- Joseph Patrick O'Malley
Joseph Patrick O'Malley is the name usually given for the man of
Urban Legend who allegedly urinated on the high voltagethird rail of a train track (or electric fence) and was electrocuted. The scientific plausibility of this danger was also the subject of a 2003MythBusters episode on theDiscovery Channel . [ [http://www.citizenarcane.com/index.php/archives/2005/01/] Citizen Arcane, "Just Zip It "] [ [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_222b.html] The Straight Dope: "Has anybody gotten electrocuted peeing on the third rail?"] [MythBusters , Discovery Channel, "Barrel of Bricks, Urinating on the Third Rail, Eel Skin Wallet", Season One, Episode 3 (October 10, 2003)]According to Snopes, the legend began with a photograph of a penis treated with short-wave
diathermy accompanied by an erroneous description. [ [http://www.snopes.com/photos/medical/electricfence.asp] Snopes, Don't Whizz on the Electric Fence]In
2008 inLondon , a man was reported to have died from urinating on a live rail. [cite news |title=Man died 'urinating on live rail' |url=http://uk.news.yahoo.com/itn/20080722/tuk-man-died-urinating-on-live-rail-dba1618.html |publisher=Yahoo! News UK |date=2008-07-22 |accessdate=2008-07-22[, Yahoo! News]
References
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