OT - Electric Shocks From Shopping Carts

[DerbyDad03]

I was shopping at BJ's last night and was pushing one of their big red shopping carts around the store. The carts are metal, with a plastic semi-circle attached to the top of the handle, leaving the metal on the bottom of the handle exposed.

A couple of times I felt something strange on the finger tips on my left hand so I (carefully) slid my hand along the underside of the handle to see if there something sharp under there. It was completely smooth.

I continued walking around the store and continued to feel the strange sensation every few steps, eventually realizing that it felt like I was being shocked.

I paid close attention to the position of my hands and found that if I wrapped my hands around the handle in a normal fashion, but moved my finger tips so that they were very close to, but not touching, the metal underside of the handle, I would get a static electricity shock every few steps.

It didn't hurt, but it was not a pleasant feeling.

[gabby_ford]

They are sending subliminal messages to the shoppers via wireless microwave transmissions. The object is to get you to buy - buy - buy and each message disrects you to a different part of the store. If you watch carefully, you'll find yourself moving repeatedly to different parts of the store and purchasing items that you would never buy and dont even want. Those items that you bought on impulse and were not on your shopping list, are the ones that they were promoting in their secret messages.

The next time you shop there, take a radiation detector along and you'll see that meter pegging every few minutes. They are controlling your mind and laughing while they are taking your money. The shopping carts are equipped with electronic devices that apparently you are sensing. Some people are more sensitive to things like that....

[Smitty Two]

Or see an attorney. Haven't you been suffering from insomnia, facial tics, IBS, ED, and incontinence since this horrible incident? BJs obviously knows about this problem, and it seems to me they're criminally negligent for not remedying it. Will they wait until someone jerks their hand away, and pokes out a fellow shopper's eye with his elbow before they take action?

[DerbyDad03]

Well, they are wasting their technology since that's how I shop anyway.

Doesn't BJ's sell radiation detectors in bulk?

If the meter pegs that would certainly be "impulse" buying. ;-)

[DerbyDad03]

Not just since the incident. :-(

[Doug]

Nah... he was just charged up to buy something. Or I could say what is he complaining about? It sounds like he had an electrifying experience in that store.

Seriously, he might thing of different shoes as another poster said (my preference) or wear gloves.

[DerbyDad03]

jeez...now I gotta keep a list of what shoes I can wear in which store.

[notbob]

I think you should kill yerself to avoid any further unpleasantries in wimpy life.

nb

[DerbyDad03]

Good idea.

If I put 100 - 150 carts in series I might be able to generate enough of a charge to be lethal.

Do you think my estate will get a pro-rated refund on my membership?

[DerbyDad03]

Trust me...I know all about the static shock one can get when getting out of a car.

Problem is it that doesn't happen every single time, so when it does I'm always surprised...and pissed!

[Frank]

Sounds to me like you are the source of the static charge and not the cart.

Could be clothing or shoes, just as you describe getting static charge exiting your truck.

Try fabric softener in your clothes drier to help eliminate.

[Larry W]

I love it!

[Ed Pawlowski]

I keep the key in my hand and use that to touch first. I can see the arc, but feel nothing.

This winter will be interesting. I just got a new car and keyless ignition. I guess I'll just have to hold the door or grab a coin first..

[Ed Pawlowski]

No, your family will use your card so they can buy a nice urn for your ashes. Aisle 4 near the end.

They can use the express lane because all they are buying is the urn and a big box of Bubba Burgers for after the funeral service.

[krw]

At my PPoE, I'd draw a visible spark whenever I got close to any metal in the place. Walking through a doorway, everyone would hear a *snap*. It was particularly interesting because my job was designing (debugging) fairly static sensitive equipment. It got a good test! In my CPoE, I've not had any problem with static at all. My bet is that they control the environment a lot closer.

Yeah, tires are good insulators. In the Winter I get in the habit of slapping the metal parts as I get in/out.

[Tomsic]

I agree. It's usually the person, not the object that generates the charge. When the person touches a conductive surface (usually metal), there's a discharge.

If you have a short linear fluorescent lamp (take one out of a desk light or under-cabinet light), walk around on a dry day and then hold the pins on one end of the lamp with your fingers and touch a water pipe or other metal with the other end. If you see the lamp flash, it's you.

Tomsic

[Davej]

Yeah, I've had that happen too, but I think the carts with the flats on the wheels are more annoying. Pushing a cart that goes "bang bang bang bang bang..." is more annoying than electric shocks.

[Doug]

I think years ago I heard some people have more electr. charges than others (seriously). I haven't heard much on this subject since.

[Erik]

I've had issues like this in the past.

After time and observation, I noticed it seemed to happen much more when I was wearing one particular pair of shoes.

One supermarket was a real issue... I had to stay grounded to metal of the the cart, then before touching anything else, had to bring the cart into contact with the metal shelf bottom. If I'd walked any distance, up to maybe a 3/16" spark would sometimes be visible between cart & shelf.

Also received wicked shocks getting out of the car with that pair of shoes, especially in the Winter.

As a side note, most car tires now have a little carbon blended into the rubber to help bleed off static charges. (Don't know for sure, but suspect they may do the same with shoe sole materials.) Seat covering and clothing materials also play a factor.

If walking around in an area where you know you may get a static shock, hold your keys (or other metal object) in your hand, and touch the car lock first with the key/object to minimize shock. In the house touch the key/object to a switch plate screw, or whatever else thats handy and well grounded. (Try to avoid zapping your computer!)

Erik

[thunder]

Showing my age, but anti-static straps used to be a common accessory for a car. Don't know how well they worked.