Okay people, listen up.
"Electrocuted" means that you died from an electrical shock.
So if you're telling a story and you say something like, "I brushed my hand against the stupid bus bar on the generator and got electrocuted" you're lying. Yes, bus bars on a genny are generally stupid.* But unless you dropped down to the ground, your heart stopped and were declared legally dead, you weren't electrocuted.
You were just shocked.
So to recap: You may use the word "electrocuted" if you (or the person you're talking about) died. Otherwise, you were just shocked.
Please remember that and use the term properly.
Thank you.
*I've rarely seen them used and the placement of them in generators are stupid, in my opinion.
3 comments :
No, thank YOU. The misuse of the term "electrocuted" in society at large and the media has been a small but sharp rock in my shoe for a long time now.
And don't get me started on "I could care less..."
Much like nipples on a man, bus bars are a vestigial evolutionary remnant of simpler times when DC ruled the set lighting world. Back then, all serious lighting was done with lug 4/0 -- and lots of it. There weren't even pin cable sockets on most of those old gennys -- just bus bars. From my ancient perspective, I think it's a good idea to have bus bars for added flexibility -- you never know when you'll have to power up a Ritter fan or some other non-lighting electrical device (equipped with lugs) on a distant location, at which point those bus bars will save the day. They're seldom needed or used nowadays, but I'm all for having as many options as possible.
Granted, in a perfect world FX would always bring their own genny to power THEIR equipment, but ours is not a perfect world.
Still, those open (and hot) bus bars should at least be covered by an insulated plastic plate until needed, or better yet, have their own separate access port on the genny away from the cam-lock sockets we use every day. That simple fix would minimize the chances of one of us getting electrocu -- er, shocked...
I find your attitude shocking!
Michael - I'm glad I'm not the only one that's been bothered by this for some time! And I never understood why people insisted on saying "I could care less..." It makes no sense!
And I agree; it's a good idea to have bus bars on a genny, but to have them so close to cams? Even my tiny girl hands have issues with fitting in the tight space, let alone anyone with a larger glove size.
Nathan - I was going for electrifying!
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