w_tom wrote:

You are assuming knowledge not commonly available. Some
examples. Read thread in this newsgroup entitled "outlet box
"grounded" to neutral 1940's ?" Amazing is that shorting
'neutral to outlet box' wiring did not immediately raise every
distress flag. Surprising how many assume both ends of the
neutral and ground copper wires are electrically same. So
many assume wires are perfect conductors when in reality, even
wires are electronic components. Things electrical must be
dumb and simple so that if one item does not belong connected
to another, then plugs will not mechanically match. Labels
alone are not sufficient.

Another classic example are surge protectors. They don't
even claim to protect from typically destructive surges.
However many have used junk science reasoning - word
association. Surge protectors must be surge protection
because words are similar But again, many cannot be bothered
to learn basic fundamental. You see. Ignorance was not just
found in that Hispanic family. Furthermore, many of those
power strip surge protector that cost so much also don't have
that circuit breaker.

Technical ignorance is as widespread as the many who think
Listerene does something useful - only because the TV
propaganda is carefully crafted to be misleading.

Jeff Wisnia wrote:
Better yet, throw out any plug strips in your home which don't
have built in circuit breakers.

OTOH, why didn't the klutzes read the labeling on that plug strip
stating the strip's maximum rating, and if they couldn't read
english or didn't understand what it meant, ASK someone? I guess
that's too much to expect from much of the current generation,
whether english is their first language or not, isn't it?
(pun intended.)

I agree with you completely. It was just cynical wishful thinking on my
part to expect many people, most of which have probably heard the terms
"electrical fire" or "electrocuted" more than once in their lives, to
stop and think first before sticking their plugs in whatever hole is
handy. But then, common sense isn't all that common, is it?

At this point, even though I'm fervently against "big government"
protecting people from their own stupidity, I'd agree with a federal law
barring the sale of those non circuit breaker protected plug strips.
Course, then we'd have to deal with some fool sticking two triple tap
expanders into the cube tap end of a 10 amp extension cord, wouldn't we?

Maybe Darwinism will eventually improve upon the situation.

Jeff
--
Jeff Wisnia (W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)

"If you can keep smiling when things go wrong, you've thought of someone
to place the blame on."