Ever had a shock when in a bus? Not the mental variety received when the fares are “readjusted” but a physical, electric one?

London Transport has now issued a statement on reports of passengers receiving shocks from bus handrails. They point out that shocks are possible in all road vehicles, and are liable to occur only “in fine cool weather with low humidity,” sagely adding: “This combination of circumstances does not occur frequently in this country.”

The statement adds: “The shock is due to a discharge of static electricity built up within the vehicle when in motion. While the charge produced may be built up to a high voltage, the duration of the discharge and amount of energy involved is infinitesimal. There is no record of any injury, burns or other adverse after-effects as a result of shocks sustained by people touching the vehicles. The element of surprise is the most important factor and reaction to what amounts to a slight shock depends largely on individual temperament."

Whatever your reaction or temperament, there’s good news. London Transport and tyre boffins have found shocks can be practically eliminated by the use of specially electrically conductive rubber in the tyres, as developed during the war to combat static electricity in aircraft.

[From the Watford Observer of July 4, 1952]