Or are people just stupid in the Midlands:
The need for professional electrical contractors to carry out work around the house was highlighted by a survey indicating that 60 per cent of homeowners in the Midlands have suffered electric shocks.
Respondents answered that while poor wiring in electrical appliances were to blame for many of the shocks, a lack of electrical skills also played a part.
Nearly one in six people reported getting an unpleasant and dangerous current running through their body after blundering through a DIY job.
But the survey also revealed sheer stupidity or ignorance played a part too, with one in ten saying they had had a shock when they took a knife or fork to pry bread from their toasters.
David Pollock, ECA director, told the Nottingham Evening Post: "One of the most alarming things about this study is that it demonstrates how many of the basic lessons we learn about electricity when young are simply being forgotten."
MBQ