Hammond boy licks light pole, gets stuck

HAMMOND, Ind. -- In a scene straight out of the movie "A Christmas Story," a 10-year-old Hammond boy got his tongue stuck to a metal light pole.

Police say the unidentified fourth-grader was able to tell them that a friend dared him to lick the pole Wednesday night. Temperatures in Hammond were around 10 degrees at the time.

By the time an ambulance arrived, the boy was able to yank his tongue off the frozen pole.

Police say ambulance personnel explained to the boy's mother how to care for his bleeding tongue.

The 1983 movie is set in a fictional city based on Hammond, the hometown of author Jean Shepherd.

In the story, main character Ralphie's friends Flick and Schwartz argue over whether a person's tongue will stick to a frozen flagpole.

Schwartz ultimately issues Flick a "triple dog dare" and Flick's tongue gets stuck to the pole, much to his terror. In the movie, a suction tube within the flagpole was used to simulate the freezing of Flick's tongue to the pole.