Is poking a knife into the toaster really dangerous?
Dear Straight Dope: We’ve all been warned by mothers/teachers/wives not to stick forks or knives into the toaster to retrieve stuff that’s gotten jammed in there or is too short to reach the top of the slots. Is it really possible to electrocute yourself this way? How likely is that? How many people actually get injured in this manner? — Gary M. Raydon Just guessing, Gary, but it sounds like you think that electrocution by toaster is a silly female superstition and that manly men have nothing to fear. Perhaps we can also guess your feelings about seat belts, sunscreen, and motorcycle helmets. Luckily, owing to generations of mopes sticking knives into toasters, appliances and house wiring now have safety features built into them to protect guys like you from yourself. But nothing is foolproof, and if you insist on doing your thing with that knife, you’re still taking a chance. A toaster works by causing a current to flow through a special type of wire with a high resistance to electric
