Take a moment and picture 35 feet.

No, I don’t mean a chorus line of 17 Rockettes assisted by Long John Silver. Just imagine the distance. Thirty-five feet. Or if it helps, just under 12 yards.

Out on the road, that’s two cars with maybe three or four feet of stopping distance between them.

On a football field, that’s the quick pass for an easy first down that keeps your offense moving toward the goal line.

In a neighborhood, that’s the distance from your front lawn to the one across the street.

And when a power line goes down, that’s the danger zone.

Granted, power lines don’t go down very often. In fact, outages for any reason are pretty rare in Longmont. A typical electric customer here can go two years without seeing a power outage, and many people go longer. It’s one of the reasons we’ve been recognized as a Reliable Public Power Provider and even been ranked among the most reliable utilities in the country.

But at this time of year, power poles can be visited by high winds, ice, or the occasional driver that skids off the road. When that happens, sometimes a broken line reaches the ground.

When you see that broken line, listen to what common sense tells you: stay away. Well away.

Like, say, 35 feet.

That’s how far away a broken power line can energize the ground. Far enough to zap you from across the street. Which is way too close for comfort. Especially when it’s 7,200 volts you’re talking about.

Get clear. And then give us a call at 303-651-8386. We’ll get a crew out to make it safe and get it repaired.

Sure, it’s simple. Most ways to stay safe around electricity are. But like a lot of simple things, it’s important.

Just remember that mental picture.

Because there are some things you shouldn’t touch with a 35-foot pole.