Okay, so this is certainly in the “don’t try this at home, kids” category, but we can all laugh and point at other’s stupidity. Denver‘s ABC channel 7 reported last month on a foolish fellow who inflated balloons with acetalyne, the highly flamable and explosive gas used in welding, and drove off to a superbowl party. The balloons ignited, possible because of static electricity, and the explosion blew out all the windows, bent the car’s roof and doors out, and left the driver and with burst eardrums, burns, pain, and a felony explosives charges.
Thanks to Notes from the Technology Underground, Boing Boing, and Gizmodo for leading me to the story.
Separately, not all balloons are dangerous. Some make good hats.