... and then the pylon caught fire

[johnr]

Had the mother of all commutes last week: just thought I'd share. It was Wednesday, the day when two days of increasing humidity finally broke.

• The rain started as I stepped out of the door.
• I was soaked by the time I got out of the car park
• By the time I'd gone 500 yards the puddles were two feet in from the kerb
• At the top of the first hill - about a mile - there were waves of water right across the road

Thunder and lightening started about 3 miles in, counting the seconds between lightening and thunder it seemed a long way off... and then an electric pylon caught fire.

There was an almighty clap of thunder and flames started coming out where the wires were attached. I presume it was a lightening bolt. Took me a few seconds to panic about whether lightening would snap a wire.

I spent the rest of the commute trying to remember the thread about riding through storms - couldn't remember whether the advice was to get off, or keep cycling.

To cap it all, I ended the ride going down the hill where the lad was killed hitting a deer last week. I wasn't so much worried about the deer as the state of the road at the bottom with the water washing all the cr@p out of the woods.

Straight in to the top three all time commutes!

 

[Muttley]

What happened did a deer dash out and the lad Cycled into it.!

 

[gambatte]

Guessing this is it:
My link

 

[Headgardener]

Didn't look as if the deer in the picture was injured. Was it the same one?





I'll get my coat.

 

[Matthames]

I never really rely on timing a thunderstorm to determine how far away it is. I just look up at the sky, if it is blue then you might be ok, if it is overcast then you are pretty much fair game for any lightning.

 

[Arch]

I spent the rest of the commute trying to remember the thread about riding through storms - couldn't remember whether the advice was to get off, or keep cycling.

If you think the storm is close enough to be a danger, get off, and walk away from your bike a bit. If you can, crouch beside a stone wall or something to make yourself low - but not a tree, since a tree struck by lightening can explode in a mess of boiling sap, and not a tall metal structure, of course. If you are the tallest thing around, crouch down, tuck your head down as far as you can, and cover it with your arms. You need two things - to be low, and to have minimal contact with the ground - hence you crouch, rather than lie down. I have had to do this, in the Trough of Bowland, when a storm passed right overhead.

Rubber tyres, or shoe soles, will not protect you. A bolt has managed to bridge a gap across a mile of sky, an inch of rubber won't insulate you.

In a city, you're probably fine, because surrounding buildings will be taller than you - unless you're in the middle of a big open space.

 

[Spinney]

If you think the storm is close enough to be a danger, get off, and walk away from your bike a bit. If you can, crouch beside a stone wall or something to make yourself low - but not a tree, since a tree struck by lightening can explode in a mess of boiling sap, and not a tall metal structure, of course. If you are the tallest thing around, crouch down, tuck your head down as far as you can, and cover it with your arms. You need two things - to be low, and to have minimal contact with the ground - hence you crouch, rather than lie down. I have had to do this, in the Trough of Bowland, when a storm passed right overhead.

Rubber tyres, or shoe soles, will not protect you. A bolt has managed to bridge a gap across a mile of sky, an inch of rubber won't insulate you.

In a city, you're probably fine, because surrounding buildings will be taller than you - unless you're in the middle of a big open space.

I've also read that you should crouch on your toes (or feet, if you can't manage just toes), with your elbows touching your knees, and WITHOUT your bum touching the ground. The idea is that if you are hit by lightning (and don't get burned to a crisp!), the electricity has a path from your highest point to ground without having to go past your heart.

 

[Angelfishsolo]

I've also read that you should crouch on your toes (or feet, if you can't manage just toes), with your elbows touching your knees, and WITHOUT your bum touching the ground. The idea is that if you are hit by lightning (and don't get burned to a crisp!), the electricity has a path from your highest point to ground without having to go past your heart.

Something about this on QI. Head down, bum in the air. Then again it might have been a S.Fry fantasy

 

[JamesAC]

If you think the storm is close enough to be a danger, get off, and walk away from your bike a bit. If you can, crouch beside a stone wall or something to make yourself low - but not a tree, since a tree struck by lightening can explode in a mess of boiling sap, and not a tall metal structure, of course. If you are the tallest thing around, crouch down, tuck your head down as far as you can, and cover it with your arms. You need two things - to be low, and to have minimal contact with the ground - hence you crouch, rather than lie down. I have had to do this, in the Trough of Bowland, when a storm passed right overhead.

Rubber tyres, or shoe soles, will not protect you. A bolt has managed to bridge a gap across a mile of sky, an inch of rubber won't insulate you.

In a city, you're probably fine, because surrounding buildings will be taller than you - unless you're in the middle of a big open space.

What you need is a Faraday Cage; a wire mesh or sheet metal box, preferably mounted on insulated supports. You sit in it, and any lightening will be conducted through the cage.

(flag down a passing car, maybe??)

 

[Angelfishsolo]

What you need is a Faraday Cage; a wire mesh or sheet metal box, preferably mounted on insulated supports. You sit in it, and any lightening will be conducted through the cage.

(flag down a passing car, maybe??)

(flag down a passing car, maybe??)[media]
]View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZxgYNnkBd0[/media]

 

[johnr]

Guessing this is it:
My link

that's the one