A hypothetical, but not impossible situation: you climbed up a tall tree in time to escape a viscious pit bull. An equally violent lightening storm is now bearing down on you. The dog is still circling the tree, jumping up and down. You're out in the country and the dog's owner is already in custody for other reasons. What would you do?
2006-11-29 10:49:48 · 36 answers · asked by TarKettle 6 in Social Science ➔ Psychology
I have thoughts like this very frequently.
2006-11-29 10:50:27 · update #1
Hi. I'd wait out the storm. The odds are that there will not be a lightning strike on that one tree, but if there were, the dog would get his too.
2006-11-29 10:51:45 · answer #1 · answered by Cirric 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Although pits are dogmatic, they really love their food and are territorial. When it starts to rain, the dog will have a 50% chance of going home to eat, you can then go home yourself.
The dog owner is in custody for their dog I am guessing, so the Humane Society will come looking for the dog.
I am guessing that you didn't run very far from the dog's house because you would have been overcome by a much faster dog, so you would be within shouting distance of the dog's home.
Holler and scream when the dog pricks up it's ears and looks towards the direction of it's house when the ASPCA shows up.
Wait for help.
The dog will be more intent on guarding it's home than biting you. When it hears and or smells the ASPCA showing up in it's yard, the dog will make a b line for home to guard it which is it's first duty.
Run, run fast. Keep a BIG bush branch with you in case you need to repel the dog if it comes back before you are safe.
2006-11-29 11:02:33 · answer #2 · answered by wildmedicsue 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I can't stand all the people saying they would wait for help. Let's say no help is around and the dog doesn't leave? Do you not throw anything at the dog, because it's not the poor little killer doggies fault? Just sit there and die of starvation eh? Climb up the tree about 15 feet and jump onto the dog and crush it. If it is not dead kill it to ensure it doesn't suffer. Go home. If it came down to me even having a chance of being struck by lightning no dog would keep me at bay.
2006-11-29 11:09:56 · answer #3 · answered by MikeMan 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Let the lightning take me, the dog would hurt, the lighting is fast. Plus, the lightning may not get me.
OR:
break off a branch, spear the dog, climb down and go home....hmmm.
Yeah, that would work, cuz if I miss spearing him, I stay in the tree like before.
Oh Wait, what about breaking off a branch, climbing down just out of dog's reach, let him jump (they do) and smack him in the head. Still in the tree if can't take the dog out.
2006-11-29 10:51:37 · answer #4 · answered by gare 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Wow - I bet you have a lot of nightmares if you think up this stuff frequently :)
I'd take my chances with the lightning because I'd rather be burned to death than chewed to death.
If I really imagine this could be a real situation - in all honesty, I know I'd just stay in the tree, muster up some faith that I'd be "watched out for", and wait it out. It is not in my nature to ever be able to do something like start heaving heavy branches at the dog; because no matter how nasty he may be being at the time I wouldn't be able to help but realize it wasn't his fault.
Besides, the odds of being hit by lightning wouldn't be as bad as the odds of being chewed up by the dog.
(For goodness sake, imaginary people need to keep their imaginary dogs fenced in!!)
2006-11-29 10:58:27 · answer #5 · answered by WhiteLilac1 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Defintely let the lightening hit. Only cause I've read way too many science fiction novels about how you gain supernatural abilities. And on the plus side, even if you survive the lightening without any superpowers, you still get a very interesting story to tell. Beats a dog bite any day.
2006-11-29 10:55:32 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hide in the tree.
Lets do a bit of math
Lightning hits the earth 1000 times a second. Which means that every second, you have a 1000 over (surface area of the earth, which is around 510 000 000 km^2) chance of getting hit.
That's 0.01% chance of dying per hour.
On the other hand, the chances of you getting ripped to pieces by that pit bull is next to 100%.
Which one seems like a better choice??
2006-11-29 10:59:32 · answer #7 · answered by Simplex Spes 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would stay in the tree. Wood does not conduct electricity well. At the worst it would catch the tree on fire (unless it struck me directly which is unlikely), then I could tear off a burning branch and chase the viscious dog away.
2006-11-29 10:59:19 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would stay in the tree. The chance of lightening hitting you would seemingly give you better odds than a viscious dog waiting for you.
On the other hand...lightening will kill you, the dog...he will only take a few bites...
2006-11-29 10:51:57 · answer #9 · answered by corkscrewpirate 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Simple, the chances of getting mauled is greater than lightning striking the tree. Climb halfway down and stay.
If the chances are equal, getting mauled or getting electrocuted, then take my chances fighting the pit bull, because you cant do anything with lightning.
2006-11-29 10:51:43 · answer #10 · answered by Julio Cesar C 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋