Among the dumbest people to ever make it into the news

[theonlysaneone]

http://www.wane.com/dpp/news/local_wane ... 0904241621

PLEASANT LAKE, Ind. (WANE) - George Fath moved to his mobile home in rural Steuben County two months ago. The previous owners left a lot of trash in the yard, so Fath was cleaning up Thursday afternoon. That's when he found a 22 caliber bullet in the yard. He didn't want his three young boys to get hurt from the bullet, so Fath decided to dispose of it.

"My hammer was outside so I took the bullet and put it on a rock and smacked it with the hammer," Fath said.

Fath wasn't expecting the bullet to fire.

"It went off and went into my belly and knocked me on my butt," Fath said.

Fath said he thought he was shot in the stomach. His wife called 911. According to the police report the bullet didn't actually hit Fath.

"Fath was not bleeding, and it did not appear that Fath was struck with the bullet. Fath suffered a minor abrasion to the area of his stomach," police records read.

But, Fath told NewsChannel 15 the bullet did go in his stomach and doctors removed it at the hospital.

"I smacked the bullet and fell down and blood came pouring out," Fath said. "I was hitting it to smash it. I didn't expect it to go bang."

Fath said he'll never hit a bullet with a hammer again.

"I wasn't thinking about it. It was the dumbest thing I ever did in my life. I suggest nobody do it," Fath said.

Police agree. Steuben County Sheriff Rick Lewis said no one should ever hit a bullet with anything.

"The round can go anywhere. It could hit the person striking it with a hammer, a neighbor, a child in the yard. There's just no controlling where the bullet will go," Lewis said.

A bullet doesn't have to be in a gun to fire.

"Anytime you get pressure [to the end of the bullet] to cause it to explode, it will fire," Lewis said.

If someone finds a bullet, don't throw it in the trash either.

"Call local law enforcement and we can take car of it," Lewis said.

So many questions. Why even hit it with a hammer? If he knew the bullet could hurt his boys, why didn't he think it could hurt him? How did he manage to cut his stomach and not be hit by the bullet?

[Siouxper]

Hitting a bullet with a hammer...that's never been, and never will be, a good idea. How did he manage to get the cut and not be hit by the bullet?

[Lee]

Reminds me of an old story my uncle used to tell me about the dangers of firing bb gun rounds into live ammunition!

[theonlysaneone]

Reminds me of an old story my uncle used to tell me about the dangers of firing bb gun rounds into live ammunition!

I'm trying to imagine how this could ever come up in casual conversation.

[shapu]

Reminds me of an old story my uncle used to tell me about the dangers of firing bb gun rounds into live ammunition!

I'm trying to imagine how this could ever come up in casual conversation.

Undoubtedly it started with a debate on the best shortstop of the 1950s.

[werepup]

Thankfully I'm in the UK where gun control is really strict.

What a muppet.

[Miyu]

This reminds me of a story where someone tried making a homemade flamethrower....

[Siouxper]

This reminds me of a story where someone tried making a homemade flamethrower....

That's just asking for trouble

[Byakuya San]

This reminds me of a story where someone tried making a homemade flamethrower....

...which, in turn, reminds me of a time when we lit our hands on fire in Chemistry class.
It's nowhere near as painful as it sounds. On the other hand, another class got to light their stomachs on fire...and, well I'm not quite sure how that went over.

[Asthaloth]

Is that not common knowledge, or was I the only one who grew up with a father telling me never to hit a bullet with a hammer and chisel?


Granted, I personally sense that it was less common sense and training in that story and more personal experience.

[shapu]

It strikes me as something that you're just supposed to know, like don't eat glass and don't microwave a vase of roses.

[Miyu]

I agree.
Aren't common sense, and something your just supposed to know - similar?

Microwave a vase of roses? o.O

[Helena]

...which, in turn, reminds me of a time when we lit our hands on fire in Chemistry class.

I've done that. Pretty epic.

There's nothing wrong with microwaving a vase of roses!

[shapu]

Microwave a vase of roses? o.O

You have your hobbies, I have mine.

[ginny-ROX]

This reminds me of somthing funny but simalar (kind of) to this situation that my friend did

She was getting ready for her date and asked me to come help her get ready even though I know I will be no help I go anyway and she just got out the shower and was in her dressing gown when I got there and her hai wouldnt dry quick enough so she put it in the microwave and tried to dry it in there.

luckily she had long hair and nothing happened.

Last edited by ginny-ROX on Wed Apr 29, 2009 5:55 am, edited 1 time in total.