myLot saved us from what could have been a tragedy
By choybel
@choybel (5042)
Philippines
December 5, 2012 12:27pm CST
It's exactly 2:05 A.M. here now (according to my laptop time) as I type this and both my brother and sister are now asleep. I was also going to sleep earlier, too, considering that I have an 8 A.M. class later, but I decided to stay a while and spend a little more time here, a decision which I am now grateful for.
To make you understand more of what has just happened, a tragedy averted, let me tell you a little background first of our city to make you understand everything. Our city has been experiencing daily black outs due to power shortage. This has been going on for a very long time now and I am sure there were mylotters here who have made discussions about this. This is happening in most areas in the southern part of our country, an issue (perhaps running to more than a year now) our government has yet to fix. Now, because of this flashlights and generators have been highly in demand and very salable in stores here. Our market here is invaded with foreign products and mostly China and Korean made, which are mostly cheaper but substandard. A few weeks ago, there was a news report about houses burning down, and the fire was started by a cheap rechargeable flashlight, which was left plugged in for charging several hours. Now, this is what actually happened just a a while ago. My brother left a cheap rechargeable flashlight plugged in and as I was participating in discussions here I picked up a funny scent and heard a faint but disturbing crackling noise, so I decided to investigate where it was coming from. Now you should also now that our house already got burned down several years ago after a tragedy which started from our neighbors and spread to us during new years night celebration that year, so I have develop this fear, and whenever I hear firetrucks panic just can't help overtaking myself. So when I got up and looked at the source of the noise and the smell, which was getting louder and fouler as I approached the side of our T.V., I then saw the smoke forming there and I started panicking, but I fortunately was able to think straight and pulled the plug. Truly the panic I felt was as if it was a life-and-death situation (I have been into one or two of them, in fact). After I have seen that the danger was averted I calmed down and went to the room to inform my sister what just happened.
Right now, I am just grateful I was awake during that time and I don't even want to blame my brother for it, just really thankful I was mylotting, because otherwise I just can't even dare to imagine what could have been.
So officially, for me, myLot has saved the day.
Has anybody ever been into a situation where myLotting actually saved your day? How about any other activity that ended up saving your day? Tell us about it, won't you?
Has anybody ever been into a situation where myLotting actually saved your day? How about any other activity that ended up saving your day? Tell us about it, won't you?9 people like this
22 responses
@shaggin (72116)
• United States
5 Dec 12
Wow thank goodness you were up late on mylot or there would have been a fire. Thats a scary thought. I am always worried about fires. I'm always afraid when I go out shopping that I will come home and my house will have burned down. Its really scary to think about. Fires can happen to anyone. You should report the flashlight that did this to the company so they know. Here in the united states if that happened the product would be recalled.
4 people like this
@shaggin (72116)
• United States
5 Dec 12
Thats how it is here to so few things are actually made in the united states. Most of them come from japan or china. They pay very little to people over there to make things then sell them here. They are full of lead paint and other problems. So many things have been recalled the last few years. I think they need to start charging a little more for products and have them made in the united states where things are regulated. It would also give people more jobs in the united states. I would take the flash light back to the store and ask for a refund of your money and tell them what happened. They really need to know the product they are selling can burn peoples houses down before they get sued.
3 people like this
@choybel (5042)
• Philippines
6 Dec 12
I told my father about it, since he was the one who bought it and he asked us to just throw it away instead. He was glad that no further trouble occurred and that we were safe, and he was worried about another flashlight we still have. I think he will now be more careful in buying things like these as he is so fond of buying these cheap imported products. I have nothing against them in general, just those specifically that have not passed regulations and other standard criteria checking.
@surfer1969 (77)
• United States
6 Dec 12
Ouch yep cheaper Isn't always better sometimes.I know It can be bad In so many ways when the stuff you buy Is sub standard.
@mysdianait (66009)
• Italy
5 Dec 12
That is amazing! Thank goodness for myLot
I can only begin to imagine how scared you must have been when you heard the noise and sensed the smell too, having been through such a horrific experience previously.
I know that some items from those countries are below standard and we are lucky that here they are banned. Many times unscrupulous crooks are caught trying to smuggle loads of items which have not passed the safety restrictions and the goods are confiscated and do not reach the market where we would be able to purchase them and risk incidents like the one you describe.
Are there no laws to protect you there? I see no point in buying cheap goods if they are going to put lives at risk 
I can only begin to imagine how scared you must have been when you heard the noise and sensed the smell too, having been through such a horrific experience previously.
I know that some items from those countries are below standard and we are lucky that here they are banned. Many times unscrupulous crooks are caught trying to smuggle loads of items which have not passed the safety restrictions and the goods are confiscated and do not reach the market where we would be able to purchase them and risk incidents like the one you describe.
Are there no laws to protect you there? I see no point in buying cheap goods if they are going to put lives at risk 2 people like this
@Hatley (163776)
• Garden Grove, California
5 Dec 12
hi diana all the parts in my computer last May that had a m lt down were parts made in china.Here in the US we are flooded with a lot of inferior computer parts and only after they are in use for awhile do w e realize they were indeed inferior.They destroyed my computer and monitor. My son rebuilt my computer from scratch with a lot of parts that were made in the uS hard to find but he d d find them. He a so bought me a used led monitor which I love as m ch as the one that had the melt down. Those could have caused a fire in my room but I did get them shut down when I smelled the charring odor. So last May was a total write off for me in regard to my lotting wow.
.1 person likes this
@choybel (5042)
• Philippines
6 Dec 12
There are laws here about those but the security in this country is just lax, so it's never a wonder for us that we still have this items being sold in the market nationwide. One reason that it still continues is also because many people still purchase these items. I guess it is safe to say that it is both the security people and consumers' at fault here. My father is fond of purchasing these cheap substandard products and after I have told him about this, I am sure he is now thinking better.
As for now, I am just glad that the trouble did not escalate to something very serious. Thank goodness for myLot indeed!
@SomeCowgirl (32191)
• United States
5 Dec 12
I am so glad you were awake to save the day. That is a horrible feeling. I am sitting here trying to think of something but all I can say is one time I was so busy mylotting I forgot about sausages I had in the oven re-heating. They weren't fit to eat but I left them out to cool before disposing of them. I forgot about them and the next day when I went back into the kitchen, half of them were gone. My family ate some, which was very.. well I won't get into that but I was mad.
2 people like this
@nezavisima (7408)
• Bulgaria
5 Dec 12
I can say that it was nice that you were awake that you saved.
It's nice to have something to fill our time.
fire can cause so much damage I do not know and do not want to think what would have happened.
Bravo you were awake, thanks to this wonderful site.
I wish you a nice day!
2 people like this
@LovingMyBabies (85288)
• Valdosta, Georgia
5 Dec 12
Everything happens for a reason. This was definitely the reason you were up late on MyLot instead of sleeping! I am so glad everything ended up okay for all of you. =) I'm glad you were MyLotting!
1 person likes this
@Thoroughrob (11742)
• United States
6 Dec 12
I am really glad that you decided to stay up. I have not been in that type of situation. You were very lucky.
@JamesKYTan (1605)
• Malaysia
6 Dec 12
Yes, I agree with you that myLot saves the day for you. It is also through God's intervention that you decided to stay late to respond to discussion in myLot. Also if there is no myLot, do stay so late? Well, in future don't ever buy cheap and substandard electrical products. If the products are cheap make sure they have ISO certificate qualification.
@choybel (5042)
• Philippines
8 Dec 12
I used to stay late even way before my myLot times, but recently there's really nothing much to do after midnight. The TV series I'm watching have mostly gone to a break so I'm left with movies, and I have already watched the ones I like so far. I would be reading some stuff from forums but I would rather spend more time in mylot. My father was the one who bought the cheap rechargeable flashlight and they are cheap for a reason, I had to find that out the dangerous way. I don't blame him though. It's a trend here and I bet most households own at least one of this.
@topffer (42156)
• France
6 Dec 12
Thank you for this story. You have been lucky. I realized that these cheap flashlights were dangerous when the battery of one of them exploded in my garage when it was charging 2 or 3 years ago. I saw it a few hours later, and I thought I was lucky to not have been near it when it happened. I was thinking that a modern battery could not explode... but a cheap Chinese one can
.
.
@SIMPLYD (90722)
• Philippines
6 Dec 12
It's God's will that you are still up and about during that time, choybel. I am happy that you did the right thing because you didn't panic.
So are you sure that it's the cheap rechargeable flashlight that caused that. You see i have one also that i bough many years ago, but until now it's operational and i charge it once in while. Makes me just wonder . . .
@choybel (5042)
• Philippines
7 Dec 12
I have never doubted for once in all of the good things that has happened to me that God has intended it, which makes me always thankful to Him.
Well, I'm quite sure it is. I think it is okay to charge it, just don't leave it overcharging because these products probably do not have a way to detect that their battery is full and should stop gaining energy, so continues charging when the battery is already full leads it to overheat and such. I think you get my point, right?
@SIMPLYD (90722)
• Philippines
10 Dec 12
I really hope your sibling will learn a lesson from it. We should always be cautious of things we do, specially when it involves electrical gadgets.
@christylynn41 (200)
• United States
6 Dec 12
wow, Im glad that everyone is ok and that you were awake to be alerted that something was wrong. Something similar happened to me just a couple days ago I always get up early in the morning. My dog started barking and growling and going nuts then I noticed something strange outside my window. So I put my shoes and put her leash on and took her outside my neighboors house was on fire and had I not been alerted of it. It could have spread to our house as well.
@choybel (5042)
• Philippines
13 Dec 12
It was a good thing that you did that. I believe that some animals can sense danger ahead so in this case, it proves to be true. I don't have a dog yet but I'm thinking of having one soon. I am a cat person and have pet cats at home now. I hope that when I do get a pet dog it won't be very difficult for me in my given situation. Anyway, God truly works in mysterious ways, and anything can just be an instrument of His works.
@jamieclavero (187)
• Philippines
6 Dec 12
wow that was great. God is good he is always making ways to save us from trouble. perhaps your myloting had been one of his instruments to save you and your house from burning.
@sriroshan (2585)
• India
20 Jan 13
God is not only good my friend jamiedavero but I will say God is Great who always comes to our help when we asked for it, but for this we must have the faith on God.
@chunxiao (66)
• China
7 Dec 12
Oh,my god,it is so dangerous.But fortunately you have avoided it.From this accident,every one of us should pay more attention to electrical safety.Before we go to bed, we should check out if we have cut off all the power which is not needed in the night.If we need to run charging equipment,we should ensure that it is a safe equipment.I once got an electric shock because of my ignorance.I forgot that the plug had been charged and used my wet hand to touch it.Fortunately it is not serious and I survived.It was a kind of numb feeling when the electric current passed through my hand.Athough it is not dangerous ,after that I become very careful with the electrical equipment.Electrical safety is very important in our daily life.Hope every one could attach importance to it.Ok,have a good day,everybody.
@choybel (5042)
• Philippines
16 Mar 13
You are right. Our safety should always be our concern and responsibility. I have always made sure to check for such things before sleeping.
I am very scared of getting electrocuted because I believe that my body has very low tolerance to it or maybe is a very strong conductor.
@cobalt20 (1318)
• Philippines
6 Dec 12
Wow, you are still do mylotting at early morning. You are really to sacrifice Mylot for writing this. I give an applause on you. Blackouts can be resolve if there are no typhoons or natural disasters around. I am happy that you are in good hands.
@choybel (5042)
• Philippines
6 Dec 12
I usually start mylotting when the laptop is free because this laptop is being shared and used by my sister and brother as well and the only time it is truly free is sometime near midnight and onwards, when they are both asleep and only until they wake up again. In the daytime, we have to attend classes so then we wouldn't be able to use the laptop as much as we want to. I normally would stay for an hour or two hear and the go to sleep afterwards, but yesterday, for some reason I spent more than the usual hours here.
The blackout matter here is more than just because of typhoon and natural disasters. It is the lack of funds to purchase or build new generators to supply enough demands.
@Hatley (163776)
• Garden Grove, California
5 Dec 12
hi yes last May I smelled and odd odor as I was trying to boot up my computer and the monitor flashed a screen of multi colors. It started to make an odd sound. I shut it off. I felt the back and it was hot also checked my computer.It had been a very hot week here unusual for May but my computer would not turn on. so called my son. My computer had had a meltdown of most wires and the elements on my monitor likewise were melted. Had I not shut those down it could have started a fire in my room.There were combustible element close enough to my computer to have caught on fire. this took my son all of May almost to rebuild my computer but he did it.
o rebuild my computer but he did it.@choybel (5042)
• Philippines
6 Dec 12
That was quite an experience. What did you feel when you smelled the odd odor and the unusual colors that flashed on the screen? I remember when one of my desktop's hard disk got fried before and the smell was really the first thing that got to me. I felt so disappointed that time. I took it off from the computer before it got fried, brought it somewhere (I can't recall exactly to whom, probably a friend or relative, and can't remember what for too, but if I had to guess,it would be most probably to share my files in it), and then when I finally plugged it in again and press the power button, fumes went off. I had to bring my entire case to the repair center because it wouldn't turn on again after I tried replacing the hard drive with a spare one I had, which I know was working well. They got it fixed and said parts came loose after it overheated, so now I know better.
@dorannmwin (36392)
• United States
6 Dec 12
I've never had any experiences in my life where I would be able to say that mylot saved the day for us. However, I do think that there are times in our lives where things really have a real funny way about them. It is great that you did stay awake and were able to find the source of the bad smell before it became something that was much worse.
I've fortunately never been through the experience of a house fire, but one of my closest friend's had two children that were killed in a house fire two years ago, so that is something that I am deathly afraid of now.
@choybel (5042)
• Philippines
6 Dec 12
What a terrible thing to happen to your friend. Getting the house burned down was bad enough, I know as I speak from experience,and losing the children as well is just so sad. I cannot even imagine how bad your friend had felt.
Things do happen for a reason and all these things that happen whether good or bad, I try to always look at the good side of it, and then I thank God for it.
@toyota4k (1208)
• Philippines
6 Dec 12
lol. mylot sure did save you from harm that night. Something too happened to me a few months ago. While mylotting late one night, I heard a thud on the floor and went to investigate. The window at the kitchen was open and a cat just came in. I shooed it away and closed the window and if it hadn't been me awake at that time, it should have eaten the frozen fish immerse in water in a basin so as to be cooked the following morning. Lol again...
@ARIES1973 (11426)
• Legaspi, Philippines
6 Dec 12
I agree to what our friends had just said. First, let us thank the Lord because you are safe.
Above all of this, it's good to know that you are calm during the time and was able to think clearly of what you should do in situation like this. Yes, most of the time myLot help us in one way or another that is why I am also thankful that I was able to find this wonderful site.
It is also a good thing if we will always made it a point to check everything before we go to sleep at night. Many things might happen during those times. And lastly, let us buy things especially electrical items that are checked by the proper authority for an assurance that the product is of good quality and will not endanger our lives.
Have a nice day!
@choybel (5042)
• Philippines
6 Dec 12
You are right about everything you have just stared here. Thanking the Lord was one of the first things I did and it usually is the first thing to do whenever relief is granted or found in similar situations.
It was fortunate that I managed to stay calm, although I have to be honest my fear at that time has almost caused me to panic and do something else instead.
Mylot is indeed a site I am happy about and has been sharing to people I know, although it is hard to get most of them to appreciate it as much as we do.
I always check outlets, especially now, before I go to sleep. I turn off appliances that are not being used, locked doors, etc. before going to sleep or leaving the house.
As for the buying of things, I personally buy things with trusted brands, that is why I only have very few number of items in my possession because these things are costly.
After I mentioned to my father, who bought the flashlight, about what happened I am sure he will have second thought of buying these cheap imported substandard products, as he is very fond of doing so.
