Child killed while recharging Gameboy in Thailand
January 5, 2007 3:04 AM Subscribe
A 7 year-old British boy gets electrocuted while charging his Gameboy in a Thai hotel. The gaming press are up in arms at the way it gets reported.
There are so many things wrong with that first article, it's hard to begin.
Firstly:
"He does it all the time at home,” she said. “There should be some kind of warning about the different electrical currents you get abroad because this wouldn’t have happened in England."
Yeah... read your "Thailand on a Shoestring" or your Fodor's....
I mean, is this NOT in every travel guide ever printed? I'd actually like some info on that, since I don't own the Thailand one.
Five years ago a young Danish boy was killed at a Thai hotel when he came into contact with an exposed wire by a lamp illuminating the swimming pool.
... let me repeat that... "...exposed wire by a lamp illuminating the swimming pool."
Wow, talk about a recent series of blows to the Thai tourist industry.
posted by eparchos at 3:31 AM on January 5, 2007
Firstly:
"He does it all the time at home,” she said. “There should be some kind of warning about the different electrical currents you get abroad because this wouldn’t have happened in England."
Yeah... read your "Thailand on a Shoestring" or your Fodor's....
I mean, is this NOT in every travel guide ever printed? I'd actually like some info on that, since I don't own the Thailand one.
Five years ago a young Danish boy was killed at a Thai hotel when he came into contact with an exposed wire by a lamp illuminating the swimming pool.
... let me repeat that... "...exposed wire by a lamp illuminating the swimming pool."
Wow, talk about a recent series of blows to the Thai tourist industry.
posted by eparchos at 3:31 AM on January 5, 2007
Exactly - this is a sub-editor thing, not a journalist thing. Yes, it's daft that the GameBoy element was the thing flagged up in the headlines. No, that's nothing to do with the reporters (who, most likely, were doing not much more than re-writing wire service copy anyway).
posted by flashboy at 3:34 AM on January 5, 2007
posted by flashboy at 3:34 AM on January 5, 2007
I also am curious about their response to the media. We called and asked them if they'd have printed: Boy dies in lamp accident.
I can just see a busy junior hack explaining to her newsdesk: Sorry I'm late with this piece, but I had to get back and justify myself to some gamer website called Spong who think I wouldn't have mentioned the piece of electrical equipment involved in this accident if it had been a lamp.
There's a quick way to find yourself down the Labour Exchange.
posted by imperium at 3:35 AM on January 5, 2007
I can just see a busy junior hack explaining to her newsdesk: Sorry I'm late with this piece, but I had to get back and justify myself to some gamer website called Spong who think I wouldn't have mentioned the piece of electrical equipment involved in this accident if it had been a lamp.
There's a quick way to find yourself down the Labour Exchange.
posted by imperium at 3:35 AM on January 5, 2007
We saw this in the morning with a mate of mine, on our way to work within the gaming industry. So fucking annoying that it is somehow a Game Boy related death... I could've sworn it was the 'dripping wet + electricity + potentially shoddy wiring' that killed the boy. He could've been unplugging his mobile phone charger for all it mattered.
And apparently England has non-conductive water and electricity-free electricity as this could not have happened here.
posted by slimepuppy at 3:39 AM on January 5, 2007
And apparently England has non-conductive water and electricity-free electricity as this could not have happened here.
posted by slimepuppy at 3:39 AM on January 5, 2007
Actually, it probably would have been difficult in England because the electrical system is over engineered with safety features. Most appliances have a fuse built into the cord (very confusing to a north american trying to figure out why their computer won't work after a power surge). Outlets have on/off switches and the live sockets don't open until the longer ground prong pushes it open.
I don't know if those features would have saved a wet kid but it may have contributed to a lack of respect for danger of electricity.
posted by srboisvert at 3:47 AM on January 5, 2007
I don't know if those features would have saved a wet kid but it may have contributed to a lack of respect for danger of electricity.
posted by srboisvert at 3:47 AM on January 5, 2007
Sorry to have to say it, but... one less idiot?
He was seven, for fuck sakes. Give your head a shake.
posted by The God Complex at 3:58 AM on January 5, 2007 [3 favorites]
He was seven, for fuck sakes. Give your head a shake.
posted by The God Complex at 3:58 AM on January 5, 2007 [3 favorites]
And apparently England has non-conductive water and electricity-free electricity as this could not have happened here.
Pfft! Clearly England has the "earthing" technology that Thailand so sorely needs.... and can't access due to those crazy English and their embargo on spreading dangerous, innovative technologies to Thailand.... Imperialist dogs!
posted by eparchos at 3:59 AM on January 5, 2007
srboisvert, the UK system isn't over engineered. It's most of the rest of the world that's hilariously shoddy. Not much short of a GFCI would've helped here, but since Thailand is apparently 240V with no earth pin, it's not a good combination.
I'm guessing I'm in the minority here by not having been allowed to plug anything in until I was about 10 or so, yes?
posted by scruss at 4:06 AM on January 5, 2007
I'm guessing I'm in the minority here by not having been allowed to plug anything in until I was about 10 or so, yes?
posted by scruss at 4:06 AM on January 5, 2007
He was seven, for fuck sakes. Give your head a shake.
You are right, of course, I take it back.
I don't know if those features would have saved a wet kid but it may have contributed to a lack of respect for danger of electricity.
This is an interesting point - to what extent can safety features make us all the more complacent? Would education be a better option?
posted by Acey at 4:18 AM on January 5, 2007
You are right, of course, I take it back.
I don't know if those features would have saved a wet kid but it may have contributed to a lack of respect for danger of electricity.
This is an interesting point - to what extent can safety features make us all the more complacent? Would education be a better option?
posted by Acey at 4:18 AM on January 5, 2007
This is an interesting point - to what extent can safety features make us all the more complacent? Would education be a better option?
I'd say both would be nice. Complacency=more leisure time. Education=more knowledge. Knowledge+leisure time=progress.
At least, I'd say that's a relatively decent hypothesis.
posted by eparchos at 4:22 AM on January 5, 2007
I'd say both would be nice. Complacency=more leisure time. Education=more knowledge. Knowledge+leisure time=progress.
At least, I'd say that's a relatively decent hypothesis.
posted by eparchos at 4:22 AM on January 5, 2007
He was seven
who leaves a seven year old alone in a hotel room while they go to dinner?
posted by 3.2.3 at 4:23 AM on January 5, 2007
who leaves a seven year old alone in a hotel room while they go to dinner?
posted by 3.2.3 at 4:23 AM on January 5, 2007
BS 1363 is rightly known as the world's safest plug/socket standard, and the mother does sort of have a point here if you ignore the word "currents":
"He does it all the time at home,” she said. “There should be some kind of warning about the different electrical currents you get abroad because this wouldn’t have happened in England."
Obviously the different in voltage is well documented in every travel guide, but how many mention the fact that foreign plugs are dangerous and poorly designed?
We already recognise this for water; it's well known in Britain that British tap water is safe to drink while elsewhere it may not be. We thus give warnings not to drink tap water abroad. But I'm not aware of any travel guide that says look out for the electrical sockets or you'll get the old French fried fingers.
Nevertheless it's pretty likely that this particular case was user error, and the fault of neither the hotel nor the Gameboy.
Let's blame the mother!
posted by hoverboards don't work on water at 4:24 AM on January 5, 2007
"He does it all the time at home,” she said. “There should be some kind of warning about the different electrical currents you get abroad because this wouldn’t have happened in England."
Obviously the different in voltage is well documented in every travel guide, but how many mention the fact that foreign plugs are dangerous and poorly designed?
We already recognise this for water; it's well known in Britain that British tap water is safe to drink while elsewhere it may not be. We thus give warnings not to drink tap water abroad. But I'm not aware of any travel guide that says look out for the electrical sockets or you'll get the old French fried fingers.
Nevertheless it's pretty likely that this particular case was user error, and the fault of neither the hotel nor the Gameboy.
Let's blame the mother!
posted by hoverboards don't work on water at 4:24 AM on January 5, 2007
This doesn't seem to make any sense at all.
1. There are very few products which have a fuse in the cord. Fuses are falling into disuse, and RCDs are in more widespread use.
2. All wires (in every country, to my knowledge), are insulated with plastic. Thus, no current passes from the wire to anything else at any point other than at the mains supply and the electrical device.
3. A Game Boy is encased in plastic, forming a "double insulation" that prevents the casing becoming live.
4. What I am trying to find is how the current made a path from the supply to the human. There is no way that either the casing or the wire could have communicated the current. Was the water involved forming a continuous path from the boy to the socket?
5. I could create the shoddiest wiring system that I could conceive, with wires in directions likely to snag anything entering the socket, and this would not allow an electrical shock without some sort of direct path from the person to the live wire using any conductive material.
Am I missing something?
posted by malusmoriendumest at 4:28 AM on January 5, 2007
1. There are very few products which have a fuse in the cord. Fuses are falling into disuse, and RCDs are in more widespread use.
2. All wires (in every country, to my knowledge), are insulated with plastic. Thus, no current passes from the wire to anything else at any point other than at the mains supply and the electrical device.
3. A Game Boy is encased in plastic, forming a "double insulation" that prevents the casing becoming live.
4. What I am trying to find is how the current made a path from the supply to the human. There is no way that either the casing or the wire could have communicated the current. Was the water involved forming a continuous path from the boy to the socket?
5. I could create the shoddiest wiring system that I could conceive, with wires in directions likely to snag anything entering the socket, and this would not allow an electrical shock without some sort of direct path from the person to the live wire using any conductive material.
Am I missing something?
posted by malusmoriendumest at 4:28 AM on January 5, 2007
who leaves a seven year old alone in a hotel room while they go to dinner?
My parents. Their friends. etc....
posted by eparchos at 4:28 AM on January 5, 2007
My parents. Their friends. etc....
posted by eparchos at 4:28 AM on January 5, 2007
The gaming press should grow up. Everyone knows that it's the job of borderline misleading headlines to make you read the story. If tabloid subs didn't write salacious headlines, they wouldn't be doing their job.
posted by rhymer at 4:30 AM on January 5, 2007
posted by rhymer at 4:30 AM on January 5, 2007
Wet fingers + metal plug pins + socket = electric shock, right?
If you are touching the pins, you can still electrocute yourself, with or without faulty wiring. In the UK, the 3rd pin is designed to earth the current first, making it more difficult (but probably not impossible).
posted by Acey at 4:31 AM on January 5, 2007
If you are touching the pins, you can still electrocute yourself, with or without faulty wiring. In the UK, the 3rd pin is designed to earth the current first, making it more difficult (but probably not impossible).
posted by Acey at 4:31 AM on January 5, 2007
Warning: Things are different when you go to another country. Take precautions & know what to expect. Or stay at home.
If a 7yo was allowed to touch any electrical outlet/plug then the parents are partly responsible.
People seem to forget that part of the reason that holidays to Thailand and the like can be cheap is that the standards are lower compared to what a lot of Westerners might be used to. Higher standards cost more money!
posted by i_cola at 4:32 AM on January 5, 2007
If a 7yo was allowed to touch any electrical outlet/plug then the parents are partly responsible.
People seem to forget that part of the reason that holidays to Thailand and the like can be cheap is that the standards are lower compared to what a lot of Westerners might be used to. Higher standards cost more money!
posted by i_cola at 4:32 AM on January 5, 2007
eparchos: "who leaves a seven year old alone in a hotel room while they go to dinner?
My parents. Their friends. etc...."
So didn't children get to eat dinner in your circles then?
posted by PeterMcDermott at 4:39 AM on January 5, 2007
My parents. Their friends. etc...."
So didn't children get to eat dinner in your circles then?
posted by PeterMcDermott at 4:39 AM on January 5, 2007
“He does it all the time at home,” she said. “There should be some kind of warning about the different electrical currents you get abroad because this wouldn’t have happened in England.
This paragraph made me so sad. She's still referring to him in the present tense.
posted by Kattullus at 4:48 AM on January 5, 2007
This paragraph made me so sad. She's still referring to him in the present tense.
posted by Kattullus at 4:48 AM on January 5, 2007
PeterMcDermottSo didn't children get to eat dinner in your circles then?
Yes, we did, but we were also taught and encouraged to be independent. In retrospect, I suspect it was a ploy our parents used in order to get away from us as often as possible.
posted by eparchos at 4:58 AM on January 5, 2007
Yes, we did, but we were also taught and encouraged to be independent. In retrospect, I suspect it was a ploy our parents used in order to get away from us as often as possible.
posted by eparchos at 4:58 AM on January 5, 2007
Also good to see that The Independent is the only paper mentioned that don't appear to blame the gameboy. It's not a perfect paper, but it's got to be one of the best.
posted by Acey at 5:00 AM on January 5, 2007
posted by Acey at 5:00 AM on January 5, 2007
It's most of the rest of the world that's hilariously shoddy.
Two words. Ring main.
Well, and stepping on a UK plug in bare feet is amazingly painful. The UK plug does need to be bigger, given the power. The US NEMA 5-15P can handle, at most, 120V*15A=1800W. UK plugs now carry 240V*13, 3120W.
The US policy is to have a couple of larger plugs for the few places (electric stove, electric dryer, air conditioning unit) that need more than 2KW of power. The UK policy was to explicitly support 3KW loads at any point.
Wet fingers + metal plug pins + socket = electric shock, right?
Maybe. The trick is the current has to go through you. So, wet fingers + metal plug pins + socket + body contact with ground.
posted by eriko at 5:23 AM on January 5, 2007
Two words. Ring main.
Well, and stepping on a UK plug in bare feet is amazingly painful. The UK plug does need to be bigger, given the power. The US NEMA 5-15P can handle, at most, 120V*15A=1800W. UK plugs now carry 240V*13, 3120W.
The US policy is to have a couple of larger plugs for the few places (electric stove, electric dryer, air conditioning unit) that need more than 2KW of power. The UK policy was to explicitly support 3KW loads at any point.
Wet fingers + metal plug pins + socket = electric shock, right?
Maybe. The trick is the current has to go through you. So, wet fingers + metal plug pins + socket + body contact with ground.
posted by eriko at 5:23 AM on January 5, 2007
And apparently England has non-conductive water and electricity-free electricity as this could not have happened here.
Here in the U.S, I've managed to get a good jolt of AC several times as a child, including when I was younger then seven. I don't recall it killing me.
Do the Thai use a diffrent voltage or something? I know there's a diffrence between 110v in the U.S. and 220v in Brittan.
posted by delmoi at 6:38 AM on January 5, 2007
Here in the U.S, I've managed to get a good jolt of AC several times as a child, including when I was younger then seven. I don't recall it killing me.
Do the Thai use a diffrent voltage or something? I know there's a diffrence between 110v in the U.S. and 220v in Brittan.
posted by delmoi at 6:38 AM on January 5, 2007
4. What I am trying to find is how the current made a path from the supply to the human. There is no way that either the casing or the wire could have communicated the current. Was the water involved forming a continuous path from the boy to the socket?
He obviously touched a live blade.
posted by delmoi at 6:41 AM on January 5, 2007
He obviously touched a live blade.
posted by delmoi at 6:41 AM on January 5, 2007
So...
besides SPONG, which other members of the "gaming press" are "up in arms" about this?
I don't see it at IGN, nor Joystiq... I mean, that's hardly exhaustive research on my part but really... is the entirety of the gaming press "SPONG" in this instance?
/ wheels within wheels
posted by C.Batt at 6:50 AM on January 5, 2007 [1 favorite]
besides SPONG, which other members of the "gaming press" are "up in arms" about this?
I don't see it at IGN, nor Joystiq... I mean, that's hardly exhaustive research on my part but really... is the entirety of the gaming press "SPONG" in this instance?
/ wheels within wheels
posted by C.Batt at 6:50 AM on January 5, 2007 [1 favorite]
My son was electrocuted in February. He was three. He survived. (We are in the US.) It was a freak accident -- he washed his hands, did the quick 3-year-old drying method of wiping them in the vicinity of the towel, and then ran out to the living room to get one of his matchbox cars. Before I had a chance to come around the corner from the bathroom, he had reached under the couch to feel around for a car he thought had gone there, and come in contact with an extension cord that had one plug not fully plugged in. He was thrown back against the wall, went unconscious, started having a seizure, and stopped breathing. As I said, he survived with no ill after-effects (his 6-yr-old sister and I, on the other hand, different story). But having experienced that in my own home, I can see all too well how this could have happened, especially with faulty wiring involved.
posted by mothershock at 6:52 AM on January 5, 2007
posted by mothershock at 6:52 AM on January 5, 2007
She's still referring to him in the present tense.
That's because she didn't murder him. If I've learnt anything from TV detective dramas it's that only murderers refer to the deceased in the past tense...
No seriously this is sad, but when the mother doesn't realise that power-sockets have different ratings/plugs in different countries and that one must be wary of this, what chance does a 7yo child have?
posted by ob at 6:55 AM on January 5, 2007
That's because she didn't murder him. If I've learnt anything from TV detective dramas it's that only murderers refer to the deceased in the past tense...
No seriously this is sad, but when the mother doesn't realise that power-sockets have different ratings/plugs in different countries and that one must be wary of this, what chance does a 7yo child have?
posted by ob at 6:55 AM on January 5, 2007
mothershock - wow, I'm glad your son is ok. That must have been terrifying.
posted by bshort at 6:58 AM on January 5, 2007
posted by bshort at 6:58 AM on January 5, 2007
Thailand uses 220/240V at 50Hz, exactly the same as in the UK. The difference is that they use either the same style of connector that the US uses, the "Type A" or NEMA 1 plug, which, as Eriko said above, really only should be used for 110/120V AC, and the quite low-current Europlug. A proper Europlug should not have shocked the boy as the contacts are recessed and he should not have been able to touch bare metal carrying electricity, so my bet is on the American-style connector.
posted by zsazsa at 7:02 AM on January 5, 2007
posted by zsazsa at 7:02 AM on January 5, 2007
Scary stuff Mothershack. Glad he's OK.
I used to complain about the UK fuse in the plug thing as it's a pain in the ass to have to move my gigantic bedroom furntiture to change the fuse when it occasionally blow out. I think I'll stop complaining about it now.
posted by gfrobe at 7:03 AM on January 5, 2007
I used to complain about the UK fuse in the plug thing as it's a pain in the ass to have to move my gigantic bedroom furntiture to change the fuse when it occasionally blow out. I think I'll stop complaining about it now.
posted by gfrobe at 7:03 AM on January 5, 2007
@Scruss: I'm guessing I'm in the minority here by not having been allowed to plug anything in until I was about 10 or so, yes?
Nope, that sounds familiar to me, too. My folks also had funny covers that plugged into the sockets when not in use. Apparently when I was really young, I asked whether they were to stop the electricity leaking out... :)
@mothershock: Scary... but nicely eponysterical!
posted by Chunder at 7:07 AM on January 5, 2007
Nope, that sounds familiar to me, too. My folks also had funny covers that plugged into the sockets when not in use. Apparently when I was really young, I asked whether they were to stop the electricity leaking out... :)
@mothershock: Scary... but nicely eponysterical!
posted by Chunder at 7:07 AM on January 5, 2007
i don't understand why the game industry thinks they have anything to defend here.
is this 1981 and the basement nerds have to circle the wagons lest their misunderstood hobby be villainized by a hostile society bent on ostracizing shy geeks?
are video games selling so poorly that the industry's precarious financial position might be rocked by the neo-luddite perception that video games have the soul of the devil in them and are out to kill us all?
i dunno, i find it a bit hysterical to act victimized by a f'in newspaper headline when you're part of a hugely successful multi-billion-dollar industry.
on preview: delmoi, having wet skin drastically lowers your skin's electrical resistance, from something like 20k ohms to a few hundred; this means (roughly) 100x more current flows through the body.
this is why water + electricity is an especially bad combination; not so much that the water provides a conductive path to your body, but that the shock you receive is much worse. i shocked myself plenty of times as a kid too, but there is greater potential for harm when your skin is wet.
posted by sergeant sandwich at 7:07 AM on January 5, 2007
is this 1981 and the basement nerds have to circle the wagons lest their misunderstood hobby be villainized by a hostile society bent on ostracizing shy geeks?
are video games selling so poorly that the industry's precarious financial position might be rocked by the neo-luddite perception that video games have the soul of the devil in them and are out to kill us all?
i dunno, i find it a bit hysterical to act victimized by a f'in newspaper headline when you're part of a hugely successful multi-billion-dollar industry.
on preview: delmoi, having wet skin drastically lowers your skin's electrical resistance, from something like 20k ohms to a few hundred; this means (roughly) 100x more current flows through the body.
this is why water + electricity is an especially bad combination; not so much that the water provides a conductive path to your body, but that the shock you receive is much worse. i shocked myself plenty of times as a kid too, but there is greater potential for harm when your skin is wet.
posted by sergeant sandwich at 7:07 AM on January 5, 2007
More evidence to support the banning of dihydrogen monoxide.
posted by Faint of Butt at 7:14 AM on January 5, 2007
posted by Faint of Butt at 7:14 AM on January 5, 2007
i find it a bit hysterical to act victimized by a f'in newspaper headline when you're part of a hugely successful multi-billion-dollar industry.
You should tell that to the Scieontologists.
Besides, when I hear about things like Germany considering imprisoning people for playing Counter Strike, I tend to get a wee bit defensive of my livelyhood/hobby. Nobody likes being the scapegoat for society's problems.
posted by slimepuppy at 7:23 AM on January 5, 2007
You should tell that to the Scieontologists.
Besides, when I hear about things like Germany considering imprisoning people for playing Counter Strike, I tend to get a wee bit defensive of my livelyhood/hobby. Nobody likes being the scapegoat for society's problems.
posted by slimepuppy at 7:23 AM on January 5, 2007
Technical note - a fused AC connector would not necessarily have saved the boy; the amount of current required to be lethal is far less than that fuse rating. The fuse wouldn't have blown in that case. Only a GFI/GFCI breaker or outlet would have afforded protection
I'm guessing from the scant information available that the hotel room had a dampish concrete floor or subfloor, a conductive floor covering (or one that became conductive because of dampness). And, as mentioned, either the child's finger brushed one of the prongs, or his hand was wet and a drip of water made the connection between his finger and the prong. There was no mention of whether there were evident burn marks on his fingers or feet.
tragic in any case. I agree that the UK plug scheme is very safe. I wonder if because of this it makes people complacent about handling electricity, so they don't take proper care when handling less well-protected systems.
posted by Artful Codger at 7:29 AM on January 5, 2007
I'm guessing from the scant information available that the hotel room had a dampish concrete floor or subfloor, a conductive floor covering (or one that became conductive because of dampness). And, as mentioned, either the child's finger brushed one of the prongs, or his hand was wet and a drip of water made the connection between his finger and the prong. There was no mention of whether there were evident burn marks on his fingers or feet.
tragic in any case. I agree that the UK plug scheme is very safe. I wonder if because of this it makes people complacent about handling electricity, so they don't take proper care when handling less well-protected systems.
posted by Artful Codger at 7:29 AM on January 5, 2007
Maybe you shouldn't have called youself "mothershock," then, huh?
(KIDDING. Crikey, don't crucify me.)
posted by adamgreenfield at 7:45 AM on January 5, 2007
(KIDDING. Crikey, don't crucify me.)
posted by adamgreenfield at 7:45 AM on January 5, 2007
and come in contact with an extension cord that had one plug not fully plugged in.
Ah, in the UK all plugs have plastic around the pins making it exceedingly difficult to do this. If they don't have this in Thailand then the mother has a point, sort of.
(plugs made before ca. 20 years ago don't have the plastic, and I am terrified every time I handle one)
posted by cillit bang at 7:53 AM on January 5, 2007
Ah, in the UK all plugs have plastic around the pins making it exceedingly difficult to do this. If they don't have this in Thailand then the mother has a point, sort of.
(plugs made before ca. 20 years ago don't have the plastic, and I am terrified every time I handle one)
posted by cillit bang at 7:53 AM on January 5, 2007
I agree that the UK plug scheme is very safe
Just wanted to make it clear that I agree completely, despite my somewhat snarkiness above (ring mains are still a bad idea, even if they save copper.) I think making 3KWs available at almost every plug is a somewhat, well, odd specification, but the current UK plug is a very safe way to make this connection. Yes, it is huge, but that's what you need when you are handling that power.
There is the problem of fuses being bypassed, which is a user problem, but it is real. I can't stress this enough -- when a fuse blows, you replace it once. If it blows again, you fix or replace whatever you were plugging into it. The fuse-in-plug does mean just about everything is fused, which is a worthy goal.
posted by eriko at 8:11 AM on January 5, 2007
Just wanted to make it clear that I agree completely, despite my somewhat snarkiness above (ring mains are still a bad idea, even if they save copper.) I think making 3KWs available at almost every plug is a somewhat, well, odd specification, but the current UK plug is a very safe way to make this connection. Yes, it is huge, but that's what you need when you are handling that power.
There is the problem of fuses being bypassed, which is a user problem, but it is real. I can't stress this enough -- when a fuse blows, you replace it once. If it blows again, you fix or replace whatever you were plugging into it. The fuse-in-plug does mean just about everything is fused, which is a worthy goal.
posted by eriko at 8:11 AM on January 5, 2007
It's true that the UK system is very safe. I've lived outside of the UK for 6 1/2 years now, first in Holland and now in the US, and in both places I worry about plugging and unplugging things. Damn, who'd of thought that the thought of a three-pin plug with little plasticy-bits would get me pining for old Blighty? It's pathetic really...
posted by ob at 8:16 AM on January 5, 2007
posted by ob at 8:16 AM on January 5, 2007
"Sorry to have to say it, but... one less idiot?"
'He was seven, for fuck sakes. Give your head a shake.'
Yeah, seriously. They're only going to have another idiot kid anyways...
posted by jcterminal at 8:20 AM on January 5, 2007
'He was seven, for fuck sakes. Give your head a shake.'
Yeah, seriously. They're only going to have another idiot kid anyways...
posted by jcterminal at 8:20 AM on January 5, 2007
Surely it's worse for a gaming website to drum up publicity off the back of a child's death than it is for a sub to write a vaguely sensationalist headline for a report on that death?
eparchos writes 'Wow, talk about a recent series of blows to the Thai tourist industry.'
Yeah, I'm surprised the tabloids didn't go with the ANOTHER THAI HOLIDAY HORROR angle, what with the bombs and the gassing accident.
posted by jack_mo at 8:31 AM on January 5, 2007
eparchos writes 'Wow, talk about a recent series of blows to the Thai tourist industry.'
Yeah, I'm surprised the tabloids didn't go with the ANOTHER THAI HOLIDAY HORROR angle, what with the bombs and the gassing accident.
posted by jack_mo at 8:31 AM on January 5, 2007
Headlines in gaming industry press:
Boy Dies Plugging In Unspecified Device
Normally Benign Gameboy
Innocent Bystander in Freak Accident
posted by QuietDesperation at 8:40 AM on January 5, 2007
Boy Dies Plugging In Unspecified Device
Normally Benign Gameboy
Innocent Bystander in Freak Accident
posted by QuietDesperation at 8:40 AM on January 5, 2007
He was seven, for fuck sakes
I, for one, welcome our eyes-bugged-out pre-pubescent gaming overlords.
oh, and .
posted by CynicalKnight at 8:54 AM on January 5, 2007
I, for one, welcome our eyes-bugged-out pre-pubescent gaming overlords.
oh, and .
posted by CynicalKnight at 8:54 AM on January 5, 2007
I'm surprised the tabloids didn't go with the ANOTHER THAI HOLIDAY HORROR angle, what with the bombs and the gassing accident.
What gassing accident?
posted by Kraftmatic Adjustable Cheese at 9:06 AM on January 5, 2007
What gassing accident?
posted by Kraftmatic Adjustable Cheese at 9:06 AM on January 5, 2007
plugs made before ca. 20 years ago don't have the plastic, and I am terrified every time I handle one
Don't get me started about lightbulb sockets. Those things terrify me.
Might have something to do with when I put my finger in one as a kid.
posted by chrismear at 9:42 AM on January 5, 2007
Don't get me started about lightbulb sockets. Those things terrify me.
Might have something to do with when I put my finger in one as a kid.
posted by chrismear at 9:42 AM on January 5, 2007
If you are touching the pins, you can still electrocute yourself, with or without faulty wiring. In the UK, the 3rd pin is designed to earth the current first, making it more difficult (but probably not impossible).
... and in response to others lauding the earthing pin:
The earthing pin doesn't do anything for devices with a non-conductive casing - i.e. pretty much all of today's electronics devices and AC adapters.
In these cases, the earthing pin is left without a connection and its function is reduced to opening the shutters in the socket. Which is still safer, but has nothing to do with earthing.
posted by uncle harold at 10:08 AM on January 5, 2007
... and in response to others lauding the earthing pin:
The earthing pin doesn't do anything for devices with a non-conductive casing - i.e. pretty much all of today's electronics devices and AC adapters.
In these cases, the earthing pin is left without a connection and its function is reduced to opening the shutters in the socket. Which is still safer, but has nothing to do with earthing.
posted by uncle harold at 10:08 AM on January 5, 2007
eriko writes "The US NEMA 5-15P can handle, at most, 120V*15A=1800W."
Actually the exact same plug with one the prongs turned sideways (NEMA 6-20R) will handle 20A@240V.
delmoi writes "Here in the U.S, I've managed to get a good jolt of AC several times as a child, including when I was younger then seven. I don't recall it killing me. "
Of course the people killed by electrical outlets never post on Metafilter.
posted by Mitheral at 10:15 AM on January 5, 2007
Actually the exact same plug with one the prongs turned sideways (NEMA 6-20R) will handle 20A@240V.
delmoi writes "Here in the U.S, I've managed to get a good jolt of AC several times as a child, including when I was younger then seven. I don't recall it killing me. "
Of course the people killed by electrical outlets never post on Metafilter.
posted by Mitheral at 10:15 AM on January 5, 2007
Maybe you shouldn't have called youself "mothershock," then, huh?
Yeah. It's from my book title of the same name from 2003. But don't think I didn't beat myself up plenty for that.
posted by mothershock at 10:23 AM on January 5, 2007
Yeah. It's from my book title of the same name from 2003. But don't think I didn't beat myself up plenty for that.
posted by mothershock at 10:23 AM on January 5, 2007
And in response to: “He does it all the time at home,” she said. “There should be some kind of warning about the different electrical currents you get abroad because this wouldn’t have happened in England." They really should put a warning in passports: Stuff outside the womb of your country may be more dangerous than it appears.
posted by Mitheral at 10:25 AM on January 5, 2007
posted by Mitheral at 10:25 AM on January 5, 2007
ring mains are still a bad idea
Why? I read the Wiki on it and it didn't talk about the downside.
***********************
Of course the people killed by electrical outlets never post on Metafilter.
True, but it is pretty common to hear about people getting 120 V shocks with no ill effects. I've felt it several times. My little brother, when he was about 7, got out of our pool, ran into the garage to grab a Coke out of the fridge (what we did not know was connected wrong), and when he touched the side of the fridge while his wet feet were on the concrete floor, he got stuck there, just going "Ah ah ah ah ah..." Luckily my older brother quickly noticed this and tackled him away from the fridge. Yeah, they both lived.
You shouldn't *try* to experience 120 VAC, but it rarely kills you.
posted by Doohickie at 10:54 AM on January 5, 2007
Why? I read the Wiki on it and it didn't talk about the downside.
***********************
Of course the people killed by electrical outlets never post on Metafilter.
True, but it is pretty common to hear about people getting 120 V shocks with no ill effects. I've felt it several times. My little brother, when he was about 7, got out of our pool, ran into the garage to grab a Coke out of the fridge (what we did not know was connected wrong), and when he touched the side of the fridge while his wet feet were on the concrete floor, he got stuck there, just going "Ah ah ah ah ah..." Luckily my older brother quickly noticed this and tackled him away from the fridge. Yeah, they both lived.
You shouldn't *try* to experience 120 VAC, but it rarely kills you.
posted by Doohickie at 10:54 AM on January 5, 2007
OTOH, do NOT screw around with high-voltage transmission lines. Some kids near where I live parked their pickup under the power lines to goof. The one who decided to fling a measuring tape into the air while he stood in the bed of the truck holding onto the end of the tape died. One of the others, who'd been leaning against the truck, was severely burned. Another was burned less severely when he grabbed the second one.
No, the headline in the local paper was not "Tape measure kills teen."
posted by Kirth Gerson at 11:12 AM on January 5, 2007
No, the headline in the local paper was not "Tape measure kills teen."
posted by Kirth Gerson at 11:12 AM on January 5, 2007
Devices with two-pin non-polarized plugs can be very dangerous - when plugged in the wrong way the chassis might become energized. With old lamps the light bulb base shell becomes live instead of the tip, and it's not switched either - touching it while unscrewing the bulb (lamp turned on or off) can give you a nasty shock. It's always a good idea to replace these plugs with polarized ones for safety.
I was shocked a few times as a youngster, when a finger slipped and touched a partially inserted hot pin. But then, I hadn't been swimming.
I think the moisture factor is the tipping point. DooHickie, you brother was very lucky.
posted by CynicalKnight at 11:19 AM on January 5, 2007
I was shocked a few times as a youngster, when a finger slipped and touched a partially inserted hot pin. But then, I hadn't been swimming.
I think the moisture factor is the tipping point. DooHickie, you brother was very lucky.
posted by CynicalKnight at 11:19 AM on January 5, 2007
The plug was, in fact, plugged in the wrong way. The solution, of course, was to flip it over, and it was never a problem again (I think dad marked which way it should go in, too).
Then again, we never wore seatbelts in those days either.
posted by Doohickie at 11:27 AM on January 5, 2007
Then again, we never wore seatbelts in those days either.
posted by Doohickie at 11:27 AM on January 5, 2007
"Kathleen Curry, 45, discovered her son lying on the floor of their room at the Sunset Beach Hotel in Patong Beach, Phuket, which was ravaged by the 2004 tsunami."
Wow, the tsunami came back to ravage the hotel room and defile the corpse of that poor boy.
posted by Eideteker at 11:44 AM on January 5, 2007
Wow, the tsunami came back to ravage the hotel room and defile the corpse of that poor boy.
posted by Eideteker at 11:44 AM on January 5, 2007
Poor dead kid--his mother was a negligent airhead. Harsh, but true.
posted by gorgor_balabala at 11:47 AM on January 5, 2007
posted by gorgor_balabala at 11:47 AM on January 5, 2007
Having just been on vacation in Thailand I thought I'd weight on what we noticed in our hotel (we stayed in Bangkok at a hotel catering for foreign business folk). Our room had both US and Thai outlets in several locations and I recall that all of the US ones were marked with dire warnings about what we could and could not plug into them (electric shavers, hairdryers, etc.). This would indicate to me that problems with outlets and foreign appliances are not unknown in Thailand. Also worth noting is that the converter we purchased but never need to use was printed with a warning that it would not protect the device or user.
posted by rosebengal at 12:04 PM on January 5, 2007
posted by rosebengal at 12:04 PM on January 5, 2007
So... besides SPONG, which other members of the "gaming press" are "up in arms" about this?
I don't see it at IGN, nor Joystiq... I mean, that's hardly exhaustive research on my part but really... is the entirety of the gaming press "SPONG" in this instance?
I had just the same thought. The answer is, absolutely no one has even thought to be "up in arms" about this.
I think Spong has a point, to be sure, but if a site that "hosts and maintains the press and trade sites for giants like Eidos, THQ, Midway and Ubisoft" has been inducted into the annals of "gaming press," uh, good for them!
Verdict: regarding the "gaming press," the original posting itself is misleading and sensationalist.
posted by jennanemone at 12:05 PM on January 5, 2007
I don't see it at IGN, nor Joystiq... I mean, that's hardly exhaustive research on my part but really... is the entirety of the gaming press "SPONG" in this instance?
I had just the same thought. The answer is, absolutely no one has even thought to be "up in arms" about this.
I think Spong has a point, to be sure, but if a site that "hosts and maintains the press and trade sites for giants like Eidos, THQ, Midway and Ubisoft" has been inducted into the annals of "gaming press," uh, good for them!
Verdict: regarding the "gaming press," the original posting itself is misleading and sensationalist.
posted by jennanemone at 12:05 PM on January 5, 2007
didn't talk about the downside.
If there's a break in the ring, you can badly overload the copper. The point of ring mains is you can use a smaller conductor, because each outlet effectively sees two of them -- the part of the ring heading clockwise to the panel, and the part of the ring heading counterclockwise.
Now, a break happens. Suddenly, you've removed half the conductor from every outlet. If you happen to have those two 3KW heaters that the UK system was built to handle on the same side of the break, you've got one set of conductors handling almost no load, and one set of conductors that is badly overloaded.
Worse, the breakers and fuses don't offer any protection -- the break is built to handle that load, and the breaker sees the same load with a ring that's whole or one that's broken. The fuses in the plugs see a safe load. Both the fuse and the breakers support the 30+ amp load, but the failed ring main copper can't.
End result -- a real chance of fire. Ring mains made properly, with enough copper that a split ring can safely carry the entire load on either side of the load, are fine, but the whole point of ring mains was to save copper, so the vast majority of ring mains can't safely handle a break.
The fixes: Swap the breaker for one that handles half the current, which is what the conductor can safely handle if there is a break, or rewire.
posted by eriko at 12:12 PM on January 5, 2007
If there's a break in the ring, you can badly overload the copper. The point of ring mains is you can use a smaller conductor, because each outlet effectively sees two of them -- the part of the ring heading clockwise to the panel, and the part of the ring heading counterclockwise.
Now, a break happens. Suddenly, you've removed half the conductor from every outlet. If you happen to have those two 3KW heaters that the UK system was built to handle on the same side of the break, you've got one set of conductors handling almost no load, and one set of conductors that is badly overloaded.
Worse, the breakers and fuses don't offer any protection -- the break is built to handle that load, and the breaker sees the same load with a ring that's whole or one that's broken. The fuses in the plugs see a safe load. Both the fuse and the breakers support the 30+ amp load, but the failed ring main copper can't.
End result -- a real chance of fire. Ring mains made properly, with enough copper that a split ring can safely carry the entire load on either side of the load, are fine, but the whole point of ring mains was to save copper, so the vast majority of ring mains can't safely handle a break.
The fixes: Swap the breaker for one that handles half the current, which is what the conductor can safely handle if there is a break, or rewire.
posted by eriko at 12:12 PM on January 5, 2007
didn't talk about the downside.
If there's a break in the ring, you can badly overload the copper. The point of ring mains is you can use a smaller conductor, because each outlet effectively sees two of them -- the part of the ring heading clockwise to the panel, and the part of the ring heading counterclockwise.
Now, a break happens. Suddenly, you've removed half the conductor from every outlet. If you happen to have those two 3KW heaters that the UK system was built to handle on the same side of the break, you've got one set of conductors handling almost no load, and one set of conductors that is badly overloaded.
Worse, the breakers and fuses don't offer any protection -- the break is built to handle that load, and the breaker sees the same load with a ring that's whole or one that's broken. The fuses in the plugs see a safe load. Both the fuse and the breakers support the 30+ amp load, but the failed ring main copper can't.
End result -- a real chance of fire. Ring mains made properly, with enough copper that a split ring can safely carry the entire load on either side of the load, are fine, but the whole point of ring mains was to save copper, so the vast majority of ring mains can't safely handle a break.
The fixes: Swap the breaker for one that handles half the current, which is what the conductor can safely handle if there is a break, or rewire.
posted by eriko at 12:12 PM on January 5, 2007
If there's a break in the ring, you can badly overload the copper. The point of ring mains is you can use a smaller conductor, because each outlet effectively sees two of them -- the part of the ring heading clockwise to the panel, and the part of the ring heading counterclockwise.
Now, a break happens. Suddenly, you've removed half the conductor from every outlet. If you happen to have those two 3KW heaters that the UK system was built to handle on the same side of the break, you've got one set of conductors handling almost no load, and one set of conductors that is badly overloaded.
Worse, the breakers and fuses don't offer any protection -- the break is built to handle that load, and the breaker sees the same load with a ring that's whole or one that's broken. The fuses in the plugs see a safe load. Both the fuse and the breakers support the 30+ amp load, but the failed ring main copper can't.
End result -- a real chance of fire. Ring mains made properly, with enough copper that a split ring can safely carry the entire load on either side of the load, are fine, but the whole point of ring mains was to save copper, so the vast majority of ring mains can't safely handle a break.
The fixes: Swap the breaker for one that handles half the current, which is what the conductor can safely handle if there is a break, or rewire.
posted by eriko at 12:12 PM on January 5, 2007
The gassing accident was in Corfu.
This incident wont harm Thai tourism in the slightest.
posted by the cuban at 1:12 PM on January 5, 2007
This incident wont harm Thai tourism in the slightest.
posted by the cuban at 1:12 PM on January 5, 2007
So... besides SPONG, which other members of the "gaming press" are "up in arms" about this?
It's Spong. They talk crap, basically. The "real" British gaming press just ignore Spong unless it's June and they're desperate for something to print.
I don't see it at IGN, nor Joystiq...
For comment on British gaming news, you should check British gaming websites.
posted by ArmyOfKittens at 1:39 PM on January 5, 2007
It's Spong. They talk crap, basically. The "real" British gaming press just ignore Spong unless it's June and they're desperate for something to print.
I don't see it at IGN, nor Joystiq...
For comment on British gaming news, you should check British gaming websites.
posted by ArmyOfKittens at 1:39 PM on January 5, 2007
From what I can tell, there are two types of articles written by the gaming press.
1: Wank reviews gushing about the latest installment of some 10-year old game formula.
2: Knee-jerk defensive wanks about how only the game press understands and is friendly towards the game community, games, or "new media."
posted by KirkJobSluder at 3:31 PM on January 5, 2007
1: Wank reviews gushing about the latest installment of some 10-year old game formula.
2: Knee-jerk defensive wanks about how only the game press understands and is friendly towards the game community, games, or "new media."
posted by KirkJobSluder at 3:31 PM on January 5, 2007
Well, we made it to Boing Boing.
Speaking of wanks.
posted by KirkJobSluder at 1:05 PM on January 6, 2007
Speaking of wanks.
posted by KirkJobSluder at 1:05 PM on January 6, 2007
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posted by Kirth Gerson at 3:18 AM on January 5, 2007