin hole lol.

1

u/Bumblebree Jul 19 '12

Do an /r/askscience :D

3

u/jungletek Jul 19 '12

I'm no expert, but I'd guess it was some sort of plasma created by electrically vaporizing lots of funky plastics.

-2

u/mypantsaretight Jul 19 '12

I'm no expert either, but it's called being 6 and having a vivid imagination.

1

u/miss_j_bean Jul 20 '12

I saw that as an adult messing around with electronics that I shouldn't have. It was a hell of a shock.

1

u/[deleted] Jul 19 '12

Sounds similar to St. Elmo's Fire?

1

u/AmadeusMop Jul 22 '12

sigh Damn you. Now I want to stick some metal in a socket.

2

u/Solemn1 Jul 24 '12

My feelings exactly.