Lightning and plastic chair

[HaraKiriBlade]

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:

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!!

[mykwyner]

Dear HKB,
Your guess is right on the money. Many people think that some type of insulator between themselves and ground (earth in BE) will protect them from electricity. This may provide some protection from household current, but not lightning. Remember, the tree itself is a non-conductor.
Mike