🚀 go-pugleaf

Well, This group seems to be a little short on alt.folklore.computers and a 
little long on alt.computers.old-fogies so here's my effort to help rectify the
situation.  This is a story that goes around the office when ever someone 
moves furniture.   The person that this really happened to (well it could 
be folklore) is now gone so it at least falls into the FOAF catagory. 

A few years back the company I now work for got one of the first color 
SUN 360's.  It arrived on a friday when things were kind of busy but the guy 
who got the thing was really looking forward to using it so he came in early 
the next morning (saturday) to set the thing up.  After he got the hard drive 
formatted and loaded and everything else configured, he realized that he 
wanted the machine on a different desk.  He cleared off a spot, unplugged 
everything and started to move it.  Well, those 16" color monitors were very 
expensive as well as being quite heavy so when he picked it up, in order to 
safely balance the thing he rested the screen flat against his chest and 
reached around to get a good solid grip.  Unfortunitly, while reaching 
around back he accidently touched the metal ground plate, discharging 70,000 
volts though this sternum.  

The next thing he knew he was lying sprawled on the ground, feeling like 
someone had hit him in the chest with a sledge hammer, unable to breathe
and convinced that his heart had stopped.  He tried to drag himself to a phone
(the building would be deserted until monday) but his chest hurt so bad that 
he didnt get very far.  He eventually realized that the pounding in his head 
meant that his heart was working after all (oh joy!) but it still took some 
time before he was able to moan properly.  15 minutes later he was finally
able to get to the phone to call his wife, who then drove him to the hospital 
where he was pronounced to have a few bruised ribs, but otherwise ok.

And you thought computers were safe.  Little did you know that you're 
right now sitting across from a potential (no pun intended) killer.

[ monitors act as giant capacitors, with a massive potential difference 
needed between the front and the back of the tube in order for the electron 
gun to work ] 




PS: The monitor was fine. 

--