Lightning and plastic chair

Yesterday we had some fierce thunderstorm with lightning. Today a regular customer came in and talked about it. I have a question about a comment he made so I re-wrote our conversation. I tried to be as vervatim as my fishbrain allows me to. A is the customer and B is myself. Here it goes:

Quote:

A: Did your store get hit by the lightning yesterday?

B: Ur... no...?

A: Hmm, really?

B: Ur.. actually yes, we had a blackout for... well I wasn't there at the moment but my mom said the store had a blackout and the lotto termial was down.

A: Yeah, because I just live down there and the lightning hit the tree in the nearby park

B: Really? it would've been wicked to see the very moment of lightning hitting the tree.

A: I was looking at the tree when lightning hit it.

B: REEEALLY? did it make any sound?

A: Oh, just a large 'crack'.

B: Hou... nice!

A: Thats why I put my feet up on my plastic chair.

I didn't quite understand why he said the boldened part. I kind of got the rough idea that plastic chair is inconductive and he's using it as some kind of protection from the lightning. Scientifically, that wouldn't really work but... I don't know how much education he has. Do you have any idea what kind of idea he had when he said the boldened part? Thank you again!!