Weird feeling of nervousness when done something I use to do all the time.

[cokebottle10]

It seems like another life time ago I worked as a electrician at Tropicana in FL. For awhile I worked on the high line crew. I really liked working around big high powered stuff that could kill you. Taking readings off transformers live was no problem. Or working around 200 to 750 hp electric motors was fun to me. We always worked in teams of two and one guy would watch for safety while the other would do the work. I now work as a Project Engineer. We have what we think is ground issues with one of the machines that was newly installed in 2014. I found that the center tap neutral on the transformer was not tied to anything on one machine (floating) but it was bonded to ground on the other. Anyway the plant did not want to tied it together so I asked them If I could do a test and tie them together threw a 30amp fuse. To do this i needed to touch the transformer buss bars. Even after checking that the power was off three times and locking it out I found myself in my mind YELLING at my hands to touch it. Back at Tropicana I would thought nothing of doing this. But yesterday it just really surprised me now much it bothered me to do this. I guess not the young 20 something year old I was.

Thanks, David in Fletcher NC

[Serk]

Heck, I do the same thing some times when hopping on the Valk.

There have been times when I've already geared up, gotten on, backed out of the garage, and that little voice pops up in my head and says "Not today...", and I've actually pushed the bike back into the garage and parked it.

[Jess from VA]

For ten summers getting through school, I climbed high steel (mill) chipping and painting.  Heights never bothered me, but you'd be an idiot not to respect it and be careful (just like high voltage).

Returning to work every summer, the first few days were always a little unnerving.  Up high in the mill was the cleanest air, the best view, and the safest place to work, if you didn't fall to your death.  And no stinking OSHA back then (I never wore a harness and line, not once).  

You have the experience and the wisdom to know high voltage risks, but haven't taken them for a while.  That explains things pretty well David, no?

[Dave Ritsema]

Heck, I do the same thing some times when hopping on the Valk.

There have been times when I've already geared up, gotten on, backed out of the garage, and that little voice pops up in my head and says "Not today...", and I've actually pushed the bike back into the garage and parked it.

I have done the very same thing. Age and experience has taught me to listen to the little voice in my head. It is right a fair amount of the time.

[Robert]

Yup know the feeling and sometimes I welcome it since I have caught myself doing something that was a bit stupid even though it was something I had done and took for granted. With experience comes knowing the possibilities and making sure we are not wrong in what we are doing and how we are doing it. Sometimes its justified and sometimes not.

[Jess from VA]

I'm no electrician, but one thing I have learned, electricity is quiet and peaceful when you leave it alone.  But it's sneaky.  One minute you're just fixing the socket, and the next minute you're buzzing and shaking and yelling.  

Wife:  What the hell is going on down there (basement)?

Me:    I'm running up the electric bill, letting it run through my body to the nice concrete floor ground.

Wife:  Why would you do that?

Me:   Just bored, I guess.

Wife:   Well knock it off.
 
Me:     OK.

Moral:  Just because every single wall socket in the basement den runs off one circuit, doesn't mean the last one does.  

[Serk]

I'm no electrician, but one thing I have learned, electricity is quiet and peaceful when you leave it alone.  But it's sneaky.  One minute you're just fixing the socket, and the next minute you're buzzing and shaking and yelling.  

A few months ago the triplets were in bed and we were downstairs unwinding when one of 'em started SCREAMING, and we could tell this wasn't the usual "My brothers are being poopy head" screaming either, so we rushed upstairs.

"THE BUTTERFLY BIT ME!!!!!" she kept screaming over and over.

It took us a few minutes to finally figure out, she had a butterfly plug in night light and, probably because we'd told her NOT to, she went over and was playing with it, plugging it and unplugging it.

Got her fingers behind it and yup... the butterfly bit her!

That one is FAR more respectful around electrical outlets now!

[The emperor has no clothes]

Heck, I do the same thing some times when hopping on the Valk.

There have been times when I've already geared up, gotten on, backed out of the garage, and that little voice pops up in my head and says "Not today...", and I've actually pushed the bike back into the garage and parked it.

I can't pay attention to voices in my head. They are always trying to get me in trouble.




But as far as electricity, I hate getting shocked (probably everyone does). The other day a meat case drain clogged. Taking it apart to unclog is a pain with customers all standing around supervising. I've learned over the years not to unplug the fans because with all the standing water it's inevitable that you will get shocked. It's only 110, but I try not to give anything more for them to laugh at than I have to. The fan motors are not that powerful and if it catches you it just whacks you and stops. Well experience is not always foolproof . This time the fan blade got my knuckle at just the perfect angle not to stop, but slice off a nice chunk. The supervisors standing there not only got a laugh but said you should have unplugged those fans.  

[sandy]

I know 2 things about "lectricity:
It hurts when ya get it on ya and it's hard to wash off.

[cookiedough]

I remember my brother with a very LIVE wire in my parents basement he touched the wires accidentally together and literally knocked him back 4-5 feet on his butt scared the crap outta me watching it but he lived to see another day.  Sort of like in the movies when one gets blown away from a blast explosion.