- Joined
- Apr 25, 2006
- Messages
- 304
- Reaction score
- 8
Yup. Definitely electrically shocked just a couple days ago. Here is my story.
Friday. End of my second week of Medical School and I was heading to the library. The library at my school is on the upper floor so I walked over to the elevator to press the up button. The instant my extended index finger made contact with the metal button my arm flung violently backwards. It felt as if someone had shook my arm as I felt my triceps vigorously contract. It didn't hurt, but you could FEEL the power of the current for that tenth of a second.
Pissed off, I walked over to the facility office for the school and informed them of a "hot button." The electrician looked at me, looked at my shoes (rubber soles) and told me, "yeah that is some static electricity. Don't drag your feet when you walk." When he told me that, I wanted to punch him in the face. I was so mad. But priding myself on maintaining composure I asked him if he could take a look at the elevator button. With much prodding he reluctantly agreed. He touched the button. No shock. "You see, definitely static electricity" , the electrician replied.
Well....no Shock? How the hell was I shocked? Well to answer this small mystery requires a little electricity and magnetism 101. But more on that later.
The electrician, now COMPLETELY confident that it was a simple case of Static Electricity touched the button one more time. But this time, ROTFLMAO, it was different. Instead I heard a scream, WOW!!!! He instantly grabbed his radio and started calling fellow technicians to shut down the elevators to the school. He reported, "we have a situation."
Now why was the electrician not shocked the first time but the second time received a nice jolt? Well lets get you acquainted with the scenario. This is an exact replica of the elevator button at my medical school. Apparently, a loose electric wire had gotten free and was making direct contact with the elevator panel. The plastic ring around the button creates a potential differential across the panel. Little did I know, but when I pressed the button with my index finger, my thumb also made contact with the metal outside of the button. I had completed the circuit and WHAMO! 120 volt AC shock. The same thing happened with the electrician. the only difference when he pressed the button the second time his shoulder was making contact with the elevator door. Thus completing the circuit and giving him a jolt.
The School sent us both to the emergency room (the school wanted to take precautions) to have an EKG. Everything normal/no injuries and was quickly discharged for the Emergency Room. All i can say is "$$hit ******* happens." and you just got to hope that you can walk away from other people's mistakes as well as your own.
Friday. End of my second week of Medical School and I was heading to the library. The library at my school is on the upper floor so I walked over to the elevator to press the up button. The instant my extended index finger made contact with the metal button my arm flung violently backwards. It felt as if someone had shook my arm as I felt my triceps vigorously contract. It didn't hurt, but you could FEEL the power of the current for that tenth of a second.
Pissed off, I walked over to the facility office for the school and informed them of a "hot button." The electrician looked at me, looked at my shoes (rubber soles) and told me, "yeah that is some static electricity. Don't drag your feet when you walk." When he told me that, I wanted to punch him in the face. I was so mad. But priding myself on maintaining composure I asked him if he could take a look at the elevator button. With much prodding he reluctantly agreed. He touched the button. No shock. "You see, definitely static electricity" , the electrician replied.
Well....no Shock? How the hell was I shocked? Well to answer this small mystery requires a little electricity and magnetism 101. But more on that later.
The electrician, now COMPLETELY confident that it was a simple case of Static Electricity touched the button one more time. But this time, ROTFLMAO, it was different. Instead I heard a scream, WOW!!!! He instantly grabbed his radio and started calling fellow technicians to shut down the elevators to the school. He reported, "we have a situation."
Now why was the electrician not shocked the first time but the second time received a nice jolt? Well lets get you acquainted with the scenario. This is an exact replica of the elevator button at my medical school. Apparently, a loose electric wire had gotten free and was making direct contact with the elevator panel. The plastic ring around the button creates a potential differential across the panel. Little did I know, but when I pressed the button with my index finger, my thumb also made contact with the metal outside of the button. I had completed the circuit and WHAMO! 120 volt AC shock. The same thing happened with the electrician. the only difference when he pressed the button the second time his shoulder was making contact with the elevator door. Thus completing the circuit and giving him a jolt.
The School sent us both to the emergency room (the school wanted to take precautions) to have an EKG. Everything normal/no injuries and was quickly discharged for the Emergency Room. All i can say is "$$hit ******* happens." and you just got to hope that you can walk away from other people's mistakes as well as your own.
