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Comment by Scoundreller | Hacker News Reader

And have someone nearby with a 2x4 to beat you off whatever you might be gripping/fell onto.

Just to add a bit more color here: most flexor muscles in your body are a lot stronger than the corresponding extensors, so when an external command comes in telling both to contract, for example from electricity in the thing you're working on, gripping wins. You can't let go. Great for grabbing a branch as you fall out of a tree. Not so great for repairing a power line.

Late edit: I've heard you can use this factoid to your advantage to avoid being eaten by an alligator or crocodile. Wrap your arms around its snout and hold on for dear life. Their jaws are strong enough to snap you in two, but not enough to force themselves open when you're holding them shut. I don't know what Step Two is, unfortunately.

> I don't know what Step Two is, unfortunately.

step two is waiting for the aforementioned 2x4 wielder "to beat ... whatever you might be gripping/fell onto"

"Mother" on speed dial maybe?

The bit about holding an alligator's mouth closed is correct and I remember Step Two from an alligator wrestling demonstration: flip it over. They lose consciousness if you can hold them in an inverted position.

So do chickens, but they're a lot easier to wrestle.

Related fun fact - On many industrial robots that I've worked with, the teach pendant (the handheld controller you drive it around with), requires you to hold a 3 position spring-loaded switch in a middle position for the robot to operate, which requires you to hold with a rather precise amount of force. Squeeze it either too loosely or too tightly and the robot disables.

The idea being that not only will you dropping the pendant disable the robot, but it will also disable if you accidentally touch energized equipment and your hand clenches, or (more likely) you panic and squeeze the controller too tightly.

https://us.idec.com/idec-us/en/USD/Safety-Components/Enablin...

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