# Taser questions **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 4, 2011, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taser-questions/598553 "2011-10-04T14:57:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Placid\_Liver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e99b99/32.png) [@Placid\_Liver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Placid_Liver)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2011, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taser-questions/598553/1 "2011-10-04T14:57:31Z")
Two people are handcuffed together, one gets tasered. Would the other person feel anything? While formulating this post, I came unstuck regarding the past tense of taser. Tased or tasered? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2011, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taser-questions/598553/2 "2011-10-04T15:16:50Z")
Let’s conduct an experiment. Bring handcuffs and a friend. I’ll supply the taser. ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2011, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taser-questions/598553/3 "2011-10-04T15:27:08Z")
Great question. I have no idea but I would guess no, unless their skin was also touching. ---
**Author:** ![TheChileanBlob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thechileanblob/32/435_2.png) [@TheChileanBlob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheChileanBlob)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2011, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taser-questions/598553/4 "2011-10-04T15:58:24Z")
I’ll comment on the grammar. Use tasered. _Tased_ is a back-formation from Taser. A taser doesn’t tase you any more than a laser lases you. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2011, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taser-questions/598553/5 "2011-10-04T16:19:31Z")
> [@TheChileanBlob](#): > > I’ll comment on the grammar. Use tasered. _Tased_ is a back-formation from Taser. A taser doesn’t tase you any more than a laser lases you. Laser and taser are both acronyms. The use of the laser acronym as a noun has led to the use of “lase” as a verb form (see [here](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laser#Terminology)). Physicists will speak of a “lasing” medium (the substance in a laser that actually produces/emits laser light), and whether something does or does not “lase.” The dictionary presents [taser](http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/taser) as a noun and verb; however, I’ve heard “tase” as a verb in popular usage countless times; I expect it’s only a matter of time before it gets added to the dictionary as a/the verb. As for whether a person in physical/electrical contact with a tasing victim will feel the effect, the anwer is yes. I’ve seen a few videos of cops wrestling with a suspect when an assisting officer tased/tasered the suspect; the first officer had not yet completely removed himself from the suspect, and afterward he complained that he was getting tased, too. In fact, here’s a [a multi-person taser demo.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-H02WRtTY0) ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2011, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taser-questions/598553/6 "2011-10-04T16:26:10Z")
> [@TheChileanBlob](#): > > I’ll comment on the grammar. Use tasered. _Tased_ is a back-formation from Taser. A taser doesn’t tase you any more than a laser lases you. But a laser DOES lase you – at least I’ve seen the term used that way in any number of sci-fi stories. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2011, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taser-questions/598553/7 "2011-10-04T16:49:23Z")
> [@Placid\_Liver](#): > > Two people are handcuffed together, one gets tasered. Would the other person feel anything? Metal handcuffs? Yeah, the other person would feel something. Plastic? Not unless their skin was in contact. ---
**Author:** ![Sizzles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e480ec/32.png) [@Sizzles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sizzles)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2011, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taser-questions/598553/8 "2011-10-04T16:54:39Z")
Compassion ? > [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > In fact, here’s a [a multi-person taser demo.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-H02WRtTY0) The current in the video passes through all the people. If you were handcuffed to someone being tasered, the current wouldn’t pass through you IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Falling\_Reverend](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/aca169/32.png) [@The\_Falling\_Reverend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Falling_Reverend)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2011, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taser-questions/598553/9 "2011-10-04T17:10:24Z")
I asked this very question during the security course I took a few weeks ago. The instructor (former law enforcement officer) said that anything between the two electrodes will get shocked. If you have 2 people handcuffed together and only one of them has both electrodes on him, only he will get shocked. If each person has one electrode each on them, they both get shocked. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2011, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taser-questions/598553/10 "2011-10-04T17:17:34Z")
I think I just changed my opinion after watching [this video](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9uoDKO1e-I). The two men are holding the woman’s arms with their bare hands as she’s tased, and they don’t show any reaction. ---
**Author:** ![Robb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a183cd/32.png) [@Robb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robb)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taser-questions/598553/11 "2011-10-05T19:04:53Z")
The person who isn’t attached to the probes would have almost no chance of feeling the effects of electricity. In most training exercises, the volunteer is flanked by spotters. If the probes are on the volunteer’s back, the spotters will be unaffected while holding the volunteer’s arms. When used in the field, an officer might end up getting shocked as well. Most cartridges have two, 21-foot wires attached to the probes. If the target is relatively close to the officer, the wires tend to bunch up. Although the wires are insulated, they can also provide a shock. Therefore, an officer near the target might also get a shock. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taser-questions/598553/12 "2011-10-05T19:19:32Z")
> [@The\_Falling\_Reverend](#): > > I asked this very question during the security course I took a few weeks ago. The instructor (former law enforcement officer) said that anything between the two electrodes will get shocked. If you have 2 people handcuffed together and only one of them has both electrodes on him, only he will get shocked. If each person has one electrode each on them, they both get shocked. That makes sense. If two people hold hands, or are handcuffed, and each one touches an electrode, they’ll both feel it. Of course they would also be morons. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2011, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taser-questions/598553/13 "2011-10-05T19:24:53Z")
> [@TheChileanBlob](#): > > A taser doesn’t tase you any more than a laser lases you. Don’t lase me, bro!