Man Arrested (Drunk) For Firing Potatoes Out Of Bazooka

[matcom]

<snip>

BERLIN (Reuters) - German police have arrested a man for firing potatoes at passers-by with a home-made bazooka, authorities in the western city of Essen said on Friday.

"It was like a bazooka that fired potatoes," a spokesman for police in Essen said. "Jolly dangerous from close range."

Police said the weapon consisted of about five feet of drainpipe attached to an aerosol can which the man ignited to propel the root vegetables toward their targets.

"He was plastered and probably thought it was fun," the spokesman said.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=573&ncid=573&e=1&u=/nm/20030801/od_nm/odd_germany_bazooka_dc

[TXlib]

1. Spud Guns Rule!

aka Potato Cannons

http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/Rapids/1489/

I used to build them. You need a lot of clearance to fire them safely. At short range, they can easily be lethal.

[SOteric]

4. Ya know

if I have to make the mashed spuds for yet another family gathering, I might just consider this.

(Yeah, yeah, mock me all you want. Just remember Italian Catholic chicks don't have small families.)

[TXlib]

6. And nothing says "Don't F*** With the Cook"

like a spud gun!

[MuseRider]

2. We made one of those

they are way dangerous. We only bring it out on the 4th. My hubby is a pyromaniac, used to make his own M80's. We do not do that anymore since an aquaintance took one on an airplane and got caught, the idiot. Thankfully when in the little room he did not spill his guts. Anyway, those damn potato guns are powerful. A little hairspray and a flint and you can knock out your neighbor from 100 feet.

[sexybomber]

10. "you can knock out your neighbor from 100 feet."

try freakin' KILL your neighbor from 100 feet. You have any idea how fast those potatoes go? I've blown holes in sheetrock with them.

[stoner_guy]

19. Don't leave us hanging...

we need a link to the drawing files :evilgrin:

[Kellanved]

22. over here

fresh from google:
http://www.mshamash.com/

[commander bunnypants]

3. Up in Delaware they had Pumpkin Chunkin festivals

People would make these huge cannons. A couple of years ago I think the record was about 1/2 mile


DEMMAN

[MuseRider]

8. That would be fun

to see.

[kmla]

5. He was drunk????

That's a shocker. I'm just surprised that it wasn't a good old 'Merikan boy from this side of the pond. That seems like something some of my old neighbors might have done...

:beer:

[TXlib]

7. Sure they have rednecks in Germany!

Kellenved, what is the german equivalent for "redneck"?

[Kellanved]

9. "Landei" or "Hinterwäldler"

But both of those are closer to "hillbilly".

I can't remember a fitting translation; I'll think about it.

Update:
I finally looked it up: the German translation of "Redneck" is..."Redneck"; as it says in the "Duden": Working-class, white American living in a rural area, in a southern state.

One other Phrase came to my mind: "Bauerntölpel" for a especially retarded "Landei".

No phrase implies white(guess why...), nor conservative, although they're nearly all conservative.

The southern German states are gernerally far more conservative (50 - 60% in most elections), but this isn't reflected in the language.

Edit2:
"Landei" means rural egg; "Hinterwäldler" : from a Hinterland forest

[trof]

12. I like hinter-valder

from the "hinter" lands.

[Kellanved]

15. even worse: "Hinter - "Forest

eom

[geniph]

17. Backwoods!

It translates as backwoods, doesn't it?

(my remedial German 101 is showing)

[Kellanved]

18. yes

It's the word exactly; the meaning matches.

http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=backwoods


THX

[trof]

11. I got one! I got one!

I got a spud gun.
I can almost hit the Baptist camp on the other side of the bay.
KA-BOOM

[arwalden]

24. I Have One Too... PVC

with an electric spark starter (from an old gas grill)

WHU-U-U-T FUN!!

[LynneSin]

13. Matcom, is this what you do at work all day?

Search for the most bizarre stories to post on DU?

[matcom]

14. kinda fun ain't it?

:P

:loveya:

[Kellanved]

16. He wan't arrested for firing it, ...

he was arrested for having it.
German Gun-laws are very strict.

[Jim Sagle]

20. Sounds like an A-Team fan!

[Elidor]

21. Why do I get the feeling

That for Matcom, this story is an inspiration rather than a cautionary tale?

[JVS]

23. I love this quote

"He was plastered and probably thought it was fun"

Duhhh, potato guns are fun!