UK - Man died 'urinating on live rail'

[John Ashworth]

Man killed by electric wee
Metro
Tuesday, July 22, 2008

A Polish tourist has died after being electrocuted when he urinated on a railway track at a busy London station.

The 41-year-old died at about 5.20pm on July 12 at Vauxhall Station in the south of the capital, British Transport Police said.

A spokesman confirmed that he had walked on to the track at platform 1 where he was electrocuted.

According to the Sun, the man was in Britain in an attempt to improve his English. His family are said to be devastated at the married teacher's death.

The newspaper reports that there are no public toilets at the station, although there are facilities in a nearby bus station.

A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said two ambulances arrived at the station after being alerted to the incident but the man died at the scene.

Network Rail says in excess of 60 people die on railway lines, of which about 40% are electrified, each year.

Man died 'urinating on live rail'
ITN
ITN - Tuesday, July 22 11:09 am

A man was killed at a busy railway station when he reportedly urinated on the track.

British Transport Police confirmed the 41-year-old was electrocuted at Vauxhall station in south London last week.

He walked on to the track from Platform 1, a BTP spokesman said.

According to reports, the Polish tourist went to find somewhere discreet to go to the toilet but his urine splashed on to the live rail.

He was said to be a married teacher who was visiting the UK to improve his English.

A spokesman for London Ambulance Service said a fast response unit and two ambulances were sent to the station but the man died at the scene.

According to Network Rail, more than 60 people are killed on railway lines each year.

[Steve Appleton]

My first thought is that clearly this guy's English lessons missed an important point or two about the "etiquette" of going to the loo at London stations and that, presumably, there is no Polish equivalent of "danger, live rail".
I recall a Discovery "Mythbusters" experiment a while back that tried to replicate the "myth" that urinating on a live rail would be fatal. After rigging up Buster, their much abused dummy, with the appropriate "equipment", including a electrical meter, and supplying him with donated urine, they concluded that the myth was busted. Principally, if I recall correctly, because the stream was not contiguous by the time it hit the rail: it had become a series of drops interspersed with insulating air.
Secondly, does this report refer to the percentage of railway lines in existence or the percentage of people who die that are electrified? If it's the latter, then the stats are wrong. We are all electrified... how else does the nervous system work? It would seem that UK reporters and subs need the English lessons, not the Polish tourists.

Network Rail says in excess of 60 people die on railway lines, of which about 40% are electrified, each year.

[Dylan Knott]

And the Darwin Award goes to...

[John Ashworth]

Steve, I picked this up off the uk.railway newsgroup and there was quite a discussion on the same "Mythbusters" topic. The general feeling agreed with you, that it's unlikely that the current would pass through the stream of urine. Most posters felt that he probably stepped on the live rail whilst busy urinating!