# That's odd and why is my pocket on fire? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 20, 2007, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-odd-and-why-is-my-pocket-on-fire/408761 "2007-06-20T20:15:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2007, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-odd-and-why-is-my-pocket-on-fire/408761/41 "2007-06-22T13:16:15Z")
[QUOTE=appleciders] And yet no sympathy for those of us whose professional careers demand that we lick 9V batteries. Sigh… [/QUOTE] Hey, nobody forced you to work in the sex industry. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2007, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-odd-and-why-is-my-pocket-on-fire/408761/42 "2007-06-22T14:01:48Z")
[QUOTE=Sattua] They warned us about this in third grade. Were all you asleep? [/QUOTE] No they didn’t. They taught us to slice off fingers carving Ivory soap with a steak knife. They let’s us handle mercury too. See how it roles around and joins back together. Now lets make a barometer with an open dish of mercury that we’ll leave out for a month. ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2007, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-odd-and-why-is-my-pocket-on-fire/408761/43 "2007-06-22T14:13:38Z")
Did you have any ham and cheese in your pocket? I love hot pockets. ---
**Author:** ![Find\_Friends](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c37758/32.png) [@Find\_Friends](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Find_Friends)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2007, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-odd-and-why-is-my-pocket-on-fire/408761/44 "2007-06-22T14:27:38Z")
Boy, boy, crazy boy, Get cool, boy! Got a rocket in your pocket, Keep coolly cool, boy! {From “Cool” in West Side Story} * * * True Blue Jack ---
**Author:** ![Nic2004](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/4491bb/32.png) [@Nic2004](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nic2004)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2007, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-odd-and-why-is-my-pocket-on-fire/408761/45 "2007-06-22T14:41:52Z")
[QUOTE=UncleRojelio] Next time, try a 9V battery, much easier to short out and gets even hotter! [/QUOTE] Damn! Beat to the Post again! I had the same one as this and agree, the 9v, with both terminals at the one end, will short quickly and effectively and make you painfully aware of your mistake. ---
**Author:** ![Nic2004](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/4491bb/32.png) [@Nic2004](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nic2004)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2007, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-odd-and-why-is-my-pocket-on-fire/408761/46 "2007-06-22T14:50:31Z")
[QUOTE=tdn] Gee, thanks, Captain Kirk. You just blew up our computer. Now our civilization is going to have to learn to think for itself. [/QUOTE] Now THAT was funny! I think I peed a little ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2007, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-odd-and-why-is-my-pocket-on-fire/408761/47 "2007-06-22T15:01:37Z")
[QUOTE=Nic2004] I think I peed a little [/QUOTE] That would put out the pocket fire. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2007, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-odd-and-why-is-my-pocket-on-fire/408761/48 "2007-06-22T18:29:19Z")
[QUOTE=gigi] That would put out the pocket fire. [/QUOTE] or short another battery. ---
**Author:** ![dwc1970](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a183cd/32.png) [@dwc1970](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwc1970)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2007, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-odd-and-why-is-my-pocket-on-fire/408761/49 "2007-06-23T00:06:06Z")
This has happened to me. I had a AA battery and a pocket full of assorted change, mostly quarters. It must have gotten to what I would estimate to be 150° F by the time I realized what was going on. There was also a time when I had to replace several batteries on the merchandise alarms at work, all of which used 9V batteries. Before throwing the old batteries in the garbage in the back of the store I mated two of them together. When I felt them getting warm while walking back there I realized I’d better separate them. I shudder to think of what might have happened if I had tossed them in the trash and left them there unattended. Even though the batteries were weak they still generated plenty of heat. Just wondering if anyone has ever done an experiment on this sort of thing to see how hot a battery making contact with a metal object can get before it catches flame or explodes. ---
**Author:** ![kittenblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba8739/32.png) [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2007, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-odd-and-why-is-my-pocket-on-fire/408761/50 "2007-06-23T01:09:15Z")
[QUOTE=Sattua] They warned us about this in third grade. Were all you asleep? [/QUOTE] Not only did I stay awake throughout third grade, I was also teacher’s pet, and never once did anyone ever tell me that carrying batteries around with loose change might start a fire or cause burns. I learned this information on June 20, 2007 at approximately 11:25 pm (see above post). I have managed to go through 50 years without learning this…isn’t there a thread somewhere else for admitting this in? And by the way, I was in the third grade in 1966. We HAD batteries back then didn’t we? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2007, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-odd-and-why-is-my-pocket-on-fire/408761/51 "2007-06-23T01:30:59Z")
Learnt from experience, while on a trip with the Boy Scouts. Couple AA’s I’d just swapped out of my Walkman, pocketful of change. ‘Why is my pocket hot? … Coool!’ ---
**Author:** ![NinjaChick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@NinjaChick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinjaChick)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2007, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-odd-and-why-is-my-pocket-on-fire/408761/52 "2007-06-23T01:32:48Z")
[QUOTE=tdn] Gee, thanks, Captain Kirk. You just blew up our computer. Now our civilization is going to have to learn to think for itself. [/QUOTE] Heh. My work here is done. ---
**Author:** ![bbs2k](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e495f1/32.png) [@bbs2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bbs2k)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2007, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-odd-and-why-is-my-pocket-on-fire/408761/53 "2007-06-23T02:11:55Z")
I didn’t realize changing batteries could be so dangerous. To think, I’ve gotten away with doing this for all my life so far. I’m one lucky SOB. ---
**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:** [June 28, 2007, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-odd-and-why-is-my-pocket-on-fire/408761/54 "2007-06-28T17:00:22Z")
[QUOTE=Enright3] Oh Yeah?!?!?!?!?! Well, this one time, I was walking to work with a CAR BATTERY in my pocket… [/QUOTE] On a related note, I was working on my car back in college, and removed the battery. I carried it like you carry many heavy loads: one hand on each side, resting against my thighs in front. A while later I noticed a slight burning/itching. I looked down to discover holes in my pants and rashes on my legs. It appears that there was a battery-acid leak. I was _very_ thankful that (a) I’d been carrying it low and (b) the leak appeared to be near the bottom. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2007, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-odd-and-why-is-my-pocket-on-fire/408761/55 "2007-06-28T21:02:37Z")
[QUOTE=Common Tater] …Novice Zippo owners suffer from admittedly only tangentially a semi-related malady when they overfill with fluid, can cause a very annoying rash in the nether regions. [/QUOTE] Reminds me of a painful memory from last year. I’ll never carry my Zippo in the coin pocket of my Levi’s again. ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2007, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-odd-and-why-is-my-pocket-on-fire/408761/56 "2007-06-28T21:19:11Z")
[QUOTE=Amp] I thought this sounded [familiar](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=251412&highlight=battery+pocket). That’s two Dopers in three years. What is Congress doing to protect us from the menace of AA and AAA batteries? Have they fallen asleep at the wheel? [/QUOTE] Heh. That was me. (I’m OK now.) What I ended up doing was making sure the batteries were in one pocket, and anything metal was in the other. I’m kind of finicky about such things anyway; keys are always in right pocket, etc. So it wasn’t much of an adjustment. Then I got a [better digital camera](http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/fuji/finepix_z1-review/index.shtml) that recharges on a base instead of taking batteries. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2007, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-odd-and-why-is-my-pocket-on-fire/408761/57 "2007-06-28T21:27:33Z")
Is this another warning that should go on packaging? Sounds like it. ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2007, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-odd-and-why-is-my-pocket-on-fire/408761/58 "2007-06-28T21:30:27Z")
[QUOTE=Harmonious Discord] Is this another warning that should go on packaging? Sounds like it. [/QUOTE] Hey! I’m going to be a lawyer in a few months; are you trying to put us out of business? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-odd-and-why-is-my-pocket-on-fire/408761.md?page=2)