Watch where you tinkle.

[publius]

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2010/03/01/1091688/elma-man-electrocuted-by-urinating.html?source=rss


An Elma, WA man was electrocuted by urinating on a downed power line. He hit a power pole with his car, but wasn't hurt. He called a relative to come get him, and when help arrived, they found him dead. While waiting, nature called, and he urinated on the still-live line he had knocked down in the ditch.


-Richard

[closetgeek]

That is horrible! I don't mean to make light of it but now I have the Ren and Stimpy song Don't Whiz on the Electric Fence stuck in my head

[publius]

I remember a little ditty I learned as young lad which starts out, "When I was young and had no sense/I pee'd all over an electric fence..." The rest of it is not suitable for repeat on a family forum.


-Richard

[kleindoofy]

... "When I was young and had no sense..."
I remember that as:

"When I was young and had no sense,
I bought me a fiddle for eighteen pence;
The only tune that I could play,
Was 'Over the Hills and Very Far Away';
So early* in the morning,
So early in the morning,
So early in the morning,
Before the break of day."

Whatever, I have been told on this very website that zapping yourself while zipping the zoop is not possible. The zoopy zip isn't coherent enough to get zapped.



* pronounced 'errlie'

[publius]

That depends on conditions. The downed line was probably 7200V or 14.4kV to ground (common distribution voltage). The little stream of eletrolyte is more than enough path at those voltages.

And, years ago, I found a nicked piece of underground wire by this very method. I was behind a shed when nature called, and felt a little shock, a little tingle mind you, but the location of that tingle made it a very traumatic event. There was a piece of UF cable coming out the back running to something, and was exposed right where it came out from the wall and went into the ground (such exposure is not up to code, of course, of course).

It had a little nick in the insulation and my stream found it.


-Richard

[Atraveller]

That whole story is just shocking....

(someone had to go for the obvious...:lol:)

[Ara Pacis]

The mythbusters busted the idea of urinating on an electric fence because the power is too low and the stream actually breaks up into discrete droplets. However, stronger currents might make a difference. I'm told that electricity can arc across air at higher voltages. I wonder if he was standing in his own pool.

[Kaptain K]

At STP (standard temperature and pressure) it is aproximately 20kV/inch/.
.

[NEOWatcher]

The mythbusters busted the idea...

Score another point for the Mythbusters.

This man did not die from the urination.

Autopsy: Wash. man electrocuted by touching downed wire with hand, not through urine stream (http://www.fox8.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-us-urine-electrocution,0,7979898.story)