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Darwin award potential.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/beds/bu...rts/4575291.stm
Two Star Wars fans are in a critical condition in hospital after apparently trying to make light sabres by filling fluorescent light tubes with petrol.

A man, aged 20, and a girl of 17 are believed to have been filming a mock duel when they poured fuel into two glass tubes and lit it.

The pair were rushed to hospital after one of the devices exploded in woodland at Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire.

A third person present at the incident had been questioned, police said.

Videotape found

A videotape was found nearby by police called to the scene on Sunday.

A police spokeswoman said the pair were taken to West Herts Hospital before being transferred to the specialist burns unit at Broomfield Hospital, Chelmsford, in Essex.

They are both said to be in a critical condition.

She said the 17-year-old girl and a 20-year-old man from Hemel Hempstead suffered serious injuries.

She added: "At this stage we are unable to confirm the exact circumstances, but glass tubes and traces of accelerant (flammable substance) were found at the scene."

The final film in the Star Wars series, Revenge Of The Sith, arrived at UK cinemas last week.

One of the crucial scenes features a light sabre battle between Ewan McGregor's Obi-Wan Kenobi and Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker.

Archived topic from Iceteks, old topic ID:3349, old post ID:27110

L O L. Dumbasses. Glowsticks would have worked better (And costed less)

Archived topic from Iceteks, old topic ID:3349, old post ID:27111

Rule #1: Don't use a glass object to hit another glass object and think it won't break
Rule #2: Don't put combustible chemicals in the glass object, especially if the glass object already contains chemicals, such as neon gas.

Archived topic from Iceteks, old topic ID:3349, old post ID:27112

I doubt they would contain neon, they sound more like fluorescent tube lights than coloured sign-type lights. Neon being a noble gas is about as unreactive as you can get, if they were using fluorescent tubes they may have contained mercury which is not something you particulraly want to be playing around with.

Rule #3: Don't set petrol on fire . . . period.

Archived topic from Iceteks, old topic ID:3349, old post ID:27120

Yeah and now that I think of it, it only says glass tubes so maybe it was not even lights but still, don't set flamable products on fire, especially not in a fragile enclosed container.

Archived topic from Iceteks, old topic ID:3349, old post ID:27121

Rule #4:Don't imitate tv kids.

My god...as if the plastic lightsabers weren't good enough for beating each other senselessly. Getting hit by a plastic tube hurts the fingers after a while...but a flaming tube of glass? ...ouch

Archived topic from Iceteks, old topic ID:3349, old post ID:27124

Yeah using red hot steel would of been safer, and give the nice glowing effect, and cause sparks when two of them hit. Oh great, people are going to find this on google and go try it, and we'll hear on the news something about a "blacksmithy accident".

Archived topic from Iceteks, old topic ID:3349, old post ID:27126

The sad thing is that it could actually happen .

Archived topic from Iceteks, old topic ID:3349, old post ID:27128

I just hope it doesn't happen near me like this stupid 'burning petrol in glass tubes' incident. I may need to flee the area sooner than planned for fear of the stupidity rubbing off on me.

Archived topic from Iceteks, old topic ID:3349, old post ID:27131

lol yeah, you may get flying hot rods through your window. And by hot rod, I don't mean something you can eat.

Actually this must of been funny for the neighboors.

*People talking about star wars and how cool it could be if they re-enact a scene, you begin to hear sounds of hollow glass tubes and... "Where's the gas?" and you hear a bit of giggling*

*BANG*

"WTF!"

"Ahhhhh this burns!"

*sirens*

Archived topic from Iceteks, old topic ID:3349, old post ID:27132