If you’re a commuter in New York City, you’ve probably heard about the dreaded third rail. Its purpose is to provide electric power to a train, but anyone who wanders near it faces the threat of electrocution.
In the past, people have died from just touching it. Urinating onto the rail, even from a distance, may pose a similar risk. A few years back a man was reportedly killed this way on the G train track, resurfacing an age-old debate about the lethal nature of the third rail.
Can urinating on it actually kill you?
Scientifically speaking, the myth does make sense. According to The Wire, an electrical current can cause a jolt by traveling up a stream of urine, but the chances of that happening are very unlikely.
MythBusters leaked a revelation in a 2009 episode of their self-titled TV show. A simulation was set up using a dummy that was rigged to urinate like a human. The test proved that streams of pee often dribble as they leave our bodies, breaking the connection electricity needs in order to travel from one place to the other.
In most reported cases of electrocution, the victim probably touched the rail at some point, ultimately causing his or her death. However, MythBusters did state that under the right circumstances — if it was raining or if a person was wearing shoes with wet soles — the possibility of electrocution could be higher, though still very unlikely.
