# Static Electric Shocks: Then vs. Now

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/static-electric-shocks-then-vs-now/1002793>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [June 12, 2024, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/static-electric-shocks-then-vs-now/1002793 "2024-06-12T17:19:55Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 22

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**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\
**Post date:** [June 13, 2024, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/static-electric-shocks-then-vs-now/1002793/22 "2024-06-13T14:12:32Z")

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If you think you’re about to get a shock, take something metal out of your pocket (a key, or coin, or something), and use that to touch the surface. It’s not the current that hurts, it’s the heat from the arc. If the arc hits the key instead of your skin, no problem.

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