Bangkok Vagabond Electrocuted Near Internet Cafe Neon Sign

[george]

Vagabond electrocuted near Internet cafe neon sign

BANGKOK: -- A vagabond was electrocuted in Bangkok Saturday night while he was answering his call of nature, Thong Lor police said.

Police said a man appearing to be around 55 to 60 years old was found electrocuted near a neon sign of @Thonglor internet cafe at 21:30 pm.

Police said the man apparently sat down to urinate near the sign and wet the power socket of the sign. He did not carry any ID card.

-- The Nation 2009-08-30

[johnnort]

There you are carry your ID card. It may save your life. Seriously RIP.

[Junglejumbo]

The electric socket shouldn't be exposed like that. You may laugh at this incident given the way the news article is written but this is still a man's life, as equal as any other.

What if it was raining and you walked past the socket? Perhaps it was raining. Who sits down to take a piss? A man would usually stand up.

[niveknedwob]

Just the process of 'natural selection' I guess - but it will catch us all out at one time or another !

[Briggsy]

Vagabond or vagrant??

Somebody needs to learn to be careful when using a dictionary.

[JamieP]

vagabond

noun

1 a vagrant.

2 archaic a rogue or rascal.

adjective having no settled home.

verb archaic wander about as or like a vagabond.

Concise Oxforf Dictionary 11th Edition.

[Briggsy]

I stand semi-corrected.

According to my Oxford dictionary, this is a disapproving noun. No need to use such a term when the neutral term vagrant was more appropriate.

This is a non-native speaker usage error and the Nation is littered with them to the extent that the contents of the story become opaque to the reader. This is a serious quality control issue and should be addressed. Time for a new thread.

[Carmine6]

I stand semi-corrected.

According to my Oxford dictionary, this is a disapproving noun. No need to use such a term when the neutral term vagrant was more appropriate.

This is a non-native speaker usage error and the Nation is littered with them to the extent that the contents of the story become opaque to the reader. This is a serious quality control issue and should be addressed. Time for a new thread.

I had the same reaction to the title. At minimum it is an unusual term and more familiar to me as kind of a wanderer. There's even a Vagabond Inn chain in the US. I'm sure they don't think of it as akin to Vagrant Inn.

[on-on]

I saw this guy many times over here and I happened to be eating across the street when this happened. I had no idea what had killed him, but he was laying flat, covered in newspaper and everyone was staring. He was a real sad case, always eating out of trash bags and sleeping on the bench in front of the 7-11 between soi 36 and soi 38. Never bothered anyone or anything. Quite a sad situation all around.

I had wondered about all the exposed electrical stuff here over the years, but after a while you stop giving it a second thought. Still, it makes sense that there would be cases like this. When I was in San Diego a few years ago a cable underground arced up through the sidewalk and electrocuted a couple sitting on a metal bus bench. Crazy things happen sometimes I suppose, that this guy was unfortunate and that safety isn't priority #1 make them seem more likely here, but I suppose pissing on an electric sign could electrocute you anywhere.