Sunday, February 12, 2012

Things I Don't Understand: Pyrotechnically Speaking

From Courthouse News Service:
A college student claims he was injured when a fraternity member in a "drunken stupor" decided "that it would be a good idea to shoot bottle rockets out of his anus," and did so, "but instead of launching, the bottle rocket blew up in the defendant's rectum, and this startled the plaintiff and caused him to jump back," and fall off the fraternity's deck.

     Louis Helmburg III sued The Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity Inc., of Huntington, West Virginia, and Travis Hughes, a fraternity member, in Cabell County Court.

     Helmburg claims - in a statement it would be difficult to deny - that "firing bottle rockets out of one's own anus constitutes an 'ultra-hazardous' activity," which exposes both defendants to strict liability.

     Helmburg says he suffered pain and medical expenses, and lost playing time on the Marshall University baseball team. He claims the Alpha Tau deck from which he fell lacked a railing, which violated Huntington building codes....MORE
The second half of the headline is the title of a PBS NOVA presentation. The transcript begins:

Everyone loves fireworks, but it's safe to say that few love them as much as does Dr. John Conkling....
And ends with:
Continue: Greatest concerns regarding firework safety
.