In message ,
"Slugsie" wrote:

"Martin Angove" wrote in message
...


And why do we need the darned things anyway? Most 3-pin sockets [1] have
a very good "gate" arrangement which requires an earth pin-sized object
to be inserted into the earth socket before pins enter the L&N sockets.
A wedge-lever in the earth socket then lowers gates on the L&N sockets.
To do this manually requires a very high degree of manual dexterity and
a tool or two.


When I was about 10

Well that's the point, isn't it? These socket covers are meant to
protect "young children", presumably up to about 3 or 4, from
accidentally hurting themselves. Beyond that, there are very few
children who wouldn't be able to remove the covers (mind you I suspect
that most 2-year-olds could manage it if they had enough curiosity), and
certainly by 10 the kind of complicated method you described is more
possible.

On a similar note, when I was about 13 or 14 I "recovered" an unused
length of magnesium tape from the chemistry lab and then tried to light
it using the 1-bar electric fire which was the only heating at that time
in the "computer suite" (a room with ancient desks and 8 or 10 BBC
micros). Disappointingly I took out that wing of the school (three
classrooms and a lab) rather than lighting the tape. I presume I must
have touched the grill on the fire at the same time as the element.

No-one realised it was me though. Or if they did, they didn't say. There
weren't any teachers about at the time.

Bottom 3 most useless "child safety" items:

1: socket covers
2: things to stop children shutting doors and drawers on their fingers
(#2 because there *are* limited circumstances where they are useful)
3: table corner protectors (#3 as above)

(and I'll argue any of those with anyone sensible)

One I'm not sure about:
?: fridge door lock

One I'm very fond of:
1: cupboard door latches (despite their awkwardness in use)

And there are *some* stair gates which I like, but others which seem to
me to be more dangerous than not having one.

Hwyl!

M.

--
Martin Angove (it's Cornish for "Smith") - ARM/Digital SA110 RPC
See the Aber Valley -- http://www.tridwr.demon.co.uk/abervalley.html
.... As I said before, I never repeat myself.