Water: the universal solvent

This evening, it was a windy and snowy -30 deg F evening as I walked home in the dark. Being that it was only 6pm, there were still a fair number of people milling, nay, walking with a purpose. As I crossed through a little alleyway into my neighborhood, I walked past a kid (~10-12 year old) who seemed to be staring intently at the metal fencing immediately in front of him. I thought it a bit odd as I passed, and decided to look back.

He was still there, staring. If it had been daytime, warm, and possibly a forested environment, I'd assume he was studying some sort of small animal life, as I many times have done. However, this was no place to linger. "Surely, he didn't try licking the pole," I told myself. I asked him if he was okay, and he gave a stunted nod, as I noticed a bloody tongue...stuck to the fence.

I couldn't believe it. I'd never actually seen this happen. I also never would've guessed that this would be the place for it to finally occur. "Hooey," I told the boy (this is Mongolian for "Ah, geez, I can't believe what's happening"). He gave weak efforts at trying to pull away. Most likely, he was worried about further damage to his tongue, as evidence of previous tries looked rather painful, especially in the numbing weather. Something in my memory told me that you're supposed to pour water on the tongue to release it, but I had a concern that the memory was incorrect, that it was too cold for that to work and the water would further freeze the bond, or something terrible that I'd have no solution for would result. However, judging by the fact that locals continued to walk by without giving the situation any attention, I took it upon myself to save this child.

I poured the water and was pleased to see it gradually separate from the fence. The kid stayed quiet and I asked if he was okay. Again, he nodded. I accepted the fact that he was a better "okay" than the first time I asked and turned down my street. I looked back to see him standing around the same area, so I had my concerns, but hopefully he knows to carry water from now on.

So there you go. Always carry water. It's good for hydration. It's good for washing things. It's good for unfreezing flesh from metal.

And don't lick poles when it's cold outside.

In further research, I found that if you don't have water with you, you should be able to cup your hands and breathe on the tongue-pole connection point enough to melt the area. Also, you might be able to stick your finger back into your mouth, get it wet, then try to melt the bonded area with your finger. Frankly, the second method sounds like a recipe for more trouble, so...carry water.