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Peeing on 3rd rail
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noddingdonkey
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There was a Mythbusters episode which tested this theory out and found it pretty unlikely.
Unlikely, but just about possible.
Urine is somewhat conductive due to the salts and minerals dissolved therein. A continuous stream of urine could conduct a dangerous current with serious consequences.
However urine tends to spread out into droplets rather than form a continuous stream. The current can not pass through the air gaps between the droplets.
Urinating onto a conductor rail is therefore low risk, but please don't try it just in case. There are also risks in being near the live rail, such as falling.
Urine is somewhat conductive due to the salts and minerals dissolved therein. A continuous stream of urine could conduct a dangerous current with serious consequences.
However urine tends to spread out into droplets rather than form a continuous stream. The current can not pass through the air gaps between the droplets.
Urinating onto a conductor rail is therefore low risk, but please don't try it just in case. There are also risks in being near the live rail, such as falling.
Polarbear
Established Member
Unlikely - yes. Would I like to try it - no I would not!
Mythbusters's notions of experimental procedure are such as to render their conclusions a pile of arse. I think I even saw this one and it was no exception.
If you stand on the platform to let go you'll probably get away with it. If you stand in the cess to spray your cess it's pretty likely you won't. There are numerous complicating factors, like the weather, what shoes you're wearing, and whether you've just had sex. Much as I appreciate the entertainment value of unconventional urination targets I consider that in this particular instance there is too much risk of only entertaining the onlookers.
Nocent consequences have certainly been recorded from widdling on an electric fence.
Kneedown
Established Member
Ok, i'll bite.
Are you saying you're more likely to get a jolt up the crown jewels if you've just got lucky?
I realise local newspapers are hardly proof of anything, but fyi:
http://www.eadt.co.uk/news/man-dies-after-urinating-on-live-rail-1-165663
http://www.eadt.co.uk/news/man-dies-after-urinating-on-live-rail-1-165663
for those who cringed at that one, there was a worse story, of a man in Russia who took a pee in the street in freezing cold weather. his pee froze in mid air, and then up inside him.....
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furnessvale
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IMO far more important is the return path to earth. If you are stood there peeing on a dry warm day and wearing well insulated footwear, how are you going to make a good return path to earth?
I don't believe the Russian story. The urine still inside any part of the body would still be at about blood heat and not liable to freeze. In very cold conditions, urine may freeze before falling to the ground, but freezing INSIDE the body, no way.
There is one report from New York,USA: https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/matthew-zeno-electrocution-g-train_n_3561469
The NY subway electrification is 600 to 650 Volts DC, similar to Britain.
If you have a steady stream of pee, it leads back into the bladder... with a full electrical connection into the body. It only takes one weak spot somewhere else on the poor soul for the electricity to break through.
As for volts and amps, an analogy is medieval siege warfare:
Volts are like battering rams and sappers that make a way through, the amps are the foot soldiers etc. who cause the majority of internal damage.
The NY subway electrification is 600 to 650 Volts DC, similar to Britain.
If you have a steady stream of pee, it leads back into the bladder... with a full electrical connection into the body. It only takes one weak spot somewhere else on the poor soul for the electricity to break through.
As for volts and amps, an analogy is medieval siege warfare:
Volts are like battering rams and sappers that make a way through, the amps are the foot soldiers etc. who cause the majority of internal damage.
you need a complete circuit and assuming you are wearing dry shoes the only path is via dirt sweat or other contaminants through clothing or air to earth so likley to be a tingle rather than a belt
indeed when a shunter touched the third rail by accident he had more pain from banging his head when recoiling from the belt than damage from the actual belt
indeed when a shunter touched the third rail by accident he had more pain from banging his head when recoiling from the belt than damage from the actual belt
fergusjbend
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How about peeing on to 25kV wires? I ask merely for information...
To be fair I always wear insulated boots if I get lucky anyway.
PermitToTravel
Established Member
I've tried it, nothing happened
Good idea. I'll give it a go next time I'm near some and report back
bramling
Veteran Member
However one could get unlucky if one had stepped on a nail which had breached the insulated soles, although I suspect like someone else suggested elsewhere this would probably only give a tingle rather than a full jolt. I wouldn’t submit myself to test that out though!
I’ve never heard of anyone getting electrocuted by peeing on a live rail, but needless to say that’s not to say it has never happened.
guiness book off records posthumosely off course
PermitToTravel
Established Member
In seriousness I reckon plenty of station footbridges passing over OLE are low enough that you could actually get a very painful shock (at best!) by doing this - they're at a safe clearance for standing near the wires, not for peeing on them!
Doing it from below you'll definitely be fine though
Requeststop
Member
Tried this when working in Central Kazakhstan mid winter temperature -30C. Firstly your organ is very sensible. trying to expose it to such a low temperature makes it shrivel up to stay warm, and when you do try to pee you are in danger of wetting your five layers of clothes. Something you don't want to do. Secondly, your body temperature is +37C. the heat exchange required to instantly turn your pee to ice at -30 is massive. Urine freezes at approx. -5C so that is a massive instant heat exchange of 42C.
As to peeing on a 3rd rail. I'd not try. I had a difficult job way back trying to persuade my daft brother to pee against the 2-3000 V electrified fence for the cattle on the farm. Claimed he felt nothing after all.
gg1
Established Member
Far more likely for a woman than a man I'd say.
Islineclear3_1
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Islineclear3_1
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are you referring to flow conductivity or some other point
Depends on whether the woman stands or squats surely?
Kneedown
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Railwaysceptic
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Nice one!
duffield
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Although Mythbusters often leaves much to be desired scientifically, I'm sure there was an ultra-slowed down version of a simulated, pretty vigourous urine stream from a standing position onto the '3rd rail' and the stream was very clearly discontinous, breaking up as it got closer to the ground. It looked like pretty strong evidence that you'd at least need to kneel to get anything continous.
mushroomchow
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This is the best thread ever.
bussnapperwm
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You mean the Darwin Awards
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