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A comment on CPSC warns consumers to stop using male-to-male extension cords sold on Amazon. Parent comment

Re:CPSC warns consumers to stop using male-to-male extension... by refracture on Friday September 16, 2022 @11:19AM (#32867276)
When I was a small child with endless un-jaded curiosity and no fear I once took a pair of cutters to a power cable plugged into a live 120v US outlet; it made an incredibly bright arc that I could see the afterimage of in my vision for several minutes and a deafeningly loud pop (In retrospect may have been the first stage of my tinnitus). For years growing up I would look at the replacement power cable for that electric typewriter and always feel pretty dumb.

Obviously nobody should learn that way and I'm thankful to not be dead or otherwise, but I was kind of disappointed growing up that in school I was never taught why this was a bad idea, even when I asked all I got was a wide eyed stare and a stern 'never do that again', never a 'So that's a bad idea and here's why..' Maybe in an alternative life I'd have become an electrician? Who knows.

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Re:CPSC warns consumers to stop using male-to-male extension... by everforward on Friday September 16, 2022 @05:09PM (#32872029)
I wish they'd just do quick, practical examples.

This is what happens when you mess with mains voltage and chuck a fork into a circuit. Maybe even a dead rat/frog. This is what happens when you put too much power into a wire, and let them watch it catch on fire.

I knew power was conceptually dangerous when I was a kid. I didn't realize how dangerous until I tried to change a light switch as a teenager, and didn't realize the house had multiple breaker boxes. Watching fairly thick copper wires melt themselves scared the hell out of me.

I won't do anything over 12v myself to this day. I'm too hasty and easily distracted for it to end well.

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Re:CPSC warns consumers to stop using male-to-male extension... by bombcar on Friday September 16, 2022 @12:31PM (#32868545)
For a very few milliseconds you were an electrician - they don’t call them Sparky for nothing, after all.
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