What Does touching the third rail mean?

The third rail of a nation's politics is a metaphor for any issue so controversial that it is "charged" and "untouchable" to the extent that any politician or public official who dares to broach the subject will invariably suffer politically.

What happens if you touch the 3rd rail?

But if you somehow end up on the tracks, the key is to avoid the third rail, which pumps out 600 volts of electricity. One touch can electrocute you--and potentially kill. The third rail--the tallest of the three rails along the track--is located the farthest away from the platform for customer safety, Ziegler said.

What Does third rail mean slang?

If you refer to something as the third rail of a political situation, you mean that it would be dangerous to make changes to that thing because people feel very strongly about it. [US] Politicians speak of Social Security as the third rail. To touch it is to commit political suicide.

What does dont touch the third rail mean?

A third rail is an issue that politicians and officials don't want to touch because it's too controversial. The idiom refers to the actual third rail used in electric rail systems. The third rail carries a high voltage, so touching it is extremely dangerous. Third rail is originally American.

What happens if you pee on the third rail?

Penile electrocution is very painful. And if the electrical current is sustained, your testicles will explode." There have been plenty of reports of death while peeing, but few have confirmed that the pee-to-rail contact was the actual cause of death, rather than electrocution for touching a 600-plus-volt line.

Touching the Third Rail, Part One

Has anyone ever survived the 3rd rail?

People have even survived after coming in contact with the third rail, as long as they are not touching the running rail and third rail at the same time, he said. "When people are really smoked down there, it's when you hit a running rail and the third rail at the same time," he said.

Is it possible to get electrocuted while peeing?

It is NOT possible to be electrocuted by urinating on an electric fence line. The electric fence safety features preclude that. A stream of urine separates into individual droplets the further it goes. Because the urine isn't a steady stream, it would be unlikely that an electric current could travel up it.

What is a 4th rail?

fourth rail (plural fourth rails) (rail transport) An extra rail in addition to the third rail (live rail) which is used for current return purposes, mainly by London Underground, because of problems caused by using the running rails for current return underground.

What is a third rail romance?

Wikipedia offers this: “The third rail of a nation's politics is a metaphor for any issue so controversial that it is 'charged' and 'untouchable'; any politician or public official who dares to broach the subject will invariably suffer politically. The term is most commonly used in North America.

Where did the term third rail come from?

It is most commonly used in North America. Though commonly attributed to Tip O'Neill, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1977 to 1987, it seems to have been coined by O'Neill aide Kirk O'Donnell in 1982 in reference to Social Security.

Why is there a third rail?

Third-rail systems are a means of providing electric traction power to trains using an additional rail (called a "conductor rail") for the purpose. On most systems, the conductor rail is placed on the sleeper ends outside the running rails, but in some systems a central conductor rail is used.

Which rail is the 3rd rail?

The third rail, also called 3rd rail or conductor rail, is a type of contact rail. A train with electric energy as the main power runs on a railway composed of two steel rails. In order to supply power to the train, a live rail is added next to the railway, which is the third rail.

Which rail is live UK?

When we talk about the third rail, we mean the live rail which provides electric power to a train through a conductor placed alongside the rails. Nearly half of the UK rail network is now electrified – and more than 30 percent uses a third rail to power the train.

Why do rats not get electrocuted?

They don't form a grounding connection between the third rail and the track bed, transit officials said. “In order to be electrocuted you need to complete a circuit, which means you need to touch the third rail and the ground,” said John Campbell Jr., assistant chief electrical officer for New York City Transit.

Can you survive under a subway train?

So the answer is yes – it is possible to survive lying under the oncoming train, but it is very unlikely that you could survive that without a major injury. It is a good idea to stay away from railroad tracks.

What happens if you fall into train tracks?

Flag down the train operator.

If a train is far away when someone falls onto the tracks, the straphanger can use a flagging signal that train operators recognize. If you have a flashlight or anything reflective, wave it above your head from left to right,” said a track worker. “It means stop.

What is the third rail NYC?

The Third Rail is a non-profit membership organization independent of New York City Football Club. We stand together as a testament to the melting pot culture of New York City, its many voices singing together. The Third Rail accepts all people regardless of race, age, gender, creed or sexual orientation.

Where is the third rail fallout?

The Third Rail is the nightclub in Goodneighbor.

Do trains run on AC or DC?

Railway electrification systems using alternating current (AC) at 25 kilovolts (kV) are used worldwide, especially for high-speed rail.

Is the London Underground AC or DC?

All London Underground Lines (including the W & C) operate at 630 volts DC using third (positive) and fourth (negative) current rails. The current rails are positioned so that the contact surface is higher than the running rails.

Is the East Coast main line electrified?

The East Coast Main Line (ECML) is a 393-mile long (632 km) electrified railway between London and Edinburgh via Peterborough, Doncaster, York, Darlington, Durham and Newcastle. The line is a key transport artery on the eastern side of Great Britain running broadly parallel to the A1 road.

Why should you not pee on an electric fence?

"MythBusters" also found that peeing on an electric fence can be a shocking experience. Because the fence is higher off the ground than a train track is, urine won't have time to separate into droplets, and the current can travel up the stream.

Is it safe to pee during a thunderstorm?

A toilet is probably as safe a place as any in a lightning storm, if you're not touching metal. Porcelain is a great insulator. In a lightning storm, don't stand in the shower clutching onto the shower head. Don't sit in a bathtub while in contact with the metal drain cap or faucet.