On Sat, 13 Feb 2010 14:54:22 -0500, "Twayne"
wrote:

[snip]


the uk has a problem with plastic pipe being intermixed with
legacy cast iron and copper pipe. their 220 service has no
ground reference and "earth"(equipment ground) depends on a
metallic connection thru the public water pipes.

So one neighbor has an appliance with a breakdown to one
side of the 220 line, and another neighbor has a bad
appliance with a breakdown to the other side of thhe 220.
A plumber or utility worker opens a water line and suddenly
there is 220 between the two sections of metallic water line.

Oh, that sure clears up a lot. Of something, I suppose. Doesn't affect the
price of tea in China though.


This PROBABLY didn't happen...

At China's major supplier to tea to restaurants, a man named Chen had
a problem. All Chinese-grown tea had become diseased and they were low
on uncontaminated tea. So Chen traveled to the UK to buy some tea
there. He stopped along one street to look at an unusual sight. A man
was lying unconscious with his hands in a freshly-dug hole, holding
onto the ends of a disconnected pipe. Chen calls for an ambulance.
Police also show up to deal with a domestic dispute. Two women are
arguing loudly. Each accuses the other of being a witch, and putting a
spell on her electric dryer. Chen returns home, having forgotten the
tea.