‘I told you so’: Kid unplugs computer during a thunderstorm to prevent it from frying, stepdad demands he plugs it back, then blames kid when the computer stops working

Author image for Bar Mor Hazut
Bar Mor Hazut • Senior Editor
May 7, 2024 7:00 AM EDT

Living in an area prone to storms surely teaches you a lot of life hacks and survival skills that other people don't know. If you don't want to lose half of your possessions and unreal amounts of money, you need to educate yourself and learn how to keep everything safe even when something like a hurricane or a thunderstorm hits your area. Some people, simply would not listen to advice about these matters, and when the consequences happen, they also refuse to admit they were wrong, but no one feels bad for them by that point.

Much like OP's (original poster) stepdad in this Reddit story, who let his ego get the better of him and ended up damaging his computer because of that. During a thunderstorm, OP unplugged his stepdad's computer, to prevent it from frying up due to a bolt of lightning. Stepdad refused to let OP do it, and insisted on his computer being plugged back. Guess what happened when he tried to turn the computer on the next day…

Scroll down to read the rest of the story. After you are done, click here for a story of an overworked employee who quit without notice.

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  • 01
    "You should have listened to me"
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  • 02
    Stepfather told me to plug his computer back in even tho it was storming really bad.
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  • 03
    This happened about 20 years ago when I was about 14/15 years old. I grew up with my dad telling me to always unplug any computers when there was lightning because it could strike the house and fry the computer.
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  • 04
    At this point in time, I was living with my mom and her new husband in his house. In the den, there was a computer for the adults and a computer for me and my brother. When I noticed the storm, I went into
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  • 05
    the den and unplugged both computers. As I was crawling out from underneath their desk, my stepfather came into the room and asked me what I was doing around their desk. I told him I unplugged the computers
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  • 06
    because there was a lightening storm happening. He got mad at me and told me that I was never to touch their computer or desk and told me to plug it back up right then.
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  • 07
    I tried to argue, (I've always had a little bit of an attitude when told I'm wrong when I know I'm not lol). He just got madder and told me to plug it back up and be quiet.
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  • 08
    So I did as I was told. I didn't plug our computer back in tho, just theirs. Later that evening or the next day, when he tried to boot up the computer, it wouldn't turn
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  • 09
    on. Turns out it got fried during the storm. The urge to say I told you so was so strong! ETA: His reaction was to complain about the computer not working and try to ask my mom and brother about why it
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  • 10
    wasn't working. My brother explained that it was probably struck by lightning from the bad storm. He avoided me like the plague for a while after that lol
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  • 11
    Bebinn · 19 hr. ago • Lost a computer one time that way. Not fun having to buy a whole new system because you forgot to buy a surge protector. After that I'd unplug during the real bangers.
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  • 12
    RegisterBest4296 OP. 19 hr. ago Ikr? This was back before surge protectors were a huge thing I believe. I definitely have surge protectors for all of my expensive stuff now!
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  • 13
    kungpowgoat · 19 hr. ago Let me guess. When the computer failed to turn on, he blamed not the lightning but you for unplugging it? Right? Because you were "messing" with his computer.
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  • 14
    RegisterBest4296 OP · 18 hr. ago He tried lol then he thought better of it because I had told my mom and brother about it before he tried to turn it on later.
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  • 15
    Magpiemegan0321 · 19 hr. ago I still do this! Especially out in the country where I live I've had modems and routers fry even on surge protectors.
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    RegisterBest4296 OP. 18 hr. ago I do too! I recently got a new computer and still unplug it when there's a really bad storm lol
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  • 17
    • Sheepan · 18 hr. ago i lost a like 7 year-old Wii to lightning once. it was the only thing in the house not plugged into a surge protector apparently. Fried the AV/Composite input on the tv it was plugged into too, but the rest of the tv worked fine
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  • 18
    RegisterBest4296 OP. 18 hr. ago Omg that would make me so annoyed lol like it works for the most part, but not this one part. And I'd forget until I wanted to use it lol
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  • 19
    EdgeMiserable4381 · 18 hr. ago The neighbors house got whacked by lightning earlier this spring. Tree was 30 feet away but the roots and sprinkler system carried it right into the house. Broke half a dozen windows, cracked a toilet tank, blew plaster off one ceiling and fried several appliances. Now I'm a lot more concerned about lightning than I used to be...
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  • 20
    LiveFree_EatTacos · 18 hr. ago Lol niceeeee. Hopefully your stepdad had redeeming qualities and wasn't an all around k
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  • 21
    RegisterBest4296 OP. 17 hr. ago Nah, he also threw away my bicycle because "there wasn't enough room for it”. He had multiple acres of property he also threw away some of my things that I left in the house when I went off to college. If he had just said that stuff was
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  • 22
    bothering him, I would've taken my stuff to my dad's house instead. But he just threw it all away and didn't even tell me. I had to find out when I went looking for things that used to be there. My mom eventually did divorce him thankfully.
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  • 23
    dufferwjr. 17 hr. ago Why do people have such a hard time admitting when they're wrong? Most of the time it's no big deal. 3 Reply Share RegisterBest4296 OP · 17 hr. ago Ikr? I hate being told I'm wrong when I know I'm not, but I have no problem admitting that I'm wrong when I am lol
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  • 24
    • MarkFresco 17 hr. ago Why did you not say i told you so... U have to its the law
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  • 25
    RegisterBest4296 OP 17 hr. ago I didn't want to make it worse for my mom. I knew I could leave and go to my dad's house, but she didn't have anywhere else to go to escape really. And I don't mean physical abuse. It was more like he was just an everyone. to
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consequences family drama drama kids thunder reddit story petty computer silly electricity family stepdad Reddit funny children Father
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