Chemical Forums
General Forums => Generic Discussion => Topic started by: curiouscat on December 06, 2012, 10:01:12 AM
-
Came across a link to this Gawker article "A Guide to Subway Safety":
http://gawker.com/5541671/a-guide-to-subway-safety (http://gawker.com/5541671/a-guide-to-subway-safety)
It has this section about "Don't pee on the tracks: Fatally electrocuted through penis".
Got me thinking; Real or urban legend? What does science say? Maybe if you tried peeing on a 25 kV transmission line, yes. But third-rails are typically ~1000 V.
Is the stream of liquid solid enough to conduct through, say 6 feet? (Assuming the idiot stands on the subway platform) ???
-
I believe the Mythbusters did address something like that -- peeing on an electrified livestock fence. Anyway, their show also has a discussion forum, which covers urban legend topics. And there are other sources -- the truth is out there, you just have to look. And ignore anything Mulder says, he's simply to invested in his paranoia. ;D
-
Isn't resistance also related to the diameter of the conductor?
-
Mythbusters basically discounted this as a myth with the exception of being within inches of the track so the liquid stream was continuous. I do not think i will be kneeling over a third rail with my penis 3 inches from the track in the near future.
-
It is 750 V where I live. There was some kind of rule that I think says for each 1000 V, a 1 mm spark is created.
You won't get electrocuted since the stream breaks and the distance between droplets adds up to much greater than 1 mm.
Anyway, the article is biased towards men. Why can't women get electrocuted?
-
Anyway, the article is biased towards men. Why can't women get electrocuted?
Because until the sheewee http://www.shewee.ca/ becomes more in vogue, men have an easier time directing their stream.