Thunderbirds Are Go

So where were the Thunderbirds last week when the number kept counting down under 1?

Social media is buzzing with the news that a young man was foolish enough to have a battery go all Fireball XL5 on him in the middle of a vape meet in America. Some would have you believe that not only were lives put at risk by his irresponsibility but that he was also responsible for the decline in Western society, crushes baby bunnies as a hobby and invented sexually transmitted diseases. If there’s one thing social media loves it is the ability to virtually point at others and type hyperbole like it’s never been typed before. A bit like this.

One problem is that Tracy Island is hidden away in the South Pacific Ocean. Clearly, Jeff Tracy never planned ahead for such an eventuality but lucky for us social media is making plans for Nigel and anybody else who is offended by his accident. Unfortunately, nothing in life is clear-cut, there are shades of grey and strings are attached.

Given that it was in proximity to a sub-ohm cloud tournament has led many to link the two. Forum threads and Facebook groups have divided into three camps:

• Those demanding the community voluntarily clamps down on this dangerous behaviour.
• Those demanding the right to express themselves freely in an informed and safe manner, and
• Those struggling to see the monitor for the voluminous cloud in front of them.

Oh, and a fourth group of people who simply don’t care.

The blame is being placed at the feet of sub-ohming, clones, cheap batteries and questioning the man’s intelligence & parentage. Not just that, but people are now starting to confuse the anonymous victim of the exploding mod with the confused sub-ohmer who resembles a rather crap, young Captain Black.

A quick glance at Reddit and Phil Busardo’s video clearly illustrates that the incident in the event could easily have been nothing more than an accident. Now it’s a shame the chap didn’t stick about to explain himself but given America’s over-indulgence of the legal system as a means to redress means that it is also highly possible he feared for his savings. No one died, no one was seriously hurt, the world hasn’t stopped turning.

But does extreme vaping (for want of a better term) encourage the idiotic behaviour of some vapers? The types who video themselves making insane builds using second-rate equipment and demonstrating an understanding of Physics to rival that of a Tea Party creationist like Sarah Palin?

The history of prohibition has demonstrated that it doesn’t work. Booze, guns, drugs; the only result is a spiralling of legislation and policing costs. The answer has to be an on-going campaign to educate, to share safe practise and to teach others of the potential for harm – be it batteries venting or the toxins produced at high voltages. An informed community is a safer community.

If we dip back to Captain De Jay Black he says “Its my way of experimenting and by doing so I believe I have begun a debate on why it is so important to know your battery capabilities and ohms reading when vaping.”

He most certainly has created a debate even if 99% of it is incredibly negative towards the chap. Unfortunately, and most importantly, he has no idea what his coil resistance is because the meter is not accurate enough at such level; neither does he appear to have any comprehension regarding the chemistry batteries. With any luck he will develop a rapid appreciation of the limits to his understanding and vaping will not be left with a Stingray in the tale.