🚀 go-pugleaf

"Daniel J. Stern" <dastern@engin.umich> wrote in message news:<Pine.SOL.4.33.0212091323250.6129-100000@alumni.engin.umich.edu>...
> On Sat, 7 Dec 2002, Jim wrote:
> 
> > Man, 40, dies of burns from fire at gas pump - Chicago Tribune
> > Published November 22, 2002
> >
> > NORTHWEST SIDE -- A Humboldt Park man died Thursday of burns suffered
> > when his clothes caught fire while he was pumping gas with a lit
> > cigarette.
> 
> Silly idiot should've used a gasoline pump instead of a cigarette. ;^{)}
> Score one "oops" for the Trib's writers.
> 
> > David Gerena, 40, of the 1400 block of North Campbell Avenue, who
> > suffered burns over 90 percent of his body, was pronounced dead
> > Thursday at Cook County Hospital. Gerena was pumping gas at a station
> > at 2800 W. Fullerton Ave. Wednesday morning when his cigarette ignited
> > gas vapors and his clothing caught fire. "[Gerena] was [on fire] from
> > the waist up-- he then dropped the gasoline filler hose and spilled
> > gasoline ignited, engulfing his entire body," said Chicago Police
> > spokesman Ozzie Rodriguez.
> 
> Well, what can be said? "The Surgeon General has determined that cigarette
> smoking is hazardous to your health."  If this moron had taken anyone else
> out with him when he went, it would have been a tragedy. As he did not,
> it's just simple Darwinism at work.
> 
> Sheez. It's idiots like this what give New Jersey legislators a good name.
> 
> DS

One of the downsides of 24 hour non-stop hysteria, Stern, is the same
as that of gratuitous distortion of the language: One simply stops
listening because what is said takes on less and less meaning.