"Fredxx" wrote in message
...
We were told similar by our physics master, except I don't think the
advice was to regularly use the back of your hand instead of a neon
tester, just that if ever you were in a situation where you *had* to find
out whether something was live or not, and you had no alternative, then
use the back of your hand rather than pinching it between fingers, or
sticking your tongue on it!

I wonder how many kids of nowadays test PP3 batteries that way?

I knew a woman at university who could feel very low voltages with her bare
fingers (no need for tongues!). She could tell instantly whether an AA
battery was fully charged or almost flat. She always touched a door handle
or a car door with her elbow through her clothes to discharge most of the
static charge that she may have acquired walking across a carpet or from the
tyres rolling on the road.