iPods and Lightning

I’m always fascinated by how the media picks up a story and runs with it. The latest is the news about iPods and lightning. My local newspaper even had a picture of the poor fellow who was struck by lightning while he had his earbuds in. Now a bunch of news is being written about lightning safety and iPods.

Truth of the matter is - you can be seriously hurt by lightning whether you’re listening to your iPod or not. Duh… Lightning isn’t attracted by the electronics in your iPod. You don’t have to worry if it’s hazardous to your health. You just have to worry about lightning. It’s a proven fact that lightning can strike you even if the storm is miles away. Ask any golfer.

I live in an area that gets tons of lightning in the summer. I know to seek shelter if I start to hear rumbles. Do I always? No, because, well, it never hit me before, so I think I must be immune. If I got hit standing under a tree, it’s not news. But if I was listening to my iPod at the time, I could make headlines.

I met a guy in a doctor’s waiting room last year who had been hit by lightning while operating a frontloader. He twitched and jerked and looked totally miserable. He said his nervous system had been destroyed. I suspect he’d think the injured eardrums and burns from the earbuds would have been a good trade-off to what his problems were.

Follow lightning safety precautions and go ahead and listen to your iPod. You’re safe.