How was the $17,000.00 figure calculated? Seems a bit sensationalist to me. As to why it lasted so long, pretty simple actually. Most lamp failures are a result of the repetitive heating and cooling of being turned on and off. There are many instances of lights being left on for extended periods of time and not "burning out". It would be nice to know what color the neon light was...

@Another David- Um, that may be true but are they also accompanied by the deaths of 100,000 fish nearby? Just askin'...

@christine- Hahahaha! Well put!