Marriage and the Power of Divorce
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ZyyzYzzy
RIP USA
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Aldarion
Egg Nazi
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I'm constantly surprised by the number of coworkers I encounter who have never been shocked by household current and think its some kind of instant death. I mean, every house is wired with this stuff. How you get to age 20+ and never experience a taste of household current?
I guess I'm a little less surprised that people havent experienced an electric fence, with the increasing urbanization. For those of us who grew up in the real world where there are things like cows and electric fences, its pretty laughable that letting a kid touch an electric fence is some kind of terrible child abuse.
I wouldnt tell my kids to touch it. But I might do it in front of them then dare them to do it.
Zaara
I'm With HER ♀
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The same day Conefed posted, me and the husbando took a drive down the coast. There's this big spot of land on the side of the road where you can pull off, has some walking trails to a 18th century graveyard and the like. Most of the trails had these rinky-dink fences on either side warning they were electrified, but I saw a bird sitting on one. I was curious and went up as if to touch one and he freaked the hell out.
I kind of want to blame Jurassic Park?
Noodleface
A Mod Real Quick
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When a bird sits on a single wire the potential is the same between each leg. If perchance it touched another wire it would be fried. If you don't touch the ground I think you can just grab the wire
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Mrs. Gravy
Quite Saucy
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I have mostly been perplexed that she calmly "walked him into it"...and get a very weird image of that in my head. Warning a child of danger or pain yes, please do...If they test you and find out for themselves, which children are wont to do, does this actually make both the lesson AND that child's belief in your parental omnipotence stronger? I know it did for me. I still believe everything my parents tell me. 
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Noodleface
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There was a big scene where they were debating how to slide down some electrical wires using a belt, and the advice was "if you're not touching both wires or one wire and the ground you're fine"
Noodleface
A Mod Real Quick
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Zaara
I'm With HER ♀
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So hover-planking would've made it safe. Gotcha.
And yes, I've seen birds on power lines, but it was the fact that it was also sitting touching the wooden stake the wires were nailed to. I'm not an electricity expert but that + uninsulated metal wire nailed to wooden posts + lack of any visible 'electric fence' accoutrements besides said wires made me think it was bullshit.
Noodleface
A Mod Real Quick
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Yes, you can find videos online of kids in a chain standing on something and holding the fence and then touching someone grounded and they all get shocked
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Well, wood is a pretty good insulator all by itself.
Cad Literally the only line I remember from Tango and Cash is when one of them handed the other one a little gun and he asked "Why is yours bigger than mine?" "Genetics".
It is definitely some total 80's dreck but it was entertaining at the time
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That said, the dielectric strength between wet and dry wood and even different types of wood is quite different. If you're going to use wood to build an electric fence, any connections between the wire and wooden posts should be properly insulated with something plastic or ceramic.
Likely, your instincts about a shoddy fence not really being electric were right.
Likely, your instincts about a shoddy fence not really being electric were right.
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iannis
Musty Nester
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All I really know is that linemen working on main trunk power cables do it out of a helicopter and they have to take precautions to match the electric field that's basically a corona around those giant ass wires.
I watched a 30 minute documentary about it once. It was pretty neat, but I don't remember a lot of it. Besides that linemen have balls as big as any fireman.
I watched a 30 minute documentary about it once. It was pretty neat, but I don't remember a lot of it. Besides that linemen have balls as big as any fireman.